Luther College, a private liberal arts college in Decorah, Iowa, will announce its 11th president on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023. The announcement will be made at a special convocation in the Center for Faith and Life at 9:40 a.m., followed by a reception in the lobby.
The announcement will mark the end of a nationwide search that began in April 2023, after the current president, Jenifer K. Ward, announced her plans to retire at the end of the academic year. Ward has served as the president of Luther College since July 2019 and has led the college through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of a new strategic plan, and the celebration of the college’s 160th anniversary.
The presidential search committee, composed of 15 members representing the board of regents, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), was chaired by regent Eric Runestad. The committee worked with the executive search firm Storbeck Search to solicit and review applications from a diverse pool of candidates.
The committee conducted preliminary interviews with 10 semifinalists in October and selected three finalists to visit the campus in November. The finalists met with various constituencies of the college community, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members, and participated in open forums and presentations.
The committee then solicited feedback from the participants and submitted its recommendation to the board of regents, which made the final decision.
A historic moment for the college
The announcement of the new president will be a historic moment for Luther College, which was founded in 1861 by Norwegian immigrants and is affiliated with the ELCA. The college has a student body of about 2,000 and offers more than 60 majors and minors in the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences.
The new president will be expected to uphold the college’s mission of educating students for lives of service and leadership in a diverse and changing world, as well as to advance the college’s vision of being a community that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion, fosters environmental sustainability, and promotes global citizenship.
The new president will also face the opportunities and challenges of leading a liberal arts college in the 21st century, such as enhancing academic excellence, strengthening financial stability, increasing enrollment and retention, expanding fundraising and alumni engagement, and building partnerships with local and global communities.
The new president will officially take office on July 1, 2024, and will be inaugurated in the fall of 2024.