Author: Luther College News

Luther College President Jenifer K. Ward announced today the addition of women’s wrestling as the college’s 11th varsity sport for women for the upcoming 2025-26 academic year.

“Luther has a long legacy of supporting its students’ desire to belong to teams, to learn discipline and resiliency and to compete,” Ward said. “We were among the first colleges to establish varsity teams for women, beginning in 1964 — well before Title IX legislation required us to. We will soon celebrate our 60th anniversary offering our women opportunities to participate in varsity athletics.”

Along with announcing the addition of the program, Ward established milestones for the upcoming months.

“This will be a planning year in 2024-25,” Ward said. “Our timeline is to use this fall and winter to get the word out to recruits that the program will begin next fall. We will begin a nationwide search for our first women’s wrestling coach this winter, so that we can hire as soon as possible after this wrestling season, and we will field our first team in the 2025-26 academic year.”

Athletic Director Renae Hartl and men’s wrestling coach Dave Mitchell joined Ward in her online announcement.

“With both the NCAA and the American Rivers Conference set to add women’s wrestling as a championship, the moment to join in is now,” Hartl said. “And with renovations underway at the future Gerdin Fieldhouse for Athletics and Wellness, including an expanded wrestling training space, the timing is perfect.”

“I have seen the growth of girls wrestling in the state of Iowa first-hand and I know many of the great coaches leading girls high school programs in Iowa and beyond,” Mitchell said. “We offered a girls’ wrestling team camp in 2023, and it grew significantly this year. One of the top questions I get asked by girls and coaches at camp, and by our alumni and Luther wrestling fans, is, ‘When is Luther adding women’s wrestling?’”

For Luther, the addition of women’s wrestling takes the college to 22 total varsity sports, with 11 for women and 11 for men. It comes two years after the college added both men’s and women’s bowling as varsity teams.

“We’re proud to add to Luther’s legacy of being a college that promotes new athletic opportunities for women,” Hartl said. “With Luther adding the sport, the state of Iowa will lead the nation with the most collegiate women’s wrestling programs to date. With the recent announcements by the A-R-C and NCAA, I know this can open up recruiting opportunities for students from other states to come to Decorah.”

Mitchell added the attraction will also be local.

“Our wrestling community is eager to have opportunities for our local and regional girls to study and compete, and the timing is perfect to provide those opportunities right here,” Mitchell said. “The coach who leads this new program is coming into a strong wrestling support system in a strong girls wrestling region. For example, we have in Decorah both the girls state team champions and the girls wrestling coach of the year, Gene Adams, who was an All-American himself here at Luther.”

The visibility and strength of Luther’s existing men’s program provides another support for the decision.

“Luther is known nationwide for excellence in wrestling, and in the future, we expect to see that excellence on both the men’s and women’s teams,” Hartl said.

“The construction for our Gerdin Fieldhouse is underway, and those plans include a wrestling facility expansion and a dedicated women’s wrestling locker room, so the time is right to move swiftly to align our programming with our facility renovation,” Ward said.

At the recent NCAA Convention, the national organization endorsed the creation of divisional championships at each level. When approved this fall, women’s wrestling became the 91st national championship offered by the NCAA, and Division III will lead the way with more than 60 member institutions sponsoring the sport.

Competition schedules cannot be determined until later this year, as both the A-R-C and NCAA are finalizing details of participation in their respective first years of competition. The total number of first-year participants may also be a factor.

“We won’t know for a while whether this will begin as open competition or also include team duals,” Hartl said. “What we do know is young women will have the opportunity to put on that famous Luther blue singlet and compete like a Norse.”

State and national organization leaders expressed their support for Luther’s addition of women’s wrestling.

“The addition of women’s wrestling at Luther College will no doubt have a generational impact for female athletes to come,” said Erin Gerlich, executive director of the Iowa Girls High School Athletics Union (IGHSAU). “As we look across our state and our country over recent years, girls wrestling is one of the fastest growing programs offered in sports. In Iowa alone, we have consistently seen the number of high school female wrestlers grow exponentially each year and reports from the youth wrestling community show no signs of girls wrestling slowing down anytime soon.”

