General Education Survey and Update

submitted by boylek@augsburg.edu

Dear Augsburg Community,

A lot has changed since the current general education was approved in 2002. We invite you to share your thoughts about learning goals for a revised general education curriculum in a brief Goals of General Education survey, ideally by Tuesday, April 25th and no later than Monday, May 1st at 5pm. Initial findings will be shared during the April 26th faculty meeting. Finalized results will be available in the online resources linked below by the end of May.

Goals of General Education Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfoAiwOflRKAvn2dT7TUzdtN0s259Wvxtx40WHaAKwPc8alRg/viewform

Updates

+GenEd(it) Group reviewed AAC&U essential learning outcomes and discussed goals/learning outcomes for a revised general education

+Developed the online Goals of General Education survey

+Initial planning for a Staff General Education Revision Advisory group

Upcoming

April: Goals of General Education survey preliminary results to be shared during the 4/26 faculty meeting

May: General Education revision Days in May workshop

Resources

GenEd(it) Comment Box: https://forms.gle/HZEGqh9Cb5Y4Qfd66

Summary of the comments received thus far: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P2ntemnLr8uQrOtwvgszFIt5lgN3Zsr0PoWmmPFs7zE/edit

General Education Revision 2023 Community Moodle page: https://moodle.augsburg.edu/community/course/view.php?id=530

General Education Revision 2023 Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wAwd6cW63GwAQTMUzB-U9ocd7kpZzM7T

With gratitude,

The General Education Advisory Group (aka GenEd(it) Group)

Amanda Case, Kristen Chamberlain, Jennie Diaz, George Dierberger, Darcey Engen, Elaine Eschenbacher, Rukia Gesaade, Marah Jacobson, James Vela-McConnell, Stacy Freiheit

Questions? Please contact Stacy Freiheit, General Education Director, at freiheit@augsburg.edu.

Full-Time Faculty: Only 1 Seat Remaining for the Integrated Course Design Workshop in May

submitted by reederm@augsburg.edu

Participating in the Integrated Course Design (ICD) Workshop will change the way you think about teaching. It is offered to encourage faculty to develop their knowledge and skills in evidence-based, equitable, engaging, and holistic course design. Based on the work of L. Dee Fink, the workshop is designed to offer participants a reframing of their work from “teacher” to “designers of learning experiences.” More than a collection of different teaching strategies, integrated course design is an overall system for thinking about how all course elements and strategies intersect with one another to create significant learning experiences for students — experiences which engage students with your content and lead to changes in the way they live in and understand the world.

When: Wed May 17; Thu May 18; Wed May 24; Thu May 25 ; 9am-Noon all days
Where: Augsburg University Campus
Who: All full-time Augsburg faculty members are eligible to apply for one of the 8 seats in the workshop. Those accepted into the ICD Workshop will receive a $1000 stipend to support work on their course over the Summer.
How: Integrated Course Design (ICD) Grant Application

Integrated Course Design (ICD) Grant Application

Full-Time Faculty: Only 3 Seats Left for the Scholarly Writing Retreat in May

submitted by reederm@augsburg.edu

Do you wish you had uninterrupted time to write/work on scholarship? If so, you will want to take advantage of the annual Jessica Nathanson Scholarly Writing Retreat at the Dunrovin Retreat Center. Jess established a tradition of allowing faculty time away from campus to focus entirely on scholarship. There is no schedule for this retreat – it is simply time and space to work on scholarship. There is no cost to you for this retreat — The Center for Teaching and Learning will cover room and board (and WiFi). We ask that you commit to being present on all three days of the event. Our time begins at 5:00 pm on Sunday May 14th and ends at 3:00 pm on Tuesday May 16th. Space is limited to 18 full-time faculty members.

To find out more about the Jessica Nathanson Scholarly Writing Retreat and to complete a registration form, click the link below. If you have any other questions, please contact CTL at ctl@augsburg.edu.

