Report from the president, fiscal year 2019-20

• Related reading: "Giving by the numbers" and the Honor Roll of Donors

Fundraising during this time of uncertainty and change is especially important as Augustana and our students face unforeseen challenges. In this time of unprecedented need, our donors have repeatedly stepped up to give unrestricted support so the college can respond immediately to the most urgent and important needs. They are invested in what we do here at Augustana.

Gifts from caring and generous donors now total more than $122 million, moving us closer to the $125 million goal of the AUGUSTANA NOW campaign. We appreciate Murry ’75 and Cindy Gerber and Susan Nelson ’76 Abrams and Kenny Abrams for their challenges that inspired nearly $2 million in matching gifts. Our donors also provided funds for groceries for our international students who could not return home this past summer.

On behalf of the campus community, we thank you for your dedication and loyalty in helping ensure our faculty and students can continue their good work. Augustana is a space where all voices can be heard and where students may reach boldly and shine brightly toward living a life of purpose. I think you’ll agree — the world needs Augustana graduates, now more than ever.

This report shares news from fiscal year 2019-20:

COVID-19

When campus closed in late March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Augustana Strong Task Force immediately turned to preparing for our students’ return in late August. I cannot emphasize enough the countless hours our faculty and staff have put in over the summer. I’ve never been so proud to be a part of the Augustana community. 

Here’s the latest on our efforts to manage COVID-19, including opening an on-campus health clinic, so we can deliver a robust in-person Augustana experience this fall. 

Racial justice and social change

This past summer Dr. Monica M. Smith, vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, led campus conversations to help raise awareness of racial justice issues and empower the Augustana community to get involved in efforts to make positive change on campus and in the world.

Our work has just begun.

In addition to the college’s continued opportunities for action and education on campus, Jane and I established the Presidential Racial Justice and Equity Fund to encourage students to initiate projects on campus or within the Quad Cities that raise awareness, propose solutions, and promote dialogue and activism for racial justice issues.

Campus improvements

Ground was broken for Augustana's newest building, the Peter J. Lindberg, M.D., Center for Health and Human Performance, and construction is on schedule. Augustana’s newest academic program, kinesiology, will be based in the Lindberg Center. Already, 17 Augustana students have declared a major in kinesiology, while 33 first-year students have indicated interest. The $18 million center is scheduled to open next spring.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on the first day of the 2019-20 academic year for the $8.5 million, 22,000-square-foot expansion to the Robert A. and Patricia K. Hanson Hall of Science. We’re proud to report this project came in under budget.

The Ruth and Lefty Anderson Pavilion, named for Ruth Allison ’42 Anderson and Everett “Lefty” Anderson ’39, was dedicated. Located on the south side of the Brunner Theatre Center, the pavilion provides space for outdoor performances, as well as open-air classes and meetings. 

The $3.75-million expansion of Brodahl Hall, which doubled the size of the building and accommodates Augustana’s new master’s program in speech-language pathology, was completed. The expansion includes the Barbara A. Roseman Center for Speech, Language, and Hearing.

Academic programming

Home to one of the first college-based speech, language and hearing clinics in the nation, Augustana now has a master’s in speech-language pathology program, which will help fulfill a nationwide need for speech-language pathologists. Graduate students began their work in the newly expanded Brodahl Hall this summer.

Augustana transitioned to a semester calendar with a three-week January term (J-term) in 2019-20. More than 2,000 students chose from 114 diverse J-term courses. Besides J-term and providing more time for in-depth learning opportunities, Augustana can now partner and share resources with peer schools on the same calendar for popular programs, including study away.

Last spring, Augustana celebrated the launch of the data analytics major and recognized the college’s first students who declared data analytics as a major. We currently have 70 students in the data analytics program (23 majors and 47 minors).

Athletics

Augustana’s spring sports season may have been canceled due to COVID-19, but the athletics program didn’t slow down. The college added three varsity sports and hired two head coaches.

The new teams include women's wrestling, an emerging sport that has seen steady growth in the Midwest and nationally, and men's and women's water polo, both of which will be based in the new Peter J. Lindberg, M.D., Center for Health and Human Performance.

4 firsts for Augustana

Last fall, Augustana was honored to be one of six Illinois institutions to receive a Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. A total of 94 U.S. colleges and universities, all of which are much larger institutions than Augustana, received the award for demonstrating an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Augustana received a $1.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation through the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. The grant funds scholarships, training and mentoring support for Augustana STEM majors with plans to teach STEM subjects in high-need school districts. 

As stated in Augustana’s mission, the college is committed to providing a challenging education that develops students’ qualities of mind, spirit and body. To that end, Augustana hired its first director of student well-being and resiliency and first director of disability services last summer.

FY2019-20 Endowed Funds

Named scholarships

Aigner Foundation Scholarship

Donald E. Baustian Scholarship

Harriet Borg Scholarship

Craig and Annette Burlingame Bolt Scholarship

Gene Long '55 Memorial Scholarship

Rolf Family Scholarship for Augustana Education Students

Russell Construction Endowed Scholarship

Robert C. "Bob" Saenger '56 Memorial Scholarship

Richard Thomas Memorial Scholarship

Program funds

Dr. John H. Erickson Fund

Excellence in Liberal Arts Endowed Fund

Richard Thomas Research Stipend Endowment

Youngberg Fund for Publishing