“On behalf of our NWCA Board of Directors, I extend a heartfelt thanks to the Luther College administration for recognizing and embracing the rising popularity of girls and women’s wrestling in a state that has always been synonymous with the sport,” said Mike Moyer, executive director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association. “Anytime we add more opportunities for young women to further their educational and athletic goals in college, it’s a win for our students and a win for our sport.”

Girls wrestling has grown exponentially in high schools since the IGHSAU sanctioned it, expanding from from 58 schools to 204 schools with teams and another 61 with cooperative sharing agreements.

“Iowa has become a leader in the collegiate world for women’s wrestling[LB1] , which allows our Iowa girls even more opportunity to pursue their wrestling dreams at the next level,” Gerlich added.

To learn more about Luther women’s wrestling, go to LutherNorse.com for updates and to find questionnaires for prospects interested in next year’s team.

Additional Information 

Nella, 2019 winner of the Latin Grammy for Best New Artist, will be the first act in Luther College’s 2024-25 Center Stage Series, performing at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall. 

Born in Venezuela, Nella is a graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston. Nella’s music is a warm, rich blend of her native country’s folklore, the sounds of her generation, and influences from Spain’s Andalusia region. Nella’s songs are deeply personal, carrying elements of her homeland’s musical tradition while connecting across cultures and borders. 

“I’m really excited to start the Center Stage Season with Nella. Her vocal quality and musicianship are mesmerizing,” said Kristen Underwood, director of campus programming.  “She’s touring with Gilad Barakan on guitar and the two of them will spend some time with Luther students in the afternoon as part of our celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. I love it  when artists are enthusiastic about connecting with our community; Nella has been wonderful.”

In May 2019, Nella released her debut album, Voy, with its title track earning a spot on the New York Times’ list of the best songs of 2019, coming in at #14. She followed this success with the release of Doce Margaritas in 2021, her first album with Sony Music, featuring 12 songs written by Javier Limón and collaborations with Latin Grammy-winning Venezuelan guitarist Cheo Pardo. 

Before her debut album, Nella appeared in the Spanish feature film Everybody Knows, starring Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, performing songs written by Latin Grammy winner Javier Limón. Shortly after, she launched her tour dubbed Me Llaman Nella (They Call Me Nella), which featured songs from the film, other Limón-penned tunes, and Venezuelan folk songs. This two-year tour took her to the USA, UK, Spain, Venezuela, Panama, and Mexico.

Rebecca Nagle will speak about “Justice on Native Land” for Luther College’s annual Farwell Distinguished Lecture at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24. Author of the new book By the Fire We Carry (release date Sept. 10), Nagle is an award-winning writer, podcaster, advocate and citizen of the Cherokee Nation. The evening will be moderated by Andrew Hageman, associate professor of English and director of Luther’s Center for Ethics and Public Engagement.

Nagle’s writing about Native representation and tribal sovereignty has been featured in The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, and more. As the host of the chart-topping podcast This Land, Nagle tells the story of a Supreme Court case about tribal land in Oklahoma, the small-town murder that started it, and the surprising connection to her own family history. In This Land‘s second season, Nagle takes listeners through the 40-year history of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and the federal lawsuit, Brackeen v. Haaland.

In addition to her work toward Native American representation, Nagle lends her voice to fighting violence against women. She is the co-founder of FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture, and spearheaded The Monument Quilt, a collection of over 3,000 stories by survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence, written, painted and stitched onto red fabric. 

From Joplin, Missouri, she currently lives in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, where she works for her tribe on language revitalization.

The Farwell Distinguished Lecture will be held in the Center for Faith and Life at Luther College, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24, and is free and open to the public. By the Fire We Carry will be available for purchase in the lobby before and after the presentation.

The Elwin D. and Helen Farwell Lecture Endowment

The Elwin D. and Helen Farwell Distinguished Lecture Series Endowment was established in 1981 in recognition of the contributions the Farwells made to the Luther community. Elwin D. Farwell was president of Luther College 1963–1981.

