Mission
Loras, as a Catholic liberal arts college, creates a community of active learners, reflective thinkers, ethical decision-makers and responsible contributors in diverse professional, social and religious roles.
Vision
Inspired by the Catholic intellectual tradition and rooted in the transformative power of learning, Loras enriches lives and serves humanity.
Values
The Loras College community embraces core values that define the way we work, behave and relate with others.
- Truth: We are dedicated to the pursuit and communication of truth. We rely on the integrity of each individual to create a community that engages freely and creatively in the search for truth and grapples joyfully with intellectual and moral issues.
- Respect: We cherish and treat each person as an individual created in the image and likeness of God. We value the dignity, diversity and uniqueness of each person.
- Responsibility: Individuals are responsible for their own actions and for the common good.
- Excellence: We strive for excellence in teaching and in every other aspect of the Loras experience.
- Service: We encourage each member of the Loras community to serve others in an extraordinary way.
Dispositions
- Active learners want to learn. They are curious about the world and seek to make sense of their experiences. Loras students demonstrate their ability to learn in active ways.
- Reflective thinkers display insight. They take into account their own dispositions and biases as they think creatively and critically. Loras students demonstrate their ability to think in a reflective manner.
- Ethical decision-makers discern religious, cultural and personal values in order to act with justice and compassion. Loras students demonstrate their ability to decide matters ethically.
- Responsible contributors to professions, societies and religious communities develop their talents and share them with others in ways that respect a global environment and are sensitive to cultural differences. Loras students demonstrate that they contribute in responsible ways.
History of the College
Iowa’s oldest college, Loras is at home on 60 acres atop the highest bluff of historic Dubuque, overlooking the Mississippi River at the junction of the states of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
Loras College was founded in 1839 by the Most Rev. Mathias Loras, first bishop of Dubuque, who established St. Raphael Seminary to educate young men for the priesthood, but with the expressed intention of also providing an opportunity for higher education to the citizens of the area. The College has functioned under several names (St. Raphael Seminary, Mt. St. Bernard, St. Joseph College, Dubuque College and Columbia College), finally adopting its present name during its centennial in 1939. Loras became coeducational in fall of 1971.
From the time of its founding, the College devoted its faculty and facilities to an undergraduate program; initially conferring the Associate of Arts, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Science degrees. First accredited by the North Central Association under the name Dubuque College in 1917, Loras has maintained continued accreditation to offer undergraduate degrees for more than 100 years and currently awards Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in more than thirty major areas.
While initially focused solely on undergraduate education, from 1934 until 1963, Loras served as a branch campus location for the Catholic University of America, enabling graduate degrees to be offered on the Loras campus. When the Catholic University of America discontinued its branch campus, the College recognized the need for graduate educational opportunities in the Dubuque area and sought approval from the North Central Association to offer its own graduate programs. Preliminary approval for graduate work leading to a master’s degrees in Education, English, History, and Latin was granted in June of 1964 and final approval was granted in 1970. Today, Loras offers Master of Arts and Master of Science degrees, as well as the Master of Athletic Training degree.
Tuition and Fees
The tuition and fees are found on the Loras College website: https://www.loras.edu/tuition-fees/#graduate. Since unforeseen economic changes can occur, the College reserves the right to alter tuition and fees at any time without advanced notice. All tuition and fees are billed by the semester and become an obligation at the time of registration. For more information regarding the Student Account Refund policy, please visit: https://www.loras.edu/financial-aid/refundpolicy/.
Section 103 Compliance Policy
Loras College abides by Section 103 of the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018. In the case where a student is a Chapter 31 or Chapter 33 student and his/her tuition funds are paid by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the College will abide by the following guidelines: Loras College will not impose any penalty including: 1) the assessment of late fees; 2) the denial of access to classes; 3) libraries or other institutional facilities and /or 4) the requirements that a Chapter 31 or Chapter 33 recipient borrow additional funds to cover the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to institution due to the delayed disbursement of a payment by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Insurance
Loras College does not carry insurance on personal property of faculty members, students, or workers, and it is not responsible for the loss or damage of such property.
The Graduate Council
The Graduate Council is responsible for the organization, supervision, and administration of the graduate programs offered for credit from Loras. The Council formulates policies that apply to all graduate programs and approves all paper and electronic publications that describe those policies. The Graduate Council formulates policies concerning grading, comprehensive examinations, thesis, and scholarships related to graduate programs. It determines the credit value for courses, approves new courses, new cognates, and laboratory experiences. The Graduate Council also recommends new graduate programs at the College to the Academic Council. Membership consists of the Provost/Academic Dean and/or designate, the Director of Graduate and Continuing Education Programs, a representative of each academic program that offers graduate courses, the Registrar, the Director of Admissions for Graduate and Professional Education Programs and one representative of Academic Council appointed by Academic Council. The Chairperson shall be the Director of Graduate and Continuing Education Programs.
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