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Each college has its separate character - a uniqueness which sets it apart from other colleges. Consider the religious heritage and commitment, the nature of the community in which it resides, the mission, the size, its faculty and students, its vision and its dreams, and an image of its character emerges. Wisconsin Lutheran College is one of those very special Christian colleges combining the excitement and vitality of a large metropolitan area with the seriousness of helping students to understand more fully the Scriptural implications for their lives, as well as the world in which they live.
History
When a handful of dedicated Christian men gathered to organize this liberal arts college in the early 1970s, they had little more than a strong faith in God and great determination. They had no facilities and no faculty. By the grace of God they opened the junior college in the fall of 1973 with a part-time faculty and two dozen students. It wasn’t until two years later that the school, affiliated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, had its first full-time president.
Wisconsin Lutheran College purchased facilities in 1977: five buildings on an eight and a half acre campus. In 1982, the college purchased the library holdings from Milton College, which was closing. In 1983, the college purchased the science laboratory furnishings of the closing University of Wisconsin-Medford Center, another addition that helped the college pursue a dream: to become a four-year college.
The Board of Regents approved a comprehensive curriculum plan in 1984, and an evaluation team from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools concurred with the Board’s decision, agreeing that the necessary planning and resources existed to enable Wisconsin Lutheran College to move toward accreditation as a baccalaureate degree-granting institution.
In 1985, two and a half acres adjacent to the college were purchased for future campus development. In May of 1987, the first 12 students graduated from the new four-year curriculum with baccalaureate degrees, and the college was granted initial accreditation. Accreditation status by the Higher Learning Commission was reaffirmed in 2005 and 2015.
In 1988, the Marvin M. Schwan Library was completed and dedicated. In 1991, construction began on a second building, the Recreation Complex. A third building, the Center for Arts and Performance, was completed in 1996, and the Campus Center was finished and dedicated in 1998. Two new residence halls were dedicated in 2000, and a new academic building was completed in 2004. The college’s purchase of 26 acres of nearby land on the Milwaukee County Grounds in 2003 enabled athletic fields to be developed and dedicated in 2005. The Outdoor Athletic Center opened at the athletic fields in 2011. A new residence hall on Wisconsin Avenue opened in 2014, and a parking center opened in 2016.
Dr. Gary J. Greenfield served as the college’s first full-time president; he retired in June of 2003. Dr. Timothy J. Kriewall was inaugurated as the second president in September of 2003; he retired in June of 2008. Dr. Daniel W. Johnson was inaugurated as the college’s third president in April of 2009.
In 2010, the college began offering an adult degree completion program and a Master of Arts degree through the College of Adult and Graduate Studies. Wisconsin Lutheran College has been ranked annually as one of America’s top colleges. To God be the glory for this amazing history.
Identity
Wisconsin Lutheran College is a four-year liberal arts college affiliated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. It is located in Milwaukee. The college has a two-semester academic year and awards the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees with liberal arts and professional majors and several pre-professional programs.
Purpose
Wisconsin Lutheran College is a Christian school of higher education offering a program in the arts and sciences. Realizing that in Chris “are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,” the college integrates God’s truths into every discipline, helping students relate their faith to life in today’s world. Its primary purpose is to provide higher education for students interested in the arts and sciences taught within the framework of Christian doctrine. Although Wisconsin Lutheran College programs are designed for job preparation and upgrading, they are all the more concerned with preparing young Christian men and women to face life and deal with it through the application of Christian principles found in God’s Word.
Organization
Wisconsin Lutheran College is owned, operated, and maintained by a national conference of Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod congregations. The individual congregations, through their elected delegates, maintain the ultimate control of the school. The Board of Regents is charged with the responsibility of providing an effective local administrative organization through which the purpose of the college can be achieved. The Board of Regents discharges most of its functions in consultation with and through the president of the college, who represents the faculty and is directly responsible to the Board of Regents and the Wisconsin Lutheran College Conference, Incorporated.
The academic offerings and student services described in the catalog represent a description of Wisconsin Lutheran College as it ordinarily operates. However, the college reserves the right to make changes as circumstances warrant.
Philosophy
- Declaration of Faith
Wisconsin Lutheran College believes, teaches and confesses that the 66 canonical books of the Old and New Testaments–in all their words and all their parts–are the inspired and inerrant Word of God, that these Holy Scriptures are the only source and authority for Christian doctrine and life, that they are efficacious in presenting God’s plan of salvation through Law and Gospel, and that they are sufficient and clear in revealing God’s truth. Wisconsin Lutheran College believes, teaches, and confesses all the symbols of the Evangelical Lutheran Church as contained in the Book of Concord of 1580 without reservation, not insofar as, but because they are a correct presentation and explanation of the Word of God and a summary of the faith of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. These symbols are the three ecumenical Creeds (Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian), Dr. Martin Luther’s Small Catechism, Dr. Martin Luther’s Large Catechism, the Unaltered Augsburg Confession, the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald Articles, and the Formula of Concord.
