Luther President says Decorah and Luther College "absolutely must" collaborate

Luther College President Jenifer K. Ward went to college at a school located in her home town in Arkansas.  That background, she says, gives her a feel for what relations between a college and a community are like.

Speaking at the annual Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Luther College on Monday, Ward told the group that changes in our world are being felt by everyone--including those on a campus and those in a community.  "The pace of change is whiplash-inducing," she said.  But she counseled the audience that no one can say the dreaded seven words, "That's the way we've always done it."

President Ward says the makeup of Luther College's student population is changing as fewer high school seniors graduate in the Midwest and in the East and more come from the South and West.  That means not every student who arrives on campus is from a Norwegian or Lutheran background.

To meet those changes, "collaborate we absolutely must," she told the audience of Decorah residents.  Earlier, she spoke of the reasons she is "so high on this community" and ended her speech by saying she has faith in the long-term future of Luther College--and Decorah.