Luther College has a new five-year strategic plan

In the fall of 2009, Luther College had 2,488 full-time equivalent students on campus.  In the fall of 2017, that figure had dropped to 2,053.  That's a decline of 435 students.

As the search for a new president at Luther College begins, the campus has finished creating a comprehensive strategic plan that lays out a path forward for the college for the next five years.  "Inspired.  Empowered.  Engaged" had its start during the 2016-2017 academic year, when students, faculty, staff, administrators, regents, alumni, parents and friends of the college all discussed where Luther should head in the future.  The resulting strategic plan has now been completed and will be used as a guideline for where the college should head in the future.

One recommendation of the strategic plan is that the college should "reflect more fully the growing diversity in society."  That recommendation becomes more important following a 2017-2018 academic year in which several hate messages appeared on campus.  The strategic plan said Luther College should work "to ensure a mutually welcoming experience on campus and in the larger Decorah community," concluding, "We must become an inclusive community of welcome, equity and justice that goes beyond hospitality and fairness."

The strategic plan also looked beyond the Decorah campus.  It said the college should "create a new experiential learning hub in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Rochester or Des Moines."  Likewise, "create new Iowa and Minnesota community college transfer pathways and improve institutional capacity for transfer student success."

Now that the strategic plan has been published, the 2018-2019 academic year will be devoted to implementing the recommendations in the plan.  Luther President Paula Carlson will remain on campus during the upcoming year.  "The timing of the transition will assure a strong foundation and momentum for the new president to lead the College in achieving the plan's long-term goals," she said.