Just down the hill from Luther’s own statue of Martin Luther stands Olson Hall. Come next year, the upperclassmen dorm will undergo big changes.
In an email sent to Luther College students, faculty, and staff on January 22, President Jenifer K. Ward announced that effective next school year, Olson Hall is being transitioned into “swing space” as part of the Campus Master Plan. This change also means that Olson Hall will be removed from the rotation of student housing available beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.
“With Preus Library, Regents/Gerdin, and potentially work in both Main and Dahl Centennial Union on the horizon in years to come, having an area that serves as a relocation area for offices and other functions on campus is essential,” Ward said in the email. “Olson Hall was identified as this space.”
According to the Master Plan, Olson Hall will serve multiple purposes as a swing space. The building will provide necessary office space, and will also likely be used for storage, as other buildings on campus enter the renovation process. Current buildings undergoing “feasibility studies” for renovation include Main Building and Preus Library.
Director of Facilities Services Jay Uthoff told CHIPS that all members of the team working on the Master Plan were in agreement to have Olson function in this new capacity.
“Since Olson Hall was not fully subscribed and has larger rooms, it was a clear candidate to utilize in a new manner,” Uthoff said. “It made sense to utilize an existing campus asset, rather than lease portable buildings to temporarily house the relocated offices.”
Madison Major (‘25), a student currently living in an Olson suite, felt displeased with the college’s decision to close the building as a residence hall because of the unique living style of its suites.
“Olson Hall is the only true suite style living on campus allowing you a place to rest and a place to socialize,” Major said. “Unless you are a senior, your only options are a shoebox dorm room and even then, non-dorm options are extremely limited. In my opinion, closing Olson Hall is a mistake.”
Uthoff highlighted that the Olson swing space will allow temporary relocation of staff, offices and programming. He also called the availability of the Olson parking lot “important for relocated areas.”
“We would expect that offices and functions that serve students and require quiet spaces will be better served in Olson for the duration of the changes,” Uthoff said.
Representatives from Residence Life were unable to respond to requests for comment.
This decision comes just a few months after mold growth in Olson Hall led to the relocation of residents to other buildings on campus last October. At that time, Facilities Services told CHIPS that water damage from a leak in the building’s showers caused the mold. The situation raised questions from both students and parents about Olson Hall’s safety as a residential space going forward.
Luther students are still able to live in Dieseth, Miller and Farwell Hall during 2024-2025, as well as other non-dorm options. Information about room draw can be found here. The Residence Life office encourages those with questions to email at [email protected], call 563-387-1330 or visit the office at Dahl Centennial Union 124A.
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published without quotes from Uthoff on February 29 at 8:00 a.m. The story was updated with quotes from Uthoff at 1:40 p.m. on February 29.
