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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 113

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
b.

Growth. Building on a long-term trend of steady
growth, Concordia College New York increased
enrollment by 9 percent for the 2018–2019 academic
year. The College has continued its notable growth
(The Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac 2018–19
named Concordia College New York a Fastest-Growing College) to record enrollment. We expect this
growth to continue in response to the launch of new
academic programs, including Criminal Justice, MS
TESOL, MS Leadership, MS Educational Leadership, Center for Contextual Leadership, and ImpactU (an immersive college experience for students
with a range of developmental disabilities). Student
retention and comprehensive support remain priorities, and key student-facing investments in infrastructure have been made, including expanded parking to
accommodate commuter students and a revamp of
dining facilities.

II. Accomplishments: Enduring Lutheran Christian Identity
a.

Morning Reflections. Morning Reflections is one of
the ways we manifest our faith-informed community
life. For twenty minutes each weekday morning, the
community pauses school and work to gather in the
campus chapel. Broad themes—solicited from students—frame the week, with Wednesdays reserved for
Holy Communion celebration that alternates between
a liturgically formal and informal rite. Reflections are
expected to relate to the week’s theme and align with
the College’s mission and values. A well-attended
compline service is also held on Monday nights.

Concordia’s Center for Contextual Leadership (C4CL)
is now in its second year and currently there is a
cohort of 12 students. C4CL is a five-year course of
study that leads to a bachelor’s degree in the student’s
major of choice, a language concentration, and a
master’s degree in Leadership. Students form a community around the idea of life and work as vocation,
useful in the service of God and humanity. C4CL
graduates are prepared for leadership positions in
religious work, the corporate world, entrepreneurial
endeavors, and the nonprofit sector. Under a grant
from the Kern Family Foundation, C4CL Kern
Fellows receive full tuition scholarships exclusive of
room, board, and fees. Admitted only via recommendation from their home clergy, Kern Fellows major in
Judeo-Christian Theology and commit to serving in
a religious capacity for at least 5 years upon graduation.

Academic Quality. After the close of the 2017–2018
academic year, the College announced a reframing
of its academic programs into four schools: School
of Business, School of Education, School of Health
Sciences and Nursing, and School of Humanities.
The new structure academically aligns the College’s
expanding roster of programs under the oversight
of a dedicated dean, and gives faculty ownership to
expand both within and across disciplines, further
broadening opportunities for students.

113

As we continue to expand our preprofessional programs
(including a new Criminal Justice major), we remain committed to delivering a holistic education with a strong emphasis on
the humanities: the human ties that humanize us. In October
of this year, the College announced the creation of our first endowed chair: The Rev. Dr. Thomas Nelson Green Endowed Chair
for the School of Humanities. Named for a revered former dean
and funded by a $500K matching gift, the chair will support the
study of humanities within the disparate academic disciplines,
so that all students can engage in creative and critical thinking about the human experience across the boundaries of difference. In January 2019, Dean of the School of Humanities,
Distinguished Professor Dr. Mandana Nakhai, was installed in
the chair.
Looking Ahead Concordia College is strategically planning
for the future with scenario planning efforts that help identify
critical uncertainties in higher education and their potential impact and implications. The College also continues to evaluate
majors and align program offerings with demand (for instance,
a new pre-engineering program is being developed). With an
eye to net tuition revenue, the College will continue outreach
to nontraditional students (adults, graduates, veterans), and
develop new initiatives in light of the changing international
recruitment market. Strategic partnerships, which have been an
area of real strength (additional off-site locations for our educational programs, community college pathways), will continue
to be developed.
John A. Nunes, President

R16.2

Concordia University Chicago
As a distinctive, comprehensive university of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, centered in the Gospel of
Jesus Christ and based in the liberal arts, Concordia University
Chicago (CUC) equips men and women to serve and lead with
integrity, creativity, competence, and compassion in a diverse,
interconnected, and increasingly urbanized church and world.
Founded in 1864 with earlier roots traced to 1857, CUC was the
first Concordia and has remained faithful to its mission in each
succeeding generation.
••

Throughout 2017, the university celebrated the 500th
anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation through
the arts, lectures, a collection of rare Reformationrelated and Christian books, festival worship, and a
public forum involving prominent Lutheran, Roman
Catholic, and Reformed theologians.

••

Combined undergraduate and graduate enrollment
grew from approximately 5,000 in 2016 to a historic
record of more than 6,000 in 2019.

••

The entering undergraduate class in Fall 2018 set a
new record-high enrollment, including the largest
freshman class enrolled in the past twenty years.

••

Graduate enrollment for Fall 2018 surged to 4,494
students.

••

The university continues to strengthen its interna2019 Convention Workbook