THE COLLEGE
Founded in 1860, Augustana is a selective, private, residential, comprehensive (liberal arts and professional) college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Central to its mission are five core values: Christian, Liberal Arts, Excellence, Community, and Service that serve as the foundation for the College's academic and student life programs. Questions of faith and values blend comfortably into all aspects of life at Augustana. Because the Lutheran tradition values every student’s gift for learning, academic integrity is never compromised by slanting education to agree with a particular religious bias. By encouraging students to make career decisions that are consistent with their own faith and values, Augustana educates students for a wide range of careers. |
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OUR STUDENTS
The College serves over 1,600 full-time and part-time students, primarily of traditional age, from 29 states and a number of foreign countries. The College enjoys a stable enrollment pattern and enrolls in more than 400 first-year students and about 80 transfer students annually. For fall semester, 2007, 72% of these first year students ranked in the top third of their graduating high school class. The average GPA was 3.6, and the ACT composite score was 24.8.
THE FACULTY
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Augustana seeks faculty who are in support of the mission and values of the College and who have attained a high degree of scholarly competence in their discipline. Faculty are expected to be excellent teachers, to stay current in their disciplines, to support and assist in the life and development of the College, and to serve the wider community. There are 111 full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty, nearly 80% of whom possess the highest degree in |
their discipline. The student to faculty ratio is about 13:1. The normal teaching load is three classes each semester and one class during the interim. |
RECOGNITION
Augustana’s fine reputation is affirmed by many outside sources, including Petersons 440 Colleges for Top Students.U.S. News & WorldReport consistently ranks the College in the top ten of our region and classification, now Baccalaureate, and a “Best Buy.” The Templeton Guide recognizes the College among those that inspire students to lead ethical and civic-minded lives. Harvard Schmarvard identifies Augustana among “100 outstanding but underappreciated colleges” in the U.S. Princeton Review has also named Augustana a “ Best Midwestern College.”
THE CURRICULUM
The College offers over 50 majors and pre-professional specializations within a 4-1-4 academic calendar. Extensive internship, study-abroad and undergraduate research programs supplement the curriculum. Civitas, the College’s honors program, provides an environment for students who desire an even more challenging and rigorous intellectual experience. Augustana's programs promote sensitivity to and appreciation of values essential for students to become effective citizens in the local, national, and international communities. A quality liberal education rests firmly on an outstanding and diverse faculty. These individuals must excel in their dual vocation as teachers and scholars. An excellent liberal arts curriculum means close working relationships between faculty and student; conversation and face-to-face interaction where the enthusiasm for learning is transmitted. Eighteen academic departments are organized into three divisions: Humanities, Social Science and Natural Science.
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