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.”

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Students in the program can take a range of liberal arts courses with the knowledge the courses will be accepted by Augsburg. Listen to Minnesota Public Radio’s story,��“,” which included an interview with President Paul Pribbenow.

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The College was applauded for this leadership through a compelling editorial, “” written and published by the Star Tribune editorial board on Aug. 30.

The editorial explained that Minnesota is rapidly diversifying, but increasing student diversity on college campuses involves more than waiting for more nonwhite Minnesotans to enroll. “As Augsburg College is demonstrating, academic institutions can do much to adapt their own policies and practices to educate what previously has been an underserved share of the state’s population,” the editorial explained.

Augsburg has sought to reduce barriers to college success that often impede students of color, and the College aims to not only to enroll a larger share of nonwhite students, but also to see them through to graduation.

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As Augsburg College President Paul Pribbenow explained, “For Augsburg, that means that our commitment to diversity, to inclusion and [our] commitment to justice is actually being lived out by the students who come here to be part of our community,”

Read and listen:  on the WCCO website.

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Others who added their support to the campaign include Gov. Mark Dayton, U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, and the CEOs of prominent Minnesota businesses such as Best Buy, General Mills, and Cargill.

The ad was a joint effort between Democratic U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison and John Taft, CEO of RBC Wealth Management. It states that although Minnesotans, “may be a soft-spoken bunch, we know better than to be silent or still in the face of bigotry shown to Muslims. Our fellow Minnesotans.”

Several media outlets have reported on the ad, including:

• Bring Me the News,
• , and
• the , which also published an .

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Augsburg College President was conferred an honorary fellowship at the 7th graduation ceremony of United International College in Zhuhai, China.

UIC Dean and Prof. M.H. Sung, in conferring the fellowship, the equivalent of an honorary degree in the United States, said the award is “in recognition of Dr. Paul C. Pribbenow‘s outstanding accomplishments in promoting liberal arts education and social ethics as well as in appreciation of his support for UIC.”

Augsburg and several other members of the Minnesota Private College Council have been partners with UIC since its founding 10 years ago as the first liberal arts college in mainland China.

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MINNEAPOLIS – Augsburg College today announced the appointment of William Mullen as vice president for Enrollment Management. Mullen will join the community in mid-July.

As the College’s chief enrollment officer, Mullen will lead a team of 30 admissions and student financial services staff in building enrollment and leveraging financial aid strategies for Augsburg’s undergraduate, adult undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. Mullen will report to Augsburg College President Paul C. Pribbenow and will serve as a member of the President’s Cabinet.

“Augsburg is excited to have William join our leadership team and spearhead the work of attracting talented, diverse, and engaged learners who value the distinct educational experience Augsburg offers and who will be successful in their work at Augsburg and beyond,” said President Pribbenow. “William has proven experience in enrollment management, an innovative and collaborative approach to recruiting and retaining students, a strong financial aid background, and a demonstrated commitment to the community. All of these factors position him well to help us advance our mission and to support the College’s continued success in this increasingly competitive higher education environment.”

“This is a fantastic opportunity to join a great institution,” Mullen said. “The College’s success in recruiting a diverse student body and in integrating professional studies and liberal arts education position it well as a leader in higher education for a new generation of learners.”

“Augsburg’s academic excellence, innovations in experiential education, international and intercultural leadership, and location in the heart of the Twin Cities make it a top destination for prospective students to consider. I look forward to having the opportunity to work with the motivated, diverse and talented potential learners who are attracted to the educational opportunities Augsburg offers,” Mullen said.

Mullen currently is vice president, Enrollment Management, at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, where he has served in admissions and adjunct faculty roles since 2003. He holds a doctor of education in educational policy and development from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and an MBA from Capella University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and education from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisc.

Mullen’s doctoral dissertation, Factors Influencing Campus Internationalization: A Case Study of a Liberal Arts College in the Upper Midwest, demonstrates his deep knowledge of the dynamics that successfully support a globally focused education in a liberal arts setting. Earlier this year, Mullen was awarded a Fulbright International Education Administrators grant, through which he will participate in a two-week program this summer to develop relationships with top universities in Japan.

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 4,000 students 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.

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At the regular fall gathering of faculty and staff in November, Augsburg College President Paul Pribbenow discussed the economic crisis and its implications for the College.

As are colleges across the country, Pribbenow said that Augsburg has noticed an increased number of students this semester who have larger than normal student account balances. He explained that Augsburg’s enrollment and financial services staff are working closely with individual students to develop financing plans.

“Our concern is to find ways to meet student needs but also to ensure that we don’t encourage them to take on more debt than they or their families can manage.” He stressed that the College continues to monitor the impact of the current situation on institutional well-being and on the lives of our students.

Pribbenow said that while the College has sustained losses to its endowment, the impact is “real but not threatening.” Unlike many higher education institutions, Augsburg is not dependent on its endowment to support a large portion of its operating costs. He added that College leaders are thinking through short-, intermediate- and long-term implications of various financial and market trends and will make adjustments as they are needed.

Pribbenow said that as he and Institutional Advancement staff have traveled to meet with donors and friends of the College, he is encouraged by their continued commitment to support the mission of the College and the education it provides. He noted that donors continue to be engaged by the compelling stories Augsburg tells about how it prepares students for their work, family, and community life.

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the individual and team successes of the 2007-2008 season. While in

past years, men’s and women’s athletic departments have each held their

own end-of-season banquets, this ceremony combined the team and individual

awards.

