Advocate for your colleagues by joining Staff Senate

Be engaged in the Augsburg community by serving on Staff Senate. If you’d like to become a senator or nominate a colleague, complete the nomination form by Monday, April 30. Due to Staff Senate only filling one at-large position this spring there will not be an election process this year.

All nominees will be contacted before a selection is made. The selected candidate will be notified by May 8th and announced at the Spring Social on May 15th.

Staff Senate Nomination Form

Staff Senate Membership

Augsburg University Staff Senate is composed of six members who are nominated and elected by their peers for a two-year term and two at-large members to be chosen, in every instance, by Staff Senate. All Staff Senate members have the option to serve a third year.

Election Procedures

Nomination Rights: Nominations are collected through the online form and Staff Senate will select the at-large member. Composition of Staff Senate: It is recommended that members be at least .75 FTE, regardless of exempt or non-exempt status.

Any questions please contact us at staffsenate@augsburg.edu.

January 2018 Auggie Pride Recipients

Congratulations to Jim Trelstad-Porter, Director, International Student & Scholar Services and Mike Matson, Assistant Director of Leadership Gifts for receiving the January Auggie Pride Award. Both consistently go above and beyond their expected duties and their impact is felt by our entire community. Staff Senate admires the work they do everyday and are honored to award him with this month’s Auggie Pride Award.

Jim Trelstad-Porter

Student Affairs gathers to celebrate Jim's Auggie Pride Award
Congratulations Jim for receiving the January Auggie Pride Award.

Nomination: Jim has always been caring and attentive to the international students. More than just a faculty member or a director, Jim was the big father that took charge in looking over us for all of our troubles. Jim always goes out of his way to help the students in need and we are grateful to have him. In this past semester as I have had the honor to work with him, I get to know that not only is Jim kind and nice to everyone but he is also a passionate and hard working person. For the international student community of Augsburg to be as big and great as today, a huge contribution is thanks to Jim.

Mike Matson

Institutional Advancement gathers to celebrate Mike Matson's Auggie Pride Award
Congratulations Mike for receiving the January Auggie Pride Award.

Nomination: Mike Matson ’06 has the “Heart and Soul” of an Auggie. New, to the Institutional Advancement department in the past year, Mike serves as a Leadership Gift Officer. As a newcomer to fund development work, Mike takes his passion for Augsburg University, and imparts it to potential donors. Prior to his full-time employment at Augsburg, Mike was Pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church, noted for its community involvement (much like Augsburg). For several years, Mike has served as chaplain to Augsburg University athletic teams and student athletes. He is also a US Navy Reserve Chaplain. Mike recently served as preacher in Chapel. He is married to Helen Matson, and together they have 4 “future Auggies”, and one on the way.

Staff Senate Open Lunch—Wed. March 21

Posted on Categories Open Forum

Get out of the office and join Staff Senate in the Commons for lunch and discussion. Take some time to engage with fellow staff in casual conversation.

Wednesday, March 21
12-1 p.m. | Christensen Center, Commons

You can use this opportunity to speak specifically with Staff Senate members or just enjoy new company for lunch. Bring your own lunch and we’ll see you in the Commons!

2018 Outstanding Staff Award Recipients

The winners of the 2018 Outstanding Staff awards are:

Outstanding Newcomer Award:
Emily Reinert, Strommen Career and Internship Center

Outstanding Staff Awards:
Sarah Cash-Darvell, University Events
Kris Connell, Athletics Facilities
David Hamilton, Center for Global Education and Experience
Ron Kurpiers, Library
Joe Mann, Marketing and Communications

Staff Senate thanks all of the nominators for their work in gathering nominees and recommendation letters. We also thank those who were nominated and recognize the great work that all 17 staff have exhibited to be nominated by their peers.

