In this time of confusion and uncertainty, most of us are probably not thinking about Fall much less registration. However, we must still go on with the normal functions of daily life. We need to get food, provide for our families, study, and continue to carry on. I am certain that, as President Ward has often said, we will get through this. When we get to the “other side,” I want you to know about an exciting new program at Luther that may change the way we think about “Othering."

We are pleased to announce a new major, minor, and department at Luther College. The Identity Studies program is a collaboration between Africana Studies, Asian Studies, Dance, and Women and Gender Studies to introduce a new program of major/minors at Luther. This collaborative major and minor strengthens and builds on our current resources, focuses on the intersectionality of these programs, and uses critical theories to create an enhanced program. Our mission is to empower students to create the practice of employing multiple perspectives, to increase understanding of self and other, to appreciate diversity, and to understand systems of power in order to challenge them. The underlying theme that ties us all together is that identity is at once an embodied way of knowing that is multiplicative and intersectional. In addition, histories of both celebration and domination have been created, enforced, and resisted through implementation of identities.

All of our majors will take an introductory course to Identity Studies, a theory course on power and domination, and a global traditions course. In addition they will complete an internship and a senior level seminar. They will be able to emphasize in the area studies of race/ethnicity, gender/sexuality, or body studies but every major will complete at least one course in each area.

The revisioning of current majors and minors in the Identity Studies program strengthens each of the existing majors/minors and builds a cohort and community of scholars, faculty and students, across differences. Africana Studies is being reimagined, strengthened, and infused into a larger set of courses. It will have greater presence and influence in the curriculum. Likewise, Women and Gender Studies and Asian Studies will be renamed, strengthened, and infused in more courses. All of these courses will build on the foundational concepts of identity, intersectionality, and embodiment.

The former Africana Studies major will be stronger with an introductory course, a theory course, and an internship that it didn’t previously require.  The new Identity Studies major ensures that all majors get exposure and training in critical race theory and gender theory as well as body studies. In addition, all of our majors and minors will receive education in global traditions.

The new Identity Studeis major enhances what we currently do in the existing majors—which were often siloed and tokenized. The new Identity Studies program creates intersectional and embodied study guided by theory, celebrates difference and inclusion, and creates intellectual as well as literal community for faculty and students. Our identities are not monolithic or one dimensional. Our students will now be able to see themselves as embodied, intersectional and multidimensional, in theory and in lived experience.

The core faculty members involved are:  Novian Whitsitt, Richard Mtisi (AFRS), Gereon Kopf (Asian Studies and Religion), Jane Hawley (Dance), Char Kunkel (WGST and Sociology), Holly Moore (Philosophy) and Derek Sweet (Communications).

We are super excited to launch this curriculum! Especially in this time of crisis, it will be imperative to ask questions about how we will survive and get through to the other side. It will be imperative to think about how we will create community in a new world. It will be interesting to ask whether, indeed, the virus was a great equalizer and to think about differential rates of sickness and survival. How does the virus and its aftermath impact social classes differently; are men more likely to get ill than women; why are the old more susceptible than the young? How do immigration and racial-ethnic community variables help us to recover? Sound interesting? Come check us out!  Classes are offered Fall 2020. Please visit our website!