News Archives - 2007

One workculture@augsburg grant provided the funding to help multiple offices across campus "team up" over lunch.

Advising students is central to several offices such as the Access Center, CLASS, TRiO-Student Support Services, URGO, Academic Advising, Augsburg Abroad, and CSWL, among others.

Over the past couple of years there has been conversation about creating a Center for Academic Achievement that would physically house such offices in one physical space. When the outside funding for this physical union fell through, not all hope was lost.

"Even if we couldn’t be located near each other, it would be very helpful to meet together and talk, as so many parts of our jobs overlap," says Sheila Anderson, Associate Director of Academic Advising.

She decided to apply for a workculture@augsburg grant, which funds projects that foster the professional vocational development of Augsburg faculty and staff while building an engaged campus community.

The grant requested funding a monthly lunch for 30-some staff members from the above offices to share ideas and concerns they face in advising students. Their wish was granted, and the group began going through the $3 cafeteria line together and meeting in a private room for their discussions.

“For being a really small campus, people do not always know each other,” Anderson adds. “[Before our lunches] people didn’t always know who to pick up the phone and call regarding various issues.” Since the lunches have begun, the collaboration between these and other departments has strengthened. “It has really benefited our group.”

For more information on the workculture@augsburg program, visit www.augsburg.edu/workculture/.