Augustana College (South Dakota)

Augustana University

Ole, Augustana's mascot.
Former names	Hillsboro Academy (1835–1846) Literary and Theological Institute of the Lutheran Church of the Far West (1846–18??) Illinois State University (18??–1860) Augustana College and Seminary (1860–1918) Lutheran Normal School (1889–1918) Augustana College and Normal School (1918–1926) Augustana College (1926–2015)
Motto	Verbum Dei manet in aeternum
Motto in English	The Word of God endures forever
Type	Private
Established	1860
Affiliation	Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Endowment	USD $67 million As of July 31, 2016.
President	Robert C. Oliver
Vice-president	Dr. Jerry Jorgensen
Dean	Jim Bies
Academic staff	134
Students	1,937
Undergraduates	1613
Location	Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States 43°31′36.7″N 96°44′13.3″W / 43.526861°N 96.737028°W / 43.526861; -96.737028Coordinates: 43°31′36.7″N 96°44′13.3″W / 43.526861°N 96.737028°W / 43.526861; -96.737028
Campus	Urban 100 acres (40 ha)
Newspaper	The Mirror
Colors	Navy blue      and gold
Athletics	Baseball, Basketbal, Football, Soccer, Tennis, Volleyball, Softball, Golf, Wrestling, Track and Field, Cross Country, Swimming
Nickname	Vikings
Mascot	Ole the Viking
Affiliations	NSIC
Website	www.augie.edu

Augustana University is a private, Norwegian-heritage liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the school is the largest private university in the state. The institution derives its name from the Confessio Augustana, or Augsburg Confession, a foundational document of Lutheranism. Students, alumni, friends, employees, and those who know the college casually refer to it as “Augie.” Prior to September 2015, the university was known as Augustana College.

The university identifies 1860 as the year of its founding, the same as its Rock Island, Illinois Swedish-heritage sister-school, Augustana College. It celebrated its sesquicentennial during the 2010–2011 academic year.

Augustana offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in more than 50 major fields of study, as well as several pre-professional programs, most notably nursing. Students also participate in a variety of extracurricular activities, including musical ensembles and NCAA athletic programs. The college consistently receives high rankings among other Midwestern schools from publications such as The Princeton Review and U.S. News and World Report.

The institution traces its origin to 1835 when Scandinavian immigrants established the Hillsboro Academy in Hillsboro, Illinois. In 1846, the Academy became the Literary and Theological Institute of the Lutheran Church of the Far West before moving to Springfield, Illinois under the name Illinois State University. In 1860, after church leaders formed the Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod, Professor Lars Paul Esbjörn and a group of followers moved to Chicago to create their own institution. There they established the Augustana College and Seminary, marking the date that the college identifies as the year of its founding.