Implementation and Art & Science Group Feedback

May 20, 2026

Implementation and Art & Science Group Feedback

Research

Purpose of Engagement

St. Olaf College hired Art & Science Group (A&S) to enhance its competitive standing among prospective undergraduates, aligning with the college’s strategic priorities. A&S aimed to provide market-informed perspectives to guide St. Olaf’s decision-making, strengthening its appeal, boosting current student satisfaction, and increasing its ability to sustainably attract desired students.

Research Process and Goals

A&S collaborated with a campus steering committee that included leadership, faculty, and staff. The process began with an intensive, multi-day discovery phase, including interviews and review of strategic planning documents. This prepared A&S for a two-phase, quantitative study of prospective students. Working with the steering committee, A&S developed surveys to be administered before and during the 2024–25 academic year, targeting key stages of the college-selection process (fall 2024 attendance, fall 2025 applications). The research had two main objectives: (1) assess St. Olaf’s appeal, current perceptions, strengths, and weaknesses in its markets, and (2) test strategic initiatives to see how proposed changes to the undergraduate experience could improve the college’s ability to attract and enroll highly desirable students nationwide.

Three PLT-Led teams

Primary strategic priorities from the Solution Seekers Strategic Plan
Intentional overlap between the teams
The work will be structured for cross-collaboration

Implications and Recommendations

St. Olaf has a meaningful opportunity to deepen its distinctive approach by more fully integrating creativity, innovation, and vocational exploration across the student experience. Advancing this vision will require intentional alignment across academics, advising, and co-curricular learning to support students in connecting their intellectual pursuits with lives of purpose and impact.

To move forward, the college should build on existing strengths by more clearly connecting academic study with experiential learning and career discernment, while strengthening advising structures that guide students in developing flexible, purpose-driven pathways. Greater coordination and visibility of these efforts will be essential to fully realize their value.

With focused and comprehensive implementation, this approach will strengthen student outcomes and enhance St. Olaf’s ability to attract and support students seeking an education grounded in both meaning and preparation for a changing world.

Feedback

Representatives from Art & Science were on campus to present their research, and we provided an overview of the next phase of implementation. We received 60+ responses across the three sessions. We asked faculty and staff to provide feedback focused on three questions:

What are we already providing to students?
What areas could we scale or improve on?
What are the gaps in our current offering?

sTRENGTHS

The Piper Center and CURI are nationally recognized engines for career prep and research.
Strong infrastructure for study abroad and study away opportunities.
Strong faculty-student connections and a team-based advising model.
Initial progress on micro-credentials and work-based learning.
5,000+ experiential learning opportunities for students.

Opportunities

Consider evolving the term “concentration” to “minor” — currently create confusion for students and employers.
Moving CURI from “exceptional” to “standard” across all majors (including Humanities/Arts).
Better integration between faculty and staff-led centers/departments — currently a “stay in your lane” culture.
Providing consistent, purposeful transportation to the Twin Cities to expand the “social and professional” campus.

sTRENGTHS

DiSCO/Makerspace
CILA and the impact on student learning
Creativity across curriculum and campus
January Term opportunities

Opportunities

Redefining “Innovation” — Clarifying the focus on leadership and entrepreneurship in existing spaces and classes.
Reconsider current OLE CORE requirements — heavy General Education (GE) load and class schedules limit opportunities for collaborative innovation.

sTRENGTHS

Strong campus community.
Meeting 100 percent of demonstrated need is a core identity and leads to a more diverse student body.
Division of Community and Belonging and its related departments.

Opportunities

Rescale the Lutheran identity — leaning into the “right” elements of the identity that matter to current students.
Improve upon traditions and opportunities to demonstrate school spirit.
Need to be quicker to respond to critical events or shifting student demographics.
Building a better change management culture.

Summary

The college provides a “fantastic base” of resources that prioritize experiential learning and holistic support.
St. Olaf doesn’t necessarily need more programs — it needs better connective tissue.
Need a “culture shift” that rewards faculty for innovation, better integration and connections between the centers and the curriculum, and ensures that the “value proposition” of a liberal arts degree is translated for the future success of our students.