A group of sophomores will travel to Joy Ranch in Florence, South Dakota, Nov. 14-15, for a new program called Sophomore Retreat. A pilot initiative, the retreat will be hosted by Campus Ministry, the new Center for Student Success, Academic Affairs and Student Services.

The Sioux Falls Startup Weekend, an event designed for budding entrepreneurs to share their ideas for a startup company in Sioux Falls, held its second-annual competition from Nov. 7-9 and for the second year in a row, Augustana graduates have been a part of the winning team.

The Edda, the Augustana yearbook, won third place in the Pinnacle College Media Awards' Best Yearbook Division Page/Spread. The award was presented to Augustana students last week at the Associated College Press/College Media Association annual meeting, held in downtown Philadelphia.

Augustana is ranked No. 14 among the top 25 "Best Value Colleges" nationwide in a new report by Cappex, a comprehensive online college search organization. Based on reviews from more than 1.4 million students, the study ranks Augustana among the best in the U.S. for creating affordability through generous financial aid awards to students with need while also providing what students determine to be a quality education.

Former Microsoft executive Robbie Bach spoke on "Privacy at Risk: Challenges to Protecting Personal Identity and Data" in the Elmen Center at the 2014 Boe Forum on Public Affairs, presented by the Center for Western Studies.

LeeAnna Rabine, Augustana class of 2005 and a kindergarten teacher at Hawthorne Elementary School in Sioux Falls, received a Milken Educator Award along with a $25,000 check earlier today.

According to a new report published this week by City Observatory, a new, national think tank, young college graduates are looking beyond well-known metropolitan hubs like San Francisco and New York, and are increasingly opting for smaller-but-still-urban cities such as Denver, Portland and Minneapolis as places to call home. According to a LinkedIn analysis, recent Augustana grads appear to be following the same national trend.

Augustana officials today announced that gifts and commitments to the Momentum Augustana Campaign amounted to $121,437,279, making it the largest fundraising effort in the College’s 154-year history.

With election day less than a month away, we caught up with South Dakota gubernatorial candidate Susan Jones Wismer ‘78 and her running mate Susy Blake ‘93 to learn more about their time at Augustana and how their experiences here prepared them for the campaign trail.

Augustana has been named to the list of 2015 Military Friendly Schools, a distinction honoring the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace America’s military service members, veterans, and spouses.