When the College on September 28 hosts the dedication ceremony for the new , the event not only will celebrate the generosity of the Strommens but also how the entire Augsburg educational experience prepares students for post-graduate success.

The Center originally was established in 2009 and was located in Anderson Hall. A recent gift from Mrs. Strommen meant the College could move its career and internship services to the Christensen Center. Now just steps from the admissions office suite, the Center is the first stop on the College’s campus tours for prospective students and their parents. Tours begin with a discussion of how the an Augsburg education prepares students for meaningful work.

“Parents want to know that their investment in an Augsburg education will lead to employment,” said Marissa Machado, senior associate director of admissions. “When student ambassadors take families on a tour of campus and showcase the Strommen Center as an initial talking point, they ‘connect the dots’ between the Augsburg degree and successful job placement.”

New location puts College commitment at campus core

The more visible and accessible location on the main level of Christensen Center places at the campus core the College’s commitment to student success beyond graduation. The Strommen Center’s renovated and re-imagined space will actively promote purposeful living and meaningful work by connecting liberal arts and professional knowledge with talent, faith, and core values.

The planning and construction of the Strommen Center [pictured] occurred during spring and summer 2012. The relocation of the Center was an important component of Augsburg’s commitment to make the best use of its existing space through the Campus Space and Master Plan, which was described earlier this month in the story.

College welcomes new director

In addition to announcing the Strommen Center’s new location, Augsburg College is pleased to welcome Keith Munson as director of Career and Internship Services for the Strommen Center for Meaningful Work effective October 25. “Keith will lead our exceptional team dedicated to providing the internship, career, and vocational services our students and alumni require,” said Amy Gort, assistant vice president and dean of arts and sciences. “We expect students to seek out these services now more than ever due to the Strommen Center’s new, highly visible location. Career and internship services will be the keystone for the Center, which lives out Clair and Gladys’ personal commitment to vocation each and every day.”

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By Wendi Wheeler ’06

The occupants of one of Augsburg’s newest construction projects have claimed their cubicles and moved files and personal effects. As of October 31, the Office of Admissions—home to the staff of undergraduate and graduate admissions—is open for business on the lower level of Christensen Center.

Julie Edstrom, vice president of enrollment management, said the admissions staff has been talking for a few years about co-locating undergraduate and graduate operations. The first step in the process came when undergraduate transfer counselors began working together.

Since many Weekend College students are technically transfer students, having completed an associate’s degree or at least a handful of credits at one or more colleges, it made sense to combine the recruitment efforts of both Weekend and Day staff working with transfer students. “Now, when a student comes and says they aren’t sure if the Weekend or Day program is best for them, the counselors can help them find the best option.” Edstrom said.

The second phase of co-location was moving the graduate program counselors from the house on 7th Street and 21st Avenue South into the upper level of Christensen, meaning all admissions staff was in the same building. Edstrom said the new space was better and allowed the staff to make use of efficiencies with paperwork and processing, but the staff still wanted more integration.

And though the first floor admissions suite provided a fun atmosphere for welcoming potential Day students and their families, it was not adequate to fulfill all of the staff member’s needs. “We wanted a more roomy area with comfortable spaces for meeting people and visual separation of the work area from the meeting area,” Edstrom said.

The new space, which was designed by BWBR Architects of St. Paul to coordinate visually with other campus offices, provides visit rooms that can be tailored to the needs of prospective students. The welcome area is large enough for admissions events and allows for presentations. And the visit space is separate from the file processing area as well as individual counselor workspaces.

Not only does the co-location allow for work efficiencies, Edstrom said it also gives parents of prospective Day program students a better understanding of the breadth of programs offered at Augsburg—specifically Weekend College and graduate programs.

Edstrom said the new space will require an adjustment for the campus community, but she hopes that the 22nd Avenue building entrance, which provides access for people with limited mobility, and the visibility to the park will create a welcoming environment for potential students.

“We think this space will have a positive impact on enrollment by creating a great first impression,” Edstrom said. “It makes a statement of quality and shows our institutional pride.”

Watch the Daily A-mail for an announcement about an open house for the new admissions space.

See Augsburg’s photographer Stephen Geffre’s of the admissions construction.

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Last spring, Augsburg administration began asking students, faculty, and staff for their input on dining options on campus. They wanted more options and extended hours, particularly service for students attending class in the evenings and on the weekends.

At the same time, Steve West, A’viands’ vice president for education and business dining, had attended a conference where he talked with Einstein’s representatives. “In higher ed, you’re always looking to make things new so it’s not the same thing year after year,” West said. He was impressed with Einstein’s growth, ability to provide meals throughout the entire day, and their quality.

Remodeling and training began in the summer and was completed in early August. The grand opening will be Wednesday, Sept. 7. Einstein’s will also offer catering for on-campus events and meetings later in the fall semester.

