Campus update for March 25, 2020

March 25, 2020

Dear students,

The coronavirus has not derailed More Than I Imagined, our annual tribute to graduating seniors. This is our 10th year and we have spotlighted more than 600 students in that time!

Take a minute to look through the list so far (we'll be adding more names through May) and be inspired.

And why not send some congrats to these deserving seniors?

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2020 graduation update

If at all possible, we will host a traditional live graduation ceremony, even if circumstances demand we delay into the summer or fall. This will be our 160th Commencement Convocation.

We want to share a firm decision with you by April 15.

And we are making special plans for our graduating seniors for the evening of May 7. Look forward to details of this year's Last Lecture and Senior Toast!

Today's developments:

•  A milestone: Today the college will offer admission to 31 students who applied for our first cohort to study for a master's degree in speech-language pathology, starting in June.

• Adobe Creative Cloud is open to all augustana.edu email addresses — free — until May 31. If you have an Adobe ID already, you should be able to login with that. Otherwise,  authenticate with Google at creativecloud.adobe.com to download apps.

• Since the college continues to provide instruction, and students will receive credit, all tuition and fees (including overload) remain in place. Contact the Registrar’s office if you have questions.

• Here is a handy distance learning guide to our library resources.

• Reminder: Students will get a 50% credit for housing and meals for the spring semester. You will see credits (in Arches) as they are applied to your account starting next week. Refund checks will be processed by mid-April.

If you stay in housing past March 28, please be aware that staying will limit credits and refunds you receive. You will be charged a prorated amount (based on the original fee) for housing and meals.   

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Today's video: The Observer's 35 quarantine activities for the frustrated Augie student

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Stay in touch, a message from Chaplain Richard Priggie

From a March 24, 2020, New York Times editorial:

"We've been down this road before, too many times. In the 14th century, the Black Death provoked mass violence against Jews, Catalans, clerics and beggars; when syphilis spread in the 15th century, it was called variously the Neapolitan, French, Polish and German disease, depending on who was pointing the blame; when the plague struck Honolulu in 1899, officials burned down Chinatown.

"Here we are in 2020, with Asians being assailed across the United States and around the world as purported sources of the 'Chinese flu,' the 'Wuhan coronavirus' or simply the 'foreign virus.' Once again, a mysterious fast-spreading and sometimes lethal disease is exacerbating racism and hatred — only now with the help of the potent megaphone of social media.

"A time of great fear and danger requires solidarity, humanity, sacrifice and hope, and not hysteria or hatred. That should be the message of the world's political, social, religious and corporate leaders as they race to find ways to cope with the lethal virus."

We can all be grateful to study at a college that identifies social justice as a core value, as defined in the Five Faith Commitments of Augustana College. Social justice is one of our five commitments and is defined in this way: "Augustana College commits to making our campus and the wider world a more livable place for all persons by loving and serving the neighbor and by acting against injustice and intolerance."

In our words and in our actions, may we stand against injustice and intolerance, especially when great anxiety manifests itself in bigotry and hatred.

Pastor Richard W. Priggie
309-794-7478

Please send comments, questions or suggestions to covid19info@augustana.edu.