# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2023_S73
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
$90 million (over $25 million beyond the campaign goal). We
have been immensely blessed with generous partners in the Gospel. At the same time, the current net tuition for an undergraduate
student at Concordia is between $12,000 and $13,000, which is
several thousand dollars per student less than what it actually costs
to educate students. This means that fundraising and building and
expanding our endowment, as a means of removing financial barriers for students while being financially viable, is a high priority as
we begin plans for the next fundraising campaign.
As part of this priority, we are in the early stages of developing
a new program for select students that has potential to completely
remove major financial barriers for attendance. We look forward to
being able to provide more information on that program in the near
future, but granted success with the endeavor, it may prove to be
a first of its kind program in American higher education, offering
inspiration and examples for other schools as well. This is a bold
endeavor that will take the generous support, prayers, and collaboration of many people to be successful.
These five priorities summarize the key initiatives for the
university through 2028, building upon our legacy and strengths
while responding to risks and challenges of the current social and
educational landscape. In it all, Concordia University Nebraska remains firmly committed to supporting the mission of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod as a higher education institution that is
dedicated to equipping students for lives of learning, service, and
leadership in the church and world.
Our prayers are with the delegates during their convention deliberations. May God bless richly the 68th Synod convention as we
work together to proclaim the good news of God’s love in Jesus
Christ throughout the world.
Together in His service,
Bernard D. Bull, President
R14.4

Concordia University, St. Paul
Greetings from Concordia University, St. Paul, where we proclaim God’s love for the world in Christ Jesus as we live, learn, and
serve together as a university of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod.
As I returned to my alma mater and began my tenure as president of Concordia University, St. Paul (CSP), in January 2020, I
could not have envisioned the opportunities and challenges of the
past three-plus years. However, I’ve experienced much joy in serving at this Christ-centered Lutheran university and working alongside talented faculty, staff, regents, and constituents to serve our
dynamic and diverse student population.

A. Introduction
Established in 1893 to prepare young men for the pastoral ministry, Concordia University, St. Paul, is today a comprehensive
master’s university that currently serves more than 5,500 students
and offers more than 100 academic programs from the associate’s
through the doctoral levels. As we have over the past 130 years,
CSP is committed to raising up workers for the LCMS and offers
the following church work tracks and certifications: pre-seminary,
pre-deaconess, Director of Christian Education, Director of Christian Outreach, Director of Parish Music, and Lutheran Classroom
Teacher.

73

B. Goals
Concordia University, St. Paul, is guided by a comprehensive
strategic plan titled Vision 2024. This plan contains the following
elements:
Mission: The mission of Concordia University, St. Paul,
a university of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, is
to prepare students for thoughtful and informed living, for
dedicated service to God and humanity, and for enlightened
care of God’s creation, all within the context of the Christian
Gospel.
Vision: The vision of Concordia University, St. Paul, is to
be a Christ-centered, nationally prominent Lutheran university known for excellence and innovation that fosters success
for all students.
Promise to students: Concordia University, St. Paul,
empowers you to discover and engage your purpose for life,
career, and service in a dynamic, multicultural, urban environment where Christ is honored, all are welcome, and Lutheran convictions inform intellectual inquiry and academic
pursuits.
Strategic Goals:
1. Grow enrollment
2. Increase persistence to graduation
3. Maintain quality, relevant curriculum to strengthen transition
to job or graduate school
4. Grow net assets
5. Accent our Christ-centered purpose as a Lutheran university

C. Performance Analysis
Our performance around the five goals of our strategic plan follows. It highlights areas of note for the congregations and members
of the LCMS.

C.1. Grow enrollment
Over the last triennium, Concordia University, St. Paul, has
seen continued success in growing our enrollment. As many of our
peer institutions struggle with changing demographics, the economy, the COVID-19 pandemic, and other challenges, we have seen
a tremendous response to our efforts to provide a Lutheran, Christcentered, high-quality, and career-focused higher education.
•

Fall semester enrollment increased from 5,139 in 2019 to
5,502 in 2022, driven primarily by growth in the number of
master’s and doctoral degree students.

•

International student enrollment increased from 199 in 2019
to 577 in 2022.

•

Church work enrollment increased from 56 students in 2019
to 67 students in 2022, an increase of nearly 20 percent.

•

After the closure of Concordia University Portland, in the
spring of 2020, CSP incorporated its accelerated bachelor of
science in nursing (ABSN) program. That program served
389 students in 2022 and is the second-largest provider of
nurses within the state of Oregon.

•

CSP launched CSP Global in January 2023 as a new division that houses online and hybrid undergraduate and graduate programs and allows for further growth in emerging
markets.
2023 Convention Workbook