Luther College faculty approves academic restructuring proposal

Luther College faculty members on Tuesday voted in favor of an academic restructuring proposal affecting the college's academic program offerings and faculty size.

It's the latest step in a process which began with the faculty Academic Prioritization Task Force, which studied this topic in detail during the spring and summer of 2020.  The restructuring proposal now will be sent to the Luther College Board of Regents for a final vote.

Overall, the proposal will reduce the faculty by approximately 27 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) positions. Four programs and stand-alone minors will be eliminated--Biblical languages, Chinese studies, library and information studies, and linguistics.

Other programs will be reduced by varying amounts, but the programs will be retained. These programs include anthropology, art, chemistry, communication studies, education, English, health promotion and exercise science, history, mathematics, music, Nordic studies, physics, psychology, and religion.

The programs in classics, French, German, and philosophy will be reduced and restructured.

Five new programs and stand-alone minors will be assessed in three years: global health, identity studies, musical theater, neuroscience, and visual communications.

Pending approval of the proposal by the Board of Regents, the academic dean will manage the timing of the faculty positions being eliminated, based on fairness and equity and consistent with guidelines set in the Faculty Handbook. Most of these reductions will occur through planned retirements.

The dean will investigate parallel appointments into administrative positions for non-retiring, tenured members of the faculty whose positions are affected by the implementation of the proposal.