- Mailing Address
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700 College Dr
Decorah, Iowa 52101 - Phone
- (563) 387-2000
- Email address
- admissions@luther.edu
- Website
- https://www.luther.edu/
- School Information
- "Located in the vibrant town of Decorah in northeastern Iowa, Luther is an undergraduate liberal arts college affiliated with the Lutheran Church (ELCA)... Founded in 1861 by Norwegian immigrants, Luther values its heritage, just as it values the diversity of its students, staff, and faculty, who hail from many faith backgrounds and heritages... The college strives to make Luther affordable for all students by offering scholarships, need-based aid, work study, and loan programs...Luther offers more than 60 majors and preprofessional programs leading to the bachelor of arts degree. The college’s learning philosophy highlights connections between disciplines. Its thoughtful and rigorous curriculum moves beyond immediate interests toward engagement in the larger world. This approach to education helps Luther earn inclusion in the top tier of national liberal arts colleges in the U.S. News and World Report’s college guide." The college also enrolls 2,050 students and has a 11:1 student-faculty ratio. (Source: https://www.luther.edu/about/)
- General Information
- Luther College has not yet initiated a college-wide anti-racism plan. However, it has provided several resources for its students, including a lecture by Dr. Bettina Love, an author, activist, and public speaker. The university has released a mission statement related to diversity: “As people of all backgrounds, we embrace diversity and challenge one another to learn in community, to discern our callings and to serve with distinction for the common good.” The university has also hosted occasional diversity events, sponsored by The Center for Intercultural Engagement and Student Success. No mandatory Critical Race Training sessions are yet required of students. However, see developments below:
Actions Taken
- Admissions Policies
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The Center for Intercultural Engagement and Student Success (CIES) released a message of solidarity in which it stated that it “stands with the Black community to mourn the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks and so many others.” It also explained its strong “support [for] Black Lives Matter and the protests,” while it “(re)commit[s] [itself] to dismantling systemic racism and injustice.”
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Individuals associated with the university have released blog posts relating to the teaching of critical race theory.
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- Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
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As an update to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion action Steps at Luther College, campus wide trainings on Anti-Racism, Implicit Bias, and Unconscious Bias have been active and ongoing.
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- Program and Research Funding
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The Music Department at Luther College “voted unanimously to create a music antiracism task force” that consists of faculty and students who meet weekly on the intersection of racism and music to make policy recommendations to the faculty.
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As part of the Current Initiatives, the Music Antiracism Task Force at Luther college have a kiosk in the JN Lobby to continue their work to “encourage faculty/staff/students to pledge to do antiracism work.”
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As part of the commitment to education access, diversity, inclusion and equity, Luther College has a collaborative anti-racism initiative to address institutional and structural racism.
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- Resources
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Dr. Bettina Love will give a lecture entitled "Living a Hip Hop and Abolitionist Life: Resistance, Creativity, Hip Hop Civics Ed, Intersectionality, and Black Joy".
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On November 18, 2021, the university held an “Anti-Racism Roundtable Discussion” with guest speaker Dr. Louise Toppin, University of Michigan (via zoom).
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The Office of Equity and Inclusion at Luther College provides a number of activities and resources to showcase the value of diversity and equity in learning.
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Luther College is engaged in Inclusive pedagogy as a “practice for teaching and learning that systematically considers diversity as part of the course content.”
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The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee at Luther College “is engaged in ongoing work to study, disrupt, and do our part to address the disease of racism and to seek justice, equity, and peace.”
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The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee at Luther College provides a number of DEI resources including Ibram X Kendi’s How to Be An Antiracist book.
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In recognition of Black History Month in 2022, Luther college hosted a lecture on “The Politics of Critical Race Theory” in an effort to “understand and transform the relationship between race, racism, and power.”
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