Campus update for April 22, 2020

April 22, 2020

Dear students,

Today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! And yesterday we announced plans for solar panels on campus, with installation beginning this summer. Solar units will be added to the rooftops of Centennial Hall, Carver Center, PepsiCo Rec Center and Westerlin. Once installed, beginning early 2021, solar power will provide about 8% of the college’s annual electric energy needs.

President Bahls credits Augustana’s Climate Change Task Force for a renewed focus on alternative energy on campus. The solar panels are one of several plans for new sustainability measures at Augustana, spurred by the campus climate rally held last September.

Task force member Hunter Ridley ’20 said, “I want to express how proud I am of all of the Augustana community, faculty, and students that were involved in last fall's climate strike event. Our hard work and dedication is paying off!”

Today's updates: 

• Wear masks on campus: To follow guidelines from the Center for Disease Control and do our part in stopping the spread of COVID-19, students on campus should wear masks outside their room or home. Find more information here. If you are living on campus and need a bandanna, please go to the Facilities Office in the basement of Sorensen Hall between 12:30-4 p.m. on Tuesday or Thursday. A limited supply of free bandannas is available, one per student.

• Summer Session 2020 Registration is now open on Arches. All summer courses will use the distance-learning format. Along with courses that have long been offered online, many new courses will be adapted for distance learning, including: Drawing, Painting I and II, Adolescent Literature, Clinical and Counseling Psychology, Reproductive Justice, Spanish 101 and 102, Global Masculinities, American Government, Social Ethics, and more. 

• Summer school tuition for online courses is $575 per credit. Courses generally run June 1 to June 26. 
  Find more information about the Augie 2020 Summer Session. Have questions? Contact Dr. Mike Egan, associate dean, at mikeegan@augustana.edu.

• If you haven’t applied for housing for next year, the deadline for housing selection is Monday, April 27. Apply at housing.augustana.edu.
  
  Still looking for roommates? Check out the RHA roommate posting board for rising sophomores and rising juniors. This short video shows you how to search the site for compatible roommates, and we also have created demo videos for second-year housing selection and TLA housing selection. 
  
  Still have questions? Visit the Housing Selection webpage. If you don’t find what you need, email us at residentiallife@augustana.edu.

• Ramadan Q & A hosted by the Muslim Student Association and the Office of International Student & Scholar Services, today at 4 p.m.

• Wednesday Virtual Chapel: Tune in today at 5 p.m. for mid-week reflection and music.
   
• The Honor Council is taking applications to serve on council next year. Submit your application to honor-code@augustana.edu, along with two faculty references, by this Friday, April 24. The Honor Council hears alleged violations of the Augustana College Honor Code to set the foundation for academic integrity at Augustana College. For more information, email honor-code@augustana.edu.

To our health, and the health of our planet

Justin Verlinden, Class of 2020

For who knows how many weeks (4? 5? more?), we’ve all been trying our best not to succumb to cabin fever. Thankfully, Spring is upon us and the wonderful weather that comes along with it.

Today is Earth Day and I can think of no better way to celebrate than by getting out of the house and enjoying the outdoors (while practicing social distancing of course). Whether it be a run, a walk, or bike ride, we should all appreciate the budding flowers, active wildlife, and other facets of Spring many of us may have taken for granted before.

But as we move on from these troubling times (which we will), I hope that we don’t lose sight of other important things, namely the health of the planet which we all share. Some problems we had entering this pandemic will still be there when it’s over and it is my hope that we can come out of this with more passion and vigor than ever to solve them.

Stay safe everyone, and please listen to the experts.