Commitment to Community and Belonging

  • Community and Belonging
  • Our Work
  • Commitments
  • Commitment to Community and Belonging
Founded in 1874 to educate the immigrant, the first-generation student, women, and the working class, diversity, equity, and inclusion has been foundational to the mission of St. Olaf College. Today we continue to strive to be a campus of welcome where students, faculty, and staff thrive by bringing their full humanity — gender identity, sexuality, race, ethnicity, national origin, socioeconomic class, disability, religion, spirituality, and age — to the Hill each day. While much progress has been made since the founding of the college, our aspirations for inclusive excellence must be ongoing, intentional, and transparent to everyone in our community, both in the present and future.

St. Olaf has established the following aspirations (intended outcomes) for its DEI work:

Diversity: The diversity of St. Olaf students, faculty, and staff will reflect the diversity of the population of prospective students we seek to serve.

Equity: Students, faculty, and staff of all identities will thrive through high-quality experiences and excellent outcomes.

Inclusion: Students, faculty, and staff of all identities will express a strong sense of belonging, connection, and agency in relation to the college.

For information about our progress in achieving these aspirations for all members of the St. Olaf community, see our DEI data pages:

diversity, equity, and inclusion dashboards ➤