The 2018 Outstanding Staff Award winners
[L to R]: Kris Connell, Joe Mann, Emily Reinert, Ron Kurpiers, Sarah Cash-Darnell, and President Paul C. Pribbenow
Outstanding Staff Award recipient, David Hamilton with Staff Senate member Theresa Gade
Outstanding Staff Award recipient, David Hamilton with Staff Senate member Theresa Gade

December 2017 Auggie Pride Recipients

Congratulations to the Ruby Murillo, Director of Latinx Student Services; Matthew Schornstein, Associate Director, IT Systems; and Sandy Tilton, Strommen Marketing and Programming Coordinator for receiving the December Auggie Pride Award. During times of change they have stepped up to help our students, faculty, and staff. Their willingness to go above and beyond their expected duties has been felt by the entire community. Staff Senate admires the work they do everyday and are honored to award them with this month’s Auggie Pride Award.

Ruby Murillo

Student Affairs gathers to celebrate Ruby's Auggie Pride Award
Congratulations Ruby for receiving the December Auggie Pride Award.

Nomination: Ruby joined Augsburg mid-spring semester 2017 and literally hit the ground running! The position had been vacant since October 2016 and Multicultural Student Services (Pan Afrikan, Pan Asian, American Indian and Latinx Student Services) were missing a person in that role with all the changes in politics and fear of our students. We were thrilled to have the position filled and as the months have passed, I have learned how fortunate we were at Augsburg to have Ruby join us as a staff member. She developed a relationships with students immediately, planning gatherings and outings with ALAS -Augsburg Latin American Students, having one-on ones with students, being present at as many things as she could to get to know the students and the community….she jumped right in with the three of us in planning, implementing, organizing campus events. We are lucky to have Ruby with us…to join our team but more importantly to have joined our community.

Matthew Schornstein

IT gathers to celebrate Matt's Auggie Pride Award
Congratulations Matt for receiving the December Auggie Pride Award.

Nomination: This year saw the Hagfors project enter its final phases. Having a vacancy in IT in the classrooms position when construction started posed a problem with a new building coming online. Matt stepped in and took the lead on all building information technology and classroom needs, not just the wiring and wireless which is his usual responsibility, but the entire range of technology including TVs, projectors and classroom furniture. He studied the plans thoroughly and knows the plans as good as, and even better than, the architects. This work has involved many many meetings with architects and contractors. He has led this work in a collaborative fashion engaging both IT staff and faculty groups in the learning space needs. His efforts embody the ethic of the IT department to focus on the experience of the students and faculty first as well as a high standard for quality.

Sandy Tilton

The Strommen Center and Leadership Studies Departmen gather to celebrate Sandy Tilton's Auggie Pride Award
Congratulations Sandy Tilton for receiving the December Auggie Pride Award.

Nomination: Sandy was temporarily assigned part-time to the Leadership Studies Department fall term to assist us while Jolee Lilja was on maternity leave. Sandy was able to step in very quickly with our day to day activities supporting graduate and undergraduate students in our department. She also played a very key role in planning and implementing several very important events. In September we hosted the MAL 30th anniversary event as part of Homecoming and in October, Augsburg hosted a national conference for an organization called Seeing Things Whole—an organization that is housed at Augsburg and is administered by the Center for Leadership Studies. Both events were on weekends and were very successful reflections on Augsburg to the broader community. Without Sandy’s help, and willingness to commit to activities outside the regular workweek, we would not have been able to make all this happen.
   Sandy was also able to assist us with our web site updating, the implementation of a grant to assist veterans, and in making updates & changes to our class schedule and student advising. Sandy was willing to be flexible with her time, creative in her thought process, and positive in her outlook. She really made a difference for us.

November 2017 Auggie Pride Recipients

Congratulations to Jeff Grauer, Maintenance Operator, and the Center for Wellness and Counseling for receiving the November Auggie Pride Award. Their passion to help our students, faculty, and staff is felt by the entire community. Staff Senate admires the work they do everyday and are honored to award them both with this month’s Auggie Pride Award.

