Augustana Campus receives $2 million anonymous gift from alumni

Anonymous alumni have given the University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus a $2 million gift. As announced on December 4, Augustana will now offer two new entrance scholarships per year for domestic and international students.

Jessica Andreas, president of the Augustana Students’ Association (ASA), said this donation shows the impact that Augustana has on students and the wider Camrose community.

“By donating anonymously, I think it shows the altruism within their donation. They realized that Augustana does have a profound impact and that they will see the benefit of this donation, whether or not they’re recognized.”

“What makes us really unique and strong is our connection to our community,” Andreas says

According to Andreas, Augustana is in a unique position due to its size and location. For this reason, she sees Augustana’s community connection as essential.

“With funding and program changes, what makes us really unique and strong is our connection to our community and the close-knit culture. It’s just really important to have the community involved on campus. That’s what makes this the Augustana experience.”

Andreas said staff and students were excited upon hearing the news about the new scholarships. Many students recognized how these scholarships would benefit their peers, and staff were excited to see alumni support, Andreas said.

“With the new budget model, morale has been slightly low. So showing that even if we don’t get the support we necessarily need from [North Campus], the community is there to support us. I think that was very exciting,” she said. For Andreas, the gift and its anonymous nature is “inspiring.”

“[The gift] really opened my eyes to what altruism looks like. And how the Augustana community can have such a profound impact on people that they just want to give to better the community. For no other reason than knowing that the community is special.”

Gift made in the memory of former dean of women, 90 years later

The gift is in memory of former dean of women, Cora Martinson. Martinson taught at Augustana almost 90 years ago, when it was known as Camrose Lutheran College.

To Andreas, the fact that Martinson is being honoured 90 years later shows “the profound impact she had on the campus, the community, and the anonymous donors that gave in her name.”

“I think to be remembered after all that time is everybody’s dream. It takes someone especially special to be able to do that.”

Entrance scholarships will be beneficial to Augustana students, Andreas says

Andreas thinks the scholarships will help make Augustana look more desirable to potential students. She noted that since Augustana is a smaller campus with about 1,000 students, applicants have a higher chance of receiving the scholarship.

“I think this will be really beneficial for Augustana admission as it is a unique scholarship that is specific to Augustana,” Andreas said. “Anyone that is applying is able to be considered for it. [This] makes us a lot more desirable because people have a lot higher odds of getting these scholarships than any other ones at the U of A.”

Although there could be other uses for the gift, Andreas thinks the entrance scholarships will be very beneficial to students.

“Of course there is a need for funding for things like sports teams and campus renovation. But I think that giving specifically to students does send a very positive message to students that despite our financial barriers, we are still a priority.”

Dean of Augustana calls the gift a “vote of confidence” for Augustana

Dean of Augustana, Demetres Tryphonopoulos, said the importance of the gift goes beyond the monetary value.

“It’s a vote of confidence in the fact that Augustana is doing a good job in the liberal arts and sciences. That it has a place in the U of A. And that there is a group of people in the local community, the Canadian community, but also the international community who believe in what we do. That for me is the most important thing about this award.”

According to Tryphonopoulos, there is a community of former alumni invested in the future of Augustana. He said he often hears from Augustana alumni about the impact that the Augustana had on their lives. 

“The story is consistent that Augustana has always offered a quality program in a rural setting.”

Although there are many other projects Augustana could have potentially used the gift for,  Tryphonopoulos thinks the scholarships will have a lasting impact.

“A gift that is designed to fund scholarships is a lasting gift. That is a gift that will [bring] students to Augustana for many more years.”