The change reflects the reality that Augsburg already offers nine graduate degree programs—including Minnesota’s first program for physician assistants—in addition to its more than 50 undergraduate degree programs.

“Becoming Augsburg University does not change our dedication to our liberal arts mission or our commitment to being small to our students and big for the world,” said Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow.

“As we lean into our reality as a university, we will continue our drive toward the intentional diversity for which we are known. We will ensure we are student-ready and can provide those of academic ability with opportunities for hands-on learning, undergraduate research, international study, and internships so that all Auggies are prepared to share their gifts and talents with the world.”

The name change decision was made after a thorough review that included conducting market research, studying the process and impact of name changes by other institutions, and holding open dialogue sessions with a broad set of stakeholders, including students, alumni, faculty, staff, and regents.

More information about the change is at augsburg.edu/university.

About Augsburg: Augsburg offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to nearly 3,600 students of diverse backgrounds at its campus in the vibrant center of the Twin Cities and the Rochester site. Augsburg educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. An Augsburg education is defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies, guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran church, and shaped by its urban and global settings.

Campus Photo: Download a photo of campus at

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Neal Karlen

“I always told Prince I knew he really didn’t consider me a friend, but as one of the few people in Minneapolis who was probably awake, like he always was, in the middle of the night, and was ‘Willing and Able,’ as my favorite song of his is titled, to talk about loneliness and death,” Karlen wrote.

“I even rubbed it in, in the opening of my second Rolling Stone cover story on Prince, published in 1990.

‘The phone rings at 4:48 in the morning,'”

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The story also showed images of Augsburg’s traditional undergraduate Commencement event on May 2, noting that approximately 30 percent of the undergraduate Class of 2015 is comprised of students of color.

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Kathleen Clark

The Health Commons, which has been open for 22 years and is free to visitors, provides medical and nutritional consultations and services as well as connections to other health care resources.

The focus of care at the Health Commons is communication and hospitality, even though–unfortunately–this approach has become less common in traditional medical settings.

Central Health Commons is funded by Augsburg College, Central Lutheran Church, and other private donations.

To , visit the MPR News site.

The story also was picked up by the Associated Press and since has run in:

• The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. — Augsburg College nurses put hospitality first
• The State of Columbia, S.C. — Nurses at Augsburg College center put hospitality first

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“We’re excited to host Bill Nye during our Scholarship Weekend when bright students from across the United States visit campus to compete for our top academic scholarships,” said Augsburg College President Paul C. Pribbenow. “We want to give these scholarly, prospective Auggies the chance to grapple with some of the world’s deepest questions so they can experience what Auggies are called to do each and every day.”

During the 2014 Scholarship Weekend, nearly 100 students and the public had the opportunity to be challenged by questions of compassion and humanity posed in a talk by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

Nye, a mechanical engineer and seven-time Emmy Award winner as host and head writer of “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” will speak from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Feb. 14, in Augsburg College’s Si Melby Gymnasium (715 23rd Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55454). Doors will open at 10 a.m.

Ticket Information

All tickets are general admission with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. A presale will be held for Augsburg College students, faculty, and staff.

Tickets for Augsburg College Students:

• Presale Begins: 10 a.m., Monday, Nov. 24, 2014
• Presale Ends: 11:59 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 7, 2014
• Student Price: $12/ticket*
• An Augsburg College Augnet login will be required to gain access to the presale

Tickets for Augsburg College Faculty/Staff:

• Presale Begins: 10 a.m., Monday, Nov. 24, 2014
• Presale Ends: 11:59 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 7, 2014
• Faculty and Staff Price: $28/ticket*
• An Augsburg College Augnet login will be required to gain access to the presale.

Tickets for General Public

• Sale begins: 10 a.m., Monday, Dec. 8, 2014
• Students: $12*
• General Public: $28*

*A $3 service charge will be applied to each ticket at the time of checkout.

Visit  for more information and to purchase tickets.

Biography: Bill Nye is a mechanical engineer who wants the world to know and appreciate the passion, beauty, and joy (the P, B & J) of science. Nye’s show, “Bill Nye The Science Guy,” has garnered 18 Emmy awards. Nye won seven of them as host and head writer. These days, Nye travels the globe exhorting audiences to change the world. He has a day job as the CEO of The Planetary Society, the world’s largest non-governmental space interest organization. Nye’s newest book, “Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation,” was released in November.

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This is the fifth time that the College has been named to the top tier of recognition—the honor roll with distinction—for this prominent national award. More than 500 schools vied for the 2014 award that celebrates outstanding achievements in and commitment to interfaith and community service work.

In 2010, Augsburg took top honors from among a field of 850 applicants. Read about this campus accomplishment in the story “.”

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�����䰭�Ҹ鰿������:��Mason Jennings is the third artist to explore issues related to peace and the arts for the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. Previous artists Dessa, Omar Offendum, and Brother Ali were met with critical acclaim for pushing the boundaries on the discussion about the role in the world of musicians as peacemakers.

Jennings blends the insights of a poet, the political broadsides of a protest singer, and the broad musical eclecticism of a jazz musician with the passion of a rock and roller.

