Concordia University (Nebraska)

Motto	Preparing Servant Leaders for Church and World
Established	1894
Type	Private University
Religious affiliation	Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
President	Rev. Dr. Brian L. Friedrich
Provost	Dr. Jenny Mueller-Roebke
Students	2,196 (2011)[1]
Location	Seward, Nebraska, USA Coordinates: 40°54′51″N 97°05′27.35″W / 40.91417°N 97.0909306°W / 40.91417; -97.0909306
Campus	Rural 120 acres (49 ha)
Colors	Navy and White
Mascot	Bulldogs
Affiliations	GPAC, NAIA
Website	www.cune.edu

Concordia University, Nebraska, is a private, coeducational university located in Seward, Nebraska. It is affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and part of its ten-member Concordia University System. Concordia offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in more than 50 academic programs in both on-campus and online formats.

History

Founded in 1894 as the Evangelische Lutherische Schulleherer Seminar, the university began as a preparatory teacher’s school with its twelve students boarded, fed and taught in the same building by J. George Weller and his wife. The surrounding community was supportive of a school in their midst, and did much to help the students with extra foodstuffs, funding, and housing. The school granted its first teaching degrees in 1907. During World War I, the school faced anti-German sentiment, leading to change in the language of instruction from German to English. The college worked alongside the community to show their patriotism by constructing a 100 ft (30 m) flagpole. Following the war, the school was accredited as a junior college, and women joined the student body in 1919. At first, the women were required to eat and board off-campus in local homes since being admitted into the college in 1932. A women’s residence hall was built in 1941.

The first bachelor's degrees were awarded in 1940, and the school became an accredited four-year institution in the late 1940s. In 1959, Concordia became the first of the LCMS schools to be accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

The Thom Leadership Education Center was dedicated in 2000 and contains state-of-the-art classrooms, meeting rooms, and an auditorium. It houses education programs, including the Director of Christian Education program.

Additional educational and housing facilities were added as the university grew and expanded its programs, including science labs, a large library, and multiple residence halls. Business, art, science, and health-related programs were added to the teaching and pre-seminary courses. Graduate programs were added in 1968.

The college became part of the newly established Concordia University System in 1995, and became a university in 1998.

In 1995, the college first hosted the first annual Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival. In 2009 over 8000 elementary and middle school students took part in the festival. It has included famous authors such as Lois Lowry, John R. Erickson, and John Archambault.

New facilities, including the Thom Leadership Education Center and a track-and-field and stadium complex, have been added in recent years. The newest of its 11 residence halls was opened in 2006. The Health, Human Performance and Athletic Center (HHPAC) was completed on May 9, 2009 in time for the commencement for the class of 2009. In 2011 the facility was renamed the Walz Human Performance Complex.

The current President of Concordia University, Nebraska is Brian Friedrich.

Campus

Concordia University, Nebraska encompasses 120 acres (49 ha) in the town of Seward, Nebraska. Now known as Founder's Hall, the original building is the center of campus but has not been used besides a theatre workshop since 2009. Having grown from this single, original brick building, the campus now has over 11 academic and administration buildings and 11 residence halls. The newest residence hall is an apartment-style-living facility, and all of the campus's residence halls include internet access and cable telecommunications connections. The university grounds are home to a portion of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum as well as a number of university-commissioned and student-made sculptures.

• Campus Map

The Link Library contains about 232,000 titles and offers a computerized Web-based cataloging system. The terminals also provide access to the databases of other independent colleges and universities in Nebraska. Bartels Museum, in the basement of Link Library, houses 75 displays of geological interest, including fossils and minerals from around the world.

• Weller Hall is the administrative center of campus as it houses the business, marketing, admissions, financial service and human resource departments. The offices of the provost and university president are also located in Weller. A 500 seat auditorium hosts daily chapel services as well as theatrical productions. Weller also provides several classrooms for instruction.
  
• Jesse Hall was originally built as a dormitory but now functions as office space for the business, communication, theology, and social science departments. Several classrooms and a computer lab are also present in the building. The Marxhausen Gallery of Art is located in the building with art visiting, original, and archival shows on display. Jesse Hall also is the location for several organization offices including The Sower student newspaper.
  
• Brommer Hall was originally built as a student center but was converted to become a center for fine arts. Offices, studio space, classrooms, and a computer lab.
  
• Most classrooms are located in the Thom Leadership Education Center (TLEC) along with an auditorium, computer labs, and the offices of the education department. Classrooms are equipped with projectors and screens as well as several containing smart boards.
  
• The Science Hall hosts many science and math classes. Laboratories for physics, biology, and chemistry are equipped with all necessary equipment. A special room for dissection of a cadaver was recently constructed for gross anatomy classes.
  
• Music Center is the home for many performing arts studies at Concordia. Offices for the music department are located there as well as a number of practice rooms equipped with pianos and organs. In 2008 a new Casavant Freres organ was installed in Heine Hall, the recital hall in the center, along with a new Steinway piano. A computer lab provides music students with software for composition. A black box theater in the basement of the center, loveably termed "The Black Box" serves as a venue for intimate theatrical performances throughout the year and is the headquarters of the IMPROVables comedy group.
  

