Wednesday, March 24, 2021

submitted by vanclev1@augsburg.edu

This year, the Staff Senate will host a virtual Staff Appreciation Event on May 10. We are celebrating Augsburg staff in several ways:

– We are now accepting nominations to honor outstanding staff and outstanding newcomers at Augsburg. Here is a link to the nomination form: https://forms.gle/Lg8T2b6B5WLeiDZz8

– Nominations for the Outstanding Staff and Newcomer Awards will be accepted through April 9th. Nominations are welcomed from any current member of the campus community – staff, faculty, or students.

– We are also inviting Augsburg staff to tell us: what are you proud of this year? Did you pick up a new hobby, accomplish a difficult task, or just make it through a challenging year? Share your story with the Augsburg community by filming a short (less than 1 minute) video that will be featured during the Staff Appreciation Event. Videos can be submitted through this link: https://forms.gle/Ha5vZM36kx1dNQp37

The Staff Appreciation Program is intended to recognize staff members who have made an important contribution to the campus community over the past year. Recipients of the Outstanding Staff Award provide exceptional service to others, work collaboratively across divisions or departments, demonstrate a clear commitment to equity and inclusion, and enhance the objectives of their department and the mission of Augsburg University through creativity, innovation, and hard work.

The Newcomer Award recognizes a staff person who has made a significant impact on campus life in a short amount of time. Staff who have been at Augsburg for two years or less (as of March 1, 2021) are eligible to receive this award.

Staff Senate will award five Outstanding Staff awards and one Newcomer award during the virtual event on May 10.

Visit the Staff Senate web page for additional information: https://inside.augsburg.edu/staffsenate/staff-appreciation/

submitted by crombie@augsburg.edu

Augsburg’s TRIO McNair Scholars Program is recruiting students for Fall 2021 admission. Eligible applicants will be at Junior status by the end of Spring 2022 and available to conduct full-time research Summer 2022. We are particularly looking for students in STEM fields that are interested in pursuing doctoral degrees, but we will consider all majors EXCEPT most professional fields (including business, pre-law, pre-health).

The TRIO McNair Scholars Program works with students who are members of groups underrepresented in graduate education and who exhibit strong academic potential. The goal of the program is to prepare Scholars for graduate study through academics, involvement in undergraduate research and other scholarly activities. McNair provides coursework, workshops and advising in preparation for doctoral study. The program also assists with securing admission to and financial assistance for enrollment in graduate programs. Students will acquire the research skills necessary to succeed in graduate school through a paid research internship ($4000+) with an Augsburg faculty member during the Summer of 2022.

The McNair Scholars Program is a federal TRIO grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Therefore, to be eligible, students must be first-generation (neither parent graduated from a four-year college) AND low-income AND/OR may be persons from groups underrepresented in graduate education. The Department of Education defines these groups as African-American, American Indian, Alaskan Native, and Hispanic/Latino. Additionally, applicants must be either U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents and maintain at least a 2.8 cumulative GPA (3.0+ preferred).

If you are interested in learning more about the McNair Scholars Program, please contact Lara Crombie, Program Assistant, crombie@augsburg.edu. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or if you’re unsure whether or not you qualify.

McNair Website

submitted by kwameros@augsburg.edu

Barbara West, Director of Student Teacher Placement/Licensing, shared with the Education Department and the university her decision to retire, at the end of this academic year. We are grateful for Barbara’s service, as she has contributed much to Augsburg over the past 24 years. Barbara has played, with others over the years, a significant role in the Augsburg journey! For her long years of service, the Education Department has nominated Barbara for emeritus status, as one way and possibility of recognizing the contributions of non-tenure-track faculty with 15+ years of service to the institution. The recommendation will be brought to the Board for approval at the end of the current academic year.

Please pause, with us, for a moment to reflect on how the institution is strengthened by the many contributions of individual faculty and staff, and how each brings a unique gift as a “thread” to a broader story and narrative that is made stronger over time. In this light and journey, please help me thank Barbara West for her service: Thank you Barbara for your work and service to the department, university, field and to our students.

submitted by enriquej@augsburg.edu

The Registrar’s office staff are now available to meet in-person at the enrollment center window. You can stop by Monday thru Friday between 10am – 2pm for assistance with registration, transfer, petition and graduation questions. Please make sure you wear a mask and continue to practice social distancing.

Additionally, the Registrar’s office will offer zoom drop-in hours during the registration period. Please refer to the calendar for dates and details.

