In which departments/programs did you teach?

I taught in the Business Administration department doing MIS (Management Information Systems) courses in the day and weekend undergraduate programs. I also taught in the MBA program.

How many years have you taught at Augsburg?

14 years

Tell us about a student who made an impression on you.

Adekemi Adenle (Kemi) was an MIS major from Nigeria who struggled to complete all her coursework, yet she never gave up. She met with me weekly between class sessions for individual tutoring during our capstone series of courses and reworked assignments as she endeavored to understand MIS concepts and techniques. Her efforts and persistence were amazing; she was determined to complete her MIS degree. But that wasn’t enough. Kemi was also determined to go on to graduate school. She researched graduate programs in information technology, consulted often with me, did everything possible to improve her GPA, and was accepted into a graduate program. Watching Kemi’s progress and her growth into a stronger, more confident student who reached her goal was wonderful and very gratifying.

Is there a great classroom experience that you remember? What happened?

My favorite classroom experience is the last class of MIS 476 for our majors. The entire class revolves around student groups working with a small business or nonprofit to develop a database application for the organization to use. Most of these organizations do not have computer systems and manage their business by hand or using excel. The students begin the course by working with their project sponsor to assess their needs, and by the end of the course have developed a working database for the organization. To see the pride of the students as they present their applications and the excitement of the project sponsors as they see the final product is the most gratifying moment for me and I believe for our MIS majors.

What have your students taught you?

My students have reinforced my belief that there is always more to learn and together we can make a difference.

What are you planning to do in your retirement?

My husband and I are moving “home” to Columbia, Missouri—the place we left in 1979 when we moved to Minnesota! I plan to enjoy being near my mother, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, etc. and still have time to return to Minnesota to see my daughter and grandchildren. In the short term, unpacking and decorating our new home along with helping to orchestrate an October wedding in Seattle for my oldest daughter will keep me busy, but eventually I plan to write and do some volunteer work. With the number of colleges in and around Columbia, I may eventually do some adjunct teaching, but they could never replace Augsburg!

Is there anything else you want to share with our readers?

You’ll never grow old as long as your mind is active!

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In which departments/programs did you teach?

I taught in the Communication Studies Department and in the Masters of Arts in Leadership program.

How many years have you taught at Augsburg?

I started teaching as an adjunct in 1998 and a full time faculty member in 2000.

Tell us about a student who made an impression.

This is difficult to answer, since I have been impressed by so many students. I have been especially impressed by the Weekend students who return after being away from formal education, afraid that they will not succeed. Watching them realize that they are capable of learning and contributing has been most rewarding.

Is there a classroom experience that you remember?

Again, this is hard to answer, since I have had so many powerful experiences in the classroom; however, I do remember one class in ML 539 (Communicating a Self in Modern Organizations, a class Hanson developed) that was almost magical. The conversations were so rich and powerful that I left each class session with renewed energy. It was amazing.

What have your students taught you?

Wow – so much! Most of all, I have learned the wisdom to know that I do not know and the humility to stand in awe in the presence of another human being. Watching students learn and grow has been a powerful experience. It’s hard to put it into words.

What are you planning to do in retirement?

I’m still answering that question, but I have started a list. I plan to continue teaching a couple of WEC courses as an adjunct. I also plan to write again, perhaps a sequel to Room for J. I definitely plan to play with my five grandchildren. And I look forward to volunteering when and where I can make a difference.

Is there anything else I want to share?

I would just like to thank the students at Augsburg who have made this chapter in my life so rewarding.

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My name is Lynne Lorenzen, and I retired from Augsburg College after teaching here for one year part-time and twenty-two years full time. Over these years I have taught many classes in the religion department including introductory courses in theology and Bible, plus upper division courses in religion and politics with Andy Aoki and feminism and Christianity in the Women’s Studies program. I also chaired the religion department for six years and was director of the women’s studies program for three years.

I was the regional director for the Upper Midwest region of the American Academy of Religion for six years serving on the national board of directors and the finance and membership committees. As a teaching theologian of the ELCA, I served on the Lutheran Orthodox dialogue and on the first sexuality task force.

I am currently working with a former student who is an ELCA pastor and has asked me to teach process theology in her setting. Such ongoing connections are great fun and will keep me busy in retirement.

Students have kept the classroom exciting by asking questions that would not have necessarily occurred to me. Many times these questions come out of a different religious tradition or none at all. Since the ideas and stories are fresh for these students, they do not assume to know or understand what they are about and thus they provoke different questions for them. Seeing the familiar stories and ideas from such different perspectives keeps the classroom alive and current with what is happening in the world.

