Download the Fall 2004 PDF - Augsburg College

core curriculumAugsburg ExperienceCONNECTIONS TOCOMMUNITYAugsburg recognizes that today’s citizensneed new kinds of competencies—abstract and complex problem-solving,systems thinking, and collaboration,among others. These are skills thatcannot be learned in normal classroomactivity alone, but are enhanced withdirect experience in the workplace andcommunity. In the Augsburg Core allstudents are required to complete anapproved Augsburg Experience, one ofthe signature elements in the corecurriculum that adds value to anAugsburg education.The Augsburg Experience can becompleted in one of five ways:▼ internships, cooperative education,practica, fieldwork, and clinicals▼ faculty-student research▼ community service-learning coursesand experiences▼ study abroad▼ off-campus immersion experiencesexperiential education. Severalprofessional studies majors alreadyrequire student teaching, practica orfieldwork, and internships. SomeWeekend College students who areworking full time find they are able todevelop an Augsburg Experience intheir own jobs by compiling a formalplan, approved by the Center forService, Work, and Learning, identifyinga minimum of three learning outcomesthat make deliberate connectionsbetween their education and work.Augsburg offers outstandingopportunities, especially in the sciences,for student-faculty research. Studentswork with their professors on originalresearch that is usually more common atthe graduate level. Through this,students learn to apply knowledge fromtheir major and engage in the researchprocess and in the discoveries, bothsuccesses and failures, that contribute tothe body of knowledge in theirdiscipline and benefit the widercommunity.Augsburg’s Physics Departmentcollaborates on a number of ongoingresearch projects with major universitiesand government agencies, giving itsstudents original research opportunitiesfrom their freshman year forward. Thedepartment enjoys an internationalreputation for research excellence, andits students have won several awards foroutstanding presentations.Students can also meet the AugsburgExperience through courses with servicelearningcomponents. A portion ofcourse time is spent in service at the site,reflection, discussion, and relatedactivities. Or, students can work atapproved sites and carry out reflectionactivities with Augsburg faculty or staffmembers. Augsburg has builtpartnerships with more than 30community organizations and is arecognized national leader and awardwinner.Students have a variety of choices forstudy abroad through the Center forGlobal Education’s study centers inThe Augsburg Experience, in short, linksthe theoretical with the practical, andlinks on-campus experience to the widercommunity. Every approved“experience” must engage the student inthe community away from campus. Tohelp them tailor an experience to theirstudies and interests, students work withfaculty; the staff and resources of theCenter for Service, Work, and Learning;and the Office of International Programs(OIP).Internships and cooperativeeducation have traditionally been themost common choices for work-basedSociology and metro-urban studies students visited U.S. Rep. Martin Olav Sabo ’59 on theirstudy trip to Washington, D.C., last spring to talk with people in public service about theirvocations and working “on the hill.” (R to L): Lois Olson, Center for Service, Work, andLearning; Jennifer Nacey; Jessica Howard; Lori Cain; Amanda Froiland; Ray McCoy; TedArrindell; Maria Belen Power; Adela Arguello; Krista Dahlke; Kendra Kahlow; Kate Loyd; andGarry Hesser, professor of sociology and metro-urban studies.24Fall 2004