Welcome to St. Olaf

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Welcome

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Welcome to St. Olaf College, home of the Oles! St. Olaf, a private liberal arts college founded in 1874, was named in honor of Norwegian King and patron saint, Olaf II. Today the College is firmly established as an undergraduate academic leader, producing record numbers of award-winning scholars, as well as graduates who go on to earn doctoral degrees. The college is also known for its emphasis on global perspective; the majority & two-thirds, to be exact, of Oles study abroad before graduating. Join me now and explore just a few of the highlights of this scenic 300-acre campus in Northfield, Minnesota.

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Tomson Hall is a multipurpose facility where you might come to attend an Asian Studies class or to manage your financial aid or class registration. In addition to housing The College's World Languages Center and several business offices, the building is home to the President, Provost and other key staff. Staff is also on hand to serve students in the Health Service Office and at The Harry C. Piper Center for Vocation and Career under the same roof.

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Regents Hall of Natural and Mathematical Sciences is a new facility that houses innovative instructional and research spaces. These include anatomy and animal facilities, as well as several targeted labs from analytical chemistry to optics. The LEED-certified building features impressive views of surrounding nature, while encouraging collaboration, interaction and energy efficiency.

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Today you'll find St. Olaf's Religion Department here in Old Main. But when it opened its doors in 1877, it was the first and sole building on campus, providing everything from classroom and residential space to the college's library and dining facilities. Old Main is included in the National Register of Historic Places. Religion/theology is one of several top ten-ranked fields of study available at the college.

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Rolvaag Memorial Library is home to St. Olaf's primary reference collection. Group study areas are spread throughout the building with Quiet Study available on the second floor. Students can use computer workstations on the third floor as well as access the Media Room and copiers. Ole's Cave on the fourth floor offers up a selection of feature films, and the fifth floor features "Super Quiet" study space and a separate screening room.

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Buntrock Commons is the heart of campus activity. It's where you'll find the campus Bookstore, Post Office, Dining Hall and multiple live performance venues. It's also where a large number of on-campus meetings take place and where student organizations keep offices. The Commons is a great place to connect with friends and meet new people, whether it's over a meal, at a concert, an art gallery opening or relaxing in the Fireside Lounge.

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Located here in the middle of the campus green, above two busy walkways, is St. Olaf's Memorial Wind Chime Tower. This captivating Scandinavian-style structure was proposed by the class of 2003 to honor St. Olaf students who have lost their lives before graduation. The name of each student is engraved on a single chime, and collectively, the chimes are tuned to the song "Beautiful Savior" in the key of D. The sound varies depending upon the strength of the wind on any given day, and can sometimes reach as far as the edges of campus.

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Boe Memorial Chapel, named for St. Olaf's fourth president, Lars W. Boe, serves as a welcoming destination for students of all spiritual backgrounds. In addition to offering daily service, the Chapel also hosts Vespers, live music and vocal performances, guest talks, graduation ceremonies and more.

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Ditmann Center is home to the Departments of Art and Dance as well at the Flaten Art Museum, one of two primary galleries on campus. The facility provides classrooms, lecture and seminar rooms, and a range of studios to match each discipline. The Art Museum maintains a permanent collection of more than 3,000 objects created by local, national and international artists.

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Kildahl Hall serves as home base for approximately 170 first-year Oles. The building consists of three floors, each offering fully-furnished rooms with lofted beds and access to shared lounge space and computers.

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Tostrud Center is St. Olaf's comprehensive health and fitness facility. Students, staff and faculty can take advantage of all of the Center's offerings for free. These include aerobics and weight training rooms, multiple indoor courts for tennis, basketball and volleyball, a rock-climbing wall and an indoor track. Several group classes are also offered including yoga and kickboxing.

Welcome to St. Olaf

Welcome

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Tomson Hall

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Regents Hall

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Old Main

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Rolvaag Memorial Library

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Buntrock Commons

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Wind Chime Memorial

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Boe Memorial Chapel

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Dittmann Center

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Kildahl Hall

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Tostrud Center

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