About

The Office of Academic Affairs, under the leadership of the Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, oversees the University’s academic programs and supports their work in educating students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. The Office of Academic Affairs works with faculty and staff in the University’s undergraduate and graduate programs to offer an engaging, high-quality educational experience for an intentionally diverse mix of learners.

Jump to: Academic Affairs Office Staff | Academic Affairs Leadership Team | Faculty Directors in Academic Affairs

Contact Information

Phone: 612-330-1024

Mailing Address:
2211 Riverside Avenue, CB 136
Minneapolis, MN 55454

Academic Affairs Office Staff

Provost Paula O'Loughlin

Paula O’Loughlin, Ph.D.
Provost and Senior Vice President

As provost, Dr. Paula O’Loughlin oversees academic affairs and student affairs divisions of Augsburg University: the faculty and academic program; student affairs (campus life, multicultural life, residence life, counseling and wellness, StepUP); and student support offices (registrar, library, advising, CLASS, URGO, career services). Her direct reports include the academic deans, the dean of students, the vice president for student success, the assistant provost for global education and experience, the assistant provost for academic administration, the assistant provost for experiential learning and meaningful work, and the director of the library. As a strategic partner to the president and other vice presidents, she serves on a number of university committees and task forces.

O’Loughlin assumed the role of Provost at Augsburg University on July 1, 2022.  Prior to this appointment, she served as provost and dean of the faculty at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, since 2016 and also served the institution as interim dean of students and Title IX coordinator. Prior to Coe College, she served in leadership positions at Gustavus Adolphus College and the University of Minnesota–Morris. She has also taught at Carleton College, Macalester College, and the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities. O’Loughlin earned her PhD in political science from the University of Minnesota and her bachelor’s degree in government from Smith College in Northampton, Mass. Throughout her career, she has been recognized for excellence in teaching, advising, leadership, service, and scholarship.


Monica Devers, Ph.D.
Dean of Professional Studies and Graduate Education

Dr. Monica Devers became Augsburg’s Dean of Professional Studies in August 2017. She was a faculty member at St. Cloud State from 1998 to 2017 and served as chair for the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in the university’s College of Fine Arts and Humanities. Devers most recently served as the inaugural dean of Health and Human Services at St. Cloud State University.

Devers completed her Ph.D. and Master of Arts in communication sciences and disorders at the University of Minnesota. She also holds a Master of Arts in English and politics and a Master of Science in information technology from the University of Glasgow, Scotland.


Ryan Haaland, D.Phil.
Dean of Arts & Sciences

Dr. Ryan Haaland became Augsburg’s Dean of Arts and Sciences in July 2019.  He was Professor and Chair of the Department of Physics & Engineering at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.  In 2006, Haaland finished a 21-year Air Force career as faculty and Department Head of Physics, at the United States Air Force Academy.

Haaland earned a bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, a master of science degree in space physics from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a doctorate of philosophy in physics from the University of Oxford, England.


David Matz, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Dr. Matz was appointed associate dean in the fall of 2020.  He holds an appointment as professor of psychology, and previously served as interim dean of arts and sciences. He received his bachelor’s degree from Bemidji State University, his master’s degree from North Dakota State University, and his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. He has been a full-time faculty member of Augsburg’s psychology department since 2001.

Areas of Responsibility:  Dave’s responsibilities as associate provost focus on increasing institutional capacities with academic analytics, course section planning, assessment and academic program review. He will serve on ad hoc committees and task forces that align with these areas of responsibility – such as the academic structure task force and the faculty workload and curricular parameters committee. He will also support, as the provost’s representative, the work of faculty governance.


Marah Jacobson-Schulte, M.S. Registrar

Marah Jacobson, Ed.D.
Associate Provost / Title IX Coordinator

Marah earned her doctor of education, master of science in higher education administration, and her bachelor of science in community psychology degrees from St. Cloud State University.

Areas of Responsibility:  Oversight of operational and administrative processes and policies for Academic and Student Affairs and functions as the primary liaison between the Provost’s Office and the deans, OPE, HR, Finance, Sponsored Research, and other areas; understands the application of the faculty handbook, student code of conduct, and other institutional, state, and federal policies and procedures to maintain compliance.


Patrick Mulvihill, M.A.|M.P.A.
Assistant Provost for Global Education and Experience

Patrick received his bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf College and his master’s degree from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.

Before coming to Augsburg, he served as the Director of Operations at the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs (HECUA) for twelve years and as Chief Operating Officer and Director of European & USA Service Programs at Global Volunteers, a service-learning organization in the field of human and economic development, for seven years.

Areas of Responsibility: The Center for Global Education and Experience. Study abroad and study away, including Faculty-led off-campus programs. Internationalization of academic programs and curriculum. Strategic recruitment and retention of international students (in collaboration with other college divisions). Nobel Peace Prize Forum.


KC Gubrud, M.A.
Executive Assistant to the Provost

KC (Kristine Claussen) Gubrud is a graduate of St. Olaf College. She received her master’s degree in public administration from Hamline University.

Areas of Responsibility: Support for the Provost; scheduling for Provost and Deans. Supports the Committee on Tenure and Promotion. Oversees full-time faculty recruiting. Supports commencement and academic university events.


 

Katie Boyle, M.A.
Assistant to the Dean, Arts & Sciences

Katie earned her Bachelor of Arts in French from the University of Minnesota and her Master of Arts in Elementary Education from St. Catherine University. 

Areas of Responsibility: Support the Dean of Arts & Sciences. Serve as liaison between faculty and other university departments and the Dean’s Office. Coordinate scheduling of faculty review and department chair meetings. Support Faculty Search process for Arts & Sciences and Professional Studies.  Support Academic Affairs Committee.


Academic Affairs Leadership Team

The Academic Affairs Leadership Team (AALT) includes the Provost, Dean of Arts and Sciences, Dean of Professional Studies and Graduate Education, Assistant Provost of Global Education and Experience, Chief Student Success Officer, Director of Academic Administration, and the following administrators located elsewhere in the Academic Affairs division:


Mary HollerichMary Hollerich, M.S.
Library Director

Mary Hollerich is a two-time alumna of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has her BA in Germanic Languages and Literatures and MS in Library and Information Science.

Mary has worked in academic research libraries for 30 years, most recently as Assistant Dean for Scholarly Resources and Research Services at Southern Methodist University. Mary is an active member in the American Library Association (ALA) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), and serves on editorial boards for two library science journals.


Faculty Directors in Academic Affairs

Ben Denkinger, Ph.D.
Director of Assessment

Stacy Freiheit, Ph.D.
Director of General Education

Robert Groven, Ph.D. 
Assistant Dean for Faculty Development

Jenny Hanson, M.F.A.
Director of Online and Blended Learning Pedagogies

Christopher Houltberg, M.F.A.
Director of the John N. Schwartz School of the Arts.

Rachel Lloyd, Ph.D.
Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning

Kristen Chamberlain, Ph.D. 
Director of First Year Experience