LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 87

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SYNOD REPORTS
For the Sake of the Church
Endowment Report
as of December 31, 2009
Institution

Amount

Ann Arbor

$13,940,522

Austin

8,272,927

Bronxville

4,535,408

Irvine

21,266,615

Mequon

32,363,476

Portland

8,049,844

River Forest

19,556,481

Selma

3,453,859

St. Paul

28,738,211

Seward

40,710,887

CUS

15,941,693

Total

$196,829,923

Institutional Operations Summary

Since its inception six years ago at the 2004 LCMS convention,
the BUE has focused its attention on the ten colleges and universities of the Concordia University System (CUS). That attention
is centered in four Quality Standards adopted by the BUE which
define the ways that CUS institutions continue to fulfill their mission as academic institutions and entities of the LCMS. These Quality
Standards provide guidelines to ensure that the Concordias remain
Christ-centered and Lutheran; that they provide strong liberal arts and
professional programs for all students, while continuing to offer and
support church-vocation programs; that they strive constantly for academic quality; and that they achieve and maintain financial strength.
During the last three years, total CUS enrollment rose to over
25,500, with eight of ten schools reporting solid enrollment gains,
especially in graduate programs. For several years, Concordia
University Wisconsin has been the largest Lutheran university in
the country, with Concordia University Chicago close behind. Due
to CUS enrollment growth, the BUE approved significant building
projects for nine of our ten schools in the last triennium. Those projects range from new student dormitories to accommodate growth in
residential populations to a new gymnasium and stadium to provide
needed space for physical education and athletic competition.
While overall enrollment growth was up in the last three years,
the number of students preparing for professional church work
declined. Building on the “What a Way” initiative, a collaborative
effort with the Board for Pastoral Education, the Board for District
and Congregational Services, and the Commission on Ministerial
Growth and Support is underway to recruit, retain, and nurture
church-work professionals for the schools, congregations, and agencies of the LCMS.
By the time of the convention, the BUE will have completed a
strategic planning process which identifies strategic directions and
initiatives for the next triennium. Initiatives currently being considered are the following:
(1) Empowering boards of regents for greater service through
board training
(2) Identifying and developing a deeper pool of candidates for
CUS leadership positions through intentional leadership training
(3) Facilitating and promoting educational innovation by identifying and supporting one or more CUS colleges or universities as
“innovation incubators”

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(4) Developing new models for the structure and governance of
CUS
(5) Implementing new branding and marketing initiatives for the
Concordia University System
Believing that much can be achieved by working together, the
BUE office strengthened several efforts to foster collaboration among
the ten Concordias in the last three years. The institutions are currently
working together to recruit additional Lutheran faculty members and
to identify and train new top level leaders for the CUS under the
auspices of the CUS Leadership Institute. To help new faculty understand and promote the values of Lutheran higher education, the BUE
developed the “Concordia Difference,” a program for use in faculty-orientation sessions. Working collaboratively with CUS schools,
the BUE initiated the Concordia International Study Consortium, an
effort to provide unique study-abroad opportunities for CUS students.
Because higher education in the US is so competitive, in the last
three years CUS institutions have increased their efforts to raise
scholarship dollars and grow their endowments, to offer programs
which appeal to traditional and nontraditional students, and to position themselves strategically in local and regional markets. To remain
competitive and to continue to produce outstanding graduates, CUS
institutions must continue to identify talented, dedicated administrators and regents who understand the complexities of higher education
and who are able to work together to achieve the mission of the colleges and universities of the LCMS.
Progress Report on 2007 Convention Resolutions

Resolution 5-04, “To Strengthen College and University Boards
of Regents”
The adoption of this resolution, which allows each CUS college and university board of regents to add up to four additional lay
members, has deepened and broadened the collective experience
and expertise of each board. Some schools chose to add four regents
immediately, while other schools chose to stagger the addition of
regents over two to three years.
Resolution 5-06, “To Clarify Membership on the Board for
Pastoral Education and the Board for University Education”
To eliminate a potential conflict of interest, no executive, faculty
member, or staff member from a Lutheran institution of higher education may now serve on the BUE as a voting member.
Resolution 5-07A, “To Change CUS Membership Structure”
The CUS has changed the structure of its Council of Members
from an individual member structure to a corporate member structure. This change provides greater flexibility in setting meeting dates
and place of meetings and in granting corporate entities the privilege
of selecting delegates to represent their respective entities at membership meetings.
CUS Goals for the Next Triennium

• Increase the number of Lutheran faculty candidates in the “Faculty
for the Future” database in order to help CUS schools identify and
recruit additional Lutheran faculty members
• Assist CUS schools recruit LCMS students and church career
students
• Support efforts of CUS schools to increase “For the Sake of the
Church” endowment fund contributions, pledges, and estate-designated gifts
• Intensify efforts to identify and train individuals for positions of
leadership in CUS colleges and universities
• Provide for education and training of regents, especially in the areas
of finance and higher education administration
2010 Convention Workbook

2010 Convention.indb 87

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