Identity and Mission at
St. Olaf College

St. Olaf…provides an education committed to the liberal arts, rooted in the Christian gospel, and incorporating a global perspective. In the conviction that life is more than a livelihood, it focuses on what is ultimately worthwhile and fosters the development of the whole person in mind, body, and spirit…It stimulates students’ critical thinking and heightens their moral sensitivity; it encourages them to be seekers of truth, leading lives of unselfish service to others; and it challenges them to be responsible and knowledgeable citizens of the world.

— St. Olaf Mission Statement

From its Norwegian American Lutheran roots to its current identity as both a secular institution and a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, St. Olaf has always sought to go beyond strictly academic instruction. Instead, the college focuses on the development of mind, body and spirit, acknowledging and celebrating the undeniable linkage of the three, nurturing individuals who seek life rather than just a livelihood.

In this way, St. Olaf does not plant to create a new program at the college with the funds received from the grant, but rather extend and enhance the programs and convictions already in place at the college.