Recognizing this urgent moment for American higher education and our democracy, Augsburg University President Paul C. Pribbenow is joining 70 other college presidents of diverse institutions from across the country to advance higher education’s pivotal role in preparing students to be engaged citizens and to uphold free expression on campus. 

Through , a unique consortium designed by the presidents and convened by the , participating presidents are dedicated to preparing the next generation of well-informed, productively engaged, and committed citizens; defending free expression, civil discourse, and critical inquiry as essential civic norms; and increasing thoughtful engagement and better understanding by students for the effective functioning of our democracy. The consortium, first announced with 15 members in August 2023, has grown significantly, demonstrating momentum for this movement. 

Participating presidents will take campus-specific and collective action, reflecting three shared Civic Commitments: 

• Educating for democracy is central to our mission. 
• We will prepare our students for a vibrant, diverse, and contentious society. 
• We will protect and defend free inquiry.

Taken together, these fresh commitments embrace both free speech and diversity, two values often pitted against each other, by instead emphasizing meaningful engagement and inquiry with different voices and viewpoints. The commitments stress diversity as a strength of both American democracy and campus life and affirm the truth-seeking role of higher education through curiosity and inquiry. They also enable campus leaders to take substantive action to promote democratic engagement among students, with public accountability for progress through publication of an annual impact report.

“At Augsburg University, we honor our commitments to a vibrant civic life, to the liberal arts, and to the diverse students we serve, by setting a table where all voices are heard, all life experiences are valued, and all of our fellow travelers are engaged in support of a vibrant democracy,” said Pribbenow.

In addition to championing these commitments on our own campuses, the presidents will undertake together and through the Institute a set of collective actions:

• Meet regularly and confidentially for peer learning and the exchange of information, ideas, practices, and tools, including on such topics as the 2024 elections and student activism;
• Help faculty engage effectively with free expression and civil discourse in the classroom by participating in the Faculty Institute on Dialogue Across Difference; and
• Create and seize opportunities for shared advocacy and public outreach on civic preparedness in higher education.

“Higher education has a responsibility to provide students with critical civic skills and knowledge to participate effectively in our constitutional democracy,” said Rajiv Vinnakota, President of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, a nonprofit that cultivates talent, ideas, and networks that develop young people as effective, lifelong citizens. “College campuses are among the most diverse spaces in our country, and college is an important time for students to develop the habits, practices, and norms to live in a multicultural and interconnected democracy. Doing so can create a ripple effect, making young people more optimistic and increasingly committed about their future and our nation.”

The post Paul Pribbenow Joins College Presidents for Civic Preparedness appeared first on News and Media.

(MINNEAPOLIS) — The 29th annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum, an international peace congress, is September 15-16 in Minneapolis. The 2017 Forum will focus on dialogue as a bridge to cross lines of difference on a range of contentious issues, from instability in North Africa and the Middle East, to gun violence reduction and the partisan “Red-Blue” divide in the United States. The Forum will also honor the 2015 laureate, the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet, recognized for its work toward building a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:

Sept. 15

• 9 – 10:45 a.m. – “The Power of Dialogue: A Conversation with the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet.” Quartet members Mohamed Fadhel Mahfoudh, Hassine Abassi and Abdesattar Ben Moussa will explain how they brought together parties in a deeply divided country to forge a new democracy in the wake of the Arab Spring.
• 1:45 – 3 p.m. –“Health Care and Peace Building in Africa: Charting a Path Forward.” Panelists including Barbara Bush, CEO of Global Health Corps, will discuss improving health care delivery in Africa from the perspectives of non-profit, private sector, academic and other stakeholders.

Sept. 16

• 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – “Gun Violence Prevention: Prospects for Progress.” Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords and Capt. Mark Kelly will discuss their work on efforts to reduce gun violence and the pressing aspects of that work in light of recent political changes.
• 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. – “Concentric Dialogue” art installations. In the spirit of fostering engagement, local and national artists have collaborated to create an outdoor exhibition of installations across the Augsburg University campus. Free and open to the public on September 16 and 17.

The 2017 Nobel Peace Prize Forum will be held at the Augsburg University campus, 2211 Riverside Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55454. Information and tickets are available at the website.

MEDIA CONTACT

Lida Poletz at lpoletz@gmail.com or 612-839-7489.

ABOUT THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FORUM

The Nobel Peace Prize Forum, hosted and presented by Augsburg University, brings together students and community members with Nobel Peace Prize laureates, world leaders and accomplished peacemakers to work on building a world in which people can live full, rich, meaningful lives. Under the auspices of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, the Nobel Peace Prize Forum inspires peacemaking by focusing on the work of laureates and international peacemakers and peacebuilders. More at .

ABOUT �鶹ԭ�� UNIVERSITY

Augsburg University 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.

The post Advisory: Global Leaders Meet Sept. 15-16 in Minneapolis for Annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum appeared first on News and Media.

The segment also featured program director Dennis Donovan. “There are a lot of issues in the world, and we need people to come together and solve these problems,” he said. “Having young people participate in public achievement gives them a skill-set and process that normally they would not have.”

Watch and read on the KARE 11 site.

The post Dennis Donovan discusses cookbook created by Public Achievement students in KARE 11 segment appeared first on News and Media.

Boyte argues that we should view democracy as “an empowering way of life,” and not merely a decision-making process. “We need to combine the ‘head,’ which makes decisions, the ‘heart,’ moral imagination and emotion, and the ‘hand,’ civic muscles that power action in the world,” he writes.

In regards to education, Boyte offers an antidote to a culture that separates the hard sciences, the arts and the professional or vocational fields, parallels to the “head”, “heart” and “hand” metaphor. He argues in favor of Cooperative Education, “a method that combines academic study and classroom learning with practical work experience for which students can receive academic credit.”

Read the article, which also was published on the site.

The post Harry Boyte writes for Education Week appeared first on News and Media.

Boyte writes of Sabo’s reputation as a respectful, bipartisan advocate for democracy. He states that Sabo exemplified the values of Augsburg College “in extraordinary ways, believing in the positive role of government and also the need for a much bigger environment of civic interaction.” He further notes that “Martin was enthusiastic about our work to… create public discussions on the purpose and future of colleges and universities that can reframe what is now often a polarized and narrow debate.”

Read on the Huffington Post site.

The post Harry Boyte remembers Martin Olav Sabo ’59 in Huffington Post article appeared first on News and Media.

In the article, Boyte draws on his experiences with Sabo Center colleague Dennis Donovan, national organizer for Public Achievement, to articulate the importance of providing places for challenging yet compassionate dialog.

Read: on the Education Weekly site.

The post Harry Boyte writes on free spaces for Education Week appeared first on News and Media.

Seeing democracy as more than just a way of electing leaders, Boyte examines the Civilian Conservation Corps as a model for infusing Americans’ work lives with a purpose greater than materialism. He states that, “as work has come to be seen only as a means to the good life and not of value in itself, the public dimensions of work and recognition of the importance of workers have sharply declined.”

Read: on the Huffington Post site.

The post Huffington Post publishes Harry Boyte column on The Fight for America’s Soul appeared first on News and Media.

Visit The Huffington Post website to read, “.”

The post Harry Boyte discusses higher education’s role in expanding democracy appeared first on News and Media.

to learn more about Boyte’s perspective and those put forth by other leading scholars.

The post Harry Boyte contends that universities should renew the democratic purpose of higher education appeared first on News and Media.

Harry Boyte

Read, on the Forbes website.

The post Harry Boyte lends expertise to Forbes appeared first on News and Media.