ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS (January 11, 2021) — President of the College Steven Bahls will teach one of 130 courses offered during Augustana’s January Term starting this week. He and Nancy Johnson, a senior advancement-consultant for the college, will teach the Art of Fundraising to 20 Augie undergrads.
“One of the most important aspects of an Augustana student’s experience is being in the classroom, knowing their professors, challenging their peers, exploring new passions, and joyfully uncovering their sense of purpose,” said Bahls. “I’m glad COVID hasn’t changed my plans to be part of J-term and to work with our students.”
“Non-profit organizations around the globe are going to look to smart, creative, caring professionals when the pandemic subsides. Fundraisers and philanthropists will be vital to the recovery of many organizations, so the timing of this class may actually be ideal,” added Bahls.
Although he's had to learn some new technology, Bahls won't have to worry about the course content when he teaches the Art of Fundraising over the course of the next four weeks. He ranks as one of the all-time most-effective fundraisers in the Quad Cities: Nearly $300 million has been raised during his 18-year tenure at Augustana.
Nancy Johnson, a senior advancement-consultant for the college, an Augustana alumna, and a Rock Island resident, will co-teach the class. The two of them have worked on seven major capital campaigns and share 58 years of fundraising between them.
The college began hosting a J-term during the 2019-2020 academic year when the campus switched from a trimester calendar to a semester calendar. This year, the campus will have 116 J-term courses and 14 J-term internships.
“J-term is a fairly unique opportunity, and mostly offered by smaller colleges like ours,” said Dr Wendy Hilton-Morrow, provost of the college. “It’s a departure from 15-week semesters and balancing multiple classes, and it gives students, as well as faculty, the opportunity to dig in deeply on one topic.”
Students enroll in one course that meets 5 days per week for four weeks. Registration for J-term stands at 1,944 students, or 82% of the student body. Only first-year students are required to enroll in J-term; most students do so by choice.
Bahls’ course will be taught in-person as well as virtually. Having last been in a class room in 2012, he has had to learn the tips and tricks of virtual learning.
Before joining Augustana, he was dean at Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio. Previously, he served as an associate dean and professor at the University of Montana School of Law in Missoula. Now back in the classroom, he is looking forward to connecting with students both behind a mask and on a screen.
Known for sparking passionate curiosity, Augustana College is an empowering home to explore over 90 areas of study. Augustana’s innovative program, Augie Choice, transforms students into global citizens, thinkers, and doers with a $2,000 grant to explore the world, complete an internship, or conduct research with a professor. Augustana students achieve a balance inside and outside of the classroom; ranking top ten in all divisions for Academic All Americans. Transformed to be different, current students and alumni include health-care heroes, Nobel Prize-winners, CEOs, college presidents, and leaders across all continents. The college enrolls 2,500 curious changemakers who get energized by four years as part of a community that reflects the diversity of the United States.
