The Luther Blue Thread

During a tenure that spanned a global pandemic and a challenging higher ed landscape, President Jenifer K. Ward strengthened the fabric of Luther College.

President Jenifer K. Ward loves to point to “the Luther blue thread.” It pulls through the tapestry of the college, connecting past, present, and future. It pulls through the fabric of higher education, improvising through and over challenges and changes. And it pulls through the fabric of our world, “even when—especially when—the fabric is taut, frayed, or in need of repair,” she says.

As Ward, who’s retiring from Luther College in June, has led the college over the past six years, she’s thoughtfully, strategically, and masterfully guided that Luther blue thread through the tapestry of the college in a way that leaves it stronger, more flexible, and more resilient.

President Ward addressed the Luther community at her inauguration in November 2019.

Leading through a Pandemic

The full circle that Ward navigated during her presidency began with a major wobble. Just a few months in, she was deeply tested when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world. “In some ways, being a new president was not that much different from being a seasoned president in the sense that nobody knew what to do with a novel virus,” she says.

The life-and-death stakes of the challenge were intense. And it should be noted that during this time, Ward was navigating not just community health but her own cancer diagnosis (she is now cancer-free). “There are all kinds of challenges that I face as president that are not truly life or death,” she says. “But because this was a novel virus, every decision felt weighty. Should we have this policy or this other policy? Should we have this mitigation effort or not? All decisions were informed by the question in the back of my mind: Will the decision I make have an impact on actual human lives?”

In addition to shaping policies with literal life-and-death stakes, the virus required a shift to online learning that was a radical pivot for a residential college like Luther. As the pandemic progressed, calming and surging in unpredictable measures, Ward and others developed a thoughtful, flexible approach that allowed students to live and learn—and sing, eat, practice, compete, worship, and celebrate—together in person as much as possible.

Alignment on Campus

Alignment—of resources and purpose—has been a hallmark of Ward’s presidency. “A lot of the work that I’ve done is moving logs out of a logjam,” she says. “We tended to some processes, procedures, structures, and systems that needed attention.”

Under President Ward, the Regents Center, soon to be renamed the Gerdin Fieldhouse, will be renovated into a state-of-the-art athletics facility. In August, President Ward and student-athletes staged a ceremonial wall-breaking to kick off contruction.

Rather than a need for new buildings, Ward saw a need to repurpose existing buildings for today’s learning. Renovating the Regents Center into the Gerdin Fieldhouse will, she says, still support training, competition, and physical health, but it will also offer spaces for gathering, studying, and engagement. Preus Library, which is in the early stages of a reimagining, will still be a repository for print resources, but it will also have more gathering and engagement spaces and will headquarter all student services in the same place, turning the building from a traditional library into a learning commons. In addition, several classrooms on campus have been or will be renovated for 21st-century learning. These sorts of changes steward resources while also allowing Luther to flex and grow along with student needs.

During a time when colleges across the country have been struggling to maintain enrollment, some of the work that fell under Ward’s tenure was especially difficult, like reductions in staffing and academic programs. As alignments of resources have unfolded, Ward has asked the Luther community to align their sense of purpose as well.

“I’ve asked people to build a notion that we need to make decisions based on the needs of students and not have student needs subservient to our conveniences or desires,” she says. “In order to get an institutional focus, an institutional path, and institutional results, we have to integrate and coordinate. I can see a lot of the shifts that we’ve done as an institution that align with that.”

Centering Students

During her time at Luther, Ward has been especially proud of work the college has done to deepen a holistic approach to student education and success. At the heart of this work is the Office of Student Success, led by dean Kate Elliott under provost Brad Chamberlain, which coordinates and leverages staff and faculty in all areas.

During her tenure, President Jenifer K. Ward navigated an agreement with the University of Iowa for a 4+1 Bachelor’s to Master’s Degree Program in public health. 

