It was in the 1970s that Augustana first approached a size that would be familiar to students of today: 1971 saw enrollment reach 2,000 for the first time. Educational opportunities expanded as well, when Augustana organized the first European term in 1972; Asian and Latin American terms followed in the mid-1970s. Other highlights of the decade included a new president-Thomas Tredway, in 1975-and the first of two visits to campus by King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden, who came in recognition of Augustana's and the Quad Cities' Swedish heritage. In the midst of the excitement of new faces and new developments, some efforts also continued from earlier years. The Black Student Union pursued civil rights efforts begun in the 1960s, meeting with the Augustana administration to talk about campus policies on racism and the general environment for African-Americans on campus.
- 1970
- Black Culture Center established in response to demands by the Afro-American Society, which has been campaigning for a better environment for African-American students at Augustana.
- Fall 1971
- Enrollment reaches 2,000 for the first time in college history. Augustana has a population of 2,056 full-time students for the 1971-1972 school year, following a number of years of steadily increasing enrollment.
- February 4, 1972
- African-American students hold sit-in in President Sorensen's office. About 35 black students demand an explicit college statement on racism, charging that the Board of Trustees has stalled their previous requests. Although Sorensen released his own statement a few days prior to the sit-in, the students argue it was not specific enough and had been written without the input of the Black Student Union. In a meeting the following Wednesday, February 9, President Sorensen and the Human Relations Committee-which includes six black Augustana community members-will create a new official statement. This statement will promise expulsion from the Augustana community of anyone found guilty, after due process, of committing racist actions.
- Fall 1972
- First European term. Forty-nine Augustana upperclassmen spend fall term in London and Hamburg, taking Augustana classes with Augustana professors; they receive one free week for travel between their stays in England and Germany. The participating Augustana faculty are Karin Youngberg, teaching Germanic Literature; Edward Hamming, European Geography; Harold L. Bell, Contemporary European Diplomacy; and Peter T. Beckman, Jr., The Christian Faith in the Modern World. The second European term will be fall 1973; a new Asian term will be held in the 1974-1975 school year, and the first South American term will be in the 1976-1977 school year.
- December 16, 1974
- Carver Physical Education Center dedicated. The new building is named for Roy J. Carver of Muscatine, Iowa, whose monetary gift to Augustana in 1974 combined with a government grant and loan to pay for construction.
- February-May, 1975
- Augustana celebrates 100 years in Rock Island. Events during these four months include concerts, lectures, and a museum exhibit, among others. The celebration ends with a visit from the Minnesota Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, which give concerts and master classes from May 13-16.
- Fall 1975
- Augustana adopts plus/minus grades for recording purposes only; students' GPA will not be affected by high or low letter grades. This decision is a compromise reached after students objected to the plus/minus system, arguing in part that the additional grading increments will only increase an already-high level of grade-consciousness on campus. Plus and minus grades will become a mandatory component of GPA beginning with students who are new to Augustana in the 2000-2001 school year.
- October 4, 1975
- Thomas Tredway inaugurated as 7th president of Augustana College. Tredway comes to the presidency after five years' service as dean of the college and eleven years' service as a faculty member in history. He holds a bachelor's from Augustana, a master's from the University of Illinois, a bachelor of divinity from Garrett, and a doctorate from Northwestern University. He will serve as president for 28 years.
- April 20, 1976
- King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden visits Augustana as part of his 26-day tour of the United States. A welcoming ceremony in the Carver Physical Education Center includes talks by President Tredway and President Emeritus Bergendoff, as well as performances by the Augustana Band and Augustana Choir. While on-campus, the king also meets with students in the College Union and visits the Denkmann Memorial Library, where he views items connected to Augustana's Swedish heritage. His is the first visit to the Quad Cities by any reigning monarch.
- September 1979
- College Center completed. The College Center replaces the old College Union (which becomes the Biology Building), in response to pressures caused by a growing student population. A faculty dining room, the Wilson Faculty Center, will be added-on to the College Center in 1989.
