CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Four colleges of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will develop a plan to create "intellectually and socially" diverse campuses. The consortium -- Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn.; Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn.; St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn.; and Luther College, Decorah, Iowa -- received a $184,000 grant from the Teagle Foundation for the project.
The colleges will collect data, plan strategies and design programs to work for ethnic diversity on campus among all students and staff. They will put special emphasis on building a sensitive and supportive campus environment for students and staff of color.
"This project will enable four colleges which are similar in character, geography and mission to collaborate in addressing the common challenge of diversity," said Dr. Paul J. Dovre, president of Concordia College. "We believe this effort will serve as a powerful catalyst for self-understanding and effective change."
The consortium begins the project this month and will conduct it in three phases. In the first phase each college will study and identify issues of ethnic diversity on campus. The second phase will include the development of "lead teams" to plan for change. Implementation of those plans is the third phase.
The Teagle Foundation, a philanthropic organization that supports higher education institutions, is located in New Jersey.
For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
