President's message

Our mission in sharper focus

Sometimes the best way to gain a deeper appreciation of something is to take a step away from it.

This fall I had my first opportunity to visit Sweden as president of Augustana College, something all of my predecessors had done, though not all of them as president. For me, it meant a chance to visit Uppsala University, the oldest seat of higher learning in Scandinavia and a constant presence in Augustana’s own history.

I had been invited to present a lecture at Uppsala on how American higher education deals with free expression and academic freedom, especially when those are in tension with student interests. Our Swedish and European colleagues are interested in talking about this, even with their own traditions of free speech. That’s because while their world-renowned, centuries-old institutions are outstanding in many ways, they still have a few things to learn from mission-driven liberal arts colleges in the United States, including this one. By their own admission, they know how to produce great research but they are less familiar with the fundamental process of education and development of critical thinking.

While one of my hosts expressed well-deserved pride that the scholarly legacy of Uppsala included great innovators like Linnaeus, Berzelius and Celsius, I was able to share that for Augustana and schools like it, producing research is secondary to producing thoughtful, conscientious citizens who will serve and lead their communities and professions. My colleagues at Uppsala found this amazing. They were impressed that I not only admitted that our goal was something other than research, but that I embraced it.

Truly and comprehensively educating students — whether in Uppsala or Rock Island — means they will be able to thrive even in the midst of difference; in other words, thrive in the world they will enter. The people I met at one of the world’s great universities loved the whole concept of pushing students to hear views other than their own. They appreciated that this sometimes involves messy topics, but always with an eye towards impactful citizenship. And we reflected on how both our missions approach the topic of working for the common good, but in different ways.

At Uppsala they add to the body of knowledge. At Augustana we add to the body of leaders and influencers.

Stepping away helped bring this mission more sharply into focus, and for that I am very grateful.

Likewise, as my first full calendar year comes to a close at Augustana, allow me to express my thanks to all of you for supporting Augustana and its students, and wish you the very best for 2024.