Concordia University Wisconsin
Concordia University Wisconsin is a higher education institution and an affiliate of the ten-member
Concordia University System, which is operated by the second-largest
Lutheran church body in the
United States, the
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS).
The University is a
co-educational,
NCA-accredited University with 48
undergraduate education programs and eight
graduate programs.
The University's mission statement reads: "Concordia University Wisconsin is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body, and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world."
Location
The University is located in
Mequon, Wisconsin, a city of just over 20,000 citizens about fifteen minutes north of
Milwaukee. Residing on the shore of
Lake Michigan, the University owns a 155-acre campus with over 3.5 miles of halls.
Concordia University Wisconsin was opened in 1881 at
Trinity Lutheran Church in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Classes were taught in the basement of the building, with only 13 students in attendance. One year later, the college, known then as Concordia College, purchased nearby land to install a permanent facility.
Purchase of Current Facility
The current location of Concordia University Wisconsin was formerly a
Roman Catholic nunnery owned and operated by the
School Sisters of Notre Dame in affiliation with the
Roman Catholic Church.
In the early 1980s, the
School Sisters of Notre Dame sought out buyers for their facility. Among those who offered to buy the school were Concordia College of Milwaukee and the
State of Wisconsin, which was considering using the facility for a penitentiary. It was rumored that the School Sisters also received offers from a more theologically-contemporary church, but refused the offer on the basis of their liberal liturgical heritage. The Sisters, desiring to preserve their religious heritage, decided to accept a reduced offer from the liturgically more traditional Lutheran Chruch--Missouri Synod's Concordia College.
Growth in Class
Seeing an opportunity for growth, the College asked its Missouri Synod to become a four-year institution for its programs in engineering, social work, teacher education, and nursing. In
1978, the request was approved.
On
August 27,
1989, the college sought from the Board of Regents approval to gain university status. The Board approved the request, making Concordia University Wisconsin the first among the ten colleges of the Concordia University System to achieve this standing.
Enrollment
Following the installment of current president
Rev. Dr. Patrick Ferry, the University saw tremendous growth in enrollment. In less than ten years, the University nearly doubled the size of its undergraduate student body to approximately 1,600. Also expanded were its adult education programs, which soon became among the largest in Lutheran
higher education. As of its 125th academic year (2005-2006), Concordia University Wisconsin became the largest Lutheran school in the
United States by enrollment.
*
Rev. Christoph Henry Loeber. 1885, installed.
*
Rev. Max Albrecht. 1893, installed.
*
Rev. G. Christian Barth. 1912, installed.
*
Dr. Walter W. Stuenkel. 1953, installed.
*
Dr. Wilbert Rosin. 1977, installed.
*
Rev. Dr. R. John Buuck. 1979, installed.
*
Rev. Dr. Patrick Ferry. 1997, installed. (current president)
Concordia University Wisconsin is home to several student publications. Among the most read are the University's official student newspaper,
The Concordia Beacon, which was founded in
1984. Prior to the
Beacon's first publication in
1984,
The Courier was the official student newspaper.
The University also has many unofficial publications, such as the controversial
The Shadow (paper)[
1] newspaper, which is a fictional satire that prints "whenever it wants." The paper has been criticized for its views on administrative decisions.
* Concordia University Wisconsin
home page.
*
The Concordia Beacon newspaper [
2].
* The School Sisters of Notre Dame [
3].
* The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod [
4].