- Adherence
All that is done or taught at Wisconsin Lutheran College shall be in accordance with the Word of God. Likewise, any controversies or disputes shall be settled by the norm of Holy Scripture.
- Confessional Affiliation
Wisconsin Lutheran College shall maintain confessional fellowship only with a church body that holds to all the truths of God’s Word in doctrine and practice and is bound to the confession of faith set forth in this philosophy if, and as long as, such a church body exists.
- Principles of Education
Wisconsin Lutheran College accepts the principle that education is inseparable from religion, that all knowledge in all areas of human thought and endeavor is worthy of inquiry when viewed in the light of human sin and divine grace. It is also committed to the total development of its students, not just intellectually, but also spiritually, emotionally, physically, and socially. In this Christian college the main source of life and growth is God’s Word. As members of the Body of Christ, all serve and are served, all teach and all learn. All recognize that the freedom of the Christian life lies within the bounds set forth in Holy Scripture.
Mission of Wisconsin Lutheran College
Wisconsin Lutheran College, affiliated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, is a Lutheran liberal arts college for Christian men and women. The college is committed to providing quality teaching, scholarship, and service that are rooted in Holy Scripture; promoting the spiritual growth of students, faculty, and staff; and preparing students for lives of Christian leadership.
Accreditation
Wisconsin Lutheran College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.
The Higher Learning Commission
Telephone: 312.263.0456
Website: www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org
The programs of teacher education are approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The Nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The Sport and Exercise Science program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
Effective Academic Catalog
The academic catalog is published in electronic format every year as an academic resource for students. The entire college catalog, including recent archived copies, can be found on the college’s website. Students should contact their advisor, a College dean, or the Registrar’s Office if the catalog does not answer their questions.
Students are bound by the policies, regulations, and General Education requirements of the catalog in effect at their enrollment at Wisconsin Lutheran College. Students will be bound by the major and minor requirements of the catalog at the time of declaration unless granted exception by a college dean. Students who interrupt their progress toward a degree by withdrawing from the college and then re-enrolling at a later date must abide by the catalog in effect at the time of re-admission if that absence has been more than two consecutive semesters.
All statements contained in this bulletin reflect the approved policies of Wisconsin Lutheran College that were in effect as of July 1, 2024. However, for the best possible educational experience of its students, or for unexpected financial reasons, the college reserves its right to change at any time any of the provisions, statements, policies, curricula, procedures, regulations, and fees.
FERPA
Wisconsin Lutheran College voluntarily complies with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and its amendments. Students have the right to inspect the contents of their campus files and records. Student information other than “directory information” will not be released to people outside the college without student authorization. WLC designates the following as “directory information”: student name, address, telephone number, grade level, WLC issued email, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of athletic teams, enrollment status, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, most recent previous school attended, and photograph. Wisconsin Lutheran College may disclose any of those items without prior written consent unless notified in writing within five days of the opening of any given semester or summer session. The relationship Scripture establishes between parents and dependent children is recognized by the college in sharing important information regarding a student’s health, status, and well-being with parents.
DEFINITIONS
The following are terms necessary for discussing Wisconsin Lutheran College’s policy on student records:
Student: any person who is attending or has attended Wisconsin Lutheran College.
Staff Member: any full-time faculty member; any member of the teaching staff; any member of the administrative staff.
Educational Records: any record (in handwriting, print, tape, film, digital, or other medium) maintained by Wisconsin Lutheran College or its agent which is directly related to a student except:
1. A personal record kept by a staff member, if it is kept in the personal possession of the person who made the record and information contained in the record has never been revealed to any other person except his/her temporary substitute.
2. An employment record of an individual whose employment is not contingent on the fact that he/she is a student, provided that the record is used only in relation to the individual’s employment.
3. Any record maintained by any type of security unit if the record is maintained solely for law enforcement purposes, is revealed only to law enforcement agencies of the same jurisdiction, and the security unit is without access to educational records maintained by the College.
4. Records maintained by any health care office or division of Student Life if the records are used only for treatment of a student and made available only to those persons providing the treatment.
5. An alumni record which contains information about a student after he/she is no longer attending Wisconsin Lutheran College and the record does not relate to the person as a student.