ABOUT THE FORUM: The Nobel Peace Prize Forum () is a premier international event designed to inspire peacemaking. Now in its 26^th year, the NPPF celebrates the work of Peace Prize Laureates and deeply explores questions of peace and conflict. This year, the NPPF addresses issues in faith and peace, law and business, health and science, and global issues. The program is housed and coordinated by Augsburg College in partnership with the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs and the School of Public Health, and the five Norwegian Lutheran colleges of Augsburg, Augustana College (Sioux Falls, SD), Concordia College (Moorhead), Luther College (Decorah, IA) and St. Olaf College (Northfield). The Forum’s corporate sponsors include Thomson Reuters.

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The 2013 Koryne Horbal Lecture with women’s rights icon Gloria Steinem was a “can’t miss” event for Augsburg College student Ali Smith ’15.

“Feminism is something I’m interested in,” Smith said. “It’s a way to bond with my professors and friends because we’re working toward the common goal of equity.”

Each year, the Anne Pederson Women’s Resource Center at Augsburg College hosts the Koryne Horbal Lecture to bring to campus speakers of national distinction who address issues that influence women. The event attracts Augsburg students, like Smith, as well as faculty and staff members, and—increasingly—members of the greater Twin Cities community.

For Minneapolis resident Jacob Enblom, hearing Steinem speak at the College was like interacting with a living textbook. Enblom said he went to an area high school “with strong feminist voices,” which spurred his interest in equality issues. “We studied Gloria,” he said. “She indirectly created the curriculum I learned from.”

The feminist ‘it’ girl

Steinem has traveled the world as a spokesperson for women’s issues, interviewed with national media, led awareness rallies, produced award-winning documentaries, written six books, launched two magazines, and delivered thousands of speeches since the 1970s when she rose to prominence as the Feminist Movement’s most vocal member.

Clearly, Steinem is accustomed to standing in the spotlight and at the microphone.

“Gloria has played a hugely important role in feminist history,” said Adriane Brown, assistant professor of women’s studies. “Media made her the feminist ‘it’ girl in the ’70s, and she has done tremendously important work.”

And yet, when Steinem stepped on stage in Hoversten Chapel, her initial remarks to the audience members at the April 4 convocation were an expression of modesty. Steinem wished the crowd had gathered with her in a circle where the setting could better reflect equality among all those present, and Steinem acknowledged the other feminist leaders in attendance, among them Koryne Horbal—the event’s namesake.

Steinem has worked alongside Horbal, a long-time friend of Augsburg, in addressing women’s equality issues. Horbal, who founded the Minnesota DFL feminist caucus and served as an ambassador to the United Nations on the status of women, invited Steinem to speak at the College and to share her perspective on the past, present, and future of feminist activism in a speech titled, “The Essential Quality Called Freedom.”

Vicki Bunker, a Twin Cities community member who attended the lecture with a half dozen friends, came to campus for the rare, in-person opportunity to hear Steinem speak and to request that she sign a first-edition copy of Ms. Magazine—the publication Steinem cofounded in 1972 and edited for 15 years.

“I’m a product of the ’60s, so I’ve known of Gloria for what feels like forever,” Bunker said. “But, what she spoke of [at Augsburg] still resonates.”

The importance of education

In a publication describing the influence of Steinem, Christine Stansell, a University of Chicago history professor, said she “was to the women’s movement what Martin Luther King Jr. was to civil rights: the galvanizer.”

In her talk, Steinem discussed the founding of the women’s movement, the gains that have been made to find equity for all people, and areas in which improvement must still be realized.

Steinem said some challenges can be addressed through increased awareness among young people and suggested that the liberal arts education at Augsburg plays an important role in establishing equal rights.

“On a campus like this, that I know is utterly devoted to social justice, you have all kinds of courses that make a huge, huge difference,” Steinem said. “In general, you have African American studies, Native American studies, women’s studies, gay and lesbian studies,” and more.

Steinem said that progress will be made more easily in an environment of support, companionship, and community.

Bo Thao-Urabe—a long-time advocate for Hmong women, children, and refugee families in the Twin Cities and Laos—sees higher education as a place where these key components naturally come together. “Colleges are such a great space for developing thinking and framework,” she said. “They can dedicate resources to this important work.”

The Courageous Woman Awards

Thao-Urabe was recognized at the Koryne Horbal Lecture with a Courageous Woman Award (CWA) for the work she has done internationally and in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood where Augsburg resides.

The CWA was created to recognize women who strive for social justice and peace on campus or in the community and whose efforts, be they small or large, make a difference to women.

Augsburg student Kristina Monje ’14 was also recognized with a CWA. Monje is studying creative writing and sociology. She serves as the president of the Mindfulness for Students campus organization, is associate editor of Murphy Square, is a community adviser for Residence Life, is a vital member of the Leadership Team, and was commended for identifying an opportunity to improve students’ Augsburg experience and enhance equality for all those in the College community.

“My courage isn’t an isolated event; it’s encouraged and inspired by the people around me,” Monje said. “There’s no way I could be courageous without the help of StepUp, Res Life, my family, and my close friends.”

Augsburg strives to an inclusive community that welcomes people of diverse backgrounds and experiences. One example includes that in 2009 the Augsburg College Board of Regents approved Reconciling in Christ status, which affirms that the College is welcoming of all people in regard to their gender identity and sexual orientation.

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