There were differences in the structure of the event, most notably that senior athletes were recognized in a reception hosted by President Paul Pribbenow and Athletic Director Jeff Swenson before the main ceremony. The reception commemorated the seniors’ years of participation, awards, and honors. Regarding this acknowledgment, senior women’s soccer player Erin Gave said, “It was a great way to end the year for the seniors. I really enjoyed it; my favorite part was definitely how they made the seniors stand out.”

Senior men’s basketball player Derek Francis agreed, adding, “I really enjoyed it and am glad it was a little different than in past years. It was nice that the organizers rewarded the seniors for their commitment to Augsburg athletics. It was also really enjoyable seeing everyone dressed up and all the sports mingling.”

First-year women’s basketball player Shannon Renne said that while this was her first experience with an awards banquet at Augsburg, it is an event she now looks forward to next year. A recipient of the Female Rookie of the Year Award, Renne said, “I thought the Auggie Awards were a lot of fun and it was a great way to get all of the athletic teams together and celebrate the successful seasons. It was an honor to win the award, and it was a great opportunity to be able to come in and contribute as a freshman this year.”

Another award recipient for Female Outstanding Athlete of the Year, dual-sport athlete Tiffany Magnuson, said that while she was happy to have received the award, she felt equally as shocked. Magnuson said, “I feel honored to have been nominated for the award. All the nominees deserved recognition, and to win was truly unexpected.” In addition to the excitement of being honored with such an award, Magnuson added that she was pleased overall with the structure of the awards, drawing a parallel between the banquet and the athletic community at Augsburg.

“I thought the Auggie Awards ceremony was a great idea, and that it was a nice way to end the school year and have all the teams come together. That’s what Augsburg Athletics is about: coming together to support one another…we support each other by going to each other’s

games and events, and we should therefore acknowledge one another’s accomplishments,” said Magnuson.

Below are the award-winners in each category given on Monday night.

For full biographies of the winners, go to

• Men’s Honor Athlete (Co-Award Winners) — Nick Manders (SR, De Pere, Wis./West De Pere HS), Men’s Soccer; and Jason Weber (SR, New Prague, Minn.), Football
• Women’s Honor Athlete — Jackie Keller (SR, Traverse City, Mich./Traverse City West HS), Women’s Soccer/Women’s Hockey
• Men’s Outstanding Athlete of the Year — Royce Winford (JR, Brooklyn Park, Minn./Osseo HS), Football
• Women’s Outstanding Athlete of the Year — Tiffany Magnuson (JR, Green Bay, Wis./Notre Dame Academy HS), Women’s Hockey/Softball
• Men’s Rookie of the Year — Craig Henry (FY/SO, Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS), 2007 Baseball
• Women’s Rookie of the Year — Shannon Renne (FY, Nicollet, Minn.), Women’s Basketball
• Men’s Team of the Year — Wrestling (10-2-0 in dual meets, 3rd at NCAA Division III National Championships, 3rd at NWCA Division III National Duals, 1st at NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional)
• Women’s Team of the Year — Women’s Soccer (9-7-3 overall, 7-3-1 MIAC–3rd/12, MIAC playoff qualifier)
• Men’s Most Improved Team of the Year — Football (5-5 overall, 3-5 MIAC–5th/9 in 2007; 1-9 overall, 1-7 MIAC–8th/9 in 2006)
• Women’s Most Improved Team of the Year — Volleyball (13-16 overall, 4-7 MIAC–9th/12 in 2007; 11-17 overall, 2-9 MIAC–t11th/12 in 2006)
• Outstanding Academic Team — Women’s Track and Field, 3.51 team GPA (pictured above)
• Men’s Student-Athlete with Highest GPA — Kevin Graff (SR, Red Wing, Minn.), Men’s Golf, 3.912 GPA
• Women’s Student-Athlete with Highest GPA — Tori Bahr (JR, Brainerd, Minn.), Women’s Cross Country, 4.00 GPA

Article by Katie LaGrave

Slide show of photographs taken by Stephen Geffre at the 2007-2008 Auggie Awards.

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As Sabo professor, Hesser’s activities will include collaboration with the Center for Service, Work, and Learning concerning student civic engagement and leadership; leadership in campus initiatives to practice democracy and civic engagement, such as issues forums and student programs; collaboration with Augsburg’s annual convocation series, and connections with the Christensen and Batalden symposiums; and identification of new opportunities to develop the Sabo Scholars Program and community outreach programs.

“I am deeply honored and humbled by the opportunity to work closely with Martin, Sylvia and the Sabo family as we in the Augsburg community deepen and expand our understanding and practice of citizenship,” said Hesser. “Martin’s steady leadership and civil discourse in the political process and the making of public policy will be a North Star for us as we design and offer programs and opportunities to explore the vocation of citizenship and public service.”

Professor Hesser has taught in sociology and metro-urban studies at Augsburg for more than 30 years and is recognized nationally as a pioneer in the field of experiential education. He was honored in 1997 with the Thomas Ehrlich Award for leadership in service-learning, and in 2004 was named the Minnesota Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation and Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He has been honored by his sociology colleagues in Minnesota and within our Augsburg community for distinguished contributions to teaching and learning.

Pribbenow said, “I believe Garry is exceptionally qualified to honor the life and work of Martin Sabo, whose political leadership has been combined with an abiding faith in the role of public service as part of democratic citizenship.”

The Sabo Chair in Citizenship and Learning is the culmination of nearly 20 years of fundraising and advocacy by Martin Sabo’s friends and colleagues. The development of the Sabo Center and its related programs closely reflect Augsburg’s historic and deep commitment to education for democracy.

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