The monthly “Campus Clips” column includes brief reports submitted by LCMS day schools, campus ministries, universities and seminaries.
Remembering 9/11
On Sept. 10, students at Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW), Mequon, Wis., gathered in the Chapel Courtyard to place 2,977 American flags, one in remembrance of each person killed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Flag by flag, the courtyard was transformed into a powerful place of remembrance on the eve of the event’s 25th anniversary.
Senior Jenna Piwowarczyk, a politics, philosophy and economics major and president of CUW’s Student Government Association, helped organize the student-led effort. She also serves as chairman of Young Americans for Freedom and events coordinator for Women in Business and Leadership.
“A lot of folks my age … weren’t alive during 9/11,” Piwowarczyk said, “and I think that means it’s all the more important to keep that memory and honor those who died, to keep it alive and remember it in our hearts year after year, decade after decade. That’s why we’re doing this project.”
Many of today’s college students hadn’t been born on Sept. 11, 2001. Yet Piwowarczyk said students continue to turn out for the memorial year after year, carrying forward what they have learned from their parents and professors. The completed display offered the CUW community a simple but striking invitation to pause, remember and pray for all whose lives were forever changed by the events of that day.
Tuition reset
Concordia University, St. Paul (CSP), St. Paul, Minn., is the first college in the nation to implement a second tuition reset, returning traditional undergraduate tuition to its 2006 rate of $21,700 for the 2027–2028 academic year.
“CSP has long championed new programs and initiatives that keep students first, and today is another step in that journey,” said the Rev. Dr. Brian Friedrich, CSP president. “We know that a Christ-centered Lutheran education changes the lives of our students and their families. Wherever our graduates go, they touch the lives of countless people within their workplaces and communities, leading with knowledge, integrity, wisdom and compassion.”
CSP also continues to offer its Church Work Tuition Guarantee; all church work students preparing to serve LCMS congregations and schools pay $0 in tuition each year. Additional scholarships from LCMS congregations and districts or other external sources may be used to lower the cost of room and board for church work students.
Engineering accreditation
The Bachelor of Science in Engineering at Concordia University Irvine (CUI), Irvine, Calif., has been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, a nonprofit, quality assurance organization. ABET accreditation assures that programs meet standards to produce graduates ready to enter critical technical fields that are leading the way in innovation and emerging technologies and anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public.
“ABET accreditation is a rigorous and complex process. This achievement is the culmination of a multi-year effort,” said Dr. Tom Mueller, dean of CUI’s School of Arts and Sciences. “I want to congratulate and thank Dr. Gaby Espinosa, director of engineering; Dr. Blake Lane, assistant professor of engineering; and Dr. Julie Melberg, chair of mathematics, computer science and engineering, and associate dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. I am deeply grateful for their diligent work, leadership and advocacy throughout the process.”
ABET’s voluntary peer-review process is highly respected because it adds critical value to academic programs in the technical disciplines, where quality, precision and safety are of the utmost importance. Developed by technical professionals from ABET’s member societies, ABET criteria focus on what students experience and learn. ABET accreditation reviews look at program curricula, faculty, facilities and institutional support and are conducted by teams of skilled professionals from industry, academia and government, with expertise in the ABET disciplines. Read more at cui.edu/newsroom.
Rural and small-town partnership
Concordia University, Nebraska (CUNE), Seward, Neb., has named Harlan Anson as director of CUNE’s Institute for Rural and Small-Town Ministries. The institute provides educational experiences for CUNE students while supporting rural and small-town congregations and schools through resources, consultation, outreach and partnerships.
Anson has served at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church and School in Staplehurst, Neb., for 21 years, and he currently serves as principal and director of youth and outreach. A CUNE graduate with bachelor’s degrees in geography (2002) and elementary education (2005) and a master’s in elementary administration (2008), Anson said his experience has deepened his appreciation for the opportunities and unique challenges of small-town ministry. In his new role, which will be in addition to his role at Our Redeemer, he looks forward to drawing on that experience to support rural and small-town churches and schools and prepare students for ministry in these communities.
Learn more at cune.edu/irstm.
Welcoming new faculty
Concordia University Chicago (CUC), River Forest, Ill., welcomed several new faculty members as it celebrated the start of its 163rd academic year in August. Across CUC’s four colleges, these educators bring a shared commitment to growth, discovery and faithful service.
New faculty from the College of Business include Susan Carlson, instructor and discipline chair for communication, and Dr. Jacqueline McCoy, assistant professor of business and discipline chair for the Doctor of Business Administration program. Faculty from the College of Health, Science and Technology include Dr. Karrie Curry, assistant professor of health and human performance; Kevin Fox, associate professor of practice in nursing; and Dr. Austin Shaw, assistant professor of health and human performance. Faculty from the College of Theology, Arts and Humanities include Allison Maschhoff, assistant professor of English, and the Rev. Roger Mullet, instructor of theology. Faculty from the College of Education include Dr. Noelle Blevins, assistant professor of teacher education, and Erica Hamel, assistant professor of early childhood education.
Read more CUC news at cuchicago.edu/news, and learn about upcoming events, including CUC’s annual Lectures in Church Music, at cuchicago.edu/events.
Learning about AI
On Sept. 2, the Rev. Dr. Trevor Sutton, senior pastor of St. Luke Lutheran Church, Haslett, Mich., and author of several books on Christianity and technology, spoke to the faculty of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), about theological approaches to artificial intelligence at CTSFW’s annual Fall Faculty Forum. The Rev. Dr. Todd Peperkorn, CTSFW vice-president of Spiritual Formation, said Sutton combined his “real-time parish experience with the best research in the field. It was a great way to think about where AI fits in our digital world, and how we as a seminary can prepare our students for it.”
On Sept. 4, incoming students attended CTSFW’s new student orientation — the largest incoming class (57 pastoral ministry students and six deaconess students) at CTSFW since 2009. During orientation, students met with and heard from faculty and staff members who will walk closely with them during their time at seminary. CTSFW President Rev. Dr. Jon Bruss and members of the faculty shared the seminary’s mission with students, and students had lunch with their faculty mentors. Various seminary departments welcomed students to campus and gave them an idea of what life on campus is like. The day concluded with an orientation fair featuring several LCMS entities and local ministries.
Breaking new ground
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (CSL), broke ground Sept. 14 for the first phase of its “Building for Community” campus plan, which will provide new apartments, primarily for married students and their families. CSL President Rev. Dr. Thomas Egger presided at the groundbreaking and manned the controls of an excavator for a ceremonial scoop. The groundbreaking party included the mayor of the city of Clayton along with representatives from the architectural and construction teams and CSL’s Board of Regents, National Campaign Council and student body. The project is the first phase of a multiyear plan to improve student housing, faculty housing and other campus spaces.
Posted Sept, 28, 2026
