(MINNEAPOLIS) – The Mississippi River and four, 24-foot voyageur canoes are home and classroom for a group of Augsburg College students who will be in Dubuque from Sept. 28-30 as part of the nation’s first-ever River Semester.

The students, who have paddled more than 250 miles of river since departing St. Paul on Sept. 1 as part of their nearly 2,350-mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico, will earn as many as 16 credits in biology, environmental studies, health and physical education, and political science.

“The canoes are a floating classroom where students translate into action what they learn on shore during lectures and from their reading and homework,” said Professor Joe Underhill, creator of this hands-on learning program.

“Each student also is responsible for personal research project, some in partnership with state and national agencies. Some of these projects contribute to the common good, and every project is a chance for teamwork and collaborative excellence.”

The dozen students participating in this hands-on learning program, created by Underhill, is offered in partnership with , a nonprofit and inclusive travel provider that specializes in experiential programming and outdoor travel for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

“We know that what happens in the boats transfers to the classroom and life,” said Chad Dayton, director of programs and partner relations for Wilderness Inquiry. “Students develop increased confidence, better relationships with faculty, and throughout their college careers, they have a shared experience to refer back to that can help with problem solving.”

During the trip, students will:

• Conduct a field research project on a topic such as water pollution, the Clean Water Act, agriculture in the watershed, political organizing around environmental issues, race relations and social justice, or urban riverfront revitalization.
• Explore the history, literature, food, music and culture of the Mississippi River.
• Gain skills tailored to meet the needs of partner organizations, including businesses,  graduate schools, nonprofits and government agencies.
• Attend town hall meetings and meet with environmental organizations along the river.
• Hear from guest lecturers about authors Mark Twain and William Faulkner, ancient river civilizations, American Indian communities and their fight for justice, and the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

Students will return to the Twin Cities via train in mid-December and will arrive at St. Paul Union Depot.

An can be found on the River Semester website.

CONTACTS

• Stephanie Weiss, Augsburg College Director of News and Media Services, 612.330.1476
• Jeffrey Kemnitz, Wilderness Inquiry Outreach Director, 612.676.9427

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Each year, Augsburg College honors the legacy of an individual who helped shape the College’s mission by hosting the Torstenson Lecture in Sociology, and—for the first time—the 2013 presentation will highlight the important work of a current Augsburg faculty member.

The Torstenson Lecture is an opportunity for a sociologist from the Twin Cities area to share with the Augsburg community the contemporary scholarship, research, and thinking on a sociological topic.

This year’s speaker, Garry Hesser, is the first Augsburg professor selected to be the Torstenson lecturer, and Hesser will present “Place Matters…So?” at 5 p.m., April 2 in Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center.

A college in the city

Hesser’s lecture will focus on concepts with a clear connection to the legacy of the event’s namesake. The annual lecture acknowledges the contributions Augsburg professor emeritus Joel S. Torstenson ’38 made to the College by founding the Sociology Department in the late 1940s; laying the foundation for the Metro-Urban Studies and Social Work programs as well as the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs; expanding experiential education; and uplifting Augsburg’s identity as “a college in the city,” according to Nancy Fischer, associate professor of sociology and presentation coordinator.

Augsburg College educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders, and—as acknowledged in the institutional mission—the College is shaped by its urban and global settings.

“Joel Torstenson shaped that part of the College mission, and Garry became the bearer of that torch when Joel retired,” Fischer said.

In 2012, the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE) presented President Paul C. Pribbenow with the William M. Burke Presidential Award for Excellence in Experiential Education. Pribbenow, in an acceptance speech delivered on his behalf, said the award was possible because of the work of Hesser and others who have dedicated themselves to the experiential learning that is at the heart of the identity and character of the College.

Hesser is regarded as one of the pre-eminent experts on experiential education and urban education, according to Lars Christiansen, chair of sociology. In his lecture, Hesser said he will illustrate how “cities can be both the ‘best’ and the ‘worst’ places to live and grow, depending upon your resources and where you live in the city.” He will then discuss examples of what citizens and policy-makers are doing and might do to address some of the disparities and inequities in “our own tale of two cities.”

About the presenter

Hesser is the Martin Olav Sabo Professor of Citizenship and Learning and professor of sociology and metro-urban studies. He chaired the Augsburg Natural and Social Sciences Division from 1996 to 2006 and chaired the Augsburg Metro-Urban Studies program for more than 30 years.

Hesser will retire at the conclusion of the 2012-13 academic year, and the Torstenson event will include a celebration of Hesser’s career immediately following the lecture (schedule below).

Hesser is the author of Experiential Education as a Liberating Art; “Principles of Good Practice in Service-Learning”; “Examining Communities and Urban Change”; “Benefits and Educational Outcomes of Internships”; and more than 30 other publications that include research in the area of housing, community building, planning, and neighborhood revitalization. He received his doctorate from the University of Notre Dame after earning a bachelor’s degree from Phillips University and a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City.

2013 Torstenson Lecture event schedule

Tuesday, April 2

Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center

5 p.m. – Lecture by Garry Hesser

6 p.m. – Remarks by Hesser’s colleagues

6:30 p.m. – Reception

Event hashtags

Share your event experience using social media. The hashtag for the lecture is #Torstenson.

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