Most recently, Thornton worked as the Title IX coordinator at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she also supervised institutional equity and compliance. Thornton has worked in higher education for her entire professional career, primarily at small, private residential liberal arts institutions. She started in admissions, and has since moved to coaching, working as a hall director and director of residence life, dean of students, Title IX coordinator, associate dean, human resources and employee relations, student activities director and disability resources.
She has been enthusiastically digging into life at Luther, and actively welcomes new ideas about student life and opportunities for connection with students.
“I talk about [being a] guidance counselor, principal [and] activities director. I’m not suggesting those are all the things I do, but it’s all the things that I might have some purview for and it’s primarily outside the classroom,” Thornton said. “As the Dean of Students, I have responsibilities for residence life, I have responsibilities for student activities, for student conduct, student leadership, wellness programming, counseling and health services, it’s literally all the things outside the classroom that are not necessarily directly related to academics but about the experience that happens for students.”
“Luther is well regarded as a community of learners marked by deep connections among its students — connections that foster a sense of belonging and a focus upon others,” President Brad Chamberlain said in a Luther College press release. “During the selection process, Provost Pamela Bacon and I agreed that the breadth of Dr. Thornton’s past experiences, her record of implementing student-centered solutions, and her commitment to creating environments where students thrive both academically and personally closely aligned with our mission and strategic priorities associated with supporting the holistic development of students, inside and outside of the classroom.”
Thornton highlighted the multifaceted nature of her role, saying that she’s “sort of like a Swiss Army knife.”
“We’re talking about student life, and that is a big part of Luther,” Thornton said. “It’s not just residence life and student activities: It’s music. It’s what’s happening in CFA. It’s what’s happening on the athletic fields. And I’m never going to tell [Athletic Director] Megan Wilson how to run her program, but Megan and I are going to be partners. I see my job, big picture, looking at student life on campus. How can I coordinate our efforts? It is not just about the fun and the activities, but also helping students learn and grow in ways that might be more about challenges they’ve experienced.”
“Her talent for building relationships and collaborating across areas makes her an ideal partner in the integrated provost model,” Provost Pamela Bacon said in a June 20 press release. “I’m looking forward to working with her in the Office of the Provost to support and promote student success.”
“I just really want students to know [to come to me] if they are frustrated, confused, have a great idea, or don’t know where to go for something, but they feel like someone at Luther should know,” Thornton said. “In my opinion, that’s the role of the dean of students. […] It’s a starting place. They’ve got to know me first. So I want to continue to be present on campus. I want people to see that I care. I just want to make sure that people see that I am doing my part to get out there and be present and then hopefully, people in turn will track me down and tell me what they’re thinking so that we can make this a better place.”
Ultimately, Thornton sees herself as a resource and bridge to other resources for students across all areas of campus. The community aspect of life at Luther is appealing and instrumental in her approach to her work.
“I love the idea of living in a community where I work again,” Thornton said. I’ve had an hour commute for several years. I had a one-mile commute for years. And I just loved the one-mile commute. I love being in the community where the students are, where my colleagues are.”