Luther College’s Board of Regents has approved emeritus status for five long-serving faculty members at Luther, who have retired as of this summer: Barbara Bohach, Michael Engelhardt, Lise Kildegaard, Beth Lynch and Rebecca Sullivan.

“We want to express our deepest appreciation for their dedication and service to Luther College over the years,” President Jenifer K. Ward said. “I know many generations of students have benefited from their commitment to their craft and their own love of learning, and we wish these colleagues well as they start their next chapters in life.” 

Barbara Bohach 

Barbara Bohach, associate professor emerita of education, began teaching at Luther in 1992. She started as a clinical professor, after 11 years of teaching in elementary classrooms. She loved the two-year position so much that she expressed an interest in staying on as an instructor. She continued her own education at the University of Northern Iowa to earn a doctorate in curriculum and instruction. 

“I enjoyed teaching future teachers during those first two years because of their enthusiasm for making a difference in children’s lives,” she said. “This caring attitude possessed by our students never changed over the course of 32 years. We have grads who become outstanding teachers and leaders in their school districts and make Luther proud!”

Bohach enjoyed partnering with local teachers — some of them former students of hers — to help Luther elementary education majors realize the rewards and challenges of teaching literacy to elementary students. These experiences integrated educational theory, research and practice as the college students worked in classrooms.  

“When I observed my students working with their assigned student(s), it made me smile,” Bohach said. “The teacher-student conversations that I overheard showed me that my students were connecting with their learners and applying the language arts concepts and content that we’d been learning in class.”

Michael Engelhardt 

Michael Engelhardt, professor emeritus of political science, taught courses on American politics and foreign policy.  

“I came to Luther in 1988 in the middle of a huge drought, and that was the big topic of conversation,” Engelhardt said. “I was looking everywhere for a tenure-track job, and this opened up. I stayed because of my students and colleagues, especially the students.” 

During most of his years at Luther, Dr. Engelhardt taught a January Term course entitled, “It’s a Conspiracy!?” Using critical thinking methods, he led the students in examining political conspiracy theories. 

“One of my favorite memories is when a student, Sam Scheffler, asked me when I was going to do my ‘last lecture’ at Luther. When I told him I didn’t have anything planned, he urged me to do one,” Engelhardt said. “I worked out the details and gave a lecture on the history and future of NATO. It was very gratifying to find students interested enough in what I had to say to come to something not required. Sam even brought his grandfather to the lecture.” 

Engelhardt earned his doctorate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research interests have been in the areas of military intervention and nuclear nonproliferation. He has published several articles in these fields, and has co-authored a text in American politics. He also coached Luther’s Mock Trial team and was faculty adviser to the Luther College Republicans.

Lise Kildegaard 

Lise Kildegaard, professor emerita of English, started teaching at Luther in 1993. She earned her Ph.D. in English from the University of Chicago. She taught first-year students in Paideia courses and upper-level British literature courses. 

“Reading and writing, analyzing and discussing — these are the arts of the citizen, and for over 30 years at Luther College, I had the privilege of sharing the classroom with students as they worked to improve their skill at these necessary arts,” she said. “I thoroughly enjoyed the energy and the insights of students, and I especially loved how class discussions helped us deepen our thinking and encouraged us to build community.” 

Kildegaard shared a story that occurred on her last day of teaching during the spring semester of 2024 to exemplify “the random acts of goofiness that often showed up in the classroom.” 

“In the final moments of my very last class this spring semester, the students surprised me with a flash-mob-style recitation of the first 20 lines of Milton’s epic poem, ‘Paradise Lost’ — after which they jumped up to dance to a rap song they had written about our class in 18th-century British lit. It was a perfect Luther College moment — a mash-up of art and learning and joyful noise.” 

Kildegaard combined her Danish heritage with her scholarly work through her fine translation of the celebrated Danish writer Louis Jensen’s Square Stories. This work was adapted into a student theater production. She developed a curriculum around Square Stories and flash fiction, which she implemented at numerous K-12 schools in Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, and New Mexico.   

