Extra- and Co-curricular opportunities
Augustana College offers a wide variety of opportunities for achievement outside the classroom. While some of these activities are offered for academic credit, most are not. Students can receive academic credit for regular participation in any of the following activities. For more information, please contact the appropriate academic department.
Athletics
Augustana sponsors intercollegiate athletics for 23 varsity programs. Women's teams compete in 11 sports: basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. The men compete in 12 sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, and wrestling. Augustana is a charter member (1946) of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin, a league that consists of eight liberal arts colleges of similar size. The college competes nationally within the guidelines of NCAA Division III.
Augustana also has eight club sports, each offering academic credit: cheerleading, crew, equestrian team, lacrosse, volleyball, rugby, dance and poms.
The extensive intramural program on campus is housed in the PepsiCo Recreation Center. The men's and women's intramural (IM) council is composed of fraternity and sorority intramural representatives, residence hall floor intramural representatives, independent team captains and intramural student directors. In cooperation with the intramural director, they organize the year-round intramural competition.
The Augustana Equity in Athletics Report is available on the Augustana website in the online catalog under extra-curricular and co-curricular opportunities or by contacting the Director of Athletics' office. The public is informed annually by the college of its right to view this report.
Debate
Augustana has one of the greatest traditions in the history of academic debate. The debate program was founded three days after the founding of the college itself, in 1860. Augustana has qualified 50 teams to the National Debate Tournament (NDT) since its founding in 1947, and 18 Augustana debaters have been recognized as among the Top Ten speakers there. Augustana remains nationally and regionally competitive in NDT and Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA) debate. The director of debate is an experienced competitor, coach and teacher. Academic credit and scholarships are available to team members, and the program is open to all students regardless of previous debate experience.
Music
Augustana's Department of Music sponsors numerous music ensembles of all varieties. Auditions for these groups are open to all students, regardless of major. Music ensembles include:
| Ascension Singers Augustana Chamber Singers Augustana Choir Augustana Concert Band Augustana Jazz Ensemble Augustana Symphonic Band Augustana Symphony Orchestra Handel Oratorio Society |
Jenny Lind Vocal Ensemble Opera@Augustana Wennerberg Men's Ensemble Women's Ensemble World Hand Drumming Brass, String and Woodwind Chamber Ensembles Jazz Combos |
Theatre
The Augustana College Theatre (ACT) presents a major mainstage production each term, an annual short play festival, directing class scenes and occasional studio productions each season. Plays are selected from a wide variety of periods and genres, including a musical production every other year. Participation is open to all Augustana students, and auditions are held at the beginning of each term.
Honorary Organizations
Aristeia, a Greek word meaning "a special display of excellence," is an organization which recognizes excellent scholarship among first-year students at Augustana. Membership is granted to students who have all A grades (A+, A or A-) during at least one term of their first year at Augustana.
Mortar Board is a national honor society of college seniors selected for high achievement in scholarship, leadership and service. Augustana's Aglaia Society received its charter in April of 1965. Each spring, outstanding students in the junior class are chosen to constitute the chapter for the following year.
Omicron Delta Kappa. Augustana's chapter of this national leadership honor society provides an informal setting for students and members of the faculty and administration to discuss significant campus issues.
The Sigma Beta Chapter of the Order of Omega is a Greek leadership honor society that recognizes students who have attained a high standard of leadership in inter-Greek activities and encourages them to continue along this path to inspire others to strive for similar goals. Only the top three precent of Greek members are invited to apply.
Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest honorary society in the United States and among the most selective. Augustana’s chapter, Zeta of Illinois, was established in 1950. Members, elected by faculty, must be senior students who exhibit strong intellect, character, integrity and independence of mind. Election is less a reward for past success than a recognition of exceptional promise for future growth and achievement.
