Goals for Student Learning

Graduates of Luther College should be individuals with disciplined and inquisitive minds, equipped to understand and confront a changing society, and committed to using their talents to serve the common good.

As a liberal arts college of the church, Luther College seeks to ensure that all students will grow in knowledge and abilities and mature in values during their undergraduate years and be motivated to continue this growth throughout their lives. The college expects students to pursue these goals in both independent and collaborative settings. It provides an environment in which students are active participants in shaping their intellectual and personal development.

Knowledge

Students who demonstrate breadth of knowledge are able to: understand the significance of major intellectual, artistic, and social landmarks of human history; recognize and understand the diversity of people and societies, both historically and cross-culturally; use methodologies from different disciplines with competence and creativity; explore where disciplines intersect, including tensions, differing perspectives, and possibilities for dialogue.

Students who demonstrate depth of knowledge are able to: exhibit proficiency in a core area of knowledge; acquire and develop relevant skills; use appropriate methods to acquire, evaluate and apply knowledge; identify, analyze, assess, and respond to ethical issues arising within fields of inquiry.

Abilities

Students who demonstrate the ability to engage in inquiry are able to: identify, gather, and use relevant information in an ethical and legal manner; analyze sources critically and synthesize information; devise appropriate methods to investigate a problem or issue and provide creative solutions; use appropriate technologies to investigate a problem, analyze information, and communicate results; identify the limitations of findings and develop questions for further inquiry.

Students who demonstrate the ability to reason are able to: critique and construct arguments while making rational judgments about their accuracy and usefulness; construct, interpret, and evaluate mathematical models, including various modes of data and information presentation; solve problems by identifying and applying appropriate strategies.

Students who demonstrate the ability to communicate are able to: write with fluency, clarity, and coherence; read, comprehend, and appreciate various types of literature; speak confidently and coherently in both formal and informal settings; listen with objectivity and empathy; work productively in a collaborative environment.

Values

Students who demonstrate growth in the following values are able to: engage critically in the ongoing dialogue between faith and learning; better understand Christianity and other religious traditions; respond individually and collectively to ethical challenges confronting the world, especially issues related to justice, peace, and the environment; develop a sense of vocation, connecting life's work with service; cultivate healthy lifestyles, aesthetic sensitivity, and intellectual curiosity.