Jeff Grauer

Facilities department gathers to celebrate Jeff's Auggie Pride Award
Congratulations Jeff for receiving the November Auggie Pride Award.

Nomination: Jeff sets an example of compassion that drives the goals and initiatives Augsburg University strives to achieve. Jeff is the HVAC specialist at the university. He is the only person in that role and he takes it on with pride. Jeff has excelled over time to learn the different applications on campus. He goes above and beyond to ensure that the residents, faculty, and staff are comfortable in their settings. Jeff works well with his peers, taking the time to help others learn about the numerous amount of equipment that it takes to run the university efficiently. Whether its after hours, or its during breaks, Jeff is always making sure that everything is ok. Not only is Jeff an employee, he is a student as well. During his downtime, Jeff‘s nose is in the books, learning and growing. He is going for a major in communications, which is a huge part of working in a facilities department. I commend Jeff for his willingness to show up and commit 100% effort into his role here at the university. So when you see a guy with his head in the ceiling, or his legs partially showing underneath something, give him a shout. Thanks Jeff for all you do.  

The Center for Wellness and Counseling

Center for Wellness and Couseling gathers for a photo
Congratulations CWC for receiving the November Auggie Pride Award.

Nomination: The Center for Wellness and Counseling goes above and beyond to provide support, advocacy, and wellness to the greater student body here at Augsburg. They are incredibly collaborative, consistently reaching out to various departments to find out how they can be helpful in others’ work, seeking out educational opportunities to better their knowledge and skills as practitioners, and support others’ programming despite having an incredibly heavy workload. They are dedicated to their students, and work to help students seek out balance and health within their personal, social, academic, and family lives.  

 

 

October Auggie Pride Recipients

Congratulations to Eric Graham, Groundskeeper and Mel Lee, Assistant Athletic Director, Head Softball Coach, and Instructor for receiving the October Auggie Pride Award. Their hard work in their new roles here at Augsburg made a huge impact across campus. Staff Senate admires the work they do everyday and are honored to award them both with this month’s Auggie Pride Award.

ERIC GRAHAM

The facilities department gathers with Eric Graham to celebrate his Auggie Pride Award
Congratulations Eric for receiving the October Auggie Pride Award.

Nomination: It’s better to just go out and walk around campus on a sunny day to get a full appreciation of how one man—a new addition to the Facilities Management Team—can make a significant change to the Augsburg environment. And he did things the right way. Going from one end of campus to the other in a calculated manner, pulling weeds, adding plants where needed, edging beds, and addressing every detail. For example, his work in the quad involved moving the inappropriately placed shade-loving hosta and adding turf. To do so required removing the large roots and leveling the ground. The quad now looks like a quad should, and Eric mows it to add pattern, which gives a lovely look from ground level and particularly higher. Today I parked for the first time in months in Lot L and noticed the plantings around benches in front of Si Melby. If I were a parent dropping my child off for college today, I would believe that Augsburg was a beautiful campus where care is taken. And that is solely the doing of Eric and his team.

MEL LEE

Mel receives the Auggie Pride award at the Athletics department meeting
Congratulations Mel for receiving the October Auggie Pride Award.

Nomination: Melissa has been working tirelessly this year thus far averaging 14 hour work days 7 days per week. She has been doing her class load, helping students with class advising not to mention her Head Softball coaching duties and Game Management duties. She even took time out of her busy schedule to help the Excel Energy employee find the gas meter at the Kennedy Center and covered a shift for a colleague who needed to be gone due to a family funeral. Melissa has the desire to give and help others in any way possible. She exemplifies what it means to be an Auggie!!

Staff Senate Open Lunch

Posted on Categories Uncategorized

Get out of the office and join Staff Senate in the Commons for lunch and discussion. Take some time to engage with fellow staff in casual conversation.

Wednesday, December 13
12-1 p.m.  |  Christensen Center, Commons

You can use this opportunity to speak specifically with Staff Senate members or just enjoy new company for lunch. Bring your own lunch and we’ll see you in the Commons!