Jessica Nathanson Scholarly Writing Retreat Information and Registration

Save the Date: Development Days in May are May 9 – May 11, 2023

submitted by reederm@augsburg.edu

Each year the Faculty Development Committee (FDC) and the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) create and coordinate Augsburg’s Development Days in May (DDM, formerly 3 Days in May). These three days are set-aside to allow faculty (and others) to participate in professional development opportunities on campus at no cost. This year, DDM will take place Tuesday May 9 through Thursday May 11, 8:30-3:00 pm each day. Morning sessions will typically take place on campus in person and afternoon sessions will be offered over Zoom.

Look for a preliminary schedule and program to be posted next week! If you have any questions or are interested in offering a session, please contact CTL at ctl@augsburg.edu.

Congratulations to our 2023 Distinguished Contribution Award Winners

submitted by reederm@augsburg.edu

The five faculty recipients of Augsburg’s 2023 Distinguished Contribution Awards were announced at the April 12th faculty meeting and will be formally recognized at the Faculty Recognition Reception on April 28th. Please congratulate them when you see them on campus — especially Dr. Vela-McConnell who made Augsburg history as the first person to receive all three Distinguished Contribution awards (Scholarship 2012, Service 2012, and Teaching 2023)!

Special Award: Excellence in Leadership
Andy Aoki, Ph.D.
Political Science

Excellence in Scholarship
Jayoung Koo, Ph.D.
Business Administration

Excellence in Service
Ankita Deka, Ph.D.
Social Work

Excellence in Teaching – Adjunct Faculty
Jessica Ennis, M.S.
Physics

Excellence in Teaching
James Vela-McConnell, Ph.D.
Sociology

Radical Self Care in Uncertain Times with Dr. Joi Lewis, May 9

submitted by phalp1@augsburg.edu

Title: Find Calm in Chaos: Radical Self-Care in Uncertain Times

Date: Tues., May 9th

Time: 1:30-3:00

Location: virtual

For a variety of reasons, employees across the globe are feeling deep levels of burnout and languishing that, for many, has led to “quiet quitting” or literal quitting. We know that these challenges are often experienced even more acutely by BIPOC and non-majority employees, who exist within systems of oppression and who are often called on to do the work of dismantling those systems in more emotionally laborious ways. Given the increasing complexity of our work, as well as the emotional toll of the last handful of years, many Augsburg employees have expressed desire for opportunity for connection, engagement, and time to prioritize professional and personal care. This session, provided with the support of President Pribbenow and the Health and Well-Being Task Force, offers space for employees to take time out of the demand for productivity to intentionally focus on the health and well-being of ourselves as individuals within the Augsburg community.

From Dr. Lewis:

This session is a gift of time and space to take a deep breath together in community. We explore practices of Radical Self-Care and being “awake” that help create space for wellness, and thereby interrupt the effects of toxic stress and trauma, especially related to the world pandemic and racial injustice. By the end, participants connect with themselves and others more deeply and practice healthy expressions of grief, pain, and joy. Strengthening our foundations around radical self-care can help us all show up for ourselves, our loved ones and our community.

Event Registration:

https://augsburg.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJclcOyqrTgqG9ZbIQNPgyQYiJCJqbKl2EKO

If you need any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please call the University Events Department at 612.330.1104 or email events@augsburg.edu in advance of your participation or visit.

Full-Time Faculty: Anti-Racist Pedagogy Workshop Is Now Full

submitted by reederm@augsburg.edu

The ARP Workshop is offered to encourage full-time faculty to build on their personal reflection and education about racial inequities by learning about and implementing evidence-based, inclusive, anti-racist pedagogy.

When: Thu May 4; Fri May 5; 9am-Noon both days
Where: Augsburg University Campus
Who: All full-time Augsburg faculty members
The Antiracist pedagogy workshop is now full and anybody who would like to be on the waiting list should contact ctl@augsburg.edu directly. Thanks!

