Official Handbook Source Text
Handbook page 137
Source: LCMS Handbook 2023, page 137.
This page reproduces text from the 2023 LCMS Handbook for study and navigation. Readers should verify procedural, legal, parliamentary, or governance questions against the official LCMS Handbook and appropriate LCMS authorities.
mission outcomes. They shall also enable the drawing of summative conclusions, concretely identifying strengths and weaknesses in institutions and programs, ultimately to provide clear rationale for decisions about continuation or termination of affirmation.
(c) In addition to the standards with institution -wide applicability, the Concordia University System shall develop and maintain supplemental program standards specific to each type of program intended to result in candidacy for one of the Synod’s categories of commissioned ministry or in preparedness for seminary study. Such program standards shall specify, for example, the instructional and practical curricular requirements expected to be satisfactorily completed prior to qualification for first call or for granting of credit by a seminary for pre-seminary studies. The Concordia University System shall develop pre -seminary curricular standards after input from the seminaries of the Synod.
(d) The Standards shall be made publicly available on the Synod’s website and as otherwise determined by Concordia University System.
3.6.6.4.1 Synod colleges and universities shall undergo Synod visitation with respect
to the Lutheran Identity and Mission Outcomes Standards, both comprehensively as institutions and with regard to the specific requirements of each implemented program int ended to result in candidacy for one of the Synod’s categories of commissioned ministry or in preparedness for seminary study.
(a) Ordinarily each college or university shall receive a formal institutional and program visitation at least once in each Synod national convention cycle. These regular, formal visitations shall attend to both formative and summative elements, evaluating pre sent performance relative to the Standards but also fostering, monitoring, and advancing initiatives in pursuit of the Standards. A focused review of a specific alleged breach of the Standards, however, may be initiated by Concordia University System at any time.
(b) Concordia University System may, if a regular or focused review finds that an institution or program is at risk of not fulfilling the Standards, place the institution or program under a notice of concern, which may, at Concordia University System’s option, be made public.
Concordia University System may lift the notice at any time it determines the risk has been satisfactorily addressed.
(c) Concordia University System may, upon finding an institution to be in breach of the Standards, either on the basis of a regular visitation report or a focused review, place the institution on probation for up to a two -year period. If Concordia University S ystem determines that substantial progress has been made and that verifiable plans and resources are in place to bring the institution into compliance, then Concordia University System may extend probation once for one year, but to no more than three years total. Concordia University System may lift the probation earlier if the institution is brought into compliance.
An institution not in compliance at the conclusion of the probationary period is no longer affirmed by the Synod, can no longer declare graduates qualified for placement, and is no longer commended by Concordia University System to the church.
