Campus clips: Thank you, ‘Doc’

Dr. Richard Fischer — “Doc” — conducts the Concordia University Chicago (CUC) Wind Symphony on Nov. 1 for the last time. He is retiring as CUC conductor and music instructor after 52 years of serving the institution. (Elise Schulz)

The monthly “Campus Clips” column includes brief reports from LCMS day schools, campus ministries, universities and seminaries.

End of an era

After nearly 52 years of inspiring generations of musicians, Dr. Richard Fischer, affectionately known to students as “Doc,” is retiring from Concordia University Chicago (CUC), River Forest, Ill., at the end of the fall term. Fischer, distinguished professor of music and the Fred and Jane Wittlinger Endowed Chair for Music Performance, conducts the CUC Wind Symphony and University Band, and teaches basic and advanced conducting courses.

Fischer initially joined CUC, then called Concordia Teachers College, in 1974 in an interim capacity after the prior band director accepted a role at another university. He only had a bachelor’s degree at the time and no expectations of being asked to stay in the role permanently — but God had other plans.

“I believe God worked through [the hiring committee] and has blessed me so much in this life,” Fischer told the audience at his final Wind Symphony concert on Nov. 1. “I cannot thank Concordia University Chicago enough for believing in me before I believed in myself.”

Fischer transformed CUC’s Wind Symphony into an internationally recognized ensemble that performed at Carnegie Hall and around the world. His final tour culminated in a home concert full of students, alumni, fellow faculty and staff, and other community members who came together to celebrate a career rooted in faith.

“What I’ll always share in the years to come about a Rich Fischer concert is love,” CUC President Dr. Russell Dawn said. “He always emphasizes love; love for the music, of course, love for the students, but also love for the audience. And that fits, because music is a gift from God because God loves us.”

Continuing the tradition of sharing God’s love with audiences, Fischer’s final concert concluded with a performance of one of the ensemble’s most-beloved pieces, an arrangement of J. S. Bach’s chorale, “Who Puts His Trust in God Most Just.” Wind Symphony alumni joined current members at the front of the chapel for the hymn, before leading everyone in the Common Doxology as Fischer and students exited.

Remembering the Reformation

The Appetizers and Theologizers Club at Concordia University, St. Paul, St. Paul, Minn., marked Reformation Day by hosting a lively campus celebration filled with music, food and fellowship. More than 50 students from across the university gathered to sing beloved Lutheran hymns, test their knowledge with Reformation trivia and enjoy a festive spread. In a nod to Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, the group had a goal of collecting and distributing 95 theology books but ended up with 250 books. The evening concluded with a screening of the 1953 Martin Luther film.

Celebrating 80 years

University Lutheran Church, West Lafayette, Ind., joyfully celebrated its 80th anniversary this year. As a mission congregation of the LCMS Indiana District, University Lutheran (affectionately known as ULu Purdue) serves the Purdue University campus and surrounding community with Christ-centered ministry. On Sunday, Oct. 26, the congregation gathered for a festive evening Vespers service featuring guest preacher Rev. Jim Barton, who faithfully served as campus pastor for many years. The celebration welcomed alumni, members of the local circuit, and current students in a joyful reunion of faith and fellowship. ULu Purdue, under the leadership of Senior Pastor Rev. Jared DeBlieck and Associate Pastor Rev. Daniel Harrison, continues to rejoice in the gracious provisions of Christ through His Word and Sacrament. The congregation gives thanks for the many volunteers and leaders whose faithful service continues to share Christ’s love with the Purdue community.

Christmas at Concordia

Concordia University, Nebraska, Seward, Neb., once again welcomed audiences to celebrate the birth of Christ through “Christmas at Concordia” Dec. 5–7 in Seward. The beloved annual concert series featured student musicians from Concordia’s vocal and instrumental ensembles, sharing the hope and joy of the season through Scripture and song.

Presented in St. John Lutheran Church, the concerts invite guests to reflect on the miracle of Christ’s incarnation through a program of sacred music and readings that center on the message of God’s redeeming love. Each year, Christmas at Concordia draws guests from across the Midwest and beyond, offering a moving reminder of how Christ’s light continues to shine through the talents and faithful witness of Concordia’s students and community.

Enrollment up

This fall, Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW), Mequon, Wis., experienced an 8% increase in new freshmen compared to last year. Leah Toerpe (’01), CUW director of traditional undergraduate admission, attributes the growth to a “campus-wide effort” that invites prospective students to campus “so they can experience CUW personally. … We are supported across the campus. Academic faculty, for example, take time from their busy schedules to meet a visiting student and share the highlights regarding their programs, and [they] invite students to shadow classes.”

Concordia’s enrollment success reflects a broader trend across campus. Many programs have adapted their recruitment efforts, hosting hundreds of in-person and virtual events to connect with prospective students from a greater distance.

For example, the School of Pharmacy hosted “more than 100 events annually, several of which we have transitioned to virtual formats,” said Katelyn Wilson, assistant director of admissions operations in the School of Pharmacy. “This allows us to connect with students from a greater distance and broaden access to our office and school.”

Called to serve

Recent Called to Serve events from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, brought members of the enrollment team to Valparaiso, Ind., and several cities across Texas, including Nacogdoches, College Station and Houston. From Nov. 9–13, the team met with prospective students, pastors and other ministry leaders to share information about pastoral and diaconal formation at the seminary and to encourage reflection on God’s call to ministry. One of the Texas events included bilingual elements, welcoming both English- and Spanish-speaking participants. Each gathering underscored the seminary’s mission of preparing future church workers.

Learn more about upcoming Called to Serve events and formation opportunities at csl.edu/admissions.

International sharing

Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), has provided Seminário Concórdia in São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil — a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil (IELB) — with a full set of Johann Gerhard’s Theological Commonplaces through CTSFW’s Chemnitz Library Initiative. In June, the Rev. Dr. Benjamin Mayes, associate professor of historical theology at CTSFW, presented four volumes to Seminário Concórdia on a trip to Brazil.

In October, the Rev. Robert Roethemeyer, Wakefield-Kroemer Director of Library and Information Services, presented the remaining 14 volumes to the Rev. Joel Müller, IELB vice-president for teaching and a student in CTSFW’s Ph.D. in Missiology program. In exchange, Müller provided Kroemer Library with theological resources in Portuguese, published by IELB’s publishing house, Editora Concórdia.

Posted Dec. 16, 2025