Concordia University Chicago

Greetings and God’s blessings to all of you from Concordia University Chicago (CUC), President Dr. Russell P. Dawn, the board of regents, the executive cabinet, and other faculty and staff. We are grateful to share updates as we work together and rejoice, as this year’s theme reminds us, that Christ is risen indeed!

A. Introduction Steadfast in Jesus Christ as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, CUC promotes academic rigor in its liberal arts and professional programs; grounds students in objective truth, integrity, and excellence; and practices faithfulness to the confessional teachings of the Synod, as it forms students for vocations in church, family, and the world.

B. Goals In alignment with and in support of Synod’s constitutional objectives (Const. Art. III), bylaw purpose (Bylaw section 1.1), and triennial priorities (2023 Res. 4-03, Proceedings, 136–37), CUC set the following goals in our strategic plan for 2026–28.

B.1. Enhance CUC’s reputation for academic excellence with Christ at the Center to drive enrollment and philanthropic engagement Critical to driving both enrollment and philanthropy, CUC will expand mission-aligned programming by strengthening Lutheran school and church pipelines, hosting faith-centered events, and integrating vocation-centered curricula and co-curricular support. Academically, the university will launch new mission-centric and high-demand programs, revise general education curricula to align with outcomes, and encourage students to participate in high-impact practices and experiential learning. Concurrently, CUC will grow its national visibility by increasing faculty and student features in media, highlighting alumni achievements, and consistently delivering Christ-centered messaging across platforms.

B.2. Strengthen financial health through increases in enrollment, retention, and auxiliary services

Central to ensuring stability, sustainability, and reinvestment capacity, CUC aims to increase annual revenue through a balanced portfolio of tuition, room and board, the Early Childhood Education Center, auxiliary services (conferences, camps, events), grants, and philanthropic support. Our strategic plan sets goals for operating surplus, cash flow, and reduction of long-term debt. These financial outcomes are supported by robust enrollment strategies: growing traditional undergraduate enrollment, expanding online undergraduate programs, increasing graduate enrollment, and raising residential participation through enhanced co-curricular, athletic, and faith-based engagement.

B.3. Growing philanthropy To ensure CUC can sustain scholarships, reduce tuition dependence, and invest in facilities, we will continue strengthening donor relationships, expanding alumni-donor engagement, and increasing unrestricted annual support to underwrite university operations and programs. Advancement operations will be enhanced with improved customer relationship management tools and donor analytics to personalize engagement.

• Started La Mesa Ministries to reach out to CUC’s Latino students; engage them in meaningful conversations, prayer, and Bible studies; foster collaborations between the Latino Student Union and the student-led campus ministry (Spiritual Life); and promote bilingual chapel services.
• Implemented a Faith Delegates program to connect residential students more effectively to campus ministry events and worship.
• Initiated a program of pre-game prayers, allowing Spiritual Life to improve and build relationships with the athletics department and student athletes.

C.2. Increase fiscal strength and agility Through data-informed decision-making, a commitment to enrollment management best practices, the development of new programs, and fiscal discipline, CUC worked to ensure student completion and our university’s future by: • Reducing long-term debt by 45 percent over the last two convention cycles (12/31/2019 to 12/31/2025).

• Utilizing a $7.7 million state capital grant to improve and maintain our historic campus.
• Investing in facilities and staffing for a new nursing program, which resulted in increased enrollment while furthering our mission.
• Adopting a customer relationship management tool, which has led to cost savings while enabling graduate and online undergraduate admissions to bring more communication in house.
• Increasing retention of first-year, full-time freshmen from fall-to-fall by 9 percentage points from 2021–24.

C. Performance Analysis While the goals shared in section B of our report outline the objectives of our newest strategic plan, they build upon the themes of our prior plan, F2: Focusing Our Future 2025. Because that plan brought us to the end of 2025, we are sharing select updates on our university’s performance relative to Synod’s constitutional objectives, bylaw purpose, and triennial priorities, organized according to our F2 themes.

C.1. Provide a formative student experience CUC promotes academics, co-curricular activities, and pre-professional experiences that emphasize truth, freedom, and vocation in forming students for lives of influence and service. Over the last triennium, we: • •

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Crafted new University Essential Learning Outcomes that provide direction to our curricula for undergraduate and graduate students. Curricula must seek learning outcomes based on our pillars of truth, freedom, and vocation in the pursuit of lives of faithfulness to God and service to neighbors. Initiated the Classical Lutheran Educator program as one of our six church work programs. Students are formed through Lutheran doctrine and practice as well as a classical, Socratic pedagogy that engages ancient languages and primary source materials through the lenses of the virtues. Invested in campus facilities to enhance learning and the student experience, including a state-of-the-art nursing simulation lab for our fast-growing BSN program and a new welcome center for prospective students and other visitors. Established an Apologetics Boot Camp for CUC students to prepare them to defend and promote the true faith and the inspiration of Scripture.