September Auggie Pride Recipients

Congratulations to Caren Custer, MAE Coordinator and Matt Bakan-Fischer, Senior Admissions Counselor for receiving the September Auggie Pride Award. Their hard work and positive attitudes as they go above and beyond their expected duties are an inspiration to the community. Staff Senate admires the work they do everyday and are honored to award them both with this month’s Auggie Pride Award.

Caren Custer

The Augsburg Education Department joins Caren in a group photo to celebrate her Auggie Pride Award
Congratulations Caren for receiving the September Auggie Pride Award.

Nomination: Caren Custer is an integral player on the Education Department team. She is always willing to lend a hand, and her extensive expertise, to any project. She is a true professional, who knows her work well. She stepped up to the plate to cover both Minneapolis AND Rochester MAE enrollment this summer, and provided new students with excellent service. Caren is a great mentor and co-worker, and I appreciate all she contributes to the education programs both in Minneapolis and in Rochester.

Matt Bakan-Fischer

Admission's Staff joins Matt in a group photo to celebrate his Auggie Pride Award
Congratulations Matt for receiving the September Auggie Pride Award.

Nomination: Matt has many strengths on display every day. I’m hoping we can recognize him for his ongoing efforts in graduate admissions. Not only does Matt have mastery of the grad programs he represents and their chief competitors, his cultures competency benefits his colleagues and prospective students. We lean on him for advice when working with applicants who originated from outside the U.S. or domestic students who earned degrees or credits outside the U.S.

Matt’s pursuing training so that he can provide cultural competency training for others as a credentialed facilitator/trainer. Given the diversity we find at Augsburg, Matt’s growing skill set becomes more relevant every term. Hats off to him to pursuing more training not available at Augsburg but that benefits Augsburg.

To nominate an Augsburg staff for this monthly award, email the name of the staff person and reason for your nomination to staffsenate@augsburg.edu.

Staff Senate and UC-Subcommittee Forum

Posted on Categories Open Forum

Recap—11.20.2017

The Staff Senate and University Council (UC)—Subcommittee Forum was well received by those in attendance. To start the forum Staff Senate members, Green Bouzard and Pa Dao Yang gave a brief overview of what Staff Senate is, the mission, the members, the 2016-17 goals, and announcements of upcoming opportunities. This information can be found at sites.augsburg.edu/staffsenate.

Following the introduction of Staff Senate each University Council subcommittee had a representative explain what their roll is, give updates on the work they have done, and what current goals they are working on. Below is a recap of what we learned.

Jim Trelstad-Porter—University Council Chair Updates

Jim spoke about the interplay between the University Council (UC) and its various subcommittees. The UC is a non-governing body that provides consultation to the President. Jim (elected by staff ) and Jeff Swenson (appointed by Staff Senate) represent all staff and work to protect staff interests in this group.

The UC convenes to consider specific ideas proposed by subcommittees (e.g. Smoking policy; NCAA transgender policy), engaging in broad deliberation on key issues still taking shape in order to reach consensus. The group is working to create a baseline of content/input to be more effective.

Joanne Reeck—Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Committee

This subcommittee is comprised mostly of staff and uses the student inclusion assessment to guide work and planning. The committee’s strategic plan and minutes can be found on its Moodle site.

In general, this group is working to continue to enhance a campus-wide conversation on what intentional diversity and inclusion mean on our campus. Conversations are underway to address student concerns regarding diversity across the curriculum and to increase representation on faculty by people from historically marginalized. Augsburg’s faculty hiring process is scheduled to be externally reviewed in December. The reviewer will present back in a Focused Conversation in early 2018. The committee is also working with student government to review concerns of accessibility across campus.

Supporting this committee is the Campus Climate Advisory Team, which convenes when necessary to respond to local, regional, and national issues that affect our students.

