# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1973_S186
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

186 RESOLUTIONS

7. Both seminaries presently recruit students who
hold degrees and who meet basic entrance re-
quirements.

It appears that the system has changed considerably,
and that we have moved perceptibly to a 4-year college
approach.

It seems unlikely that the present and projected en-
rollments at the junior colleges can supply a sufficient
number of ministerial students who will follow the Se-
nior College route to warrant the continuation of the
Senior College as we have known it for the past 15
years.

If the Senior College is to continue serving its pres-
ent function, the trend toward the expansion of 4-year
schools must be reversed, and, indeed, ministerial stu-
dents must be referred to the Senior College, to main-
tain that school as a viable step in the route to the
pastoral ministry.

Committee 6 has assumed that there is a sense of
interdependence among the schools in the system. How-
ever, it must be understood that each school is under
pressure to enroll 250 young people in each freshman
class, in order to justify its continued existence within
the system. In order to meet enrollment goals, greater
emphasis has been placed on general education, because
all schools cannot hope to enroll that large a number
of prospective church-worker students. In order to en-
roll the stated number of students, several schools face
major expansion needs that cannot be supported with
current income and synodical subsidy.

We face a situation in the Synod’s system of higher
education that requires action.

Each school administration must concern itself more
directly with the needs and concerns of other synodical
schools, so that instead of competing with each other,
they may complement one another. Therefore, be it

Resolved, That the BHE convene a meeting with the
president, a member of the Board of Contro] chosen
by that board, and a member of the faculty of each
synodical college and seminary chosen by that faculty,
in order to discuss aims, objectives, and functions of
the synodical system and of the individual schools; and
be it further

Resolved, That the BHE, in consultation with the
Board of Directors, appoint a task force outside of the
membership and staff of the Board for Higher Educa-
tion to study the Synod’s program of higher education
and to bring concrete resolutions to the 1975 conven-
tion for action; and be it finally

Resolved, That the task force consider such con-
cerns as:

1. The establishment of a seminary program in Can-

ada at Edmonton or elsewhere;

2. Program offerings and specializations at the vari-

ous schools;

3. Combining existing programs and the reduction

of the number of synodical schools;

4. The development of 4-year schools versus the

present “Junior-Senior College System”;

5. The number of graduates needed to meet present
and projected professional church-worker needs;

6. The present trend of increased numbers of gen-
eral education students;

7. The basis for synodical subsidy;

8. The concerns of Overture 6-59 of the Convention
Workbook, pages 281—282, particularly the
memorandum offered by W. Griffen and A. Pero.

Action: Adopted as amended (16).

(The following were added by amendment: “chosen by
that board . . . chosen by that faculty . . . outside of the
membership and staff of the BHE.” Later in the session
point 8 was added to the resolution.)

To Make Funds Available for Building Irvine
RESOLUTION 6-31
Report 6-01; Overtures 6-66, 6-67 (CW, pp. 241—250, 284)

Wuereas, The Synod carefully planned (1962—1967),
studied (1967—1969), and restudied (1969—1971) the
educational needs of the Synod in the western states;
and

Wuereas, The Cleveland convention of the Synod
(1962) authorized “a total of $6,850,000 be made avail-
able as a project budget for construction, plus cost of
a suitable site and faculty housing”; and

Wuereas, On the basis of these studies, the Milwau-
kee convention (1971) of our church coordinated the
closing of California Concordia College, Oakland, with
the opening of the new Irvine College; and

Wuereas, The Milwaukee convention (1971) author-
ized “two million dollars enabling the school to be
opened by the fall of 1973”; and

Wuereas, The Synod has previously determined to
develop 4-year colleges on the East and West coasts; and

Wuereas, California Concordia College, Oakland,
closed June 30, 1973, thus placing an additional hard-
ship on families who desire to send students to synod-
ical schools; and

Wuereas, The millions of people who live in the 13
Western states form a major recruitment center for the
Synod; and

Wuereas, The new Irvine College is firmly commit-
ted to the training of future pastors and teachers and
other full-time church workers; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod take note of the educa-
tional vacuum created by the closing of California Con-
cordia College, Oakland, and the failure to open the
Irvine College as previous conventions have directed;
and be it further

Resolved, That the Board of Directors of the Synod
respond to the educational needs of the Western states
by making available one million dollars immediately
out of capital funds or by borrowing the monies so that
the construction of the first unit can begin by December
1, 1973; and be it further

Resolved, That the Board of Directors of the Synod