Fall 2018

Dear Classmate,

As I walked through the quiet Luther campus early this morning with classmate Sue (Hammond) Haemker and other friends, I enjoyed the beauty in the stillness of the day.  No traffic or walkers to distract from reveling in the vibrance of the Library Lawn and the flowers that so magnificently showcase the campus. I hope that some of you had a chance to visit campus this summer, perhaps bringing a young relative along to give them a taste of Luther. The morning stillness will soon be replaced by athletes returning for pre-season practices. Not long after that, we’ll see the faces of freshmen both concerned and excited about the new adventure they are beginning. Memories of our freshman days are foggy after 48 years!

Luther’s Homecoming Weekend, this year is October 26–28. I hope to see many of you then. The Black Student Union (BSU) commemorates its 50th anniversary this fall. There are several events planned during Homecoming and throughout the year to celebrate the founding of the organization—including forums, lectures, a brunch, and a BSU reunion—so mark your calendars.

In addition to Homecoming lecturers, Luther will welcome other notable speakers to campus this season. On October 23, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt will deliver the Farwell Distinguished Lecture, “The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure.” His book of the same name, published earlier this month, explores how the cultural climate of “safetyism” on college campuses across the U.S. interferes with the healthy development of students. He argues that recent social and cultural trends are setting children up to fail as healthy, autonomous, adaptable adults. If you don’t have time to read the book, you can get a snapshot through Haidt’s Atlantic article: theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/09/the-coddling-of-the-american-mind/399356.

You may have heard that President Paula Carlson will retire at the end of the 2018–19 academic year. During her time at Luther, President Carlson added several academic programs to the college, renewed outdoor facilities, expanded Luther’s Career Center services, developed and launched the “Next Steps for Sophomores” program, added a dean of institutional equity and inclusion to Luther’s staff, and achieved Luther’s goal of reducing its carbon footprint by 50 percent by the end of 2015, among other things. Luther’s Board of Regents is taking the necessary steps in the presidential search process with the hope of transitioning leadership over the course of next summer and having a new president in place for the 2019–20 academic year.