This integrated model gathers together under one umbrella key elements of student support, including academic advising, tutoring, career and internship support, disability services, and more. It also improves and augments student support through new software, revised policies, and team-based approaches.

Also during Ward’s time at Luther, the college developed a new core curriculum, which hadn’t happened since 2005, emphasizing skill-building and experiential learning. It introduced new majors—like global health, law and values, and engineering science—and a counseling minor that reflect student interest and societal needs.

Under Ward, the college also developed regional partnerships that open up pathways for Luther students, like the AA to BA Social Work Transfer Pathway with Northeast Iowa Community College and the 4+1 Bachelor’s to Master’s Degree Program in public health with the University of Iowa.

Strengthening Ties to Decorah

The joke, Ward says, is that the Venn diagram of Luther and Decorah is a circle. “It’s a very close-knit community in all kinds of ways—not just by virtue of being geographically in the same place, but by having a shared history and in some senses a shared culture.”

She continues, “We are too small a town, and Luther College has too much outsized influence, not to be joined at the hip. We have mutual interests, and the degree to which Luther is healthy is going to be the degree to which the town is healthy—and vice versa.”

Ward has been pragmatic about Luther’s core function—education—and about where Luther should lean on community partners. In 2022, she led the college to a strategic partnership with WinnMed to provide student health services and athletic training on campus. “They do health care. We do education. Why don’t we make common cause?” she says.

She also recognizes a mutual benefit when it comes to student learning, saying, “There is great opportunity for us to do curricular work using Decorah as our classroom while providing needed service to local employers.”

Historic Giving and Spotting Talent

Under Ward, the college has seen historic philanthropy, including its largest single year of fundraising, with just over $34 million committed in the 2023–24 fiscal year. Credit for this lies in the generosity of Luther donors, but Ward is also pleased with the stellar work of the Advancement Office under Ward’s 2022 hire for vice president for advancement, Mary Duvall.

President Ward and others celebrate a historic $10 million gift to the college from Mike Gerdin '92; his wife, Nicole; and the Gerdin Family Foundation.

Ward’s gift at spotting talent has had repercussions throughout the college. About her cabinet members, Ward says, “I’ve been able to witness how a group of people from different divisional commitments can come together and think institutionally.” She’s proud to have given deserving people these opportunities.

Key among them is current provost and future president of Luther College, Brad Chamberlain, who will assume the role of president on February 7, 2025, while Ward continues with the college on special projects through June. “I was here for two weeks when I said, I want him on the cabinet,” Ward says. “I’ve seen him step up to every challenge.”

Looking Forward

Whether it’s owing to an alignment of purpose and resources, a laser focus on student experience, the rejuvenation of campus facilities, a dedicated staff and faculty under a talent-spotting leader, or something ineffable—let’s call it some Luther magic—Luther is entering its next era with reason for optimism.

President Ward congratulates graduates during a Luther College Commencement ceremony.

Trends in higher ed nationwide have shown a decline in college enrollment over the past decade, but Luther’s 2024 fall enrollment in its first-year class was up 6.6 percent.

Coinciding with this is the college’s high rankings on national lists this fall, including those from the U.S. News & World Report, Princeton Review, and Wall Street Journal.

It’s a satisfying state in which to leave a college, and she recognizes that one year’s data is not a trend, but she’s buoyed by the Luther community’s commitment to the college’s future health. “The tapestry may be changing all around it,” she says, “but that Luther blue thread that pulls through it holds from one generation to the next.”

On December 4, during a Christmas at Luther dress rehearsal, President Ward heard the world premiere of a surprise composition the Board of Regents commissioned in her honor. The piece, “Refugee” by James Deignan ’15, celebrated the theme of her inauguration: always becoming. Conductor Andy Last ’97 presented her with the framed sheet music for the piece. Ward similarly commissioned a hymn as a gift to the college for her inauguration ceremony in 2019. “It felt like a full-circle moment,” she says.

