Official Workbook PDF page source text

2026 Convention Workbook 93

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

D.1. Strengths • Lutheran identity • Enrollment growth • Fiscal strength • Global reach • Breadth of academic programs and degree levels • Expertise and experience in delivering higher education in multiple modalities (face-to-face, online, hybrid)

• Talented and faithful faculty and staff • Strong board of regents and executive leadership team D.2. Weaknesses • Persistence to graduation for traditional undergraduate students • Heavy reliance on tuition revenue • Historic lack of philanthropic support • Small endowment in comparison to student-body size • Landlocked campus in St. Paul D.3. Opportunities • Demand for workers in healthcare, business, and technology • Opportunities to add new academic programs in Denver and Portland • Preparation of a new generation of church work students in the urban context • Dynamic locations of physical campuses and real-world opportunities for students • Ability to innovate and adapt quickly to changing market conditions and student needs D.4. Threats • Cultural headwinds • Public policy and legislation • Reduction in State of Minnesota financial aid programs • Economic conditions • Increased higher education competition Concordia University, St. Paul, thanks and praises God for all those who support us through their prayers, philanthropic gifts, time, and referral of students. As we walk together in our common mission and confession, may we continue to point to Jesus Christ, crucified and “risen indeed” to bring forgiveness, life, and salvation to all who believe.

Brian L. Friedrich, President

R14.5

Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor A. Introduction As of the fall 2025 census, Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor (CUWAA) serves 5,025 students at its two campuses and online. The university’s six schools offer 84 undergraduate maFeet Mission Conference and a CSP-specific winter vocation retreat.

• Receiving the 2025 Formal Visitation Report from the CUS which “affirmed without concerns Concordia University, St.

Paul, and each of its implemented church work programs.” • Calling the Rev. Dr. Mark Koschmann to serve as CSP’s Chief Mission Officer and Vice President of Faith and Ministry.

• Calling Joshua Schumacher (LCMS commissioned teacher)

as head football coach.

• Calling the Rev. Dr. Kendall Davis to serve as Assistant Professor of New Testament Studies.

• Calling DCE Shelly Schwalm as Assistant Professor of Christian Ministry and Director of Christian Education program director.

• Calling the Rev. Dr. Ryan Peterson to serve as Senior Development and Church Relations Officer, where he engages donors and the broader CSP community and leads CSP Sundays.

• Calling Dr. Paul von Kampen as Director of Choral Activities and Director of Church and School Engagement Through the Fine Arts, where he engages with the church through music.

• Holding events through the Center for Biblical Studies—under the direction of the Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing—to provide ongoing training and resources for clergy, commissioned workers, and laypeople. More than 850 unique individuals have attended these events since the center launched in 2021.

• Sponsoring participant Bibles for the 2025 LCMS Youth Gathering.

• Visiting LCMS congregations for CSP Sundays, where the Rev. Dr. Ryan Peterson or another faculty member preaches and leads Bible studies. CSP led 20 Concordia Sundays in the 2024–25 academic year and will lead another 20 or more by the end of the 2025–26 academic year.

• Offering the Lutheran Higher Education Seminar for new faculty and staff to explore the richness of Lutheran theology and how it shapes their vocations at CSP.

• Hosting the annual Gundermann Reformation Lecture and Confessio: A Retreat on the Lutheran Confessions.

• Partnering with LCMS organizations like the Association of Lutheran Secondary Schools, Lutheran Education Association, and National Association of Directors of Christian Education.

• Attending numerous district conventions and pastors’ conferences throughout the eight-district region that surrounds CSP.

D. Conclusion God has richly blessed Concordia University, St. Paul, throughout the past triennium as we continue to “prepare students … in the context of the Christian Gospel.” While we celebrate our successes, we also acknowledge the challenges that lie ahead. The following SWOT analysis summarizes our current position as we look for - ward to our next 133 years under God’s grace.