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University description (as per official university website)
A Brief Profile of Augustana College
Augustana College traces its origins to the Hillsboro Academy in Hillsboro, Illinois in the mid 1830's. However, “Augustana College” was established in Chicago in 1860 and uses this date as the College's official founding. Westward movement following the Civil War took the College to Paxton, Illinois in 1863; to Marshall, Wisconsin in 1869; to Beloit, Iowa in 1881; to Canton, South Dakota in 1884; and finally, to Sioux Falls, South Dakota when it merged with the Lutheran Normal School in 1918.
Today, Augustana is a selective, residential liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Central to its mission are five shared core values: Christian, Liberal Arts, Excellence, Community, and Service. The College is an acknowledged leader in undergraduate higher education in the northern plains region. US News & World Report recognizes Augustana as a top five "Midwest Comprehensive College - Bachelor's" and has also identified it as a best value in this same category. Augustana is also listed in The Templeton Guide: Colleges That Encourage Character Development.
Located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for over 87 years, the attractive, 100-acre campus has excellent teaching-learning facilities. In recent years, over $25 million has been invested in new and renovated facilities, including the Madsen Center for Social Science, the Mortenson Center, the Fantle Building for the Center for Western Studies, the Humanities Center, and the Center for Visual Arts.
Typical full-time enrollment over the last five years has been approximately 1650; part-time enrollment is about 150. More than ninety percent of Augustana's enrollment is of traditional college age (18-22). Students come from nearly twenty-five states and a dozen foreign countries. Nineteen academic departments offer over fifty majors and pre-professional specializations for careers students may pursue upon graduation or for graduate and professional school study. The College hires faculty members who have attained a high degree of scholarly competence and who support its educational mission. Faculty members are expected to be excellent teachers, current in their disciplines, supportive of students and committed to serving the broader community. There are 109 full-time faculty; 86% possess terminal degrees; three-fourths are tenured or tenure track.
The College's Career Center reports that over 99% of the 2004 graduating class found employment within their field of study within eight months of graduation; annually, nearly 30% of the graduating class enters graduate or professional school.
Augustana is a college of the church. It values its church affiliation as it endeavors to integrate faith and learning into the entire collegiate experience. The College rejects the secularization of private higher education, believing that Lutheran colleges such as Augustana have a distinctive educational mission compared to public institutions and other private colleges. Students, faculty, and staff of all faith traditions are welcomed to teach and learn in this campus community. Daily chapel services provide for individual and shared worship expression.
Beyond the classroom, Augustana provides opportunities for involvement in over 60 clubs and organizations and student activities, including special interest groups, NCAA Division II athletics, music and theatre. Major college traditions include Viking Days, Augustana Vespers, Christmas at the President's Home, and Family Weekend. Ole, the Viking mascot located in the center of the College's quadrangle, is often decorated for special seasonal events. Students, alumni, friends, employees, and those who know the College casually refer to it as “Augie.”
The legal corporate ownership is vested in the Augustana College Association, composed of the South Dakota, Southwestern Minnesota, Western Iowa and Nebraska Synods of the ELCA. The governing board is t |
