LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 91

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SYNOD REPORTS
• The Service Learning Program received national recognition and
was the recipient of the President’s Higher Education Community
Service Presidential Award.
• The University Seven-Year Strategic Plan continues to be reviewed
and updated in light of significant growth in students, programs,
and faculty.
• As the demand for degrees in health sciences remains strong, partnerships in nursing have been established with Rush University
College of Nursing in Chicago and Valparaiso University.
Concordia University, St. Paul, MN—Robert Holst, President

• Supported by a 10-year, $40 million grant from the Bush
Foundation, Concordia University, which received a $7 million
grant for the 10-year period, is among 14 regional higher education
institutions that have partnered on a broad-based initiative to transform teacher preparation programs in Minnesota, North Dakota,
and South Dakota.
• Concordia hosts the Science Research Institute (SRI), a yearlong program partnering college STEM (science, technology,
engineering, math) majors and urban high school students from
under-represented populations for the purpose of increasing their
knowledge, hands-on research skills, and interest level in pursuing STEM-related higher education and careers.
• Concordia revised its Religion and Theology General Education
requirement. Students take the introductory course on the Bible and
basic Christian teachings and then select from a range of intermediate level courses that will challenge them to apply the basics of
biblical Christianity to contemporary issues.
• Concordia achieved an all-time enrollment high of 2,816 students
for the fall of 2009, with the most significant growth in graduate
programs (1,026 students). The university’s increasingly diverse
student body includes nearly 20 percent students of color.
• Concordia launched a number of new accelerated cohort-delivered degree programs: BA degrees in Food Retail Management,
Pulmonary Science, Exercise Science, and Business Management;
MA degrees in Strategic Communication Management and
Leadership and Management; and an MBA with Health Care
Management emphasis.
• Concordia was the first private school in Minnesota to be accepted
as a Yellow Ribbon institution offering GI Bill benefits to military
veterans. Concordia opened a staffed Veterans Resource Center to
help veterans access their education benefits and to address their
unique needs as veterans in their transition to academic life.
• To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Concordia University
Alumni Association, the university will host an All-Class Reunion
for its more than 15,000 alumni, Oct. 1–2, 2010.
• In December of 2009, the Concordia University volleyball
team won its third consecutive NCAA Division II National
Championship, making Concordia the only D2 school in NCAA
history to win the championship three consecutive seasons.
• Concordia celebrated the completion of Sea Foam Stadium, its new
football, soccer, and track and field facility. The 2,000-seat stadium
features an inflatable dome that covers the field during the winter
months, allowing the facility to be used year-round.
• Concordia seeks to help students from traditionally under-represented populations to achieve their academic potential through
the BOLD (Building Opportunities for Leadership Development)
scholarship program. BOLD Scholars are required to demonstrate
satisfactory academic progress while participating in a variety of
educational, extracurricular, and service activities to build leadership capacities.

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• Concordia hosts the Hmong Culture and Language Program, a
K–12 program focused on building bridges across cultures while
preserving Hmong culture and language through storytelling, gardening, and the arts. The program seeks to increase K–12 student
achievement and plant the seeds of higher education while offering
opportunities for Concordia’s pre-service teachers to have crosscultural experiences prior to graduation.
• As part of an effort to enhance campus life and support retention
efforts, Concordia opened an apartment-style student housing complex in fall 2008 that accommodates 300 students.
• In 2008, Concordia created the Community Action, Leadership and
Learning (CALL) Center to engage and empower students to use
their gifts and talents to serve and to lead others.
Concordia College, Selma AL—Tilahun Mendedo, President

• Dr. Tilahun Mendedo, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Mobile,
Alabama, accepted the call to become the seventh president of
Concordia College, Selma.
• The college’s retention program, including The Man Center, The
Women Center, and the Academic Boot Camp were initiated with
funding from the Rupert Dunklau and Gainesville Community
foundations, the U.S. Department of Education, and many Christian
friends of the college.
• The CCS Soccer Team won the 2009 United States Collegiate
Athletic Association (USCAA) championship.
• The CCS Women’s Basketball team won the USCAA national
championships for two consecutive years: 2007 and 2008.
• CCS was blessed to have the splendid services from Laborers for
Christ during the summer of 2008. They refurbished the Lehman
Center (old gymnasium) and provided training in basic construction
techniques to 11 young men and one courageous young woman.
• The college celebrated its 85th anniversary in 2008 with campus
events reaching over 1,000 faithful alumni and friends.
• An ROTC program was inaugurated on campus in fall 2009.
• The college enjoyed a 6 percent enrollment increase in the last two
years.
• The college was awarded the distinction of “The Best Business in
Selma” in 2009.
Concordia University Nebraska, Seward NE—Brian Friedrich,
President

• The College of Arts and Sciences added programs in ecclesiastical art, pre-deaconess studies, arts administration, contemporary
church music, environmental science, world and intercultural studies, gerontology, fitness studies, and sports studies, with emphases
in sport management, sport communication, and sport coaching.
Forensic science is now an emphasis for biology students, and agribusiness is a concentration option for business students.
• Concordia opened a new campus in Lincoln, Nebraska, to house
the College of Graduate Studies and offer master’s and degreecompletion programs to an even wider audience. Concordia also
started an MBA program in consortium with Concordia Wisconsin
and a Master’s-level gerontology program.
• Phase I (the arena and classroom wing) and Phase II (the field
house) of the Health, Human Performance and Athletic Center were
completed on time and under budget. The $24 million addition
to the campus offers classrooms, office space for professors and
coaches, athletic training rooms, classroom labs, locker rooms, a
weight room, VIP spaces, a 200-meter indoor track with multi-use
interior space, and a 2,000-seat performance arena.
2010 Convention Workbook

2010 Convention.indb 91

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