Augustana University News

Augustana University has been awarded approximately $45,000 per year through 2028 to support key initiatives designed to inspire youth education in STEM-related fields in South Dakota.

From scouting prospective players and coaching strength exercises to managing programming or crafting policy, Augustana alumni are scoring big by serving professional sports organizations across the country. While their roles differ, a common thread remains — the lessons they learned at Augustana tee’d them up for success.

The Augustana established the Augustana Honorary Alumni Society was established to recognize individuals who have shown extraordinary dedication to the university’s mission, along with its core values of Christian, liberal arts, excellence, community and service. Through sustained commitment to the university, honorary alumni have demonstrated the gold standard of engagement.

This year, Augustana inducted four members into the honorary alumni society. The inductees were recognized on Oct. 4, at the Honor Guard Luncheon during Viking Days.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree has been gaining interest at Augustana since earning accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) in 2022 and so has one of its emphases: ceramics. The university recently invested approximately $300,000 for improvements in the classroom.

Housed in the Sharon Lust School of Education, Augustana University will begin offering courses for a Master of Social Work (MSW) in Fall 2025 as part of its Harriet Emily Scott Social Work Program. The MSW program at Augustana is one of only two MSW programs in South Dakota. This comes after the university began offering a minor in social work in Fall 2023 and Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) in Fall 2024.

Held in early October every year, many faith communities bless their pets and other animals around the feast day of St. Francis. At Augustana, the tradition of the pet blessing goes back at least three decades.