Augustana Student Association launches nine new programs
Augustana Student Association President Annie Johnston and Vice President Prince Adhikari announced the launch of nine new programs and paid internships as part of Phase II of their strategic plan.
“Over the summer, we had phase one which was meeting with all the administrators and faculty, seeing where issues are in their respective departments and how we can help,” Johnston said. “It was looking at those issues and then coming together with the help of ChatGPT to help brainstorm initiatives and ways that we could tackle some of these issues we see on campus.”
Johnston said the new fellowships will offer more research opportunities, helping Augustana students gain hands-on experience in their fields of interest. Each fellowship provides a stipend of up to $500.
ASA will fund the following programs using $5,000 previously allocated to the transportation program and $7,000 from the ASA general account.
Ole Advantage
The Ole Advantage program launched on Nov. 26 to address low student attendance at athletic events. This initiative rewards students for attending home athletic events. When students attend specific athletic events, they can swipe their student ID to receive 20 loyalty points. Special games, such as those against USF or SDSU, offer double the points.
At the end of the school year, ASA will announce the five students who have accumulated the most points. Winners will receive flight vouchers and sports and Augustana athletics merchandise. The total value of prizes across all five places is over $1,500 with the first-place winner receiving a $500 flight voucher and $80 worth of merchandise.
Green Certification Program
The Green Certification Program will promote sustainable practices in student organizations. For student organizations to achieve certification, they must complete a sustainability course, track waste reduction efforts and minimize paper usage. Certified organizations will enjoy various benefits, such as relaxed reclamation policies, additional funding, priority space bookings and marketing support to highlight their sustainability efforts. Certifications will be announced this May and go into effect next fall.
Viking Ventures
Viking Ventures was created to fund an innovative student-led project that benefits Augustana or the Sioux Falls community. Proposals must address a real issue, reflect Augustana's values, and show creativity, practicality, and cost effectiveness. Students will pitch their proposals to ASA in a “Shark Tank” presentation. The selected project will receive up to $1,200 from ASA to fund their project.
Elections Infrastructure Reform Project
To address low voter turnout, the Elections Infrastructure Reform Project will explore ways to improve ASA elections ASA hopes to replace voting on Viking Central with a more user-friendly platform that makes ranked choice voting more accessible and includes candidates’ photos on ballots. ASA is dedicating $1,000 to this project, and individuals or teams of three to five students can apply for this program.
ASA Media
Aimed at improving transparency in student government, the ASA Media Initiative will hire four media personnel to manage ASA communications. Participants will create materials and report on ASA activities, gaining experience in media production, graphic design, journalism and public relations, while receiving a $325 stipend for their work.
ASA History and Heritage Conservation Initiative
The ASA History and Heritage Conservation Initiative will select five students to preserve the history of Augustana’s student government through research, documentation, developing resources and exhibits and engaging with the campus. In May, students will present their findings. Those admitted will be paid hourly for up to $200 per semester.
American Forum
The American Forum will select four students to research issues currently facing America through various mediums, including journalism, visual arts, music and theater. Students accepted will receive a $250 stipend and present their findings in a public forum at the end of the school year.
Emerging Technologies Innovation Lab
The Emerging Technologies Innovation Lab will fund student research on new technologies at Augustana. Five students will receive $500 for summer research and present their findings to university leaders. Promising ideas could receive additional funding to bring their innovations to campus.
Viking Global Review
The Viking Global Review will publish articles, podcasts, memos and multimedia content about international affairs. Students will cover international relations, international arts and culture, and international sports. Fellows will receive a $315 stipend for their contributions.
These new fellowships and internships will begin this spring; students interested can apply on Viking Central.
Senior government, classics and philosophy major Norah Grace Deboer is optimistic about the new initiatives.
“While I think this project is very extensive and maybe won’t be perfected right away, I think this initiative is diverse and has the ability to engage a variety of students and majors to be a part of something bigger and create chances for themselves within Augustana’s community,” Grace Deboer said.
President Johnston hopes these various programs will have a lasting impact at Augustana.
“The goal for these projects is that it’s not a one-time thing, and ideally, they persist for the future to continue providing those opportunities for students that historically we haven’t seen as much investment into,” Johnston said.
The continuation of these programs is contingent on the future ASA government’s spending.
“What we have done this year is we have also planned finances for next year’s administration, and we have already separated about $10,000 so that they don’t have problems with funding,” Adhikari said. “I cannot say anything about next year's administration, but it depends on how they manage Lyft and how many funding applications they get from CDFs and whatnot.”
