August 23, 2007
The 2007-08 academic year marks the 133rd year in the life of St. Olaf College, and as with each new academic year we welcome both the responsibility to honor the legacy we have inherited and the opportunity to work together to create the College’s future, guided by our clear and distinctive mission — to provide a liberal arts education rooted in the Christian Gospel and incorporating a global perspective. We invite you to be part of our work together. Here are some suggestions for how to do that.
This semester begins the second year of the college’s exploration of the theme of “Global Citizenship and the Liberal Arts.” This year we will focus on the topics “Liberal Arts in Times of War” (semester one) and “Civic Engagement and the Liberal Arts” (semester two). Students and faculty both in courses throughout the curriculum and through a series of special convocations, lectures and panel discussions will focus upon how the disciplines of the liberal arts can help us understand war and then how the liberal arts can shape our response to that understanding. Details about on-campus events relating to this theme are posted on the Global Theme website.
Daily chapel remains central to the life of the St. Olaf community. Chapel services are streamed and achived on the web, and we welcome listeners to join us each day. Daily chapel begins September 5, the first day of class. Visit the master calendar for information about each service.
Work continues apace on the new Science Complex scheduled for completion in fall 2008. This new complex will strengthen our exemplary science and mathematics programs in an innovative, research-rich environment in which students can explore the natural world in all of its beauty, complexity, diversity, wonder and mystery. To learn more about the project, and to watch the construction in real time, select the “Math + Science Campaign” button on the home page.
There aren’t many more beautiful places in America on an autumn afternoon than the athletic fields at St. Olaf to watch student athletes competing against each other, and there is no purer form of collegiate athletic competition than NCAA Division III athletics as practiced at our College. We invite you to join us and cheer for the Oles as often as you can.
St. Olaf will be making a bold move this year by offering a live simulcast of the Christmas Festival in theaters in selected cities around the country. Visit the Christmas Festival website for a list of the cities where the simulcasts will be offered and for ticket information.
These are only some of the ways to engage the college and to stay connected with this special place. We invite your thoughts, comments, support and prayers at the beginning of the new academic year.
David R. Anderson ’74