Leif Anderson—Leadership Forum

Leif shared that Leadership Forum is a “community of practice” for leaders on campus to gather to improve their practice as leaders. The Forum advances Augsburg’s mission through careful deliberation with peers and improving leadership skills by building relationships across campus. Group consists of VPs, their direct reports, and directors of administrative units. The group convenes twice monthly to consider topics from Focus Conversations, asking “What are the leadership questions we need to be asking?” in order to support a variety of stated strategic initiatives.

Beth Reissenweber & Karen Kaivola—Resources Committee

The Resources subcommittee provides guidance to the President and UC on how best to allocate our available resources in order to meet the goals of our strategic plan and mission.

The committee asks “How can space foster collaborations and intersections” and uses stakeholder feedback to influence priority-making during budget season.

Current projects and priorities include:

  • Ice Arena and Solar Array
  • Residence Halls
  • Academic Costs / Academic Plan
  • Health Insurance
  • Five-year modeling (including debt management)

Look for a Focused Conversation on Financial Management on December 12, 2 p.m. in OGC 100 and December 13, 12:30 p.m. in OGC 100

Look for Focused Conversation on Academic Planning on February 13, 2 p.m., OGC 100 and February 14, 12:30 p.m., OGC 100

Allyson Green & Christina Erickson—Environmental Stewardship Committee

The Environmental Stewardship Committee is working on implementing the Climate Action Plan, a presidential commitment first established in 2009 and is beginning to implement a sustainability work plan with $475,000 in support from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.

Current projects and priorities include:

  • Campus Operations – lighting, compost, solar array
  • Scholarship & Curriculum – Institutional Learning Outcomes that  highlight student learning around the theme of sustainability, including health and wellness.
  • Campus Culture – Through MACP grant, interns will be working on implementing best practices across campus and within departments; focus on reducing bottled water / “loving local water”;

Nate Gorr—Enrollment Committee

Spring Transfers – Positive outlook (up in inquiries, applications, and admits)

Spring New – Positive outlook (up in inquiries, applications, and admits)

Fall – inquiries down compared to last year, but completed applications are up; goal is 460

Recap on Fall 2017-18 – Grad admissions were very strong, exceeded goal in all but one graduate program. Undergrad took a slight dip below our goal after 10-day. However, the cohort had higher ACT and GPA scores. Nate predicts this will result stronger retention and 4-year grad.

Other key decisions are being held until the appointment of a new VP for Enrollment.

Katie Bishop – Student Success Committee

Committee considers the following data and routinely reports to other bodies:

  • 4-year grad rate (46%)
  • 1st to 2nd year retention (76.5% – due in part to outside political and economic pressures)
  • % of students earning the appropriate # of credits (70%)

Subcommittee is also looking at the following:

  • Changes in advising model
  • Changes in policy around registration
  • Change in adding credit to curriculum / eliminating no-credit offerings
  • Academic feedback / Alert system

Jodi Collen & Seth Leinard—Campus Design Committee and Space Sub-Committee

These subcommittees are focused on how students, faculty, staff, and visitors/guests experience our campus, asking the question “How does our campus tell the Augsburg story?” and working to identify a broad range of stakeholders to assess the various uses/functions of our spaces

The group has recently toured campus to identify areas that need require attention. Findings were shared with Resource Committee and University Council. The group is considering opportunities created by the opening of the Hagfors Center

Look for a Focused Conversation on Strategic Facilities Management on March 6, 2 p.m., OGC 100 and March 7, 12:30 p.m., OGC 100.

 

For more information about the University Council Subcommittees visit sites.augsburg.edu/universitycouncil


Invite—11.3.2017

Wednesday, November 15
1:30–3 p.m.  |  Marshall room

Staff Senate will be hosting a forum to help continue to improve communication and create an opportunity for the Augsburg community to come together. Join us to hear:

  • Staff Senate’s role and goals for the year
  • Updates from the University Council staff representatives Jim Trelstad-Porter and Jeff Swenson
  • University Council subcommittee updates

We look forward to seeing you there!