Lutheran promotes enrollment in Utah’s colleges and universities 

It wouldn’t be a stretch to call William Sederburg one of Utah’s most recognizable Lutherans. After all, in a state dominated spiritually by the Mormon church, the ELCA isn’t exactly well known to the average resident. But more people in Utah will learn a bit about the Lutheran faith now that Sederburg is its new commissioner of higher education. The member of Zion Lutheran Church, Salt Lake City, left his five-year position as president of Utah Valley University, Orem, to help promote higher enrollment in Utah’s nine state college and universities, as well as helping create new degree programs and make each school run more effectively. “Utah is third in the country in terms of high school students graduating,” said Sederburg, who grew up in Minnesota before moving to Michigan. “But the state is about 47^th out of 50 for graduates going on to college. We need to figure out how to change the trend that has seen this drop-off in the last 10 to 20 years.” Though his last job made him quite familiar with one school, an initial priority was to visit each college and university in the state and put a face to the new title he holds. 

“I miss the interaction with the students that I had as president,” he said, adding that his new position is more political. Fortunately, Sederburg knows politics. He served in the Michigan State Senate for 12 years. Soon after he became president of Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Mich., holding that position from 1994 to 2003. That’s when the lifelong Midwesterner moved west. The move, he said, required some adjustments. Simply finding a place to worship has been a challenge. The first congregation he chose left the ELCA roster. The second one, a start-up, folded. The third one lost its pastor. “Zion is the biggest one around,” Sederburg said, optimistic that the congregation would be a long-term home. 

As a Lutheran in a Mormon-dominated state, Sederburg enjoys theological discussions with others. He finds that Lutherans, particularly ones not from Utah, have many misperceptions about the Latter-day Saints, and he appreciates the chance to share tenets of the Protestant faith.