PACE Multicultural Mentorship Program

Augustana's PACE Multicultural Mentorship Program is for first-year students of color. PACE starts on campus even before Welcome Week, and continues throughout your important first year.

PACE stands for Preparation, Awareness, Community and Engagement, and PACE stands for YOU. Here are some of the ways it happens.

Preparation

Preparing you for college is the first goal of PACE. Watch for an invitation to come to campus early for an orientation introducing you to each other, to mentors and leaders, and to resources on your new campus. It’s a lot of fun, too.

Awareness

You will find many identity-building, learning and leadership opportunities through the Office of Student Inclusion and Diversity and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. An experienced Augustana student will be your PACE mentor, keeping you aware of the opportunities before you.

Community

Your supportive Augustana community begins with PACE, and continues throughout your time on campus. Many of the college’s 160 student groups are focused on specific cultural backgrounds, experiences and values. The Asian Pacific Islander Desi American House, Black Culture House, Casa Latina and the You Belong Here Lounge all provide spaces for meetings, events and hanging out.

Engagement

Engaging with your community—in class, on campus and in the broader world—is how you will develop confidence as a student and as the citizen you most want to be. It all starts by engaging with PACE.

Orientation and welcome

PACE 2024 orientation is Sunday, Aug. 25-Thursday, Aug. 29.

During this special orientation, students of color meet each other, their mentors and other campus leaders; learn about resources and opportunities on campus; experience an unforgettable welcome to Augustana; and make some of their best friends. Housing and meals during orientation are provided at no cost.

Orientation schedule, Aug. 25-29

Sunday, Aug. 25

9 a.m.-4 p.m. Residence Hall move-in (at your assigned residence hall). Students who will be living on campus will be moving into their assigned residence hall between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Please arrive at your assigned residence hall and check in at the front desk. There will be Residential Life staff there to assist you with check-in, and we will have PACE mentors from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. to help in any way that they can. *All commuter students and student athletes will arrive on campus for PACE check-in.*

4-4:45 p.m. Free time/family goodbyes. This is an opportunity to unpack and pick up any last minute items for your room. Also, this will be the time for students to say their farewell to their families.

5 p.m. PACE check-in (Gerber Center, Gävle Rooms).

5:30 p.m. Meet your PACE group.

6:30 p.m. Welcome dinner and mixer (Gerber Center, Gävle Rooms). Welcome to your opening night of PACE! Enjoy an evening to get to know the Office of Student Inclusion and Diversity (OSID) staff, your mentors and peers.

Monday, Aug. 26

11:30 a.m. Lunch with Your PACE Group (Gerber Center, Dining Hall).

12:45-2:45 p.m. Community Connect (Lindberg Center, first floor). The foundation of PACE is community. Through interactive activities, you’ll have the chance to connect with peers and start building a sense of community.

3 p.m. Break.

6:30 p.m. Nacho Average Game Night (Gerber Center, Gävle Rooms). Bring your appetite and competitive spirit for a fun evening of games, a chance to win prizes, and all-you-can-eat nacho bar.

Tuesday, Aug. 27

8:30-9:15 a.m. Continental Breakfast (You Belong Here Lounge, near Gerber Center 420). *Optional*

9:30 a.m. College welcome from Gauri Pitale, Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (Olin Center, Auditorium).

10:15 a.m. "I Am, But I Am Not" (Olin Center, Auditorium). Ashley Allen, Director of Student Inclusion and Diversity, will lead a session that focuses on how identity defines who you are. In this session, we will introduce the Big 8 social identities and their impact in how you define who you are and who you are not.

11 a.m. Your PACE group check-in.

11:30 a.m. Lunch (Gerber Center, Dining Hall).

1:30 p.m. Keep It Real Game (Olin Center, your assigned PACE group classroom). The Keep It Real Game is an interactive game that you will engage with others to learn of their diverse experiences in meaningful and transformative ways.

3 p.m. Break.

5-6:30 p.m. Dining hall hours (Gerber Center, Dining Hall). *Optional dinner with PACE group*

7 p.m. Outdoor movie night (Viking Plaza, lower quad near the Slough). Lights, camera, action! Join us for a great movie, popcorn and snacks under the stars.

Wednesday, Aug. 28

Wear your PACE shirt!

9:15-10 a.m. Continental breakfast (You Belong Here Lounge, near Gerber Center 420). *Optional*

10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Lunch dining hall hours (Gerber Center, Dining Hall).

12:45 p.m. Your PACE group check-in.

1:30 p.m. PACE group photo (Brunner Theatre, Outdoor Anderson Pavilion).

2:15 p.m. "Design Your Augustana" (Gerber Center, Gävle Rooms). Keri Bass, Assistant Director of Vocational Exploration and Career Coach, will lead an interactive workshop designed to get you thinking about who you are and how you want to live that out in the world. We will use design thinking to craft an Augustana experience that matches you and your dreams with the needs of the world around you.

3:30 p.m. "Defying the Odds" (Gerber Center, Gävle Rooms). College is the perfect time to find your passion and take on new challenges. A panel of Augustana alumni and students will share how opportunities like internships, studying abroad, and engaging in student leadership roles have transformed their lives. Discover how they broke boundaries and achieved what they once thought was impossible.

4:30 p.m. Break.

5-6:30 p.m. Dinner dining hall hours (Gerber Center, Dining Hall). *Optional dinner with PACE group*

7 p.m. Ice cream social (You Belong Here Lounge, near Gerber Center 420). Here’s the scoop: making friends at PACE is a real treat. Join us for an evening to hang out with peers and to enjoy an ice cream bar with your favorite toppings.

Thursday, Aug. 29

9-9:45 a.m. Continental breakfast (You Belong Here Lounge, near Gerber Center 420). *Optional*

10 a.m. "Thriving: Tips to Help You Thrive In College" (Olin Center, Auditorium). We don’t want you to just survive college, we want you to thrive. In this session, you will learn helpful tips from your PACE mentors to help you thrive as a student at Augustana.

11:30 a.m. Lunch (Gerber Center, Dining Hall).

1:30 p.m. "College Connections: Navigating the Road to Success" (Olin Center, Auditorium). A panel of Augustana faculty members and staff of color will lead a conversation on how to successfully navigate your college life experience. They will also share the importance of connecting and building relationships with faculty and staff.

2:45 p.m. "Dear Future Me" activity (Olin Center, Auditorium). As you begin your first year at Augustana, you will write a letter to your future self. What are your goals? What are you excited about? What are your fears? What do you hope to learn and accomplish? Senior year, your letter will be given back to you to reflect on.

3:15 p.m. "The Real" (Olin Center, Auditorium). A panel of your PACE mentors will share in this conversation “the real” about their personal journeys about being a student of color at Augustana.

4:30 p.m. Break.

5:00-6:30 p.m. Dinner dining hall hours (Gerber Center, Dining Hall). *Optional dinner with PACE group*

8 p.m. Bonfire (Viking Plaza, lower quad near the Slough). Enjoy your final evening of orientation with music, and s’mores. This will be a time for you to reflect on what you learned and the exciting, new journey that is ahead at Augustana.