For over a decade, students sitting for the Pre-SAT, high school sophomores and juniors, have reported an increased interest in the field of Engineering. In some specialties, a 67% increase was seen from 2012 to 2018. Augustana has answered the call from students across the globe and will launch an engineering program beginning this fall. “More and more, students are seeking an accredited engineering program to launch their careers full of natural curiosities and problem solving,” says Dr. Wendy Hilton-Morrow, provost at Augustana. “The opportunity to study engineering at a liberal arts... Read More

Augustana College in Rock Island plans a fall 2021 return to entirely in-person instruction for students and faculty. Augustana leaders have announced a return to the college’s normal, time-honored teaching and learning experience this fall. The announcement was made last week during one of the live virtual campus briefings hosted regularly throughout the pandemic. “Augustana College is very pleased to announce its intention to safely return to the in-person, deeply engaged learning environment that is core to its identity, and which our students and graduates value most,” college president... Read More

The past couple months have been a busy time in the private college presidential search business in the Quad-Cities. In late January, Augustana College president Steven Bahls announced he was delaying his planned retirement one year – from July 2021 to July 1, 2022. In early February, St. Ambrose University concluded its search process for the 14th president of the Davenport institution, naming Amy C. Novak, president of Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D., to take the helm this August, with the retirement of Sister Joan Lescinski. And in late February, Augustana in Rock Island held... Read More

Steven Bahls will retire as president of Augustana College effective July 1, 2022, after a notable 19-year career leading the private Rock Island school. Originally planning to retire in July 2021, Bahls, 66, delayed his retirement in order to lead the college through the challenging years of the pandemic. “It has been the highlight of my professional life to serve Augustana College, and I look forward to my next great adventure,” he said in a Monday announcement. The eighth president of the college, Bahls started his tenure at Augustana in the summer of 2003. Previously, he was dean at Capital... Read More

Augustana College in Rock Island had extra special reason to celebrate on New Year’s Eve, as the blue lights on the Old Main dome turned gold to mark the private school exceeding its $125-million fundraising goal. For its ambitious “AUGUSTANA NOW” campaign, Augie raised a total of $133,662,743. “We set an audacious goal, and it took the hard work and shared vision of literally thousands of people to surpass that goal by millions of dollars,” said Kent Barnds, executive vice president for external relations and the leader for philanthropy at Augustana. The public phase of the campaign... Read More