Workbook page: 88
PDF page: 123
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LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 123
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2026 Convention Workbook 88
OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
• Strong and growing church work programs: We have seen increased enrollment in our six church work programs that prepare students for lives of service to the church.
• Growing nursing and strong education programs: Nursing classes began in August 2023, and the program is already one of our most popular. Our 162-year heritage of teacher education remains strong, with more of our traditional undergraduate students enrolled in teaching programs than in any other field.
• Revitalized honors program: Our new honors program aims to challenge and nurture students throughout their undergraduate career, forming them in truth and honing their minds and character.
• Centers of Excellence: The university’s four Centers of Excellence provide an array of diverse resources to help students and community members fulfill their callings.
• Dynamic Office of Enrollment: The team continues to build on its successes in recruitment for our church work programs while also continuing to strengthen recruitment of those who seek Christ-centered education for vocations outside the church.
o For under graduates, transfer students and home - school students are two areas of growth.
o Graduate enrollment continues to be healthy, with more than 3,000 students.
• Dedicated Office of Advancement and OCRM: These offices continue their strong work in donor cultivation, communication, and service that addresses the needs of congregations and constituents.
• Outstanding senior administrative staff: All members of the president’s executive cabinet are faithful, highly motivated experts in their respective fields.
• Desirable location: Just a short train ride from downtown Chicago, our location allows students to explore a worldclass city while enjoying the benefits of living in leafy, suburban River Forest.
• Christ-centered chapel life: Commitment to a rhythm of worship that is based on Lutheran Service Book and the Church Year, all ordered by the proper distinction of Law and Gospel.
D.1.b. Weaknesses • Financial strength and flexibility: Although greatly improving for CUC, this continues to be a challenge for us and for many private Christian universities.
D.1.c. Opportunities • New scholarships and discounts: Both Prepared to Serve and Advance with Purpose provide opportunities for donor cultivation and student recruitment to provide church workers to the Synod and support continued education for employees of LCMS entities.
• New academic programs: Innovative programs provide opportunities to address the market while being defined by our three pillars of truth, freedom, and vocation.
• Distinctiveness in local market: Our commitment to Christ-centered university education is without peer in our • We introduced the Prepared to Serve Church Professional Guarantee, enabling students who study in one of our six church work programs to pay a maximum of $5,000 per year in tuition. We continue to demonstrate our commitment to the church by keeping our top-quality formation for church work students affordable.
• The mission and identity of the university have been a major focus in the last triennium:
o The OCRM led the development and implementa - tion of a faculty course on the mission and identity of the university. All full-time faculty must take the course. A capstone assignment is required to assess tenure eligibility. A similar course for staff is in development.
o We expanded and enhanced our mission and identity interview process for all finalists for full-time faculty and senior staff positions. This process, which includes interviews by the OCRM as well as President Dawn, fosters the ongoing development of a unified, faithful community at CUC.
• CUC built a course called “Unity and Civility in a Diverse Community,” which provides an opportunity for faculty and staff to learn how to apply biblical and confessional teach - ings to dialogue and discourse on socially and politically sensitive topics.
• We initiated the Lectureship in Christianity, Humanities and Public Life, generously funded by Dr. and Mrs. C. Ross Betts. This semi-annual lecture series hosts leading scholars who engage with our students, faculty, and staff around critical issues that affect the church, our neighbors, and the world.
• Chapel life is central to the ongoing development of a vibrant, unified community at CUC. Chapel is centered on Lutheran Service Book. All services are liturgical, biblical, and confessional, delivered with the proper distinction between Law and Gospel. Wednesday evening Divine Service is properly sacramental. The Church Year is observed with its seasons, feasts, and observances to draw faculty, staff, and students into the life of the church.
D. Conclusion We thank God for the many ways He has blessed and continues to bless CUC and its students, faculty, and staff. Our past successes were only possible due to His grace and the ways He has worked, through us, to bring students into our Christ-centered community.
D.1. SWOT Analysis As we look ahead with open eyes and hearts, we reflect on our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats we may face.
D.1.a. Strengths • Mission and identity: Comprehensively, the university continues to focus on initiatives that emphasize our strong Lutheran identity and mission. This includes hiring aligned faculty and staff. We received a strong and very positive report from the Concordia University System with respect to their formal visit in 2025.
