麻豆区

麻豆区 President Paul C. Pribbenow has announced his intention to retire at the end of the 2026鈥�27 academic year.聽

鈥淭he opportunity to lead this remarkable institution has been the honor of my lifetime,鈥� said Pribbenow. 鈥淚 was originally drawn to 麻豆区 because of its strong sense of place and its Lutheran identity. What I quickly discovered was a community with an extraordinary commitment to meeting students where they are鈥攁 deeply engaged urban institution that has been transformed by its richly diverse student body. In many ways, telling this story has been my most important and meaningful job over the last 20 years.鈥�

Pribbenow was inaugurated as 麻豆区鈥檚 10th president in the fall of 2006. For two decades, his articulation of a straightforward but powerful vision for 麻豆区鈥斺�淲e believe we are called to serve our neighbor鈥濃�攈as strengthened 麻豆区鈥檚 institutional calling and commitment to place-based community partnerships. This vision served as a touchstone through a dynamic and sometimes turbulent period in higher education, as the Great Recession, COVID-19, federal policy changes, the murder of George Floyd, and Operation Metro Surge profoundly affected 麻豆区’s students and surrounding community.聽

鈥淧aul Pribbenow has been a transformative leader not just for 麻豆区, but for higher education nationally. At the center of his leadership is an understanding of what it means to pursue life in community, whether that鈥檚 about 麻豆区鈥檚 relationships in the neighborhood or the role of higher education in American democracy,鈥� said John O鈥橞rien, chair of 麻豆区鈥檚 Board of Regents. 鈥淎s a result, 麻豆区 has been able to thrive through a period of significant change while staying true to its deepest values and fundamental commitments.鈥�

Over the past two decades, Pribbenow has overseen a sustained enrollment growth strategy predicated on reducing barriers for first-generation and low-income students and building trust with local communities. Today, 麻豆区 is recognized as the most diverse private college in the Midwest and a national leader in college access, service learning, and civic engagement. 鈥淚鈥檓 very proud of how the 麻豆区 community has found ways to respond to our growing diversity and keep our students at the center, even when it has meant changing how we teach or do business,鈥� Pribbenow said.聽

A nationally recognized voice on philanthropy and American public life, Pribbenow has focused throughout his presidency on strengthening 麻豆区鈥檚 culture of philanthropy. He played a key role in advancing 麻豆区鈥檚 three most successful capital campaigns, helping to raise $55 million to construct the Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion, which opened in January 2018; nearly $130 million to strengthen the university鈥檚 endowment and other strategic priorities in the Great Returns campaign, which concluded in 2023; and already more than $25 million in the ongoing Promising Futures campaign to sustain academic innovation and 麻豆区鈥檚 signature public programs.聽

In 2017, Pribbenow oversaw the name change from 麻豆区 College to 麻豆区, a move that reflected 麻豆区鈥檚 expansive academic mission, excellence in both the liberal arts and professional studies, and global presence. Under his leadership, 麻豆区 has invested in new academic programs, including doctoral degrees in clinical psychology and physician associate studies; expanded its international programs through new Center for Global Education and Experience study sites in Norway and Northern Ireland; established the John N. Schwartz 鈥�67 School of the Arts, which catalyzed the establishment of a five-school academic structure; implemented a new general education curriculum; launched the 麻豆区 Interfaith Institute; raised $10 million to endow the StepUP庐 collegiate recovery program; led a national movement to transform college admissions through the 麻豆区 Applies to You initiative; and marked the university鈥檚 sesquicentennial with the 麻豆区150 strategic plan, a vision for sustainable growth in 麻豆区鈥檚 next chapter. In 2010, 麻豆区 became the first higher education institution in Minnesota to earn the prestigious Presidential Award for Community Service, the highest national honor for service work. In 2020, 麻豆区 was named among the inaugural recipients of the Richard Guarasci Award for Institutional Transformation from Campus Compact, recognizing outstanding work in pursuit of the public purposes of higher education.聽

