Download the Fall 2004 PDF - Augsburg College

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THE AUGSBURGcorecurriculumEDUCATING FOR WORK,EDUCATING FOR LIFEBY BETSEY NORGARD ▼ DESIGN BY KATHY RUMPZA▼ PHOTOS BY STEPHEN GEFFREWhen students look at colleges, one of thefirst areas they ask about is the list ofmajors or academic disciplines offered.Seldom are they as interested in otherrequired courses, usually called the generaleducation or core curriculum.What they don’t realize, however, isthat this part of their college study isrecognized within the higher educationcommunity to be as important as theirmajor or area of specialization inpreparing them for an increasinglytechnical, complex, and diverseworkplace.Following extensive study, a nationalpanel of the Association of AmericanColleges and Universities (AAC&U)issued a report in 2002 that makes thecase for a “liberal” education, meaningone that will “help college studentsbecome intentional learners who canadapt to new environments, integrateknowledge from different sources, andcontinue learning throughout their lives.”A liberal education prepares studentswith skills beyond the theory and depthof a specialization that they will need tomeet the challenges of a global society—critical thinking and communicating, theknowledge of how to learn, and thepreparation for responsible citizenship.One hallmark of a liberal education isthe integration of classroom learning withpractical application through internships,community service, and other forms ofexperiential learning. A liberal andpractical education educates students forresponsible citizenship as well as forwork and careers.The good news for Augsburg is thateducating for citizenship has alwaysbeen part of an Augsburg education.Joan Griffin, Augsburg professor ofEnglish and director of generaleducation, wrote in a recentdiscussion paper, “Education forcitizenship may be trendy now, but asmany of us discovered … it’s been inthe bones of this College at least sinceSeptember 1874 when the facultyapproved a science division thatwould provide ‘a practical generaleducation’ to prepare Norwegianimmigrants to flourish as citizens oftheir new world.”In the area of experientialeducation, and especially in servicelearningwhere community service isintegrated into classroom learning,Augsburg has been a national leaderfor many years. In 2003, U.S.News &World Report, in its “Programs to Lookfor,” included Augsburg among 20schools nationwide as a “stellarexample” of a service-learning program.LAUNCHING THEAUGSBURG COREIn fall 2003, Augsburg launched theAugsburg Core Curriculum, orAugsburg Core, a new generaleducation curriculum thatincorporates the best practices fromnational research, that streamlines theprevious general education courserequirements spread over eight liberalarts “perspectives,” and—mostimportantly—that aligns it more closelywith Augsburg’s vision document,Augsburg 2004: Extending the Vision.At Opening Celebration, new first-year studentsprocess into Hoversten Chapel through theballooned arch and through a line of welcomingfaculty and staff.16 Fall 2004
For more than two years, severalcommittees involving over 25 faculty andstudents worked to define the underlyingprinciples of general education atAugsburg. Then, over several months adesign team collaborated to construct thenew curriculum. The full facultydiscussed the proposal in open hearingsand finally voted its approval.The AugsburgCore CurriculumDesign TeamCORE PRINCIPLESA number of key principles make up theheart of the Augsburg Core.Augsburg believes that students learnbest in community. Thus, “learningcommunities” are at the center of theAugsburg Core. Students begin theircollege careers in the Augsburg Seminarlearning communities, and theycomplete their careers in their majorkeystone communities. Both connectstudents with faculty and with fellowstudents. In the first year almost allcourses are taught by full-time faculty,not adjuncts, to encourage theseconnections.The community of learners isstrengthened by having all studentsshare educational experiences at severalplaces during their studies wherecommon questions are considered andcontinually revisited. This isaccomplished through commonreadings, through required courses, andthrough required experiences to whichstudents apply their classroom learning.At the heart of the Augsburg Core areJoan Griffin, chair . . . . . . . .EnglishLori Brandt Hale . . . . . . . .ReligionDal Liddle . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EnglishMerilee Klemp . . . . . . . . . . .MusicDiane Pike . . . . . . . . . . .SociologyAmbrose Wolf . . . . . . . . . .PhysicsThe result of this work over theseseveral years is a carefully crafted,cohesive education that blends broad,general learning with depth in one ormore specific areas and prepares studentswith tools to succeed.The Augsburg Core combineshallmarks of the College’s Lutheran(and, specifically, Lutheran Free Church)heritage, its long-standing commitmentto educating students for service in theworld, its commitment to provide accessto a diverse learning community, and itslocation in the center of an urban area.Woven throughout are the themes ofChristian faith, exploration of vocation,the city, diversity, and global awareness.It is an education distinctive to AugsburgCollege, and it offers a life-changingjourney for students, truly atransforming education.In their Augsburg Seminar, first-year students begin learning about the city in which they willstudy, live, and work by exploring its resources and opportunities and engaging in communityservice projects.Sociology professor Diane Pike (right) leads an AugSem group as they explore downtownMinneapolis streets.Fall 200417
Page 1 and 2: A PUBLICATION FOR AUGSBURG COLLEGE
Page 3 and 4: A PUBLICATION FOR AUGSBURG COLLEGE
Page 5 and 6: Access to Excellence:The Campaign f
Page 7 and 8: SPECIALBROADCASTAdd this special 25
Page 9 and 10: AUGSBURG COLLEGE HOSTSANNUAL NOBEL
Page 11 and 12: HOMECOMING 2004FIRST DECADE AND SPI
Page 13 and 14: BY PAUL S. MUELLER, M.D. ’84Scien
Page 15 and 16: Director of development namedAfter
Page 17: THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUMTHE AUG
Page 21 and 22: collaborate across departments andd
Page 23 and 24: A Somali community leader, Abdiriza
Page 25 and 26: core curriculumA LESSON IN COMPUTER
Page 27 and 28: Central America, Mexico, and southe
Page 29 and 30: ALUMNI NEWSAlumni NewsFrom the Alum
Page 31 and 32: Alumni events calendarPlease join u
Page 33 and 34: Above: Norman Nielsen ‘44 (left)
Page 35 and 36: CLASS OF 1979(L to R) Row 1 (front)
Page 37 and 38: 1977Laurie (Barrett) Burns,Stillwat
Page 39 and 40: 1997Jacki Brickman, Coon Rapids,Min
Page 41 and 42: AUGSBURG CENTENNIAL SINGERS 2005 AR
Page 43 and 44: CALENDARCalendarMusicFor more infor

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