“Concordia University Wisconsin is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body, and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world”
Well known for its wonderful location, Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW) has extremely breathtaking views of Lake Michigan, with its 200-acre residential campus situated along a half-mile of Lake Michigan shoreline in suburban Mequon. Today’s academic landscape is rapidly changing and Concordia’s administration has embarked on a mission that prepares its students to stand apart from the crowd and live an Uncommon Life. CUW has a 137-year history of helping students develop in mind, body, and spirit.
The institute was founded in Milwaukee in 1881 and is affiliated with The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), and is a member of the Concordia University System. Concordia began offering four-year undergraduate degrees in the late 1970s. The Board of Regents approved a move to university status in 1989, and CUW became the first university among the 10-member Concordia University System. “Concordia University Wisconsin is about so much more than just earning a degree. It’s about being part of a bigger community that shares uncommon purpose and values,” asserts Dr. Patrick T. Ferry, President of Concordia University Wisconsin.
A campus expansion and major library renovation was set to take place in 1982, before the campus was moved to Mequon prior to the start of the 1983 academic year. Today, it has a big campus which is surrounded by several attractive places and its location is one of the factors that attract students from all over the place to enroll and attend CUW. It has a modern campus with all required facilities and state-of-the-art infrastructure. Apart from these, it also has a perfect learning environment for students to explore new ideas, encourages creativity, and independent thinking. Moreover, the entire university is interconnected by an underground tunnel system. The university has four core values that guide the university’s mission each day: Christ-Centered, Truth & Integrity, Excellence, and Service.
A Christian University
‘CUW is a Christian university, not because we’re perfect people, but because we’re forgiven sinners who gather together in Christ’. CUW is a Christian university that instills in its students that ‘living a full Christian life is about more than worship.’ Several opportunities are provided for students to display their faith and make a difference in the lives of others. The institute provides ‘Excellence in Christian Education’ and two years back introduced a ‘Live Uncommon’ theme where students are asked to stand apart from the crowd and develop a mission and servanthood mentality. Chapel is held from 9:30 am to 9:45 am daily during the academic year, as students, faculty and staff come together. In summary, at Concordia there is a Christian emphasis from how professors teach in the classroom to how athletes play on the field. “We deliver a distinctive, Christian higher education experience, where faith and knowledge intertwine,” asserts Dr. Patrick T. Ferry.
Supporting Diversity and Encouraging Inclusion
CUW embraces diversity and strives to encourage as well as display ethnic diversity. Every year more than 500 international students attend this institute, making CUW a truly international university. Moreover, such international students have grown exponentially over the years. Geographic diversity is high at Concordia University Wisconsin, which has a female to male ratio of approximately 3:2. Since classrooms are at the heart of student learning, and faculty members are the key to promote inclusion on campus. The faculty members play important roles in supporting the diversity in the class and teaching in more inclusive ways.
Divers and Specialized Curricula
The university provides innovative syllabuses, multi-disciplinary programs, projects, and student centered pedagogy. The syllabus is specially designed to provide practical learning and hone the professional skills. Concordia University Wisconsin offers over 70 undergraduate majors and 40 graduate programs in six academic schools: Batterman School of Business, Education, Nursing, Pharmacy, Arts and Sciences, and Health Professions. The university offers more than a degree, as students make real connections in and out of class – relationships that can last a lifetime. CUW offers cutting-edge and extraordinary academic programs which provide lucrative employment opportunities.
An Able and Thought-out Leader
The Rev. Dr. Patrick T. Ferry was elected as eighth President of Concordia University Wisconsin in 1997. He began his career at CUW as an Assistant Professor in 1991. He earned his Ph.D. as well as M.A. in history and M.Div. from the University of Colorado.
Dr. Ferry asserts, “It is my great privilege to work each day alongside winsome people who champion the needs and concerns of others.” He continues, “Concordians are freed to pursue the uncommon path of dedicating their lives to make someone else’s life better.”
Under his able leadership, the university has witnessed growth and initiated several innovative systems. In the past decade, he has overseen some important changes that include the construction of a new Business School, School of Pharmacy, and a residence hall that affords students breathtaking views of Lake Michigan. Dr. Ferry believes the measure that matters most is whether the Concordia education has ultimately driven students to live, breathe and demonstrate the university’s excellence and that they are making a positive difference in the lives of others.
Financial Aids and Scholarships
CUW provides deserving students with a number of scholarships, aimed to help them in their search for excellence. They not only foster and nurture academic brilliance, providing aspiring achievers with the wherewithal, but also encourage achievers by acknowledging and honoring their achievements. While many colleges and universities across the United States boast that nearly 100% of their undergraduates receive financial aid assistance, scholarships are granted to more than a third of Concordia students. The average amount of total financial aid a student is awarded is approximately $24,000.00.
Major Accomplishments
Major achievements over the last three years include finalizing a state-of-the-art, 48,000 square foot School of Business that will be completed this June. While it will house the School of Business, it will invite collaboration among all the disciplines (health care, education, and science) with the purpose of infusing Christian business ethics and free enterprise principles to prepare graduates for the workforce. Health care remains a prime area of focus, as half of CUW’s six schools are in health care disciplines. The venue is meant to be a hub for innovation, entrepreneurship and transformational learning experiences that will both support and empower the next generation of leaders. A new Doctorate of Education of Leadership in Innovation and Continuous Improvement was added to the curriculum last summer, and Concordia’s 32,000 alumni are invited to be a part of alumni association events, with a number of local and out-state chapter events held annually.
Career Development Activities
The university has a career service office that is dedicated to helping the students and alumni to fulfill their desired career goals. It is committed to attend to the individual needs of students and ensure to achieve desired platforms for launching students’ professional careers. It offers ample employment opportunities, internship, engagement with employers and connection to resources. Moreover, it offers a variety of programs, services, assessments, and more to help build the career confidence and skill development. Placement rates following graduation are consistently well above the national average in a number of disciplines, including Nursing and Physician Assistant.