C.3. Foster partners for mission and excellence We established new partnerships and strengthened existing ones to benefit our partners, university, and the common good. • The new Office of Church Relations and Mission (OCRM) builds relationships with LCMS districts, congregations, schools, and their people.

• The Advance with Purpose tuition discount launched in 2025 to provide a 50 percent tuition discount on any of CUC’s graduate programs for full-time employees of the LCMS, its entities, and its recognized service organizations.
• The university’s Centers of Excellence work to bring our Lutheran identity and Christian ethos to outside communities and partners. These centers serve God and neighbor for the common good and include the following: o

College of Health, Science, & Technology’s Center for Gerontology

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College of Education’s Center for Christian Education

o

College of Business’s Free Enterprise Center

o

College of Theology, Arts, & Humanities’ Center for Church Music

C.4. Develop our vibrant, unified community Together, we developed, lived, and shared a common vision for our work.

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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.

o

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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.

The mission and identity of the university have been a major focus in the last triennium: o

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The OCRM led the development and implementation 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. 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 teachings 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. 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.

For undergraduates, 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 world class 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

D.1.a. Strengths • oarea, providing us with opportunities to reach the large local base of aligned families.

D.1.d. Threats • Demographic trends: Declines in the traditional college-age population in the U.S., overall population loss in the upper Midwest, and decline in LCMS membership impact our university.

• International laws: Some laws pose a deterrent to international students.
• Governmental policy: Federal laws and regulations reward colleges whose programs fit the government’s goals for education and punish those that do not. These goals do not necessarily match our own goals and may negatively impact church work programs and awards given to students. State government regulations also attempt to dictate that some programs adopt non-Christian ideologies.

D.2. Future Goals Please refer to section B of our report for a list and explanation of our current goals, which will take us through 2028. Beyond that, we will continue to set intermediate goals in pursuit of our 15-year strategic vision to: Strengthen CUC’s reputation as a Christ-centered institution of academic excellence and student success, expanding its impact regionally and nationally while developing financial independence and enhancing operational effectiveness and employee engagement to achieve its mission. Dr. Russell P. Dawn, President

A.3. Core Convictions and Values CUI serves our students, colleagues, and community by being: • Gospel-Centered: The faculty and staff, guided by God’s Word and the Lutheran Confessions, welcome all students who are both willing and able to engage with its mission and proclaim God’s grace in Christ to each person.

• Faithfully Relevant: CUI offers exceptional, rigorous, holistic, and sought-after programs in the liberal arts and professional studies, rooted in the Lutheran intellectual tradition, that prepare servant leaders who pro actively address the contemporary needs of the church and the world.
• Sustain ably Excellent: CUI invests its finite resources of time, talent, and treasure in wise and sustainable ways by empowering each faculty, staff, and student to live out their vocations and to support the ongoing excellence and fulfillment of the university’s mission.
• Courageously Loving: At CUI, all are called to love one another, forming a community that faithfully cultivates humility and responsibility, fosters honest and charitable conversations, and offers a path to personal growth that equips students for lives of service in a diverse world.
• Relentlessly Hopeful: CUI is ever hopeful as it carries out its mission in the face of the world’s challenges. Our hope is rooted in the confidence that God in Christ has reconciled the world to Himself and that Christ is the Lord of all creation.

Lutheran Identity is enshrined in our faculty and staff as they interact daily with our students in and out of the classroom: • Each full-time faculty and staff member is a professing, practicing Christian who is interviewed for fidelity by the Chief Mission Officer, Rev. Dr. Steven Mueller. At CUI, 57 percent of our full-time faculty are members of Synod congregations, and 39 percent of full-time faculty are called church workers of the Synod.

• All full-time employees, both faculty and staff, are required to complete Vision-Mission-Vocation, a Lutheran higher education orientation program which helps ensure the continuance of Lutheran identity and culture.
• Our church work programs continue to raise up faithful leaders for the Synod in undergraduate and graduate programs. With generous financial aid (matching what we provide to the children of our faculty and staff) and with high-quality, faithful instruction, they are being well formed for their callings.