President Paul Pribbenow met with leaders of the Minneapolis Star Tribune editorial board to discuss Minnesota鈥檚 educational achievement gap among children and youth of diverse backgrounds. The state has one of the largest achievement gaps in the nation, and Augsburg is working to ensure all students of academic ability have access to higher education. The College鈥檚 pledge to this work includes limited debt pathways to graduation, setting aside dedicated housing for homeless students, increasing financial aid literacy, supporting faculty in creating inclusive classrooms, and increasing access to course materials.
The College was applauded for this leadership through a compelling editorial, 鈥溾�� written and published by the Star Tribune editorial board on Aug. 30.
The editorial explained that Minnesota is rapidly diversifying, but听increasing student diversity on college campuses involves more than waiting for more nonwhite Minnesotans to enroll. “As Augsburg College is demonstrating, academic institutions can do much to adapt their own policies and practices to educate what previously has been an underserved share of the state鈥檚 population,” the editorial explained.
Augsburg has sought to reduce barriers to college success that often impede students of color, and the College aims to not only to enroll a larger share of nonwhite students, but also to see them through to graduation.
Associate Professor听Lars Christiansen teaches courses in Augsburg’s Department of Sociology and Urban Studies Program. Christiansen puts his scholarship into practice as director of the Friendly Streets Initiative, a St. Paul-based organization that听facilitates community organizing through听creative public engagement events. The听group aims to help communities envision positive change to public spaces, collect and analyze data, and assist听neighbors in navigating听city planning processes.
Michael Lansing, associate professor and History Department chair, recently penned an article comparing听the United States’听contemporary political landscape听with periods in the late 1960s and late 1970s.
Andy Aoki, professor and department chair of political science at Augsburg College, recently spoke with WCCO-TV about the implications of Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, a move now referred to as “Brexit.”
Kristin Anderson 鈥� a听sports architecture expert, Augsburg College archivist, and art history professor 鈥� recently spoke with Minnesota Public Radio host Cathy Wurzer about the Twin Cities’听athletic stadium history.