Beth Lynch 

Beth Lynch, professor emerita of biology, joined Luther’s biology department  in 2001. She received her Ph.D. from University of Minnesota in ecology, evolution and behavior. She regularly taught courses in botany and ecology, including the introductory biology course “Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity.” During January Term, she enjoyed teaching winter biology in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of Northern Minnesota.

Her research in plant ecology focuses on the paleoecology of fire-dominated ecosystems and on the conservation of native plant communities in Northeastern Iowa.

One of her favorite memories from Luther happened during a January Term course she was teaching in the Minnesota Boundary Waters. She and her students were playing broomball on a frozen lake, when they noticed the Northern Lights. 

“Someone noticed the Northern Lights and immediately all of the ruckus of the game stopped as the students stood and watched in awe as the lights danced,” Lynch said. “For many it was their first time seeing them. I loved seeing everyone so quiet and attentive to their surroundings.”

Rebecca Sullivan 

Rebecca Sullivan, professor emerita of library and information science, helped first-year students develop their writing skills, benefiting them for the rest of their careers. She would eventually go on to serve as director of the Paideia program. 

“I first came to Luther in the fall of 1986 to teach writing and first-year Paideia,” Sullivan said. “Every first-year student at Luther participates in this discussion-based course to develop skills in argumentative writing, careful reading and critical thinking. I value that common experience. I have been delighted to share in each student’s discovery of their own abilities.” 

Sullivan was once a first-year student at Luther herself, as she earned her bachelor’s degree from the college in 1984. She would go on to earn a Master of Arts in American studies from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Library Science from the University of Illinois. She became a full-time professor at Luther in 2004.

She also taught methods courses for students majoring in English education, Young Adult literature, and upper-level Paideia courses on social sustainability and “The Search for Happiness.” 

Luther College and Pulpit Rock Brewing Company have entered into a collaboration for the first official craft beer of the college.

Proceeds from designated craft beers such as Alma Mater will benefit Luther College, and Pulpit Rock becomes the official craft beer of the college.

“We are excited about this partnership with Luther College,” said Pulpit Rock co-founder and majority owner Pete Espinosa, who is a member of the Luther class of 1981. “Since our founding we have been focused on giving back to the community. As an alum, I am pleased we can do an initiative like this with Luther.”

“This is a great partnership, and, even more than the support it will provide for Luther, it demonstrates our shared commitment to the community of Decorah,” President Jenifer K. Ward said. “We know that many Luther alumni are part of the Pulpit Rock group, from ownership to their employees to their graphic designer, and we’re grateful for their support.”

The agreement licenses the Luther College logo for use in promotion of the designated Pulpit Rock brands associated with the college, and Pulpit Rock products will be available for sale at official college-hosted events.

“We’re delighted to bring Alma Mater beer into the rotation of our core brands, creating frequent opportunities for alumni to support the college while enjoying a quality craft beverage made right here in Decorah,” said Scott Nading, PRBC general manager. “We’re looking ahead to potential additional partnerships on merchandise as well.”

Along with Alma Mater beer, a bright and approachable American Pale Ale, Luther College also has a separate arrangement to provide its famous proprietary granola mix to be used in special pastry sour beers made by Pulpit. The initial agreement extends to the end of 2025.

Luther College invites the public to join the college in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in September. The college is sponsoring a trip to Latino Fest in Rochester, Minn.; a keynote talk by a renowned scholar of Hispanic culture, Adele Lozano; as well as film and music that celebrate Hispanic heritage.

On Saturday, Sept. 14, Luther’s Center for Intercultural Engagement and Support (CIES) has planned a trip to Latino Fest in Rochester, Minn. Participants will enjoy food, exhibits, dancing and culture. Luther is providing transportation to the event, which is scheduled for 12–6 p.m. Luther students will be prioritized; community members can join if space is available. Contact CIES at cies@luther.edu to sign up. 

On Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 7–8:30 p.m., in Olin 102, Hispanic Heritage Month speaker Adele Lozano, Ph.D., will delve into the rich tapestry of Hispanic culture, sharing her extensive knowledge and personal experiences. Lozano, who recently taught at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, is a renowned scholar and advocate. Her talk will cover the significant contributions of the Hispanic community to society and the importance of cultural awareness and advocacy. 

