# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2023_S74
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

74

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
rection of Dr. Lessing—to provide ongoing training and resources for clergy, commissioned workers, and laypeople;
the Center has served nearly 400 people from 33 LCMS districts as well as other confessional Lutheran church bodies

C.2. Increase persistence to graduation
Concordia University, St. Paul, staff and faculty work diligently
to ensure students can continue their studies until they complete
their chosen degrees. We celebrate that we’ve seen an increase in
the total number of graduates from 1,510 in the 2018–19 academic
year to 1,831 in the 2021–22 academic year. We recognize that we
need to continue working hard to remove barriers to increase the
rate of retention for new freshmen and transfer students. Our retention of LCMS new freshmen and transfer students remains strong.

C.3. Maintain quality, relevant curriculum to
strengthen transition to job or graduate school
Concordia University, St. Paul, continues to add new academic
programming that aligns with what learners desire and employers
are looking for. Examples of new programs added in the past four
years include the following:
•

AAS in Sonography

•

ABSN (in St. Paul and Portland)

•

BA in Digital Marketing

•

MS in Data Analytics

•

MA in Trauma and Resiliency

•

EdD and PhD in Kinesiology

As we continue to track the data on the success of our graduates, we celebrate their successes in launching the next phase of
their careers or education. Our most recent data is from the class of
2020–21, where nearly 95 percent of CSP undergraduate students
and nearly 97 percent of master’s and doctoral students report successful transitions to career or graduate school. We also see similar
success with our church work population, where we have a 100
percent placement rate for geographically mobile graduates as well
as a growing number of students matriculating to seminary following graduation.

•

Instituting the Church Work Tuition Guarantee, which caps
tuition for all church work students at a maximum $6,000
per academic year (before congregational, district, or other
outside financial aid); pre-seminary and pre-deaconess students pay $0 tuition per year

•

Appointing the Rev. Dr. Mark Koschmann as Associate Vice
President of Faith and Ministry to lead our goal five initiatives; Dr. Koschmann works closely with the LCMS and the
Rev. Dr. James Baneck on the Set Apart to Serve initiative

•

Hosting weekly lunches for church work students with CSP
faculty and staff for conversations on Christian vocation,
service, and ministry; 40–50 students attend each week

•

Sponsoring participant Bibles for the 2022 LCMS Youth
Gathering

•

Visiting LCMS congregations for Concordia Sundays, where
one of our theology faculty or I preach and lead a Bible study

•

Piloting a deeper integration of theology coursework into
the nontraditional undergraduate curriculum as part of CSP
Global

•

Reshaping our Lutheran Identity Seminar into the Lutheran
Higher Education Seminar, which allows new faculty and
staff to explore the richness of Lutheran theology and how it
shapes their vocations at CSP

•

Engaging the Rev. Dr. Phil Brandt to serve part-time as a
pastor to students in Portland

•

Hosting an event on campus called “Confessio: A Retreat
on the Lutheran Confessions” to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Luther’s Baptismal Booklet as well as the confessional Lutheran doctrine of Baptism in relation to the life of
the church

•

Attending numerous district conventions and pastors conferences throughout the eight-district region that surrounds
CSP

•

Partnering with CUS presidents and interacting with the
7-03 Task Force to provide insight and leadership in the
decision-making processes

C.4. Grow net assets
Over the past four fiscal years (2019–2022), total net assets
grew by 31 percent, from $107 million at the end of 2018 to $140
million at the end of 2022. Growth was achieved through positive
operating results, reduction of long-term debt, and increased value
of invested assets and property.

C.5. Accent our Christ-centered purpose as a
Lutheran university
Our newest strategic goal, adopted in 2020 by our Board of
Regents, is a continuation of the work the university has done to
remain a faithful Lutheran university and adds some measurable
outcomes and additional accountability to that work. Accomplishments during the triennium in this area include the following:
•

•

•

Cultivating an understanding of Christian vocation and mission amongst CSP students through the CUS-wide Beautiful
Feet Mission Conference and a CSP-specific winter vocation
retreat

D. Conclusion
As you can see, God has richly blessed Concordia University,
St. Paul, throughout the past four years as we continue to “prepare
students … in the context of the Christian Gospel.” While we celebrate our successes, we also take note of the challenges that lay
before us. Below is a SWOT analysis that summarizes where we
are in 2023 as we look forward to our next 130 years under God’s
grace.

D.1. Strengths

Calling the Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing and the Rev. Dr. Joshua
Hollmann to serve on our theology faculty, Mr. Michael
Thom (Commissioned Lutheran Classroom Teacher) to
serve as Chief Diversity Officer, and Dr. Norman Piatti
(DCO) to chair our sociology department

•

Lutheran identity

•

Enrollment growth

•

Fiscal strength

•

Decade of successes

Establishing the Center for Biblical Studies—under the di-

•

Global reach

2023 Convention Workbook