Congratulations to Augsburg CLS Applicants

submitted by pearsong@augsburg.edu

Ethan Prince ‘26 has been named a Critical Language Scholar (CLS) finalist in their Spark Virtual Institute, and will study Chinese this summer. Ethan is a Music, Human Development, and Learning major, and is involved with the Augsburg Orchestra and Concert Band. Congratulations, Ethan!

Odalys Lozado ‘23 was named an alternate for CLS In-Person Institute to study Portuguese in Spain. Odalys graduates this year and is a Biopsychology major and a McNair Scholar. Congratulations, Odalys!

Students interested in applying for the next CLS cycle should email urgo@augsburg.edu to schedule an appointment. Applications are due in November.

Chapel: Earth Month Chapel

submitted by dames@augsburg.edu

Please join us in Hoversten Chapel at 11:30 am for the Earth Month chapel in collaboration with the Sabo Center. The chapel service offers a time to reflect on what drives you to take care of the Earth. Maya Merritt, our Environmental Action Officer, and students from multiple faith backgrounds will speak on their environment vocation and how their faith or spiritual beliefs promote stewardship.

Still Seeking Fulbright Applicants to Study, Research, or Teach Abroad

submitted by pearsong@augsburg.edu

Fulbright gives you the opportunity to teach, research, or study abroad for a year. The process of applying is invaluable and winning the award is a life changing experience.

To be eligible and competitive you need to be:
– A U.S. Citizen or national
– Hold a 3.0 or higher GPA for serving as an English Teaching Assistant
– Hold a 3.5 or higher to conduct research or attend graduate school
– Active member in the Augsburg community or your home community
– Effective skills to serve as a cultural ambassador of the U.S. to your host country

If you are a junior or senior you would be working this summer on your application for an early fall submission. If you are awarded the Fulbright you would most likely leave the following summer.

If you would like to learn more about the Fulbright program, please schedule an appointment with Dixie Shafer, Augsburg’s Fulbright Program Advisor, by contacting urgo@augsburg.edu. To streamline the scheduling process, please provide general days and times that work for you to meet. Meetings typically run about an hour long, but if you decide you need a follow up meeting, we are happy to help schedule a second meeting.

Fulbright Website

Earth Day 2023—Fight Environmental Racism

submitted by gilmerje@augsburg.edu

Earth Day 2023 – Fight Environmental Racism
SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2023 AT 1 PM – 3 PM
28th Street and Longfellow Ave S, Minneapolis MN

On this Earth Day, Saturday, April 22 2023 we should make it clear to Mayor Frey and cronies that Little Earth, East Phillips and supporters say NO to the demolition of the Roof Depot and the Hiawatha Expansion project. Adding the prospect of arsenic poisoning and the toxic fumes of hundreds of heavy vehicles to one of the most polluted neighborhoods in MniSota is not addressing climate change.

The people of Little Earth and East Phillips are overwhelmingly working class and BIPOC, and do not accept that Frey’s corporate and political interests are more important than breathing clean air and drinking clean water. The massive cumulative impact of pollution sources already in East Phillips was brought about by concentrating pollution in East Phillips. Fighting climate change can only be brought about by fighting environmental racism.

Register on Facebook.

Help Right Now! (bit.ly/HelpUrbanFarm1)
Help Now in the Legislature! (bit.ly/EPNI-Legislature)
Learn and Share – one pager (bit.ly/EPNI-flyer)
Learn and Share Deeper Dive (bit.ly/EPNIslides1)
Talking Points for Supporters (bit.ly/EPNI-talking)

Register on Facebook.

Come to the Writing Center for Your Final Papers and Projects

submitted by forsthj@augsburg.edu

The Writing Center is open!
In the Lindell Library in person (drop-in only): Sunday 5-7pm and Monday- Thursday 2-7pm
Online (appointment needed): Sunday-Thursday 6-8pm

We will be open during Finals week. The center will close for the semester on April 27th.

We are here to give you feedback on all of your papers and projects.

For more information, please visit our website