Dear Luther Seminary community,
Last week I promised an announcement about our decision for course delivery in the fall.
Today, I want to let you know that after receiving input from faculty, key staff, and public health officials, and carefully weighing the options, faculty leadership and the administrative team have together decided to hold classes online this fall.
Please watch the video below for all the details. Key takeaways from the video are also posted below.
-President Robin J. Steinke
Highlights
- Classes will be held online during fall semester 2020.
- The one exception is that the MDivX planning team is considering the possibility of holding an in-person RFS course for the second MDivX cohort in September. The MDivX team will share directly with the cohort in early July following their decision.
- Behind this decision is our commitment to providing high-quality education for our students in the safest and least disruptive manner possible. Holding classes online helps us protect the most vulnerable in our community, especially those who are in caretaking roles or are themselves in populations at greater risk for severe infection. Additionally, if a renewed wave of COVID-19 occurs this fall, it will be less disruptive to start and end classes online rather than shifting course delivery modalities partway through the semester.
- If you’re an international student, the Office of International Student and Scholar Affairs (ISSA) will continue to be in touch with international students about their immigration status.
- If you currently live in on-campus housing, you may remain there according to your lease terms. The plan is not to open up housing to new residents until on-campus classes resume—however, if this poses a hardship for you, you are invited to submit a petition for consideration.
- We have not yet made a decision about dining services for the fall; however, we are committed to meeting the needs of residential students and will continue to keep you updated.
- No decision has been made about winter term and spring semester. We’re continuing to look ahead and will stay in touch as the situation unfolds.
- If you have academic advising questions or concerns, please talk with your faculty advisor, Sarah Luedtke-Jones (M.A. and M.Div.), Jeni Mullinex (Th.M., D.Min., Ph.D.), or the Registrar’s Office.
- Please don’t forget that we offer spiritual direction and counseling resources. Contact Pastor Jeni if you would like to know more.