“Dr. Lozano has a wealth of knowledge about the experiences and identity development of Latinx/a/o and Hispanic students, ethnic cultural centers on campus and building a sense of belonging for students,” said Michelle Boike, assistant dean and director of CIES. 

On Thursday, Sept. 26, at 6–8 p.m., in Valders 206, the monthly movie night will feature the 2021 musical drama In the Heights. Set in the Dominican community of Washington Heights, New York City, this film is based on the stage musical of the same name by Lin-Manuel Miranda and by Quiara Alegría Hudes.  

On Friday, Sept. 27, 7:30 p.m., in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall, the Center Stage Series presents Nella. Born in Venezuela, Nella was a recent graduate of the Berklee College of Music when she won the Latin Grammy for Best New Artist. Her style is a rich blend of her native country’s folklore, the sounds of her generation, and influences from Spain’s Andalusia region. This presentation is sponsored by Emplify. Tickets are available at tickets.luther.edu or by calling the Luther Ticket Office at 563-387-1357.

Hispanic Heritage Month is the first in a series of planned cultural celebrations for 2024-25 at Luther College.  “In the United States, cultural heritage months and observations play a vital role in breaking down barriers, building bridges of understanding and preserving the rich cultural heritage that enhances the fabric of our community as well as intersects with other identities,” said Robert Clay, chief equity and inclusion officer and assistant to the president for community engagement. “By providing programming during cultural heritage months and observations institutionally, it promotes the inclusivity, collaboration and intersectionality needed to foster a sense of belonging for all.”  

Luther College is proud to announce the 2024-25 Center Stage Series, which annually presents outstanding performances to uplift, inspire and expand your world. Season tickets are available now for six exciting performances by international artists from September 2024 through April 2025. Individual ticket sales start Aug. 19. 

About the 2024-25 Center Stage Series season

The 2024-25 season performances are:

• Venezuelan jazz singer Nella on Fri., Sept. 27
• Grammy Award-winning quintet Imani Winds on Thurs., Oct. 10
• Internationally beloved The King’s Singers on Tues., Nov. 12
• Premier touring dance company Ailey II on Fri., Feb. 14
• Renowned Irish ensemble Danú on Fri., March 14
• String quartet ETHEL with Native American storyteller and musician Robert Mirabal on Fri., April 11

All Center Stage Series performances are held in Luther’s Center for Faith and Life at 7:30 p.m. 

Tying the season’s diverse programs together is the theme of migration and the commemoration of the first organized migration from Norway to North America 200 years ago. Luther is the first U.S. college founded by Norwegian immigrants. 

“This commemorative year gives us a chance to honor the strength it takes to leave home for the unknown and to better understand the migration of people that continues today,” said Kristen Underwood, director of campus programming. “Whether immersing yourself in the rollicking sounds of Venezuela or Ireland, the colors and perspectives of the American Southwest, or the artistry of the Ailey II dancers, we hope you will find moments of joy and awe.” 

Tickets for shows and dinner series

Tickets and more information about each of the performances can be found at tickets.luther.edu. 

The Center Stage Dinner Series offers a gourmet three-course dinner before each show in the Peace Dining Room, overlooking lower campus and the Upper Iowa River. Beer and wine are available for purchase. Information for the dinner series can also be found at tickets.luther.edu, with menus posted two weeks before the corresponding event. Luther chefs can easily accommodate dietary restrictions when notified in advance.

Discount for season subscribers 

Season subscribers may choose five or six performances, as well as five or six Center Stage Dinners, before September 27 to waive any ticketing fees and receive 15% off. 

Center Stage student matinees

The Center Stage Series also offers matinees for school groups and families. 