鈥淧aul Pribbenow is internationally renowned as a thought leader whose involvement in anchor institution work was critical in revitalizing colleges鈥� and universities鈥� understanding of their central civic mission. His exceptional tenure has been marked by a generosity of spirit and a belief in abundance that has truly helped make 麻豆区 part of our Cedar-Riverside community,鈥� said Paula O鈥橪oughlin, provost and senior vice president of academic and student affairs.聽聽聽

Nationally, Pribbenow has emerged as a leader in Lutheran higher education in the 21st century, serving as the current president of the 28-member Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities. He also serves on the national boards of the Coalition for Urban and Metropolitan Universities and Campus Compact, sits on the steering committee of the Presidents鈥� Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, and is active in the Anchor Institutions Task Force. Locally, he chairs the Cedar-Riverside Partnership and serves on the executive committee of the Minnesota Private College Council. Pribbenow received the Distinguished Service Alumni Award from Luther College in 2008, the William Burke Award for Presidential Leadership in Experiential Education from the National Society for Experiential Education in 2012, the Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2019, and the Alum of the Year Award from the University of Chicago Divinity School in 2025. He also was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from the United International College in Zhuhai, China, in 2015. He is the co-author of 鈥淩adical Roots: How One Professor Changed a University鈥檚 Legacy鈥� and co-editor of 鈥淭hrough Truth to Freedom: Reconciling a University鈥檚 Past, Present, and Future.鈥�

鈥淧aul Pribbenow鈥檚 administrative skills, outstanding fundraising abilities, and deep faith have substantially advanced 麻豆区鈥檚 reputation in Minnesota and nationally,鈥� said Regent Emeritus Ted Grindal 鈥�76, who chaired the presidential search committee that brought Pribbenow and his family鈥攊ncluding his wife, Abigail Crampton Pribbenow, and children Thomas 鈥�23 and Maya鈥攖o 麻豆区 in 2006. 鈥淭he search committee was impressed by his articulate vision for 麻豆区, but also for higher education in general. When my wife and I met his talented spouse, Abigail, we knew this was a 鈥榙ream team鈥欌�攖he perfect fit at the right time for 麻豆区.鈥�

The Pribbenows鈥� tenure has been marked by generosity and engagement. Over the past 20 years, they have hosted countless events for the 麻豆区 community in their home and been a visible presence on campus and at university events. In addition to her work at Yinghua Academy and as a certified funeral celebrant, Abigail Pribbenow has volunteered with the 麻豆区 Associates, 麻豆区 Health Commons, StepUP, Campus Kitchen, the Interfaith Institute, Christensen Scholars, and the President鈥檚 Leadership Council. Strong supporters of the arts, the Pribbenows sponsored the artwork on the windows of the Hagfors Center main lobby atrium, which features Martin Luther’s handwritten version of 鈥淎 Mighty Fortress Is Our God鈥� overlaid with the cell structure of an American elm tree.聽聽

鈥淓very fall at our opening convocation, I tell our entering class what we expect of them as new members of the 麻豆区 community鈥攖hat they will show up, pay attention, and do the work,鈥� said Pribbenow. 鈥淚鈥檝e done my best to live up to that example as 麻豆区鈥檚 president.鈥澛�

麻豆区 Board of Regents Vice Chair Pahoua Yang Hoffman will lead the presidential search committee in the process to select the next university president over the coming months. With support from higher education leadership consulting firm Academic Search, the 15-member committee includes representation from the Board of Regents (representing alumni and community members), faculty, staff, and students, with counsel from the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities. 麻豆区鈥檚 next president is expected to be named by early 2027 and to officially begin in July 2027.聽

Additional information about the presidential search and opportunities to celebrate Pribbenow鈥檚 legacy, including the Promising Futures celebration gala on October 2, will be shared in the coming months.聽聽

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Media contact: Rachel Farris, farrisr@augsburg.edu