Monday, February 24, 2025

A representative from the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota will be facilitating two “Know Your Rights” presentations on Friday, February 28 via Zoom.

Presentation #1 is taking place at 12:15-1:30 p.m. and will be geared a bit more toward students, however faculty and staff are welcome to attend.

Presentation #2 is taking place at 1:45-3:00 p.m. and will be geared a bit more toward faculty and staff, however students are welcome to attend.

Please Note:
-Check the Augsburg University calendar to copy the event to your calendar.
-Augsburg email addresses will be required to attend these presentations.
-Please feel free to invite your colleagues and students to these presentations.

submitted by lenze@augsburg.edu

Hello from the Staff Senate!This year Augsburg Staff Senate will host an in-person Staff Appreciation Event on Wednesday March 26th from 3:00-4:30 p.m. in the Hoversten Chapel, Foss Hall.We are now accepting nominations to honor outstanding staff and outstanding newcomers at Augsburg. Nominations for the Outstanding Staff and Newcomer Awards are due no later than 5:00 p.m. on March 7, 2025. Nominations are welcomed from any current member of the campus community – staff, faculty, or students.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, 2025) are eligible to receive this award.Staff Senate will award five Outstanding Staff awards and one Newcomer award during the in-person event on March 26th.

Click Here to Nominate an Outstanding Staff!

submitted by yoon@augsburg.edu

Space is limited so please RSVP soon (https://tinyurl.com/EEG-Talk) to join the Psychology Department on Monday, 3/10 (10:30-11:30) for a talk by University of Minnesota Research Professor, Dr. Stephen Malone.

Over the course of 25 years, Dr. Malone has been an integral part of a unique program of research at the Minnesota Center for Twin and Family Research aimed at better understanding substance use and abuse, its correlates, causes and consequences.

Dr. Malone, working with colleagues and students, has used EEG-related measures to uncover stable and predictive biomarkers of risk. In this talk, he will share some insights and discoveries from this work, offering a view of how brain activity can help us understand and predict substance use behaviors and substance-related problems. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from an expert in the field!

https://tinyurl.com/EEG-Talk

submitted by selinski@augsburg.edu

Take a break and join Graphic Designer and Staff Senate rep, Hayley Selinski, in the Marketing and Communications office for a fun and relaxing staff event! We’ll be getting creative with an easy and quick craft, enjoying some snacks, and connecting with coworkers in a casual, welcoming space. Questions? Email staffsenate@augsburg.edu

Please invite all of your Augsburg staff friends and join us in the Marketing and Communications Suite (Anderson Res Hall, Lower Level, Suite 25) from 1–3pm on Thursday, February 27.

Follow our Staff Senate Calendar to stay updated on future events!

This is a reminder that the Spring Anti-Racism Training is taking place this coming Tue, Feb 25 at 4:00-6:30 pm in the Chapel.

To learn more, click here:
https://sites.augsburg.edu/diversity/anti-racism-training/

To register, click here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf-y9HfpY5gF00GuHaLfi5KJZFqJ0mGajtJ6ARZANvmvM9wWQ/viewform

submitted by mohamedr@augsburg.edu

Join Our Personal Branding Workshop!

Unlock your potential with the Strommen Center for Meaningful Work! This engaging workshop will teach you how to authentically present yourself and stand out in any setting.

Explore the three key pillars of personal branding:

Identity: Discover your values and strengths.
Perception: Manage your reputation and influence.
Visibility: Show up consistently and connect meaningfully.

Gain actionable strategies through interactive discussions and hands-on exercises. Whether you’re launching your career or looking to elevate your professional presence, this is your chance to enhance your brand and seize control of your future!

RSVP Here

submitted by dames@augsburg.edu

Start your week with Mindful Monday, 20 minutes of being, not doing, in Hoversten Chapel at 10:40 am. Today Mindful Monday is led by Tiffany Moore, Yoga Instructor and Coordinator of Student Teaching.

submitted by dames@augsburg.edu

Join Augsburg University Campus Ministry in Hoversten Chapel on Thursday, March 6th at 10:00 am for the 8th Annual Fosdick Lecture on Preaching. Rev. Dr. DeWayne Davis will address the topic “Shall Untruth Win? Faithful Preaching in an Age of Mistrust and Misinformation.”

Observers have offered provocative words and phrases to describe our cultural and political moment. Post-truth. The fall of reason. Alternative facts. Can good news penetrate the noise of propaganda and conspiracy in our national discourse? Can a word of hope break through the cynicism and nihilism of cruel and radicalized politics? Now more than ever, from one-on-one meetings with parishioners to our proclamations from behind the sacred desk to our public utterances, courageous preachers must freshly voice the enduring wisdom of the Bible, the tradition, and religious experience to a people awash in propaganda and misinformation delivered through an inflammatory media landscape. Harry Emerson Fosdick summoned the courage to speak truthfully and faithfully during his time of rapid change and discoveries. Will we?

