May 2: Traditional Day Undergraduate Program

11:15 a.m. – Student Line Up

Students of the traditional day undergraduate program line up outside Christensen Center (425 students). Nearly 30 percent of students eligible to graduate in the Class of 2015 are persons of color.

12:30 p.m. – Student Processional to Si Melby

Group proceeds, led by drummer, from Christensen Center down South 7-1/2 Street to Si Melby Hall. Faculty, in academic dress, line the streets and clap as students pass. (Photo Opp)

1 p.m. – Invocation

Welcome

Commencement Address and Honorary Degree Recipient: Winona LaDuke, founder of the White Earth Land Recovery Project

Student Speaker: Kristina Monje ’15, majoring in English with a minor in sociology

Conferring of Degrees

American Indian Honoring Song: RedBone drum group will sing an American Indian honoring song for all students. (Photo Opp)

2:30 p.m. – Recessional: Students exit Si Melby. Students, families gather in Murphy Square, the oldest public park in Minneapolis. (Photo Opp)

May 3: Adult Undergraduate, Rochester, and Nursing Programs, and Eight Graduate Programs

11:15 a.m. – Student Line Up

Students of the adult undergraduate, Rochester and nursing programs, and students from eight graduate programs (443 students) line up outside Christensen Center.

12:30 p.m. – Student Processional to Si Melby

Group proceeds, led by drummer, from Christensen Center down South 7-1/2 Street to Si Melby Hall. Faculty, in academic dress, line the streets and clap as students pass. (Photo Opp)

1 p.m. – Invocation

Welcome

Commencement Address: Winona LaDuke, founder of the White Earth Land Recovery Project

Honorary Degree Recipient: Peter Bell, former chair of the Metropolitan Council

Conferring of Degrees

American Indian Honoring Song: RedBone drum group will sing an American Indian honoring song for all students. (Photo Opp)

2:30 p.m. – Recessional

Students exit Si Melby. Students, families gather in Murphy Square, city’s oldest public park. (Photo Opp)

Augsburg College is set in a vibrant neighborhood at the heart of the Twin Cities, and offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to nearly 3,600students of diverse backgrounds. Augsburg College educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. The Augsburg experience is supported by an engaged community that is committed to intentional diversity in its life and work. 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. Web: .

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This year, the Class of 2015 had the most donors in the Feed the Pig campaign. On April 10, members of the winning class celebrated their victory by enjoying a party at Augsburg House with President Pribbenow and his family, courtesy of The Augsburg Fund.

What is the Feed the Pig campaign?

Each Augsburg student is given an individual piggy bank to fill, and many Augsburg faculty and staff also “adopt” a pig to help support a particular class or student. Throughout the school year, students collect spare change into their piggy banks and deposit their change into a group jar during “Piggy Round-Up Days.” Each student who donates the change in their bank is considered a donor. At the end of the school year, the class with the most donors wins a party at the President’s House. The money raised in the Feed the Pig campaign goes to a scholarship for one lucky student.

The Feed the Pig campaign was started in 2010 by Augsburg’s Office of Institutional Advancement to raise awareness about philanthropy and the importance of donor support. This project aims to educate students about ways in which they can support the College. Every year, Augsburg relies on thousands of alumni, parents, friends—and now students—to ensure that current Auggies can have an outstanding, affordable Augsburg College education.

For more information about how to get involved with the Feed the Pig project, contact Jen Jung, assistant director of Annual Giving, at 612-330-1179 or jung@augsburg.edu.

Thanks to all who participated in the Feed the Pig Campaign this year!

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The student program includes a “town hall” meeting with President Pribbenow, learning about academic success, connecting with campus organizations and academic departments at the “showcase,” receiving their fall class schedules, and an introduction to technology resources as well as public safety.

At SOAR, new students connect with orientation leaders, students who will guide them through orientation and serve as peer advisers in their first semester on campus. Students are organized into “neighborhood” groups that meet throughout the two-day orientation and also go on neighborhood excursions to learn about the areas surrounding campus.

SOAR also includes special sessions for parents and guardians. Sally Daniels ’79, director of parent and family relations as well as a mom to two Auggie daughters, enjoys helping other parents with the transition to college life. “In my experience, parents come to SOAR to both support their soon-to-be Auggie and to confirm their own decision. The good news here is that’s exactly what happens.”

Daniels says that at SOAR, parents learn firsthand about Augsburg’s strong faculty and staff and come away feeling good about their decision. “The connection parents see in their students from the start of SOAR to the end is really powerful.”

Activities and orientation for new students continue with Auggie Days, a series of events held in the week before classes begin. Though some new students will move into the residence halls early, many will make the big move to campus on Saturday, Sept. 3.

Welcome new Auggies and families!

New Auggie Facts and Figures (as of July 18, 2011 – subject to change)

547 students deposited including first-year, international, and Day transfers

42 percent of the incoming class are first generation college students

24.5 percent have participated in a college readiness program like TRiO, Admission Possible, or AVID

325 are from Minnesota with the rest hailing from 18 other states and 6 other countries including Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Germany, Myanmar, Nigeria, and Vietnam

Outside of Minnesota, the state most represented in the incoming class is Wisconsin with 22 students. The next is Florida with 5 students – you missed our Florida-like weather!

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