Luther College Unveils New Mission, Identity, Vision and Values Statements

Local voices matter. Help us amplify them by contributing to your local newsroom. DECORAH — Marking the start of the fall 2025 semester at Luther College, President Brad Chamberlain introduced a new college mission statement, along with supporting identity, vision and values statements, to the campus community. The announcement was made during the college's annual Service of Dedication and marked the completion of a two-year collaboration among faculty, staff, students and supporters of Luther to revise the mission statement. Luther last revised its mission statement in 2006. Chamberlain's remarks highlighted how the revised mission provides clarity and focus for the college community. "Taken together with our compass points (honesty, hope, pride and belief), these new elements will support the focus we need as a community to thrive during a tumultuous time for society in general and higher education in particular. Our identity statement provides clarity about who we are. Our mission statement describes what we do. Our vision statement signals where we are going and our values explain why we act," he said. Since the summer of 2024, the Mission Statement Task Force has met with various constituents, taking feedback and vetting drafts of the statement. The five-person task force completed its last revisions at the end of the spring 2025 semester. The final draft was presented to the Board of Regents for their consideration this summer. The Regents unanimously approved the revision in July. "I am thankful for the many hours of thoughtful deliberation and input from our task force, but truly, this was a campus-wide effort," Chamberlain said. "Numerous formal and informal meetings provided the feedback that led us to the version we presented to the Board of Regents this summer. The stewardship of the task force was essential to the completion of the project." Banners showcasing Luther's mission statement and supporting identity, vision and values statements hang in the lobby of the Center for Faith and Life. The task force included Jon Jensen, professor of philosophy and environmental studies and director of the Center for Sustainable Communities; Maren Johnson, associate professor of Nordic studies and director of the Torgerson Center for Nordic Studies; David Thompson, professor of Spanish; Michelle Boike, assistant dean and director of the Center for Intercultural Engagement and Support; Andrew Peter '14, director of principal and major gifts; and Chamberlain. Over the course of the upcoming weeks, updates to websites, documents and presentations will begin to display the new mission statement. The revised mission and supporting documents can be found online at Luther.edu/about/mission. Watch this video to hear President Chamberlain's speech at the Service of Dedication on Aug. 27, 2025. Don't miss out on important updates! Subscribe to the newsletter for free and stay informed about local topics that matter most to you.