Link Library (Research and Study Materials)
Human, Health and Performance Athletic Center (HHPAC) Athletics [1] and Human Health Programs
Janzow Campus Center ("Fine" Dining Hall, Trayless Eternity, Cattle Conference Room, Student Life Office [SLO], Game Room, Mail Room, Student Activities Council Office [SAC], AED, Counseling Center, and the Bookstore)

As of the 2009–2010 academic year, Founder's Hall was closed. Classes and offices were moved out and relocated to other locations. The only occupant left is the Theatre Program's set-construction workshop, which is in the basement. At the moment, there is no official decision on what to do regarding the building.

Bulldog Stadium was constructed in 1997 and hosts the athletic events of Concordia's track, football, and soccer teams in addition to intramurals and Seward High School football and soccer games.

Academics

Concordia offers both graduate and undergraduate programs designed to prepare students not only to succeed in their chosen careers, but also to encourage responsible participation and leadership in a complex and diverse society. Concordia University, Nebraska is a fully accredited institution, accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The teacher education programs are accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE); music programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM); and the institution's business program is accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE).

Undergraduate

Concordia awards bachelor's degrees in more than 40 undergraduate programs. Concordia also awards the Lutheran Teacher Diploma, Christian Teacher Diploma, the Director of Christian Education, and Director of Parish Music certificates which allow holders of those credentials to serve as church workers in the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. Pre-seminary and pre-deaconess programs are also available, including the necessary language courses to attend the seminaries of the LCMS. List of majors:

Accountancy Art (Studio) Arts Administration Art Therapy Behavioral Science Biology Business Administration Business Communication Chemistry Community Health

Communication Studies Computer Science Ecclesiastical Arts Education Environmental Science Environmental Studies Exercise Science Fitness Studies Geography Gerontology

Graphic Design History Journalism and Public Relations Language and Rhetoric Management Information Systems Mathematics Marketing Music Natural Science Physical Science

Physical Science Studies Physics Psychology Spanish Sport Studies Theatre Theology World and Intercultural Studies

• Concordia Undergraduate Course Catalog

Graduate

Concordia University offers eight master’s degrees primarily in education. These programs offer a majority of their courses online, along with concentrated, on-campus courses offered during the summer months. The Master of Education program offers concentrations in administration (elementary and secondary), literacy, and early childhood education.

• Concordia Graduate Catalog

Student Life

Residential Halls

There are currently 11 Residential Halls (dormitories) on the University's campus. These dorms are separated by gender, with the exclusion of Jonathan Hall. The following is a list of the current Residential Halls:

Philip Hall – Men Timothy Hall – Men Dorcas Hall – Men Esther Hall – Men Ruth A Hall – Men Ruth B Hall – Men

Schuelke Hall – Men Jonathan Apartments – Mixed-gender (genders separated by hall) David Hall – Women Strieter Hall – Women Ruth C Hall – Women

The current visitation hours are from 10:00am until 12:00am Sunday through Thursday and 10:00am until 1:00am on Friday and Saturday. The dormitories are run by resident assistants (RAs) who are overseen by the Student Life Office (SLO).

Student government

The university has a student senate composed of one senator elected by their floor peers to represent their respective dorm floor, a proportionate number of senators elected to represent students who live off campus, and a representative for the Student Activities Committee and Student Worship Committee. The president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer are elected at-large from the entire student body. All official student groups also have a vote and their funding is tied to attendance at the weekly meetings.

Extracurricular activities

Over 30 clubs and organizations exist on campus for students to participate in, ranging from service-oriented groups to intramural teams to academic support groups to honorary societies. The Sower is the university's bi-weekly newspaper. The Tower is the title of the institution's yearbook. The Student Activity Committee (SAC) organizes multiple events for the student body throughout the year, including concerts, comedy shows, free movies, bowling nights, and the popular Spring Weekend.

• Complete list of Organizations

Traditions

Concordia plays host to a number of traditions throughout the year, many organized by students.

• Christmas at Concordia is an annual worship service during the first weekend in December. Each musical ensemble performs several pieces as well as joining the congregation of St. John Lutheran Church in Seward where the event is held. Three services are held throughout the weekend and tickets are required, but free.
• The Weekend of Welcome (known as WOW) is the orientation period for freshmen and transfer students held in August. It features the popular O-show in which the particulars of Concordia life are satirically portrayed.
• The Naked Man Snow Angel Run is an annual tradition held on the first snow of the year in which male (and, since 2009, female) students gather in Dorcas Hall and run wearing minimal clothing to the Son of Man Be Free statue (commonly called The Naked Man), where they form snow angels before retreating to warmth.
• Spring Weekend is the most prominent weekend at Concordia. The Student Activity Committee organizes events in which teams compete. Historically, mud-volleyball and mattress racing were part of the events but have since seen many changes. Popular events include the Lip-sync event and sync-swim in which students perform choreographed programs in child-sized pools.

