Luther College Catalog 2015–16 Decorah, Iowa
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Luther College Catalog 2015–16 Decorah, Iowa The college published its first catalog in 1872—Katalog for det norske Luther - college i Decorah, Iowa, 1861-1872. It was prepared by [President Laur.] Larsen and ran to 48 pages. It contained a list of officials and faculty members, a history of the college, an outline and a defense of the plan and courses of instruction, a section on discipline and school regulations, and a detailed listing of students at the college from the time of its founding. Larsen’s precise scholarship is apparent on every page. Not until 1883 was a second catalog published, this time in English. —from Luther College 1861–1961, pp. 113 –114, by David T. Nelson EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: It is the policy of Luther College to provide equal educational opportunities and equal access to facilities for all qualified persons.The college does not discriminate in employment, educational programs, and activities on the basis of age, color, creed, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal or state law. The provisions of this catalog do not constitute an irrevocable contract between the student and the college. The college reserves the right to change any provision or requirement at any time during the student’s term of residence. Contents Introducing Luther ......................................... 5 Luther College Mission Statement .................................... 6 Academic Information/Courses .................. 11 Academic Information ..................................................... 12 The Liberal Arts and Careers .......................................... 39 Curriculum ...................................................................... 52 Admission Information/Financial Policies ....................................................... 205 Admission ..................................................................... 206 Costs and Financial Policies ......................................... 211 Financial Assistance ..................................................... 217 Life at Luther .............................................. 223 Student Life ................................................................... 224 Directory .................................................... 233 Faculty/Administration for 2015–16 .............................. 234 Luther College Board of Regents .................................. 255 Academic Calendar 2015-16 ........................................ 261 5 Introducing Luther 6 Luther College Mission Statement In the reforming spirit of Martin Luther, Luther College affirms the liberating power of faith and learning. 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. As a college of the church, Luther is rooted in an understanding of grace and freedom that emboldens us in worship, study, and service to seek truth, examine our faith, and care for all God’s people. As a liberal arts college, Luther is committed to a way of learning that moves us beyond immediate interests and present knowledge into a larger world—an education that disciplines minds and develops whole persons equipped to understand and confront a changing society. As a residential college, Luther is a place of intersection. Founded where river, woodland, and prairie meet, we practice joyful stewardship of the resources that surround us, and we strive to be a community where students, faculty, and staff are enlivened and transformed by encounters with one another, by the exchange of ideas, and by the life of faith and learning. Accreditation Luther College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (30 North La Salle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602- 2504; 800-621-7440 or 312-263-0456), the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education for the preparation of elementary and secondary school teachers, the Iowa Department of Education, the Council on Social Work Education (baccalaureate level), the National Association of Schools of Music, and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The accredited athletic training curriculum has been reviewed and approved by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). The bachelor’s degree is the highest degree awarded. The college is professionally approved by the Iowa Board of Nursing and the American Chemical Society and is approved by the American Association of University Women. Location Decorah, the home of Luther College for 152 years, has a resident population of 8,500. It is the county seat of Winneshiek County, located at the junction of U.S. Highway 52 and State Highway 9. The Minnesota border lies 15 miles to the north. The Mississippi River lies 30 miles to the east. The campus is built on the rolling wooded hills and rugged limestone cliffs of northeast Iowa’s bluff country. The scenic Upper Iowa River flows through the lower portion of the 200-acre central campus. The college owns an additional 800 acres adjoining the central campus which are devoted to environmental research, biological studies, and recreation. 7 Public transportation serving the area includes commercial airports in Rochester (Minn.), Waterloo (Iowa), and La Crosse (Wis.); a municipal airport in Decorah; and train and bus depots in La Crosse (Wis.). History After discussions extending over several years, the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America decided on October 10, 1857, to found a college and began to gather subscriptions for a building fund. In the same year it also decided that, until such time as suitable buildings could be erected, students should be sent to Concordia College and Seminary in St. Louis, and that a Norwegian professorship should be established there. The first three students went to St. Louis in 1858 and five more followed the next year. The Norwegian professorship was filled in 1859, when Rev. Laur. Larsen was appointed, entering officially upon his duties October 14, 1859. Hence October 14 was designated as Founders’ Day by the college. With the outbreak of the Civil War, disorders arose in St. Louis. Concordia College and Seminary closed in April, 1861, and Professor Larsen and students returned home. At its meeting in June 1861, the church decided to proceed at once to establish its own college. In August, although a building in Decorah had been rented and partially renovated, college authorities decided to make use of a newly erected vacant parsonage at Halfway Creek, Wis., about 13 miles north of La Crosse. There the school opened September 1, 1861, with two teachers, Laur. Larsen and F. A. Schmidt. Larsen and Schmidt also served as pastors for the immigrants then living in the area. The enrollment for the year was 16. In the summer of 1862 the school was transferred to Decorah; its first home was the building, still standing, at the northwest corner of Winnebago and Main streets. The first building on the college campus was “Main,” dedicated October 14, 1865. The present Main building is the third “Main” to stand on the same site, the two preceding having been destroyed by fire in 1889 and 1942. Though college work was begun in 1861, the Civil War, illness, and other causes left none of that year’s freshman class to graduate in 1865. The first graduating class, therefore, was that of 1866. The classical curriculum established by the founders of the college was changed in 1932 when the requirement that all students take both Greek and Latin was dropped. For 75 years the school admitted men only; then in 1936 Luther College became coeducational. When the institution celebrated its centennial in 1961, it had an enrollment of 1,357 and a staff of 74 full-time and 12 part-time teachers. Expansion has marked the college’s second century, and when Luther celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2011, there were 2,500 students and 180 full-time faculty. The college has grown physically as well with an extensive building program that began in the 1960’s. Luther has also expanded its academic program to include the professional areas of nursing and social work, several preprofessional programs, and a robust study abroad program—all grounded in the college's commitment to the liberal arts. Organization Luther College is a private institution, incorporated under the laws of the State of Iowa. It is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Funds for the operation of the college are also provided by endowments, gifts, tuition and fees, and auxiliary services. The management and control of the college is vested in a Board of Regents, consisting of no more than 31 members serving four-year terms including a bishop designated by the bishops of the ELCA, Region Five, and the president of the college, who serves as an ex officio member. 8 The officers of administration, the president of the Alumni Council, a representative from the ELCA’s churchwide offices, and representatives of the faculty and the student body also meet with the Regents. Institutional Profile Luther annually completes the Common Data Set. The Common Data Set is a set of standards and definitions of data items that describe the college, providing an institutional profile. A link to Luther’s Common Data Set is located at the following web address, http://www.luther.edu/ir/cds . Unique Resources Radio Broadcasting Facilities