Einstein’s offers breakfast, lunch, smoothies, coffee, snacks, and dinner. West said it will serve as an alternative where people can get a made-to-order salad, sandwich, wrap, or something from the grab & go case. “I think it’s a good value and a healthy option, and it fits all the needs of the Augsburg students.” West wants the campus community to know that this addition is A’viands operating as Einstein’s, so the quality and level of service will be on par with other Augsburg dining facilities.

Another change which will be important, especially to students not on a meal plan, is the removal of the A-Club Grille in the lower level of Christensen. Eventually this space will be home to the Office of Admissions. Some popular items from the Grille, including French fries, burgers, and chicken strips, will be available in Nabo in Oren Gateway Center.

This is A’viands’ first venture into working with a national franchise on a college campus. So far, West said he has been pleased with the company’s standards and training program, and he is looking forward to seeing how Einstein’s will be received at Augsburg.

Hours of service:

Monday – Thursday 7:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Friday 7:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Sunday closed (see below)

Saturday Grab & Go 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Weekend College Sunday Grab & Go 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

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The “Warrior To Citizen” exhibit features personal stories and artifacts gathered from 30 service members who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The exhibit captures an important piece of Minnesota history and offers a public space for thinking and talking about the ways military service impacts individuals and communities, and what veterans have to contribute.

The exhibit features four thematic listening/viewing stations as well as personal artifacts. “This exhibit is designed to move beyond the sound bite, the splashy image, and attention only on the heroes and the dead. Thousands of Minnesotans have quietly been creating contemporary history, engaging in acts of personal courage and selflessness. Yet we don’t know this, and we certainly don’t know them,” says Tim Kamenar, a member of the Minnesota National Guard and an instrumental organizer of the oral history project.

The oral history project that yielded this exhibit grew out of the Warrior to Citizen Campaign, a statewide grassroots effort to provide enduring support to veterans and their families. The campaign is organized by the Center for Democracy and Citizenship at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.

The exhibit will move on to Farmington, Minn., after its week at Augsburg College.

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Velkommen Jul is an annual Christmas celebration you don’t want to miss. The event will feature Scandinavian Yuletide music, tasty treats including krumkake and the ever-popular yet odious lutefisk, handcrafted items, Norwegian bunads, and a visit from St. Nicholas during chapel.

The Augsburg College Associates, who number around 100, are a service auxiliary of volunteers whose mission includes fundraising for special projects and scholarships in support of Augsburg College. In the nearly 20 years since their founding, the Associates have given to Augsburg more than a half million dollars from their fundraising. They host Velkommen Jul as a service to the Augsburg community and as a way to celebrate its Norwegian heritage.

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hard to miss the sheets of plastic, rumblings of drills, and workers

in hard hats.

All of the construction is part of the changes that Augsburg’s new

dining services provider, A’viands, is working on this summer. Part of that work is a redesign of the main service area. The updates incorporate feedback received from the Augsburg community in the request-for-proposals process.

Most of the area will have a completely new look. The wall that

separated the service area and the seating area will be removed to

allow for better traffic flow and new cooking exhibition stations.

The space will get new tile and counter tops to help freshen up the

space. There also will be a new salad bar and condiment station.

A’viands will be working most of the summer to ensure that they are

ready by the start of the fall day college term in August.

Other changes to food services include:

More hours and convenient times

• Continuous hours from breakfast through dinner in The Commons

• Extended hours in Nabo

• Extended hours for Weekend College weekends for Coopers and Nabo

Meal plan flexibility

• Flex dollars available on more meal plans

• A commuter meal plan option also for weekend and grad students

• A points plan for faculty, staff, and students not required to

purchase a board plan

Fresh and exciting foods!

• Healthy choices

• Organic, vegetarian, and vegan options

Student involvement

• Student advisory committee

• Student employment opportunities including possible internships

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A grand opening celebration will be held Friday, March 28 from 2 – 6 p.m. and Saturday, March 29 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. The lounge will be blessed at 3 p.m. on Friday.

The lounge includes two pool tables, a ping pong table, and two televisions — one for playing games on an Xbox 360, while the other is an HDTV with a Blu-ray player. It will be open all year long during Christensen Center operating hours, but pool and ping pong equipment will be available only when the lounge is staffed.

The renovation was financed with $100,000 from this year’s operating budget, which covered 96% of the costs. The Weekend and Day student senates each contributed $2,000 to help complete the project.

In the future, student groups and organizations may be able to reserve the lounge through the campus activities and orientation office for a group gathering or an open-mic or spoken-word event.

Last year, the Christensen Center Task Force, with the aid of BWBR Architects in St. Paul, developed a plan for a complete renovation of Christensen. The goal was to make the building more student-centered by providing 24-hour access and adding group and individual study rooms, a computer lab, and more informal gathering places. Eventually, the former bookstore will become campus activities and student organizations office and work space as funding becomes available.

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Recently, a group of Augsburg students and facilities supervisor Tom Ruffaner got down and dirty and dug through two-days’ worth of our garbage. Their purpose? To get to the bottom of Augsburg’s well-intentioned recycling program.

