The Luther College Nursing program offers nursing students the incredibly enriching study abroad in Rochester, Minnesota, during their junior year, at Mayo Clinic, in which the students get to experience different rotational units and other opportunities. The Rochester-Mayo experience is one that many students would deem a primary reason for even attending Luther College. In years past, nursing students have been given a choice to either live in the provided Luther College housing or find an apartment/house themselves. This variety of options has offered students the alternative to finding a living space where they can feel comfortable growing and learning in their nursing and life endeavors.  It has come to many students' attention that this option for housing will be limited for the upcoming year of nursing students of the class of 2024. These students would no longer live in rented houses and apartments because of the nursing administration's requirements for living in sustainable housing for Rochester programs.

I am in the nursing class of 2024 at Luther College, and I am preparing for this next year alongside my friends in the department. I committed to Luther College with the junior year experience in mind. This incredible program offered me a chance to become independent, spend a year studying abroad, and watch firsthand how nurses play a role in the Hospital setting. Our class assumed we would have the same choices as past years, and we have been patiently waiting for an answer; however, we are nearly two months past the original date of October 1st, when we expected to hear what the administration had decided for our housing option. I can speak for the majority of the nursing class in saying that we feel unheard and dismissed. We understand that during these unpredictable times being in a pandemic, unity is vital - and we intend to keep it this way, but requiring students to live in the provided housing from Luther College is not the way to do this. Past Luther students have passed down houses that have even been more affordable than the provided housing. By allowing students to choose their living situation, the administration allows us to keep our autonomy and find an environment that is more convenient and offers a better living environment for us. While the sustainable housing offered by Luther may offer this for some students, the majority of us would feel more comfortable and happier being given the alternative of living in our own choice of housing. This will allow other students and me the opportunity to grow in independence.

We also acknowledge the Nursing Department's concern for student safety; however, after visiting with current Luther nursing students in Rochester, they feel safe and comfortable in their rented housing outside of the Luther-provided housing. Furthermore, there is limited parking for a monthly payment at the Luther housing, so students will most likely have to walk to and from Mayo, which does not provide any safer living than simply living in a rented house. There have been reports from previous nursing students of unsafe conditions at the provided Luther housing, as well as no designated security staff .

In terms of building a community, living together does not mean a closer bond with classmates, and neither does living in a separate rented house mean a lack of community among classmates. Many students in the sophomore class have expressed tremendous excitement to visit others' houses and visit those who chose to live in the dorms. Community and comradeship are not based on living conditions, as nursing students can form close connections even if they are not residing in the same residence hall. Regarding the financial aspect, upper-level nursing students who currently live in Rochester have found more apartments/houses that are less expensive than Luther's provided living.

Furthermore, Luther's provided housing only offers one kitchen, which presents as problematic to those suffering from eating disorders, as it offers minimal sources for cooking and pressure of eating in front of others. Also, emotional support animals are a prominent aspect of a happy, healthy living situation for some nursing students, and there has been no information about if these animals would be allowed. Finally, as some fellow sophomore nurses have expressed, living in close quarters triggers anxiety and stress.

As this next year comes closer, we are losing time. Unfortunately, these upsets could have been avoided if students had been informed on a timely matter and there was more of a conversation between Luther's nursing administrators and students. I ask that anyone who feels similarly about Luther College giving Nursing students the choice of living during this exciting year in Rochester signs this petition. To clarify, Luther-provided housing is a good option for those who feel that it is a comfortable match for them; however, the sudden change and lack of options for housing that have been in place for years is unfair. Together, we ask that the administration listens to this petition and allow the nursing students to have a choice in their housing. 

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Victoria Brown with Sophie Selenke and Morgan Hansen