LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 372

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372

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

Whereas, Effective boards of regents must exercise an increasing level of governance and leadership while remaining faithful to
the mission and needs of the LCMS; and
Whereas, The universities and colleges of our Synod, which are
located throughout our Synod, can best understand the unique opportunities and challenges they face in their location; and
Whereas, 2007 Res. 5-04 carefully considered the composition
of the boards of regents of our colleges and universities and adopted
their current composition; and
Whereas, The qualifications for serving on a board of regents is
spelled out carefully in the Bylaws of the Synod (Bylaw 3.10.5.2); and
Whereas, All members of the boards of regents are to be members of a congregation of the LCMS; and
Whereas, The maximum number of members of a board of
regents is seventeen, with the majority of those members to be elected
by the district conventions and the Synod convention (four elected in
national conventions, four elected in the district conventions, plus the
president of the district in which the institution resides); and
Whereas, The district president serving as a voting member of
the board of regents is charged to represent the Synod in his district
(Bylaw 4.4.2); and
Whereas, The current boards of regents members demonstrate
commitment to the mission and purpose of the respective institution;
knowledge regarding the region in which the institution is located;
commitment to allocating time, talent, and treasure to the institution; assisting with the identification and encouragement of donors;
and maintaining the Lutheran heritage and confession of the institution; and
Whereas, Each board of regents is best able to assess its own
unique needs and identify and appoint individuals who best meet
those needs; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod is convention give thanks for the service
of those who are serving the church on the various boards of regents
of our colleges and universities; and be it further
Resolved, That the South Wisconsin District in convention encourage the Synod to reaffirm the current bylaws governing the election
and responsibilities of the boards of regents of our colleges and universities, which provide for equal voting privileges of elected and
appointed regents.
South Wisconsin District
7-17

To Modify CUS College and University
Presidential Selection Process
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 nonprofit 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 the 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
2016 Convention Workbook

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 Synod elections of
regents does not always provide regents who are as informed, skilled,
and experienced as is necessary to meet the needs of the colleges and
universities of the Concordia University System and the challenges
these institutions face; and
Whereas, The size, scale, and complexity of the Concordia
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,
values-oriented education and possess a diverse set of abilities, including fund-raising, organizational and managerial, higher education law
and compliance, financial, and more; and
Whereas, The boards of directors of the individual colleges and
universities of the Concordia University System are subject to applicable local law and accreditation standards; and
Whereas, The colleges and universities of the Concordia
University System 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 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in convention give thanks to God for the treasures it has in its nine colleges and
universities; and be it further
Resolved, That the process of selecting the presidents of the individual colleges and universities of the Concordia University System
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 LCMS; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Synod’s Bylaws be amended to reflect such
changes to the presidential selection process of the individual colleges
and universities of the Concordia University System.
Atlantic District
7-18

To Divest Concordia College Alabama
from Concordia University System
Whereas, One hundred years ago, the LCMS accepted a request
from Rosa Young to begin and assist in educational and Gospeloutreach work among the underserved and disenfranchised citizens
of the Black Belt of Alabama (and the Lord has blessed those efforts);
and
Whereas, Opportunities for Gospel outreach continue to this day;
and
Whereas, On August 15, 2015, Dr. Tilahun Mendedo, President
of Concordia College Alabama (CCA), received an email stating:
“Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Board of
Directors herewith requests the CU Alabama Board of Regents join
the Board of Directors and the Concordia University System Board
of Directors to divest Concordia College Alabama from the Synod
under Bylaw 3.6.6.5 (k)”; and “Resolved, that options for divestment
or separation be discussed with Selma regents”; and
Whereas, Throughout its 94-year existence, the academy and
college have struggled financially and have faced the prospect of
closing; and