Teaching world religions for the past several years has also broadened my own understanding of how religious traditions work in various cultures and it is always helpful to have students from a variety of religious traditions to share their own stories of their cultures and religious traditions and how they are interacting with American culture which is dominated by Christianity. I have learned to greatly value the perspectives of all of my students, even if we disagree with each other. They each consider their own tradition to be good news for them. These encounters have embodied Diana Eck’s dialog among religious traditions that needs to occur if we are to have peace in our world.

I will continue to be active in the process group that meets in the Twin Cities and to teach process theology and world religions occasionally. I intend to focus more on religion and politics by becoming more active politically than has been possible while teaching full time. I am concerned that we are losing our sense of the common good and not caring for those in need, nor are we adequately preparing students for college work in our public schools, and we are neglecting our environment that sustains all of us.

Thank you for the opportunity to be part of the lives of so many wonderful students and colleagues.

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In which departments/programs did you teach?

Philosophy

How many years have you taught at Augsburg?

43 years

Tell us about a student who made an impression on you.

I have enjoyed seeing many students mature in their intellectual and personal lives in their years at Augsburg. One student I fondly remember struggled in my Ancient Philosophy class. She did well on the study questions, but did not see the connections between ideas so that she could perform well on the tests. Logic proved to be almost impossible, but she stuck it out. By Modern History of Philosophy she began to see connections, write good tests, participate in discussions, and ultimately enjoy philosophy. Today she has completed a master’s degree, works in a meaningful leadership capacity, and has become a good friend. Her story of challenge with disabilities and persistence to success represents many of my students, all of whom I am very proud for what they have gone on to accomplish.

Is there a great classroom experience that you remember? What happened?

A teacher has to celebrate challenges as well as successes. I taught a medical ethics course at an affiliated school. The students there were prepped to learn to reply and repeat just what they memorized, so that challenging them with questions to think through various sides of an issue was strange to them. About two-thirds through the course they appealed to their Dean to no longer require the course for graduation and to allow them to drop it. I did not know this had happened, and when I held the two classes the next week only a handful of students appeared. When I consulted with the Dean and explained the situation to her, she reversed her ruling and required the students to complete the course. The students again complained, and yet another time she decided that they did not have to complete the course. I finished the term with three brave students in two classes — not enough to create an atmosphere of discussion and dialogue. It taught me the importance of administrative support for academic engagement and that for some students critically and carefully thinking through issues is challenging and threatening. Perhaps this best explains the reactions I get from people when they ask what I teach and I confess I am a philosopher.

What have your students taught you?

I don’t teach classes; I teach individual students. Each is unique, with his or her own background, interests, abilities, challenges, and passions. I have come to appreciate those differences and to celebrate the success of each person. I have learned that not all students want to go to graduate school or teach philosophy, or would be able to do so, but to each I can add something to enable them to become more successful at what they love to do and to treasure life-long learning. I have discovered that process is as important as content, so that in teaching often “less is more” in cultivating value-added education.

What are you planning to do in your retirement?

I plan to volunteer teach at universities in other countries, write some books and articles that have been percolating in my head for a while, and travel to visit family and places my wife and I have not been to.

Is there anything else you want to share with our readers?

I am thankful for the opportunity to teach at Augsburg. It is grace: a gift from God. Colleagues around the college have been sources of new ideas and teaching techniques, inspiration, and encouragement. Most important have been my students, who have shared part of their life with me and allowed me to challenge them with new ideas and to sharpen their critical thinking skills. Their engagement with me in and outside of the classroom always provided the greatest incentive to be available to them, and was the reward for long hours of study and preparation. As one student put it to me: you are fortunate to have the job that you really love to do.

Each day I pass through my kitchen door on which I have hung the daily motto for my vocation: Live today with laughter; Learn something new; Love someone by serving; Leave a legacy in another’s life.

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Both professors have been lauded for their mentoring and support to students that has characterized their teaching careers. This year, Erickson was honored with the 2008 Distinguished Contributions to Teaching and Learning award for mentoring and advising.

Erickson, who graduated from Augsburg in 1962, returned to Augsburg full time in 1999, and for 25 years he held a shared professorship with the University of Minnesota, working with physics and astronomy faculty in grant-funded research. At both institutions he involved many of his students in grant-funded research. He also has served as both department chair and chair of what was then the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.Sutherland, who has taught at Augsburg since 1999, has served as principal investigator for several National Science Foundation (NSF) grants, developing courses in robotics and virtual reality as well as providing research projects for her students. With a recent grant, she introduced dog robots into her Introduction to Computer Science course to provide engaging activities for first-year and sophomore students to learn basic programming. This NSF-funded grant aims to attract students, especially women and minority students, into the field of computer science.

Sutherland also has served as principal investigator for NSF grants that provide scholarships for students majoring in computer science or mathematics. An annual series of lectures she developed brings leaders in these fields to campus, giving students opportunities to learn from them in small groups.

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