To Provide Comment to 2019 Res. 7-03 Committee concerning CUS Governance Model Proposal

WHEREAS, The Synod in convention adopted 2019 Resolution 7- 03, “To Direct a Collaborative Process to Propose a New Governance Plan” (Proceedings, 171) with respect to university education; and

WHEREAS, 2019 Res. 7-03 resolved that the proposed new governance plan specifically address the objectives of 2013 Res. 5- 01A and 2016 Res. 7-02B by continuing to:

• strengthen all Concordia University System (CUS) institutions’ connection to the Synod;

• strengthen the confessional Lutheran identity of all CUS institutions;

• review the composition, size, and selection of boards of regents;

• review the process for selecting presidents of institutions;

• review the overall governance of CUS and the boards of regents of the CUS institutions; and

• review the financial models for the institutions; and

WHEREAS, 2019 Res. 7-03 further resolved “that a report on the initial governance model proposals be disseminated to the Synod for a six month period of comment commencing not later than 15 months prior to the start of the 2022 convention of the Synod”; and

WHEREAS, At the Feb. 19, 2021, meeting of the Synod Board of Directors (BOD) the board approved dissemination of the initial governance model proposal, “setting the stage” for the “built-in six month period of comment by the Synod’s congregations, districts and circuits, the universities themselves, and others” (Reporter, March 8, 2021); and

WHEREAS, The Florida-Georgia District in convention has concerns about the issues of control in CUS governance, the complexity of these bylaw changes, the ambiguity and vagueness prevalent in the bylaw changes, the potentially onerous burden on both universities and the Commission on University Education from the Lutheran Identity and Mission Outcome Standards, and unresolved financial questions; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention, for the sake of the mission, health, and long-term viability of the remaining CUS institutions, request the 2019 Res. 7-03 committee withhold any resolutions to the 2023 Synod convention to implement the 2019 Res. 7-03 CUS governance model proposal until there is extensive synodwide dialogue and feedback given; and be it further

Resolved, That the 2019 Res. 7-03 committee provide to the Synod specific guidance and information regarding limits of ascending and descending liabilities through the appropriate Synod publications and the Synod website and that all of this information would be made available to all delegates to the 2026 Synod convention through the convention Workbook; and be it further

Resolved, That the 2019 Res. 7-03 committee publish through the appropriate Synod publications and the Synod website the feedback they have formally received and the committee’s disposition of those recommendations, questions, and concerns, and that all of this information would be made available to all delegates to the 2026 Synod convention through the convention Workbook;

and be it finally

Resolved, That the Res. 7-03 committee process for synodwide introduction to, discussion of, and consensus concerning these significant changes be designed and implemented by the BOD, with the concurrence of the Council of Presidents, to be completed no later than six months prior to the Synod convention during which these proposals will be considered, using the regional conferences held by the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance as a model.