ANNUAL NOTIFICATION
Students will be notified of their Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) rights annually by publication in the Student Handbook and by an announcement in myWLC.
PROCEDURE TO INSPECT EDUCATIONAL RECORDS
Students may inspect and review their educational records upon request. They should submit to the Registrar a written request which identifies as precisely as possible the record or records they wish to inspect. The Registrar will access the record and notify the student. Access must be given in 45 days or less from the receipt of the request. When a record contains information about more than one student, the requesting student may inspect and review only the records which relate to him or her.
RIGHT TO REQUEST AMENDMENT OF EDUCATIONAL RECORDS
Students may request that their education records be amended if they believe them to be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. A student who wishes to ask WLC to amend a record should do so by writing to the College official who is responsible for the record. The written request should clearly state which record(s) need to be amended and why. WLC will notify the student in writing of any decisions. If WLC decides not to amend the record as requested, the College will notify the student in writing of the decision and
advise the student of their right to a hearing.
RIGHT OF WISCONSIN LUTHERAN COLLEGE TO REFUSE ACCESS
Wisconsin Lutheran College reserves the right to refuse to permit a student to inspect the following records:
1. The financial statement of his or her parents.
2. Letters and statements of recommendation for which the student has waived his or her right of access or which were placed in file before January 1, 1975.
3. Records connected with an application to attend Wisconsin Lutheran College if that application was denied.
4. Those records which are excluded from the FERPA definition of educational records.
REFUSAL TO PROVIDE COPIES
Wisconsin Lutheran College reserves the right to deny transcripts or copies of records not required to be made available by the FERPA in any of the following situations:
1. The student has an unpaid financial obligation to Wisconsin Lutheran College.
2. There is an unresolved disciplinary action against the student.
FEES FOR COPIES OF RECORDS
The fee for copies will be $1.00 per page plus postage if mailing is required.
TYPES, LOCATIONS, AND CUSTODIANS OF EDUCATIONAL RECORDS
The following is a list of the types of records that Wisconsin Lutheran College maintains, their locations, and their custodians.
Admissions Records: held in the Central File, controlled by the Admissions Office.
Cumulative Academic Records: current and former students’ are held in the Registrar’s Office by the Registrar.
Disciplinary Records: held by the Vice President of Student Life in the Office of Student Life.
Financial Records: held in the Business Office by the Vice President of Finance.
Financial Aid Records: held in the Financial Aid Office by the Director of Financial Aid.
Health Records: found in the Student Health Center and held by the Director of Student Health.
Occasional Records (Students’ educational records not included above, i.e., minutes of faculty committee meetings, copies of correspondence in offices not listed above, etc.): If such records are desired, the appropriate official will collect such records, direct the student to their location, or otherwise make them available for inspection and review.
Transcript Records: all transcript records are controlled by the Registrar’s Office.
DISCLOSURE OF EDUCATIONAL RECORDS
Wisconsin Lutheran College will disclose information from a student’s educational records only with his or her written consent (e.g., to officials of another school, upon request, in which he or she seeks or intends to enroll) except:
1. To school officials who have a legitimate interest in the records. A school official is a person who is employed by Wisconsin Lutheran College in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position; a person elected to the Board of Regents; a person, such as an attorney or auditor, employed by or under contract with Wisconsin Lutheran College to perform a special task. A school official has a legitimate interest if the official is:
a. Performing a task that is specified in his/her position description or by a contract agreement.
b. Performing a task related to a student’s education.
c. Performing a task related to a student’s discipline.
d. Providing a service or benefit related to a student or his or her family, such as health care, counseling, job placement, or financial aid.
2. To certain officials of the U.S. Department of Education, the Comptroller General, and the state and local education authorities if connected with certain state or federally supported education programs.
3. In connection with a student’s request for or receipt of financial aid, as necessary to determine eligibility, amount, or conditions of the financial aid or to enforce the terms and conditions of the aid.
4. If required by a state law adopted before November 19, 1974, requiring disclosure.
5. To organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of Wisconsin Lutheran College.
6. To accredited organizations to carry out their functions.
7. To a student’s parents who claim him or her as a dependent for income tax purposes.
8. To comply with a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena.
9. To appropriate parties in a health or safety emergency.
10. To Military recruiters who request ‘directory information’ for recruiting information (Solomon Amendment).
RIGHT TO FILE COMPLAINT
Students have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:
Family Policy Compliance Office; U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW; Washington, DC, 20202-5920
phone: 202.260.3887; fax: 202.260.9001; email: ferpa@ed.gov
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