• Charlotte’s Web, presented by TheatreWorks USA, is recommended for grades K-5 but open to all, on Wed., Oct. 16, at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. 
• JazzReach presents Hangin’ with the Giants (K-4) and Get Hip! (grades 3-6) on Thurs., March 20, at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

To reserve tickets for a matinee performance, contact Bradley Phillips at phillibr@luther.edu or 563-387-1293. Financial support is available for school group tickets and transportation; additional community members are welcome as space allows. To request financial support for school groups, email programming@luther.edu.

Sponsors make the series possible

The Center Stage Series is made possible by the generous support of major season sponsors, including Emplify Health, WinnMed, Decorah Bank and Trust, Minnesota Public Radio, John W. Kurtich Foundation, and Luther College Music, with support for student matinees from Dragonfly Books.

Surrounded by more than 90 prospective student-athletes and their families, Luther College current student-athletes broke a wall to mark the launch of construction on the $24 million Gerdin Fieldhouse for Athletics and Wellness.

The event on August 1 marked a historic day for the college in two ways, as it coincided with the inaugural Norse Athletic Prospect ID Showcase.

President Jenifer K. Ward and Director of Athletics Renae Hartl presided over the event.

“Today, we mark the start of renovations of what has been known for a long time as the Regents Center, but thanks to the generosity of our ’92 basketball alumni donor Mike Gerdin; his wife, Nicole; and the Gerdin Family Foundation, it will be known as the Gerdin Fieldhouse,” Ward said. “To our visitors today, as you take your campus tour, keep in mind that you will be among the first generation of students to practice, train, compete and gather with fellow student-athletes at Luther College in this new space.”

With original sections of the 200,000-plus-square-foot facility dating to the 1960s, the project is an extreme makeover of the majority of the interiors. As most of the work involves gutting and rebuilding, a wall breaking was held rather than a ground breaking.

“The new locker rooms, athletic training and rehab area, competition arena and wrestling complex will be a game changer for our Norse student-athletes,” Hartl said. “We wanted to have this ceremony today to kick off the fall for our current Norse, and to show the next generation of Norse what is on the horizon.”

Three current Luther Norse athletes—all-conference soccer goalie and NCAA qualifying diver Jack Bell of Madison, Wisc.; all-conference and NFCA All-Region first base softball player Riley Sauser of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and 2024 all-American wrestler Walter West of Plymouth, Minn.—took swings at a ceremonial wall which displayed some of the original facility blueprints from the mid-1960s.

“We are extremely proud to have alumni and donors who are stepping up to make this happen,” Sauser said.

“The locker rooms and team room sketches look amazing,” Bell said. “These will be great spaces for our teams to bond, train and have fun.”

“I think I’m most excited about the air conditioning in the arena and the construction of the new wrestling room,” West said. “President Ward, how fast can we get this going so the three of us can start using it?”

President Ward recognized representatives of Opus Design Build, senior vice president for construction Jeff Smith and the Gerdin project manager, Jeremiah Cunningham, who were in attendance representing Opus and their project partner RDG Planning and Design, as well as Luther College’s director of facility services, Jay Uthoff, who will be the college’s project manager.

The opening phase is a new north lobby entrance for the facility, which will include a new concession stand, new restroom facilities for events, and an expanded lobby experience that will salute the spirit of all 21 Luther varsity teams and provide a new home for the athletic Hall of Fame. The second phase of work will renovate numerous team locker rooms and other athletic department support areas.

This academic year, Norse teams will compete a final season on the existing gym floor, with ceremonies tentatively planned to turn out the lights on the historic space in late February. The conversion of the space into an arena configuration, including the Birkestrand Family Court, will begin immediately afterwards.

The first three phases of work will focus on the interior renovations of the former Regents Center. The planned fourth phase is the construction of a new wrestling workout area which will add additional space to the complex.

With work set to begin within the month, fundraising for the project continues, particularly for phases two through four. Leadership gifts made in 2023-24 have given the renovation campaign sufficient momentum to begin.

“We’ve surpassed 60 percent of our newly-expanded fundraising goal and are striving for full funding by the end of 2025,” Vice President for Development Mary Duvall said. “We invite additional investment from alumni and friends who wish to partner with Luther in this transformative facility renovation.”

