The Augustana Office of Academic Affairs, led by Provost Dr. Joel Johnson, supports the overall mission of the university. The Augustana Office of Academic Affairs oversees the university's academic programs, faculty, administrators and curriculum within the College of Arts & Sciences, Rydell School of Business, Sharon Lust School of Education, School of Health Professions and School of Music. The office also oversees related support services, including meeting and maintaining accreditation standards, teaching effectiveness and student learning outcomes.
Meet the Provost
Dr. Joel Johnson joined Augustana in 2003, teaching courses in political philosophy, American political thought, politics & literature and Asian politics. He was named interim provost by President Stephanie Herseth Sandlin in February 2023, following the announcement that Provost & Executive Vice President Dr. Colin Irvine would be leaving Augustana at the end of the academic year to assume a new role as president of Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, on July 1. Johnson received his Ph.D. from Harvard University, where he served as a lecturer on government. In 2010-11, he was a Senior Fulbright Scholar in American studies at the University of Marburg in Germany. From 2013 to 2016, he was appointed Augustana's Stanley L. Olsen Chair of Moral Values.
Contact Us
Address
Augustana University
Office of Academic Affairs
Administration Building (Second Floor)
2101 S. Summit Avenue
Sioux Falls, SD 57197
Latest News
In Fall 2026, the Augustana University Government & International Affairs Department expanded its degree program offerings to include more specialized majors — giving students focused pathways aligned with their interests, workforce demands and graduate school preparation.
The Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis (M.S. ABA) degree program at Augustana University is on a path toward national recognition and, ultimately, full accreditation. The M.S. ABA prepares students for the BCBA examination through a 5-semester, 19-month online program, which includes supervised fieldwork. Since December 2025, 63 students from 18 states and Canada have graduated from the online program. To date, 40 have become BCBAs, with more than a dozen serving in South Dakota.
Augustana has been ranked as the No. 5 Regional University in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 Best College Rankings. U.S. News & World Report also ranked Augustana No. 6 in Best Value across the region.