Thursday, December 10, 2020

submitted by shamblet@augsburg.edu

The Echo, Augsburg’s student-run newspaper, is looking for students interested in our positions of Managing Editor and Features Editor.

Managing Editor is one of our highest paid positions and is responsible for budget tracking, payment of staff and assisting in leadership responsibilities for the paper. Features Editor is responsible for curating and editing articles that provide in-depth news stories on areas of interest to the Augsburg community. Both positions are great opportunities for students who are looking to develop their writing, editing and leadership skills or are passionate about community and the power of narrative.

*Pro tip: you do not need to be an expert in writing or editing to do well as an Echo editor. The Echo provides ample training and a welcoming team of support. If you’re interested, go for it!*

Please reach us at echo@augsburg.edu to learn more about what these positions entail. To apply, send over a cover letter and resume!

The Echo’s Website

submitted by maherk@augsburg.edu

AAC had a busy meeting on Monday, December 7. Several proposals were reviewed. RLN 336 changed its course title to “Latin American Liberation Theologies and Social Change” (adding the “and Social Change” to its former title).

Campus Ministry was approved for an alternative spring break experience that “offers the Augsburg student community an opportunity to look deeper at justice issues in the Twin Cities and surrounding area, and engage in meaningful, relationship centered volunteer work”. Their experiences will be virtual or distanced this year.

AAC also approved the proposed new “Critical Race and Ethnicity Studies” program. The department still needs Faculty Senate approval before heading to the full faculty.

In addition to the three approved proposals, there was an update about the TEL subcommittee and its work on hybrid/online course approvals, as well as a point of information about recommendations for student learning put forth by the Augsburg Day Student Government.

Finally, the committee was briefly introduced to an intended proposal for student advisory grades. Feedback was given and is still being added by AAC.

You can find more information about the committee (including proposal forms, meeting minutes, and archival information) at https://inside.augsburg.edu/facultysenate/aac/.

You can access the AAC approvals in the tracking spreadsheet linked below (it is also linked on the AAC page above).

Questions about AAC can be directed to AAC Chair, Phyllis Kapetanakis, or Program Coordinator, Kerri Maher.

AAC Approval Tracking (can only be accessed with an Augsburg login)

submitted by maherk@augsburg.edu

Premiering Wednesday, December 16 at 3:10 pm.

Presented by: Lee George and Sandy Tilton from the Strommen Center for Meaningful Work and Melissa Hensley from the Department of Social Work

What has happened to internships since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic? How can students connect with meaningful experiences? How can faculty support students in online or remote internships? This ED Talk will discuss processes and resources for students who are seeking internships. Changes and updates, as well as resources for faculty, will be discussed. In addition, the internship process used by the social work department will be discussed as an example of facilitating both online and in-person internship experiences.

This year, EDTalks will be pre-recorded and have a community “premiere” on Zoom hosted by CTL at 3:10 pm on days when there is a faculty meeting. These premieres will end no later than 3:30pm to allow plenty of time to log into the Faculty Zoom meeting early. After the premier, the recording will be posted on the CTL website, along with any resources (if applicable).

EDTalks Zoom Information (can only be viewed with Augsburg login)

submitted by tengwalm@augsburg.edu

Research/Creative Activity can be done in all disciplines. There are 400, 200, and 100 hour options.

Compensation over 11 Weeks:
400 hours – $5700
200 hours – $2850
100 hours – $1425

First step: Read the URGO Summer Research Info Packet (found at the link below)
Second step: Talk to faculty in your discipline(s) and ask if they have ongoing research and are willing to mentor you

Phase 1 Application is due February 4th

On Campus Summer Research Website

submitted by tengwalm@augsburg.edu

Get paid to conduct scientific research with some of the nation’s top academics at universities, labs, or institutes through a summer research program. Such programs are a great way to enhance your education, meet new people, and explore a new city!

Visit URGO’s website using the link below to begin searching for opportunities. The deadline for many programs is in January 2021.

Contact URGO at urgo@augsburg.edu to make an individual appointment if you need help finding opportunities or crafting your applications.

Off Campus Summer Research Lists and Databases

submitted by tengwalm@augsburg.edu

The Boren Scholarship program is an initiative by the US Federal Government to increase the study of languages by individuals committed to public service careers. The Boren Awards fund intensive language study abroad for U.S. undergrad and grad students. After graduation, Boren winners complete one-year minimum of paid work in the federal government, in areas like national defense, diplomacy, and intelligence. STEM majors can apply for summer scholarships too! The Boren Scholarship can be used to cover a variety of study abroad experiences, including their Flagship Language Initiative programs and others. URGO and Study Abroad provide joint advising on this program and will work with all applicants to select the program, develop budgets and write the application essays.

