LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 85

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OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
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Concordia was honored as a College of Distinction for the 2015–
16 academic year. Concordia is one of only five institutions from
Nebraska to receive this award and is the only Christian College of
Distinction in the state.
Concordia was a top-25 school (#23) in “The 50 Most Affordable
Private Colleges” category of MONEY magazine’s rankings for 2015.
Compiling the results of over 1.4 million student reviews from
more than 2,000 colleges and universities, the 2015 Cappies™ honored America’s top 25 favorite schools across multiple categories.
Concordia ranked #9 on the list of Best College Dorms and #19 on
the list of Safest College Campuses.
Concordia ranks as the National Association of Intercollegiate
Athletics’ (NAIA) all-time leader in the number of Daktronics-NAIA
Scholar-Athletes, with 1,153 and counting following a fall 2015 total
of 39 Scholar-Athletes. In addition, Concordia is, as of December 31,
2015, the only NAIA institution with more than 1,000 Scholar-Athletes
all-time.

An Unchanging Mission
Our mission, “Concordia University, Nebraska is an excellent academic and Christ-centered community equipping men and women
for lives of learning, service and leadership in the church and world,”
remains the cornerstone for our identity and existence as an institution. We remain dedicated to carrying it out, and by God’s grace we
will do so faithfully.
Brian L. Friedrich, President

Concordia University, Portland
Greetings LCMS National Convention Colleagues,
Concordia University in Portland, Oregon, and its community
of students, faculty, staff, neighbors, and partners were blessed in
so many ways these past few years. We know these blessings flow
powerfully from God’s grace to us in Jesus Christ. As a community,
we affirmed our mission to prepare leaders for the transformation of
society; along with our core themes of Lutheran, Rigor, and Servant
Leadership; and our Vision 2024.
As an institution of higher education, we recognize God’s call
that we be good neighbors. We asked “Who are our neighbors?” and
“What do they need?” The answer was clear that we must model the
Good Samaritan in our own backyard and around the world. As a
result, many new doors opened to serving God’s children.
Thank you for allowing us to share some of the following exciting highlights with you:
• As part of its community engagement efforts, the university is trailblazing a new national education model called 3 to PhD® which
aims to create safer, healthier, and more educated communities.
The initiative includes a public-private partnership with Portland
Public Schools and Trillium Family Services, and involves development of a new $48 million facility to open in Fall 2017. The
facility will include Faubion School PK–8 Title I, Concordia’s
College of Education, and wrap-around services for children and
families, including: an early childhood education, health and wellness programs, STEAM (science, technology engineering, arts and
math), and Maker Spaces, as well as one-on-one tutors, mentors,
and coaches from Concordia (www.3toPhD.org).
• The 110-year partnerships between Concordia and congregations
throughout the Pacific Northwest continued to grow and deepen.
Concordia’s commitment to campus spiritual life led to calling
the Rev. Wes “Bo” Baumeister to serve as our new campus pastor
beginning in summer 2015. The Rev. Dr. Paul W. Mueller continues, since 2011, as the executive director of the Art & Carol Wahlers
Center for Applied Lutheran Leadership (CALL).
• Student enrollment more than doubled between 2013 and 2015—
from 3,500 to 7,300.

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CU’s most recent growth can be attributed to its clear 2024 Vision, the
strength of the academic programs, experienced faculty, new academic
programs, rapid expansion of our online M.Ed. and Ed.D. degrees, and
growing athletics from NAIA to NCAA Division II, all in an environment that fosters spiritual growth.
Concordia Portland became the largest private university in Oregon
according to The Oregonian, Oregon Business magazine, and the
Portland Business Journal, and continued to be recognized as the
fastest-growing university in Oregon.
Concordia Portland held its first Commencement Ceremonies outside
the U.S., in both American Samoa and, most recently, Johannesburg,
South Africa, in 2015 and 2016 at which more than 90 graduates
received their M.Ed. degrees.
Concordia’s nursing bachelor’s degree earned national accreditation
from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and
the School of Management earned national Accreditation Council for
Business Schools & Programs (ACBSP).
The university was recognized by U.S. News & World Report for offering one of the top online Master of Education (M.Ed.) programs in the
nation in the first-ever ranking of online graduate programs.

• The Concordia University Foundation continues to grow and raise
more scholarship dollars than ever before. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we were able to continue to assist the 97 percent
of our students who need tuition support.
• The university earned a prestigious Lilly Endowment four-year
grant for $600K to support the creation of a summer High School
Institute for Social Impact & Leadership Development, which is
currently under development.
• Concordia continues to make an even more concentrated commitment to community engagement and community partnerships,
promoting Law School Dean Cathy Silak to the University’s VP of
Community Engagement and continuing to be recognized on the
U.S. President’s Community Service Honor Roll for the sixth year
in a row. Washington Monthly ranks Concordia University 16th
nationally in “Community Service Participation and hours served.”
• After opening the Concordia University System’s first law school,
the Concordia University School of Law earned American Bar
Association provisional accreditation and graduated its first students in 2015. Concordia University School of Law is the only
three-year law school located in the state capital of Boise, Idaho’s
vibrant downtown, just a few blocks away from the Idaho State
Supreme Court and Capitol Building.
• Following the 2012 opening of Hilken Community Stadium for
baseball and soccer, Concordia continued its athletic accomplishments, including earning a national women’s soccer championship,
hiring new athletic director Brian Jamros, and making the move to
NCAA Division II (GNAC Conference), in which the university is
now competing.
We are incredibly grateful for God’s many blessings and for the
overwhelming support of our university church partners, friends,
alumni, donors, and community. Thank you for your partnership in
ministry, for being such a valued part of our Concordia family!
For His students,
Charles E. Schlimpert, President

Concordia University, St. Paul
• As an academic institution, Concordia University St. Paul is guided
by three foundational statements:
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Mission: The mission of Concordia University St. Paul, a university of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, is to prepare students
for thoughtful and informed living, for dedicated service to God and
humanity, and for enlightened care of God’s creation, all within the
context of the Christian Gospel.

2016 Convention Workbook