Rev. Davis joined Plymouth Congregational Church as Lead Minister in December 2020. The son of two ministers and the youngest of fifteen children in Mississippi, Dr. Davis earned his B.A. at Howard University and an MA at the University of Maryland. He was awarded an M.Div. with Honors at Wesley Seminary and a D.Min. at Luther Seminary. He is ordained in the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches. Dr. Davis brings a gift for preaching, an appetite for partnerships, a commitment to liberal theology and social justice, as well as experience in public policy work.

Coffee and Registration at 9:30 am. Lecture at 10:00 am; Reverend Davis will also preach at the 11:30 am chapel service. The lecture will also be livestreamed.

All participants are welcome. If you need accommodations, please call the University Events department at 612.330.1104 or email events@augsburg.edu.

More information

submitted by truesmit@augsburg.edu

Join Us for the 2025 Interfaith Symposium on Thursday, February 27th at 11:00 am – noon in Hoversten Chapel. Class times will be adjusted to allow all students, faculty and staff to attend.

We are excited to welcome Valarie Kaur as the keynote speaker!

Speaker Bio: Valarie Kaur is a civil rights leader, lawyer, award-winning filmmaker, educator, and founder of the Revolutionary Love Project. Valarie became an activist when a Sikh father and family friend was the first person murdered in hate violence in the aftermath of 9/11. Since then, Valarie has led visionary campaigns to tell untold stories and change policy on issues ranging from hate crimes to digital freedom. Her work ignited a national movement to reclaim love as a force for justice. Today, the Revolutionary Love Project is seeding networked communities of practice across the country to build the beloved community. A daughter of Punjabi Sikh farmers in California, Valarie lifts up her vision for America in her acclaimed TED Talk and #1 LA Times Bestseller See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love. In Fall 2022, Valarie was honored at the White House in the first-ever Uniters Ceremony, recognizing her as a prophetic leader whose work is healing America. She is also the author of newly released Sage Warrior and children’s book World of Wonder.

For more information and to register visit: https://www.augsburg.edu/interfaith/about/interfaith-spring-symposium/
(Note – registration is required if you will attend virtually.)

submitted by cliftonk@augsburg.edu

The Augsburg Staff Senate continues to find opportunities to build community and relationships across departments. We also seek to remain informed about overall campus happenings. If you can’t make all the Focused Conversations or other University-wide meetings, please feel free to reach out with any questions you might have.

You can email us at staffsenate@augsburg.edu

Don’t forget, we’re now accepting nominations to honor outstanding staff and outstanding newcomers at Augsburg. Here is a link to the nomination form.

Upcoming opportunities to connect:

Next Week: Crafting Connections
Thursday, February 27 from 1-3 (join as you are able)

Take a break and join Graphic Designer and Staff Senate rep, Hayley Selinski, in the Marketing and Communications office (Anderson Res Hall, Lower Level, Suite 25) for a fun and relaxing staff event! We’ll be getting creative with an easy and quick craft, enjoying some snacks, and connecting with coworkers in a casual, welcoming space.

Monthly Brown Bag Lunches:
Monthly on the second Tuesday starting March 11th at noon

Meet monthly for a casual staff lunch in The Commons to connect with old friends and meet new ones. Bring your own lunch or grab one from the cafeteria.

Staff Appreciation Event:
Wednesday March 26th from 3:00-4:30 p.m. in the Hoversten Chapel, Foss Hall.
We are accepting nominations to honor outstanding staff and outstanding newcomers at Augsburg. Here is a link to the nomination form.

Additional Kudos?
Uplift individuals and departments even more at the staff appreciation event by submitting pictures/kudos about specific folks or departments or things you’re proud about https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdR94xJoIPFNFgpiL3e3I2fUBaBDUqtpG_HZRwgWFP2ulEoYg/viewform?usp=header

Follow our Senate Senate Calendar on our website – https://sites.augsburg.edu/staffsenate/about/

Here is a link to the nomination form

submitted by green5@augsburg.edu

The outstanding musicians of the Augsburg University Jazz Ensemble will present an exciting evening of jazz on this Thursday!

Augsburg University Jazz Ensemble Concert
Thursday, February 27 at 7pm
Sateren Auditorium
Free Admission

Jazz Ensemble Concert Poster

submitted by green5@augsburg.edu

The Augsburg University Concert Band will present a concert entitled “Wade in the Water” this Sunday afternoon.

Augsburg University Concert Band
Sunday, March 2 at 3pm
Hoversten Chapel
Free Admission

Concert Band Poster