Scholarship amounts:
Up to $25,000 for 25-52 weeks (preferred)
Up to $12,500 for 12-24 weeks
Up to $8,000 for 8-11 weeks (STEM majors only)

If you are interested, here are your next steps:
• Check out the Boren website (https://www.borenawards.org/) to learn about languages you can study and preferred countries!
• Let us know your interest by contacting Dixie Shafer (shafer@augsburg.edu) or Andrea Dvorak (dvorak@augsburg.edu).
• DUE January 20: send a draft of your application to urgo@augsburg.edu or dvorak@augsburg.edu – we will work through several drafts from this point to ensure that you submit the strongest application possible.

submitted by tengwalm@augsburg.edu

Each year URGO offers $1,325 research grants for undergraduates who wish to gain research experience with an Augsburg faculty member. These grants require 100 hours of research over the course of the academic year and are a great way to ease into research or to continue work on an existing project.

Grants are awarded on a rolling basis, so student-faculty research teams are encouraged to submit proposals in the fall. The URGO Advisory Committee meets bi-monthly and will begin reviewing proposals September 14th.

If you have any questions about undergraduate research opportunities, please contact Dixie Shafer at shafer@augsburg.edu or urgo@augsburg.edu.

URGO On-Campus Research

submitted by tengwalm@augsburg.edu

If you want to talk about the graduate school application process or you are in the middle of applying and want someone to review your materials, contact urgo@agusburg.edu to make an appointment.

submitted by kwameros@augsburg.edu

Terrance Kwame-Ross, Chair and professor of the Department of Education and Peg Finders, former professor of the Department of Education have a new article published by Change, The Magazine of Higher Learning. Spaces in higher education are predominantly white, and white people tend to silence the voices of faculty and staff of color without realizing it. These “white talk moves” suppress important perspectives and voices, and prevent meaningful inclusion. We share these here as a common vocabulary for greater and greater recognition and disruption, in Higher Education, that can lead to “real” equity, equality, and quality of all voices, particularly of BIPOC in predominately White campuses and spaces. You can download a free copy of the article by clicking on the link or emailing kwameros@augsburg.edu or margaretfinders@gmail.com

https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/SAJSZIEPGHIWHMVCHXTY/full?target=10.1080/00091383.2020.1807879

submitted by gocmen@augsburg.edu

In this episode of The Forum Podcast, Pam McElvane (Diversity MBA) offers how to create an effective DEI strategy that resonates with workers and why it still matters.

https://forumworkplaceinclusion.org/p50/

submitted by gocmen@augsburg.edu

In this episode of The Forum Podcast, Jennifer Brown (Jennifer Brown Consulting) and Dominic Longo (Flourishing Gays) make the case for identity-based leadership development for LGBTQ+ professionals.

https://forumworkplaceinclusion.org/p51/

submitted by maherk@augsburg.edu

What are students saying about their experiences at Augsburg this semester? The recent NSSE Pulse and TEL surveys captured the opinions of hundreds of students on issues such as their sense of belonging, institutional support, social and academic interactions, and course delivery format.

Faculty Senate and the Provost invite you to join the chair of the Technology Enhanced Learning Committee and Director of Online and Blended Learning Jenny Hanson, and Director of Assessment Ben Denkinger for a review of the findings, followed by a solutions-focused discussion on our institutional response. Faculty Senate has engaged with this information and believes that sharing these findings with faculty and staff now can help us all better prepare for next semester.

One Live Zoom session is still available, and you can register in advance to receive early access to the summary data and an overview of the key findings. Data summaries and a recording of the events will be made available after the events. All staff and faculty are invited to attend.

RSVP now for Tuesday, 12/15, 3-4 pm

If you need any disability-related accommodation to fully participate in this event, please contact University Events at events@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1104. Please allow for sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.

RSVP for the Institutional Data Workshop

submitted by maherk@augsburg.edu

Fridays | “Fellowship Fridays” | 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm, ZOOM

CTL is joining Bridget Robinson-Riegler, Psychology Professor and member of Faculty Senate, to bring you Fellowship Fridays support sessions. All faculty members and teaching staff are invited to gather and share their experiences with teaching, learning, and advising in this strange new world. – we’ll trade ideas, advice, highs, lows, successes, and failures – or maybe we’ll just plain old vent. Most importantly, we will attempt to inoculate ourselves against one of the more insidious side effects of this pandemic – isolation. So grab a cup of coffee or tea, or pour a glass of wine, and Zoom in to support your fellow instructors and work through this challenging time together.

Fellowship Fridays ZOOM Information (This doc is only accessible with an Augsburg email address.)