LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 256

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236 PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

and has no accumulated deficit. This has been made possible in
part by the effective fundraising activities of the Chnist College
Irvine Foundation. During these two vears (1980—81 and
1981—82) the foundation has provided $1,045,734 to the college.
This amount represents 32.6": of the total operating income of
the school.

Construction

Christ College has just completed construction of a student
residence complex which will house 224 students. The addition
of these buildings provides a total of 328 student residence
spaces on campus. A small devotional chapel. the gift of a
generous donor. is currently under construction.

Future construction plans include four additional build-
ings. In the order of construction these are: gymnasium
student center: chapel performing arts center; library com-
puter center: and a math-science administration complex.
These buildings, along with athletic fields and parking areas.
will provide a campus which can accomodate up to 730
students.

~~ Conclusion

The CCI family is a growing. dynamic force within the
Pacific Southwest region of The Lutheran Church— Missouri
Synod. Standing firmly upon the Scriptures and the Lutheran
Confessions, the college looks to the 1980s as a particularly
significant decade.

D. Rav Halm. President

6-10
Concordia College, Portland, Oreg.

Concordia College. Portland. Oreg. requests all members of
its sponsoring church body, The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod, to join it in thanking a merciful God for the numerous
blessings which it has received during the past biennium,
1982—83.

_ The blessings are these:

1. While other American colleges and universities are
having difficulty maintaining their enrollments, Concordia.
Portland. experienced the highest enrollment in its entire
history in September 1982, with a total body count of 392, or 348
when converted into full-time equivalents. Much of this 44"

~~ increase was due to the establishment of the new Institute for

Learning. a division within the college which concentrates on
educationally related and dollar-producing projects. It brought
some 64 new students to the campus, mostly from foreign
countries. Concordia’s traditional and mainstream enrollment
also increased by 55, or 20". The number of students studying
for church vocations remained at 143.

2. While other American colleges and universities are
having difficulty with finances, Concordia. Portland, con-
cluded the 1981—82 vear with a cumulative surplus of $16,982.
Many factors were responsible for the favorable vear-end
figures. Heading the list was a campus-wide. painful retrench-
ment in expenditures in addition to a church subsidy, which
remains generous even though percentagewise it is being
reduced yearly. In 1978—79 that percentage was 29.3; in 1982—
&3, 24.2.

3. During the biennium the college continued its maturation
as a four-year school. Approval to move from two to four years
was given at the Dallas convention in 1977. Since that time, the
college was reaccredited as a four-year operation by the
Northwest Association of Secondary and Higher Schools, the
regional accrediting association. It also was certified as a
teacher training institution by Oregon's Teachers’ Standard
and Practicing Commission. More than official external ap-
proval, Concordia’s four-year programs and courses are grad-
ually taking on tbat quality which gave it high marks in
Northwest educational circles as a two-year college. Even
though its salaries are substantially lower than its counter-
parts in other postsecondary schools, Concordia’s faculty, like
those of other system schools, continues to offer the finest in
teaching expertise.

4. During the biennium, in December 1978. Concordia.
Portland, concluded its four-vear, $3 million. Celebrate and
Grow Campaign. It learned much from the capital-fundraising
experience. Its final results were most encouraging. with
$2,908.157 in pledges and $2,179,659 collected. The donated
dollars enabled the school to construct its new Hagen Center.
consisting of the Sylwester Learning Resource Center and the
Anna Neils Dining Hall.

5. Other blessings during the biennium includean “‘Artsin
Lutheran Worship” project with a $15,000 grant from Lutheran
Brotherhood, bringing to the campus a new high in aesthetics:
a continuation of the National Youth Sports Program, which
last summer enrolled 350 voung people between the ages of 10
and 16, 90", of whom are from economically disadvantaged
homes; the 20th annual Lutheran elementary school tourna-
ment. which includes not only athletic competition but also
spelling, mathematics, music. chess, and art (the 1982 tourna-
ment drew 16 schools from the Northwest as well as Montana
and California); and the second annual Altentag. sponsored
jointly with Portland’s German Aid Society, catering to senior
citizens of the area.

6. Finally, Concordia, Portland. was directed during the
past two vears by a providential, merciful God. Concordia
publicly describes itself as achurch-related college that strives
for quality teaching and learning within a climate of a lively
Christian commitment as defined by the Lutheran Con-
fessions. Under our Lord's direction we have pursued that
educational quality, and under the Spirit's power we. in spite of
human frailties. have grown in Christlike forgiveness and
love.

Thankful for the past. we of the Portland staff frame these
challenges for our future:

1. Aware of the tendency of church-related schools to lose
their religious distinctiveness, Concordia desires that the
Christian Gospel in Lutheran garb play an increasing influ-
ence in the life of the campus and its people. Though voluntary,
its chapel will remain the campus center. Its curricular and
extracurricular activities will be directed by a Christian life-
style reflecting both forgiveness and love.

2. Aware that the enrollment factor will continue to haunt
colleges during the remaining vears of this century. Concordia,
Portland, will need to give continuing attention to the data and
dynamics of recruitment. It needs to encourage parish pastors
and teachers to be recruiters for professional ministers, as well
as to increase manpower on its own admissions staff. Withina
short time the church will find itself in the paradoxical position
of needing more professional workers, especially teachers, and
of having a reduced number of available appplicants.

3. In addition to meeting a variety of academic needs,
Concordia must continue to give attention to its library
holdings. As a junior college, it had an adequate collection of
30,000 volumes. As a four-year college, it must have 50,000
immediately and 60.000 within the near future. Foundation
funds must be sought for these purchases.

4. Concordia should continue its concern for retention. The
widely accepted statement applies: Better to retain one than to
recruit one.

5. Theinstitution’s staff needs to continue its five-year plan
in preparation for its new president. President Weber will retire
at the end of this school vear after 25 years as its chief
executive. God has been good to him, especially because of the
exceptional staff and faculty which have served with him
through these years. The five-year projection should provide
direction and support to his successor. and, under God, bring
the school new achievements and distinctions.

In addition to thanking our Lord, Concordia, Portland. is
grateful to its sponsoring church body for its spiritual, aca-
demic, and financial support. It values its anchor in a living
Lutheran heritage with its concerns for a Christlike life. Within
the “givens” of our society it also values the fiscal support
articulated in annual subsidy and also by Forward in Remem-
brance funds.

E. Weber, Executive Officer