Augustana is excited to announce that Midco has committed to enhancing its long-standing strategic partnership with the university by investing in Viking Bold: The Journey to 2030. Midco’s $1.35 million leadership gift will not only renew and enlarge Midco’s athletics sponsorship, but create the Midco Media Center on Augustana’s campus.
President Stephanie Herseth Sandlin said, “Midco is known for innovation, creative thinking, bold leadership and commitment to community — all of which are demonstrated in this celebrated new investment which advances each of the overarching strategic goals within Viking Bold: The Journey to 2030. Through this strategic partnership, we will further develop the talent pool of today and inspire the next generation of innovators to create what we cannot yet imagine.”
“Midco’s ethos is to be a force for good in the communities we serve, and this gift is a testament to that ethos,” said Midco President & CEO Pat McAdaragh. “We’re proud to partner with Augustana University in support of its visionary Viking Bold strategic plan that will provide more opportunities for its students and graduates to contribute broadly to society, all while making a daily positive impact in the community and region.”
The Midco Media Center will provide audio, video and music training and programming through the Avid Learning Partner (ALP) program, as well as facilitate the development of a recently faculty-approved Multimedia Entrepreneurship Major with the opportunity to combine majors in English, journalism, communications, media studies, religion, visual art, theatre, music and business. The Midco Media Center will not only provide opportunities for Augustana students, but will serve as a training hub for K-12 students and aspiring professionals — either in person or virtually — throughout the region.
Along with the learning component, the Midco Media Center will offer state of the art equipment and a centralized production control room that will improve the efficiency and quality of broadcasts from athletics to the arts, and transform experiential learning opportunities for students as they encounter new technology, platforms and emerging ideas.
“This is another great example of finding ways to differentiate Augustana from others, and there’s not a better partner to do that with than Midco,” said Director of Athletics Josh Morton. “Once we are up and running, our fans will appreciate the state of the art live production quality and pre-produced content as much as they appreciate the competitive excellence they’ve come to expect from our teams.”
Dean of the School of Music Dr. Peter Folliard said, “Higher education can do so much more for musicians because right now, most universities only prepare them to teach or maybe perform for the rest of their lives, and realistically that's only one piece of the pie. There's an entire industry of music and art, sound, video, creativity and administration that are all part of the larger pieces. The skills that are needed to exist and survive as a musician, performer, creative artist in the 21st century, include performance, teaching, composition, as well as the video and audio production. We need to close the gap between where higher education ends and professional employment for musicians begins.”
A portion of the gift dedicated to Augustana athletics renews, increases and extends Midco’s long-standing sponsorship of the program, elevating the awareness of both brands throughout the Midwest.