To learn more about how individuals can help Luther reach its goal, contact the Development Office at development@luther.edu. To see more details of the phases and to watch a video related to this announcement, the entrance rendering and the wrestling training facility concept drawings, go to the Gerdin Fieldhouse Renovation page at luthernorse.com.

Luther College has become one of 80 new members of the FirstGen Forward Network, formerly known as the Center for First-generation Student Success. Among Iowa institutions, Luther joins the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and Drake University in the 429-member nationwide network. 

To be selected as a FirstGen Forward Network Member, Luther College displayed a demonstrated commitment to improving experiences and advancing success for first-generation college students.  

The FirstGen Forward Network empowers higher education institutions to benefit first-generation college students in many ways, such as advancing their academic and co-curricular outcomes and building more inclusive institutional structures. First-generation students are those whose parents or guardians have not completed a 4-year college degree. They come to college with a unique set of strengths as well as challenges. At Luther College, 21 percent of the student body was first generation as of last fall. 

“We are very honored to have been selected for membership in the FirstGen Forward Network, and we are excited to maximize the opportunities this partnership will allow,” said Kate Elliott, Luther’s dean of student success. “I want to publicly commend my team in the Office of Student Success, especially Dr. Ann Smith, assistant dean and director of disability services, and Dr. Jennifer Hanifl, director of TRIO Student Support Services.”

“We are pleased to welcome Luther College into the network,” said Sarah E. Whitley, executive vice president with FirstGen Forward. “Through the application process, it was evident that Luther College is not only taking steps to serve first-generation students but is prepared to make a long-term commitment and employ strategies that foster an environment of success for this important population.”

“Being named as a Network Member in the FirstGen Forward Network is an exciting opportunity for Luther College to join a dedicated community of professionals prepared to share evidence-based practices and resources, troubleshoot challenges, generate knowledge, and continue to advance the success of first-generation students across the country,” said Maurice Jones, CEO of FirstGen Forward. “We are excited to see a groundswell of activity from the Class of 2024 Network Members and know Luther College will be a significant contributor.”

A commitment to first-generation college students is personal for several key Luther staff members. Smith and Hanifl, as well as Provost Brad Chamberlain, were all first-generation college students in their own families. Smith and Hanifl will serve as Luther’s leadership team for FirstGen Forward. “Because of our personal experience as first-gen students, we are especially excited about this program and the resources it will bring to help our current generation of first-gen students,” said Hanifl. 

Both Hanifl and Smith have extensive professional experience working with the first-generation population. Before Luther, Hanifl was the director of the first-generation initiatives student program at Saint Mary’s University in Winona, Minn. As Luther’s director of TRIO Student Support Services, she serves first-generation college students, as well as income-eligible students and students with disabilities. Ann Smith supports TRIO in her role as assistant dean and works directly with providing services for students with disabilities at Luther. Luther has an over 50-year history with the federally funded TRIO programs.  

First-generation students in TRIO SSS are more likely to persist in their education, compared to their peers not in the program, largely because of TRIO’s support services. Based on federal funding levels, however, Luther’s TRIO program is able to serve less than half of Luther’s eligible first-gen students. “Of the 216 first-generation college students at Luther College in spring 2024, only 91 first-gens (approximately 42%) were served by the TRIO Student Support Services program,” said Hanifl. “The FirstGen Forward program will allow us to have nationwide support for more programming opportunities and, hopefully, funding to build out support for first-gens not in TRIO.”

She envisions programming such as persistence and academic recovery workshops, community-building, mentoring and networking geared toward first-generation students. “We will spend time digging deeper into what the students’ needs are,” Hanifl said. 

The FirstGen Forward program has three phases. After successful completion of the Network Member phase, institutions may progress to the second phase, FirstGen Forward Network Leader. Ultimately, all network institutions strive for national leadership as a FirstGen Forward Network Champion.

Hanifl is excited to work toward the champion phase of the network. 

“It’s all about creating community,” Hanifl said. “Luther is a wonderful community, but everyone needs a niche or group of their own. That’s what we are trying to create. Everyone needs a cohort or a family and a place that they can call their home away from home.”