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Luther students display Nordic art in local coffee shop.
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Luther alum Erin Alberty (‘01) part of Pulitzerwinning reporting team.
Men’s tennis faces rival Coe College.
LUTHER COLLEGE
“Let the chips fall where they may.”
APRIL 27, 2017
CHIPS
Serving the Luther College community since 1884.
VOLUME 139, NO. 20
Faculty vote to remove fields of study Luther faculty voted on April 11 to remove two majors, three minors, and one full program in a decision that will now move to the Board of Regents for final approval.
BEN SELCKE STAFF WRITER Luther faculty voted on April 11 to remove two majors, three minors and one full program from the college’s offerings in a step attempting to address the major ramifications of declining enrollment. Faculty voted to keep one program from those recommended for removal, and all results will proceed to the Board of Regents for final approval. Those fields selected for removal are the athletic training major, the dance major, the K-12 health education minor, the physical education minor, secondary education minor in world languages, and the Russian language program. The Chinese program was the only candidate not voted for removal from those considered. Although faculty voted for the intersections program to be removed, they did so on the condition that the 100-level intersections classes remain, thus eliminating only the 200-, 300-, and 400-level classes. Further, the college will continue to offer dance classes despite the vote for removal of that major. While initially on the Academic Planning Committee’s (APC) list for removal, the German department revised its major and the APC
Matt Knake (‘14) works in the athletic training clinic. Faculty voted on April 11 to remove the athletic training major. Photo courtesy of luther.edu subsequently removed the department from the voting list on April 11. “German is here to stay in its revised form,” APC Chair and Associate Professor of Physics Todd Pedlar said. If the Board of Regents approves these decisions, there will be a conflict regarding those tenured professors whose area of instruction have been voted for removal. Both the Faculty
Women and gender studies considers changes to program and name XAVIER CONZET STAFF WRITER Luther’s women and gender studies (WGST) department is considering changing its program to more specifically address intersectionality and collaboration, a shift that comes in light of the department’s fall 2016 external review. According to Professor of Sociology and head of the WGST department Char Kunkel, they have not currently considered a name change for the major, but hope to attract more students and to blend areas of study. “We hope the potential program
will take shape and rebrand our program to draw more students, provide them an intellectual home, recruit and retain students of difference, and provide an intellectual community that works together instead of siloing differences,” Kunkel said. Although no decisions have been made regarding a new name, Kunkel presented a powerpoint several times since the fall titled, “Identity Studies: a focus on intersectionality,” indicating that the program may be renamed along those lines. Kunkel’s presentation emphasized that a change to the program could recruit students and faculty from diverse backgrounds
Interests Committee and the Tenure and Promotion Committee are involved in this process, which according the faculty handbook entails “a horizontal shift of responsibility (from one academic department to another or from an academic department to an administrative office.” REMOVAL | PAGE 1
College 2017-18 budget reductions total $650,000 SHASA SARTIN STAFF WRITER
and retain them for the future as the WGST department attempts to expand the program. The considerations are influenced by similar changes in gender and sexuality studies departments at other schools, including Beloit College, American University, the University of San Francisco, and two universities in Canada. Those schools have all renamed their departments in favor of titles like Critical Diversity Studies and Critical Identity Studies, and reshaped those programs to offer multiple themes and specializations.
Luther administration announced its plans to cut the college’s budget by approximately $650,000 on April 7, a decision that includes increasing rent to collegeowned rental houses and leaving positions vacated by departing staff unfilled. President Paula Carlson and Vice President for Finance and Administration Eric Runestad announced the budget cuts which will be implemented in the 2017-2018 school year. The plan targets 17 total areas of campus operation, and, according to Carlson’s and Runestad’s document, aims to both maximize available funds and reduce expenses. Runestad stressed student well-being as imperative for the college in both an interview and in a meeting open to all staff members involved in the budget planning process on April 21. Approximately 25 staff members attended the meeting, which was aimed at clarifying how the administration reached its budget decisions.
WGST | PAGE 4
BUDGET | PAGE 4