Congratulations to member institution Augsburg College on their name change to Augsburg University, which became effective September 1, 2017. This is an historic change for the Minneapolis, Minnesota school. Augsburg University has been serving the Twin Cities area and beyond for almost 150 years. Paul Pribbenow, President of Augsburg University, serves on the Executive Committee of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities.
Since last October, the Augsburg community conducted research on the name change moving from college to university. In their findings, researchers recognized that ‘university’ more appropriately aligns with the school’s goals and missions. These include a “robust graduate, international, and research programs—all of which are expected of a university”; a reputation as a diverse institution, finding that the word “university” is associated with diversity; and a commitment to their promise: “small to our students and big for the world,” marking the success of their students over the size of their facilities and enrollments as the identity of a “new kind of university.”
The university will transition over the coming year, with the first celebration beginning at their September 5 Opening Convocation.
Congratulations, Auggies! We’re so excited to celebrate this next chapter with you!