Music, Theatre, and Art

The Concordia Department of Music is NASM (National Association for Schools of Music) -accredited. Concordia has more than a dozen vocal and instrumental ensembles open to students,

• A Capella Choir directed by Dr. Kurt von Kampen was founded in 1939 performs both sacred and secular pieces of music. It regularly makes national and international tours. The 60 member choir practices daily and requires an entrance audition.
• Chamber Choir and Vocal Jazz Ensemble are 16 member choirs composed of students selected from the A Capella choir. The choir regularly tours and sings a diverse array of music. It is directed by Dr. von Kampen.
• University Symphonic Band is composed of wind and percussion students through audition. It performs multiple times a semester at schools, churches, and performance halls. The group is directed by Professor Andrew Schultz
• Male Chorus better known as MAN CHOIR is a male vocal ensemble directed by Dr. Kurt von Kampen. The group performs several times a semester at chapel and church services as well as a culminating concert ending each semester. The group does not require an audition for entrance but uses one for placement for TTBB pieces. The group is known for its pure manliness and frequent compositions regarding bacon.
• Women's Chorale, like the Male Chorus, performs throughout the semester both secular and sacred music. It meets three days a week and is directed by Dr. Jeffrey Blersch.
• University Jazz Ensemble conducted by Professor Andrew Schultz is dedicated to the performance of instrumental jazz music. The group performs throughout the semester providing a winter and spring concert as well as swing music for the homecoming dance in October. Entrance is by audition.
• Concordia Brass Ensemble rehearses several hours each week and is directed by Professor Wendy Schultz.
• Handbell choir directed by Jessica Kite is focused on performing [[handbell] pieces. Beginning and Advanced sections are available to students depending on experience and ability.
• Chamber Orchestra was restarted in 2011 after being disbanded for a time. The group is composed of strings, wind, brass, and percussion students desiring to play a classical repertoire.
• University Praise Band performs contemporary Christian music at chapel services and makes trips to various special events.
• University/Community Concert Band is placed by audition and meets once a week. The group is composed of both students and interested member in the Seward County area.
• Bulldog Band is the pep band ensemble for CUNE. It performs at home football, basketball and spirit events as well as traveling for the annual Concordia Invitational Tournament. It has grown significantly in recent years and is directed by Professor Andrew Schultz.

The Theatre Program stages two full-length shows each year, in addition to one-act plays, readers’ theater, and a host of student-directed productions. The University's theater division has been honored by inclusion in Playbill, the yearly publication of the Alpha Psi Omega dramatic honor society, for more than 20 years. The Theatre faculty and students are active in the Region V Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Students have received recognition for playwriting, directing, lighting design, set design, and acting at recent regional festivals. Despite the success of the theater groups, the university has yet to build a dedicated theater facility.

Concordia’s art students exhibit their artwork at the Marxhausen Gallery of Art, which also hosts visiting artists from around the country. The university’s permanent collection of more than 300 works, the Koenig Collection, contains mostly screen prints, etchings, lithographs, and other original prints by nationally and internationally recognized artists. The Center for Liturgical Art at Concordia seeks to encourage and assist the Church in its ministry through the visual arts by promoting its use in worship. Students work alongside faculty and visiting artists to create a variety of pieces.

Athletics

Concordia University, Nebraska is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and a founding member of the Great Plains Athletic Conference. It's teams use the newly constructed Walz Human Performance Complex, Bulldog Stadium, and Plum Creek Park baseball and softball fields for competitions. There are 19 varsity sports teams including:

Football (M) Fall Volleyball (W) Fall Soccer (M/W) Fall Golf (M/W) Fall and Spring Cross Country (M/W) Fall Competitive Dance (W) Year Round

Wrestling (M) Winter Basketball (M/W) Winter Baseball (M) Spring Softball (W) Spring Tennis (M/W) Spring Track–Indoor & Outdoor (M/W) Winter and Spring

plus intramural sports. Year Round

Concordia Invitational Tournament Since 1950, Concordia has competed in an annual men's basketball tournament against other LC-MS universities. A women's tournament was added in 1965. Throughout the history of CIT, Concordia, Nebraska holds the best aggregate record in both the men's and women's tournaments with a 73–45 record, with 23 titles for the men and 58 wins, 16 losses and 22 titles for the women. Since 2001 the teams are: Concordia University, Nebraska, Concordia University Wisconsin, Concordia University, Chicago and Concordia University, Ann Arbor.

The school mascot is the Bulldog.

Facilities include the 1,400-seat stadium & track and field constructed in 1997.

References

1. ^ "CUS enrollment hits new record high of 28,421". http://reporter.lcms.org/pages/rpage.asp?NavID=19358. Retrieved 28 October 2011. 

External links

• Concordia University, Nebraska
• Concordia University, Nebraska's Bookstore
• Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
• Campus Map
• Concordia Graduate Catalog
• Concordia Undergraduate Course Catalog
• Complete list of Organizations
• Concordia University, Nebraska's website