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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 366

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

366

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

7-07

To Modify Governance of CUS Colleges
and Universities
Whereas, Higher education is in a time of significant change,
including but not limited to demographic shifts in prospective student
populations, increasing market competition from non-profit and forprofit providers of education, ongoing innovations in technology and
academic program-delivery models, increasing compliance demands,
and growing financial complexities; and
Whereas, Christian colleges and universities face additional
challenge to be faithful to their confession in an increasingly secular culture; and
Whereas, To survive and thrive in today’s highly competitive
and complex environment, Christian institutions of higher education
require informed, specialized, and experienced boards of regents, with
a common commitment to education in the context of the Christian
Gospel, an understanding of and passion for the unique missions of
the institutions they govern, a multiplicity of skill sets to support the
specific needs of the institutions they govern, and the capacity to
support these institutions with their time, talent, treasure, and other
resources; and
Whereas, The current system of regional and national Synod
elections of regents does not always provide regents who are as
informed, skilled, and experienced as is necessary to meet the specific
needs and challenges of the colleges and universities of the Concordia
University System (CUS) to which they are elected; and
Whereas, The size, scale, and complexity of the CUS colleges
and universities, now exceeding 35,000 students and half a billion
dollars in combined budgets, require executive leaders of academic
backgrounds who support and promote a Christ-centered, valuesoriented education, and possess a diverse set of abilities, including
fund-raising, organizational and managerial, higher education law
and compliance, and financial; and
Whereas, The boards of directors of the individual CUS colleges and universities are subject to applicable local law and regional
accreditation standards; and
Whereas, The CUS colleges and universities desire to preserve
and extend their identity as Lutheran institutions of higher education
which offer quality, affordable education; and
Whereas, The structure of the Concordia University System,
established in 1992, is in need of modification to meet the current
and future challenges of Lutheran higher education; therefore be it
Resolved, That 2016 LCMS convention give thanks to God for the
treasures it has in its nine colleges and universities; and be it further
Resolved, That the governance structures of the individual CUS
colleges and universities be changed to provide the following:
• The board of regents of each college or university will determine the
total number of regents, all of whom will be appointed by that respective board.
• Each board of regents will include among its members the president
of the geographic LCMS district in which the college or university is
located.
• Each board in its appointments of regents will consider candidates
(including ordained, commissioned, and lay individuals) recommended from LCMS districts in proximity to the college or university,
as well as any other recommendations that such board considers
appropriate.
• All regents must be active members of congregations of the LCMS.

and be it further
2016 Convention Workbook

Resolved, That the process of selecting the presidents of the individual CUS colleges and universities be changed to provide that each
board of regents will choose its institution’s president after it conducts an appropriate search process from among a qualified pool of
members of the Synod or members in good standing of the Synod’s
congregations; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Synod’s Bylaws be amended to reflect such
changes to the governance structure and presidential selection process of the individual CUS colleges and universities.
Board of Directors, Eastern District; New England District;
Florida-Georgia District
7-08

To Adjust Election Process for College
and University Presidents
Whereas, The process of election of a president of a Concordia
University System (CUS) college or university (Bylaw 3.10.5.5.2)
begins with a local search committee that prepares a short list of at
least five candidates; and
Whereas, The short list is submitted to a three-member panel for
prior approval, the panel consisting of the President of the Synod, the
district president on the institution’s board of regents, and the chair
of the CUS Board of Directors; and
Whereas, This prior-approval panel thus creates the final slate
from which the local board of regents elects its next president; and
Whereas, The current bylaw provides that the prior-approval
panel may choose to remove names from the short list by a twothirds majority vote; and
Whereas, When these votes come from the President of the
Synod and the chair of the CUS board, it distances the process from
the local and regional constituents of each CUS school; and
Whereas, The local and regional constituents of each CUS school
are highly invested in the direction and future of the CUS school
and are involved in the support and teamwork of the school’s leadership; and
Whereas, The local influence and voice of the students (and their
LCMS families) attending each school is essential; therefore be it
Resolved, That Synod Bylaw 3.10.5.5.2 (d) (1) be amended to
expand the prior-approval panel to include a representative of the
college or university’s board of regents as chosen by that board; and
be it further
Resolved, That Synod Bylaw 3.10.5.5.2 (d) (2) be amended to
require the prior-approval panel to make their decision to remove
names from the short list by a three-fourths majority vote.
Board of Directors, Northwest District; Board of Directors,
Florida-Georgia District
7-09

To Reaffirm Bylaws Governing Composition
of CUS Boards of Regents
Whereas, The universities and colleges of our Synod continue
to be blessed by God and are growing in their enrollment of students
and faculty; and
Whereas, These universities and colleges, which are located
throughout our Synod, can best understand the unique opportunities
and challenges that they face in their locations; and