Convention Workbook

Concordia University Irvine
Report from Dr. Kurt
Krueger, President
God has certainly blessed
the mission and ministry of
Concordia University since
its founding as Christ College Irvine in 1976. The
tiny college which began with 36 students and one
building on a barren hill 36 years ago now enrolls
over 3,200 students and enjoys a campus of 20
buildings nestled around a beautiful hilltop in the
Turtle Rock neighborhood of Irvine. What hasn’t
changed in 36 years is the institution’s
commitment to providing an exemplary liberal
arts education within the context of the Lutheran,
Christian faith and to fulfilling its calling as the
Great Commission university dedicated to sharing
the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.
Many of our graduates continue to serve with
distinction as professional church workers in the
Pacific Southwest District and throughout the
LCMS, but most of our graduates faithfully live
out their various vocations as productive and
prominent members of their communities.
Concordia remains committed to doing its very
best to educate current and future students for
lives of learning, service and leadership.
Growth and Stability
In spite of the challenges of a down economy in
the last three years, Concordia has continued to
grow and prosper. Since the last Pacific Southwest
District Convention, Concordia’s student
population has increased by 21%, and the
university has enjoyed financial stability,
producing an overall positive change in net assets
in the last three years. It appears that growth and
financial stability will continue, as applications for
the 2012 fall semester are up 20% from the
previous fall, and income and expenses are
currently tracking to budget.
A comprehensive strategic planning process
completed in the fall of 2010 and refreshed this
spring has been instrumental in charting the
responsible, intentional growth of the university
and in identifying the strategic directions which
will insure that Concordia will continue to provide
an excellent education to its students, remain
faithful to its Lutheran, Christian mission and
enjoy financial stability in the years to come.
After leading Concordia University faithfully and
well for 11 years, President Jack Preus left the
university in 2009 to accept a call to Bethesda
Lutheran Communities in Watertown, WI. At
President Preus’ departure, Dr. Loren Kramer
was appointed Interim President and provided
exceptional leadership to the university for 10
months until Dr. Kurt Krueger began his service
as Concordia’s fourth president on July 1, 2010.
Previous to his election as president, Dr. Krueger
served for five years as president of the Concordia
University System in St. Louis and as a faculty
member and provost at Concordia University
Irvine from 1986 to 2005.
Welcoming New Faculty and Academic
Offerings
Since the last District Convention we have hired
or appointed the following individuals into
academic leadership: Dr. Tim Preuss (School of
Arts and Sciences), Dr. Janice Nelson (School of
Education), Dr. Steve Mueller (School of
Theology). Dr. Tim Peters continues to serve as
Dean of the School of Business and Professional
Studies.
Sixteen new full-time professors have joined the
faculty since 2009, serving in the areas of nursing,
business, education, history, theology, health care
management, industrial/organizational
psychology and international studies. Two fulltime
faculty members are deployed to Shanghai,
China to support our academic programs. We
now have a total of 123 full-time and resident
faculty members, and we employ more than 200
part-time adjunct faculty annually.
Faculty have developed and implemented a
number of outstanding educational initiatives.
The general education foundation for all
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