Luther College, University of Regina

Luther College's university campus in Regina teaches courses for degrees in Arts, Fine Arts, and Science. The College also offers a residence for 225 students, an active extra-curricular program including chaplaincy, and special events for the wider community. Founded in 1913 as Luther Academy in Melville, the school was sponsored by German Lutherans who brought teachers from the United States, offering an academic oasis for the children of prairie settlers. The educational philosophy was from Lutheran schools in the United States, which blended the German models of universities and “folk schools.” Luther College thus emphasizes high-quality classroom teaching, the cultivation of leadership through extra-curricular involvement, and participation in a supportive community. In 1926 Luther College moved to Regina, offering the full high school curriculum plus the first year of university and attracting students from a broad religious and ethnic spectrum. Although the student body is no longer predominantly Lutheran, the College defines itself as a contribution from the Lutheran church to the wider community; it maintains a Lutheran and Christian identity while welcoming and supporting students from all faith backgrounds.

In the 1930s Luther initiated co-operation with Regina College, whereby its faculty provided courses at Regina College while Regina College faculty came to Luther to offer their subjects. When plans were made for Regina College to become the University of Regina, Luther was invited to join this venture as a federated college. It opened its new school on the university campus in 1971 while continuing to operate its high school on Royal Street. Federation allows the College to retain its administrative, financial, and philosophical independence from the University while its students enjoy full academic integration with the University and the other federated colleges. Luther has a seat on the University of Regina Senate, which gives it a voice in shaping the overall curriculum at the University of Regina. Luther College believes that intellectual growth needs to be accompanied by spiritual, moral, and ethical growth. The University's mandate to the federated colleges is to assist it in reflecting on values. The colleges bring a diversity of students, faculty, and educational philosophies to the University community, as well as history, tradition, and heritage. A Luther graduate, Henry Taube, is the only Saskatchewan-educated recipient of a Nobel Prize, and several alumni have been winners of the Rhodes Scholarship. Luther College today has about 11,000 alumni in 24 countries all over the world.

Richard Holdern