Senior Donnie McCarthy was frustrated by the Augsburg community’s lackadaisical attitude toward recycling. In the wake of this spring’s successful Focus the Nation teach-in, McCarthy asked Tim Dougherty of the Center for Service, Work, and Learning for advice on how to show students what was happening.

With the help of Dougherty and Ruffaner, McCarthy and junior Jake Quarstad gathered students to conduct a trash audit. The group collected garbage from Christensen Center, Sverdrup Hall, Mortenson Hall, and the Science building. They opened the bags and separated the contents into four categories — cans and bottles, compostable materials, paper, and trash. Each portion was weighed to determine the percent of the total.

The results showed that 68.8% of the garbage is either compostable or recyclable. According to McCarthy’s calculations, out of an estimated 113,303 pounds of garbage per year, 77,953 pounds could be recycled or composted. McCarthy said, “I was hoping the results wouldn’t be so dire.”

Actually, Auggies do a respectable job, says Ruffaner. In a typical year, we collect 13.5 tons of cans and bottles, 66 tons of paper and cardboard, 280 cubic yards of yard waste for composting off campus, 4,483 fluorescent light bulbs, and numerous televisions, computer monitors, and other electronics. He also credits students in the residence halls for recycling about 400 cubic yards of cans and bottles between September 12, 2007 and April 30, 2008.

What can we do to improve our recycling efforts? Perhaps the simplest action we can take, says McCarthy, is to make use of the recycling bins available on campus. “Take the extra effort to separate your recyclables,” he suggests. “I know I can’t make people care,” he added. “Maybe we just need to tell people.”

The group plans to continue efforts to educate students, faculty, and staff about recycling. Information about reusing and recycling is available on the Environmental Stewardship Committee web site at .

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On May 3, 364 Day College students and 26 physician assistant studies students

cross campus for the last time as Augsburg students, marching to Melby

Hall through two long lines of faculty, who are cheering them on and

giving out well-deserved high-fives and hugs. For the weekday students

it’s a different scene than the one they remember on that day in September

when they marched as a class for the first time, to the Opening Ceremony,

timidly, through faculty welcoming them to college. 

The Commencement speaker on May 3 will be Professor Jack Weatherford,

a cultural anthropologist at Macalester College, who became a best-selling

author with his book Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern

World, with research that took him to Mongolia a number of times

over the past several years.

His scholarship focuses on how tribal peoples around the world relate

to the larger societies surrounding them, which he has applied to cultures

as disparate as coca growers in Bolivia, American Indians in the U.S.,

and politicians on Capitol Hill. He has written numerous articles and

several books, and has appeared on such popular news and feature shows

as the Today show, ABC Evening News with Peter Jennings, All Things

Considered, and Nightwatch.

Professor Weatherford will receive an honorary degree from Augsburg

College, Doctor of Humane Letters, for his teaching that encourages

students to use their skills in anthropology to understand relationships

in the world around them and to help them prepare for the challenges

of global citizenship.

For information and schedules for the two Commencement weekends, go

to .

Senior class gift

As the semester comes to a close and we prepare say farewell to our graduating seniors, it is time once again to honor them with a donation to the senior class gift. Past gifts have included support for the Augsburg Fund, the Augsburg sign on top of Mortensen Hall, and the clock tower in the quad.

This year, the senior class gift committee has decided to use the money raised for further improvements and renovations of the new student lounge in the Christensen Center. During the last few weeks of the semester, the committee will be fundraising for the gift. They are inviting support from any interested students, faculty, parents, and alumni who want to honor the class of 2008. Gifts of any amount are welcome.

Seniors who donate $20.08 or more will receive a senior class gift T-shirt! Faculty and staff who donate $20.08, and students who donate $10 or more will be able to honor a graduating senior of their choice. Donors and seniors will be recognized at the May commencement reception.

Contact Martha Truax at truaxm@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1652 with questions. To give online, go to and under “Designation” choose “2008 Senior Class Gift.”

Senior gift text by Steve Savstrom

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The lecture takes place on Wednesday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. in the Marshall Room, Christensen Center. A book signing follows the lecture.

Atkins has recently published “Creating Minnesota: A History from the Inside Out.” She also published “Harvest of Grief: Grasshopper Plagues and Public Assistance in Minnesota, 1873-78” (1984), and “We Grew Up Together: Brothers and Sisters in 19th-Century America” (2001).

Atkins has served on the Council of the Minnesota Historical Society and the

Western History Association, on committees for the Organization of American Historians and as editor of the teaching column in the monthly magazine of the American Historical Association.

The Carl H. Chrislock Memorial History Lecture, sponsored by the Augsburg History Society, honors the memory of Carl. H. Chrislock ’37, Distinguished Alumnus and former professor of history at Augsburg College.

His published works include “The Progressive Era in Minnesota, 1899-1918” (1971); “Ethnicity Challenged: The Upper Midwest Norwegian-American Experience in World War I” (1981) and “Watchdog of Loyalty: The Minnesota Commission of Public Safety during World War I” (1991).

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