The future is unpredictable, which is why higher education should equip you with the ability to be flexible and innovate. It must instill the determination needed to understand a problem, and explore solutions. Education should nurture creativity, so you can find new ways to turn smart ideas into reality. But these traits and skills, while valuable, can only be set into motion by one thing: transformative care.
Pacific Lutheran University is the small, private college where caring means more than kindness and consideration — it means a bold commitment to expanding well-being, opportunity, and justice. This commitment derives from our Lutheran heritage, and it defines our faculty and staff who work to create an environment where learners feel heard, and valued. It characterizes our student body, who aren’t afraid to do things differently to leave the world better than they found it. Caring motivates us to question paradigms and draw new connections in pursuit of truth, constantly challenging ourselves and the world we love to be better for our neighbors — those down the street, and thousands of miles away. PLU is more than a campus full of individuals pursuing their dreams — we’re a community of seekers, trailblazers, creators, and reformers who know we can accomplish more together than apart.
With an eye towards what’s possible and our feet on the ground, we see a future where care lies at the heart of every beneficial technological innovation, policy reform, and social movement that changes the way we live. The students we nurture and inspire become the minds and hearts driving that future. The PLU experience allows their ambition to blossom into purpose, their skills to sharpen into tools, and their caring to become a transformative force.