Registration Period Zoom Drop-In Hours

submitted by lutterma@augsburg.edu

As Augsburg’s CGEE-Mexico Site Director, I want to thank the entire Augsburg community for sharing your condolences with the family of Augsburg-Mexico employees Moises Rios (50) & Isabel Sánchez (48), a married couple who died of COVID-19 last month. I especially want to thank all of you who made incredibly generous donations to the family through the GoFundMe campaign to support the Rios-Sanchez family, including 11-year-old Sliri (pronounced “Es-leer-y”): https://www.gofundme.com/f/supportriosanchezfamily

This fundraising campaign was organized by Mary Laurel True, who participated in Augsburg’s first semester program in Mexico in 1979, and four other former CGEE-Mexico students who studied here, as well as myself. Our goal is to raise US $20,000 to support the family. 25% of the funds raised will be dedicated to Sliri’s education since there is no longer public high school in Mexico. We want to make sure that Sliri is able to go to high school and college, which was her parents’ dream – that she be the first in the family to graduate and attend college. “Maybe Augsburg,” Isabel used to say with a shy smile. Thank you again for your empathy & generosity, Ann Lutterman-Aguilar

https://www.gofundme.com/f/supportriosanchezfamily

https://www.gofundme.com/f/supportriosanchezfamily

submitted by mitche13@augsburg.edu

A new program is being offered this summer by the Pan-Afrikan Center and the Center for Global Education and Experience (CGEE) called Anti-Apartheid and Black Lives Matter: Global Movements for Racial Justice.

The program will be offered May 17 – May 28. Students will be able to receive 2 credits and fulfill the Augsburg Experience requirement OR they can take it only to fulfill the Augsburg Experience. The cost of the program is being supported by scholarships from CGEE, the Pan-Afrikan Center, and Augsburg University; therefore, we are able to offer it at a reduced price.

Program participants will critically analyze the global racial unrest movements of the Southern Africa Anti-Apartheid system, and the racially motivated murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Albertina Shifotoka, Program Director of CGEE Namibia, and Azania Tripp, Director of the Pan-Afrikan Center, will facilitate a 2-week program experience that will introduce students to the understanding of how these movements became historical events and impacted policy and the visibilities on racial inequities that impact the Pan-Afrikan diaspora and all BIPOC communities. The program will be offered from May 17 – May 28, 2021 and the deadline for applying is Thurs, March 25.

Here is the website to learn more information:
https://studyabroad.augsburg.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=55727

If you have any questions email Azania Tripp the Pan-Afrikan Director
Tripp@augsburg.edu

Posted onMarch 23, 2021
Email a correction for this post: New Augsburg Experience: Anti-Apartheid and Black Lives Matter: Global Movements for Racial Justice
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submitted by vangh@augsburg.edu

Augsburg Asian Student Association (AASA), Hmong Women Together (HWT), and Pan Asian Student Services(PASS) recognizes that anti-AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islanders) prejudice is only one form of systematic racism that continues to spread in our nation. Together, we appreciate the outpour of outreach and attention from Administration, peers and allies in support of the recent events in Georgia last week and our daily lived experiences.

We hope that there will be work in solidarity from Augsburg to take a stand against the structures that perpetuate and fuel discrimination for all BIPOC and specifically recently more heightened assaults on Pan-Asians in our communities, and to identify actionable ways to address this and all forms of prejudice, stigmatization, and racism.

We hereby recommend for you to join us in the following spaces at Augsburg to continue these conversations and to help us come together in community:

Join us next week for our #stopasianhate Virtual Candlelight Vigil on Tuesday, March 30, 2021 4:30pm- Link via Auggie Life Event to be updated soon

Save the date and participate in AASA’s Pan Asian Week (PAW) on March 29-April 2, 2021- https://fb.me/e/cXbghe8sq

For BIPOC Faculty, Staff and Students, consider joining Augsburg for a discussion on April 1, 2021 from 10:30am-11:30am, event titled: Facilitated Conversations around Healing and Justice: Countering Racial Violence in the US. Note that this space is aimed at creating space for BIPOC students, staff, and faculty- https://augsburg.campuslabs.com/engage/event/7015191

Consider attending the following conference to learn more about these AAPI issues at the 2021 APAHE national summit on April 15, 2021–www.apahenational.org

If you would like to participate or have questions regarding any of the following spaces, please email panasian@augsburg.edu for more information.

submitted by dames@augsburg.edu

In early March, Aisha Mohamed ’16 explored the intersection of of religion and science as she shares her own experience of being a Muslim and a biology major at Augsburg. While at Augsburg she was active in MSA and was an Interfaith Scholar and now is a second year student at University of Minnesota Medical School. Following Aisha’s insightful comments, Augsburg students Busad Ismael and Isaac Tade added their responses and questions. If you missed the event, it is now available on the Campus Ministry YouTube channel.

YouTube Link

submitted by dames@augsburg.edu

You are invited to listen to a podcast of the Liturgy of the Hours presented by Luther Seminary Chapel and Augsburg University Campus Ministry.

We move closer to Jesus and his cross. Sufjan Stevens sings: “there is no shade in the shadow of the cross.” The cross is where suffering is revealed…and then refracted to healing.

The brokenness of the world, of ourselves, is not ultimate. Jesus went the way of pain, turning suffering to healing; separation to community; death to life. We are led this week by Nate Crary and Luther Seminary student Hannah Sackett.

Liturgy of the Hours