What’s Next for President Ward? Changing the Wallpaper

A scholar of German, Ward points to her favorite German phrase: Der Tapetenwechsel. “It literally means ‘the changing of the wallpaper,’” she says. “In a figurative sense, it has to do with the change of perspective or refreshment that comes from changing your environment or frame of reference.” It’s key to a successful college presidency and also integral to a college. “The reason for being on a college campus is to foster curiosity, expand your horizon, and widen your lens,” she says. “It’s 24/7/365 Tapetenwechsel.”

Ward, who’s lived or worked on a college campus since her freshman year in 1976, will certainly miss the higher ed atmosphere. But, she says, “I’m too curious, too hungry for experiences to be a candidate for the remote control and the recliner.” She imagines that eventually she’ll consult or serve in interim positions. She’ll pursue her many creative interests. She dreams of hosting a European-style salon, “exploring big ideas with thoughtful, creative people who might make the world better by the sheer force of synergy.” “It’s hard for me to rule things out during retirement,” she says. “I have a little bit of choice paralysis, but I suspect that the first little bit will be devoted to saying yes to lots of things I’ve had to say no to.”

Well Wishers

“In her inaugural address, President Ward shared that her service as Luther’s 11th president would be grounded in “always becoming”—adapting to changing circumstances, “embracing questions, uncertainty, and forced detours with a sense of adventure.” At that time, none of us had any idea of how important this belief would be in facing the challenges and uncertainties of COVID-19, the rapid changes in higher education, and the impacts on Luther College. The Board of Regents is grateful to President Ward for her steadfast leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment to the mission of Luther College and the perseverance, achievements, and well-being of Luther’s students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends over these past six years.”

—Bob Paulson ’78, Board of Regents Chair

“President Ward modeled how to recognize and lean into the hyphens, the connections that expand and enrich identity—connections such as teacher-scholar or student-athlete. In my mind, a core aspect of the liberal arts is building in students the ability to articulate, connect, and activate ideas. President Ward kept the entire Luther College community grounded in this focus throughout her presidency, and I am grateful to her for it.”

—Brad Chamberlain, provost and president-elect 

President Ward traveled to Norway last summer to spend time with Nordic Choir during their tour abroad.

President Ward has been steadfast in her attendance of student performances, concerts, athletics events, poster sessions, and in her support of students generally. It’s no surprise that she’s garnered tons of student supporters, like those quoted below.

“My relationship with President Ward really bloomed in our ‘leader-to-leader’ gatherings. We spoke at length of our experiences with community engagement and servant leadership, but more importantly our discussions included our individual experiences and feelings about being in positions of responsibility. It was here that I learned to truly appreciate the microcosm that Luther is able to foster for student voices.”

—Jaraad Ahmed ’25

“President Ward’s support for athletics has been incredibly meaningful to my teammates and me during my time at Luther. It was inspiring to see her in the stands, cheering us on and celebrating our hard work. It really showed how invested she was in our success.”

—Matthew Franzen ’24

“President Ward was such an involved and supportive figure in many aspects of student life during my time at Luther. During one teary-eyed performance of Puccini’s La Bohème during Symphony Orchestra’s Vienna Residency, she offered me what she called ‘the best tissue you’ll ever experience,’ a German four-ply. When we got back from the tour, she had a whole pack of tissues waiting for me.”

—Eric Head ’23

“President Ward’s support for students is always present, from sitting front row at Christmas at Luther and CFA performances to being a regular attendee at chapel and athletic competitions. She has gone out of her way multiple times to acknowledge me, check in on my well-being, and answer my questions. It is with a heavy yet grateful heart that I bid farewell to her.”

—Samuel Scheffler ’26 

“I really appreciated that President Ward made an effort to get to know students from all areas. It’s very common that we hear names of administration without really knowing them, but she prioritized her presence among us. I have many stories I could share about her, which is really just a testament to her involvement with the community and building relationships with students.”

—Lani Himegarner ’24