Campus clips: Concordia students, faculty lead and serve

Pictured, from left, are Collegiate Leadership Competition team members from Concordia University, Nebraska (CUNE), Seward, Neb.: (Back) Olivia Dunklau, Rody Lyon, Jake Hagerbaumer, Austin Jablonski, Carolyn Esh, Dr. Curt Beck; (Middle) Aubrey Baumann, Carlin Adams, Katelyn Smith, Sydni Watson, Taylor Larsen; (Front) Chloe Wells, Joel Baker. (CUNE)

The monthly “Campus Clips” column includes brief reports from LCMS schools.

Champion leaders

The Collegiate Leadership Competition (CLC) teams at Concordia University, Nebraska (CUNE), Seward, Neb., won first and second place at the CLC in April, making them back-to-back champions. The CLC, founded in 2015, is designed to provide students a practice field to grow and develop as leaders and followers.

CUNE’s first-place team, Concordia Platinum, includes members Carlin Adams, Olivia Dunklau, Katelyn Smith, Rody Lyon, Sydni Watson and Chloe Wells. The second-place team, Concordia Cobalt, includes Joel Baker, Aubrey Baumann, Carolyn Esh, Austin Jablonski, Taylor Larsen and Jake Hagerbaumer.

Fully accredited

The Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) has granted the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program at Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW), Mequon, Wis., full accreditation for five years, the maximum term allotted. In the lead-up to CAA’s announcement, CUW’s SLP program underwent a rigorous review process, culminating in a site visit in October 2023.

The program officially received word in March that it had met or exceeded all 161 standards/sub-standards during the review, qualifying it for five years of full accreditation, effective March 1, 2024. Learn more about the program at cuw.edu/slp.

Mentoring future teachers

Established classroom teachers who have never taken on a student teacher may find inspiration in Katherine Kuzma, one of the newest educator mentor recruits at Concordia University Ann Arbor (CUAA), Ann Arbor, Mich. Kuzma, a 16-year middle school physical education teacher in Michigan, took on her very first student teacher from CUAA this year, and it has proven more beneficial for both parties than she could have ever imagined. Kuzma was paired with CUAA secondary education major Bryon Mane. “Now he is my brother in Christ,” Kuzma said. “I absolutely love[d] working with him and seeing him every day.” Read more of their story, and learn more about becoming a student teaching supervisor, at blog.cuaa.edu/faith-mentorship.

Health care workers needed

CalOptima Health, the largest health insurer in Orange, Calif., has awarded Concordia University Irvine (CUI), Irvine, Calif., a $5 million grant as part of the Provider Workforce Development Initiative. CUI was one of seven institutions selected in a highly competitive process that awarded a total of $24.6 million in the first round of funding through the initiative. The five-year, $50 million initiative is designed to increase access to high-quality, equitable care for members by investing in strategies that aim to close gaps and shortages in Orange County’s health care workforce.

In support of this mission, CUI’s successful grant proposal, entitled “Concordia Nursing Pipeline Program,” aims to increase community outreach for CUI’s nursing programs. The goals are to make nursing education more affordable by providing scholarships to students in Orange County and to provide increased academic support to students entering CUI’s nursing program.

“With this grant, [CUI] will continue our efforts to diversify enrollment in our nursing program and [to] increase our reach within the community,” said Dr. Terry Olson, dean of the CUI School of Health and Human Sciences. “Through this partnership with CalOptima Health, we are confident that the grant will make a significant difference in the lives of those we serve and create lasting positive change for health care outcomes in our community.”

Free enterprise leaders

The Free Enterprise Center (FEC) at Concordia University Chicago (CUC), River Forest, Ill., is celebrating growth as it approaches its third anniversary. The center is focused on employing the neighborhood stabilization model of effective philanthropy.

“We believe that real relationships between our students and our neighbors can lead to solutions that support dignity and reduce dependence,” said Dr. Rachel Ferguson, FEC director and assistant dean of the CUC College of Business.

The FEC recently launched its Student Fellows program, which is limited to a total of 10 high-achieving students each academic year. “I want to help students understand God’s call on their lives in business, in charitable efforts, as citizens of our nation and as citizens in the kingdom of God,” Ferguson said. Providing opportunities for students to do good work in the community is the center’s most important goal. Students participating in the fellowship will engage in unique opportunities designed to equip them to be agile and generous stewards of their skills and resources.

Visit to Rwanda

Dr. Samuel Deressa and Dr. Mark Koschmann, members of the faculty at Concordia University, St. Paul (CSP), St. Paul, Minn., led a student travel seminar to Rwanda during the university’s spring break in March. Students were immersed in the rich history, culture and societal dynamics of Rwanda as they met with leaders from the Lutheran Church in Rwanda and learned about the tremendous growth of Christianity across Africa and the Global South. They also learned about reconciliation and forgiveness from victims of Rwanda’s genocide.

Faith and writing

Writers of all abilities are invited to explore the art of creative writing at the Faith and Writing Workshop July 16–18 at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (CSL). The worship will address topics ranging from starting a blog or creating a sermon or devotion to drafting stories, nonfiction, drama, poetry and everything in between. Workshop leaders are Dr. Travis Scholl, author and director of mission integration at Lutheran Senior Services in St. Louis, and Peter Mead, a Christian editor, publisher and writer. The cost of the workshop is $185/person ($85 for CSL students) with a maximum of 15 participants. Meals are not included. Register by July 2 at csl.edu/faith-writing-workshop.

Learning about mission

Students from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), traveled to the Dominican Republic (DR) in February to witness and experience international mission work. The students were led by the Rev. Dr. Benjamin Mayes, CTSFW associate professor of historical theology. “The experience taught us a lot about our Lutheran missions, about evangelism and [about] aspects of both that we can put into practice here in the United States,” Mayes said.

The students learned from LCMS missionaries in the DR, worshiped with congregations in the mission churches, joined students at Concordia the Reformer Seminary in their classes, led Bible studies and taught English as a Second Language classes, immersing themselves in the local culture and Spanish language. The students also observed LCMS mercy work at Good Shepherd, a home for people with disabilities. “The trip pushed us outside of our comfort zones to get to people where they are and make us a little more creative and bold,” Mayes said.

Posted May 13, 2024