Concordia College

Opportunities

 

Expanded Academic Opportunities

In addition to the standard curriculum, Concordia has many special programs to fit individual preferences and needs. Many of these may be incorporated into your regular course of study. Some involve travel; others are work experiences. For those programs not located on campus, application and review may be required.
These academic opportunities will add depth to your academic program and enrich your life in many ways. Not only will they open new doors, deepen your understanding, broaden your perspective, and reveal capabilities you did not know you had, but they also will be an important part of a liberal arts education. We encourage you to explore these opportunities.

The Center for Ethical Leadership

The Center for Ethical Leadership was established as an outreach center for the community and a resource center for the college. The purpose of the center is to develop and enhance ethics-centered and value-based leadership for individuals and organizations through information, networks, programs and consultation. Activities for the Center for Ethical Leadership include:
• monthly business ethics luncheons for the business and college community
• a fall leadership workshop dealing with a specific area of leadership
• the Norman M. Lorentzsen Spring Ethics Conference that involves one or more nationally recognized speakers
• seminars and consulting for corporations and organizations relating to ethical behavior and leadership
• ethics programs integrated with the curriculum and campus life at the college
The Center for Ethical Leadership is a division of the department of business, accounting and economics. Dr. Jim Legler is the center director. For more information, call 218.299.3928.

Concordia Language Villages

Since 1961, Concordia Language Villages has been offering internationally recognized language and culture programs for young people ages 7 to 18. More than 6,000 villagers participate in our one-, two- or four-week summer sessions. In addition, we offer language and cultural immersion programs for families, adults, educators and school groups throughout Minnesota and in many locations abroad. Participants learn and speak one of 15 different languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Danish, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swedish.
For more information, call the Concordia Language Villages office at 800.222.4750 or 218.299.4544 or stop by the Riverside Center. Our Web site, www.ConcordiaLanguageVillages.org, also has a wealth of information about our programs.

Credo Honors Program

Credo is an academic honors program in the core curriculum for high-ability, highly motivated students who accept the challenge of actively exploring the ideas that have significantly changed our world. Eligible students are invited to join the Credo program at admission or during the fall semester of their first year. Credo students participate in stimulating discussions and develop intellectual and social relationships as they challenge themselves and each other in this rigorous interdisciplinary program.
Program participants take four specially designated Credo courses. These include a Credo Inquiry Seminar, one Credo exploration course in the natural sciences, one Credo exploration course in the social sciences, and one Credo exploration course in either the humanities or the fine arts. The Credo exploration courses are team-taught by outstanding faculty who bring a distinctive approach and perspective to the subject. These courses are open only to Credo students and are topics not usually covered in other courses at Concordia. Examples of current Credo courses are The Renaissance; Germany, the Third Reich and the Holocaust; Life in the Universe; and Arthurian Legends.
For additional information regarding the Credo Honors Program, see Credo in the department pages of the catalog.

Cultural Events

The mission of Concordia College is to influence the affairs of the world by sending into society thoughtful and informed men and women dedicated to the Christian life. From the founding of the college, cultural events have been a fundamental component in carrying out this mission.
Cultural events programming at Concordia College enriches the intellectual and cultural life of the college by providing models of what the college values, through presenting individuals and groups that stimulate a love of learning, evoke a commitment to excellence, underscore the importance of discipline, provide growth of independent thinking, demonstrate creativity in mastering an art or addressing an issue, broaden aesthetic appreciation of the world, and awaken a personal and social consciousness and vision of the way the world can be.
The Cultural Events Series includes international artistic expression and continues to reflect a focused effort to offer our audiences opportunities to experience exceptional artists from various world cultures and musical traditions. The Cultural Events Series gives direction to visions, reality to dreams, breadth to perspective, stimulation to senses, and meaning and substance to a life of faith and commitment.
Faith, Reason and World Affairs Symposia: Each fall, the college sponsors the Faith, Reason and World Affairs Symposium on a topic of major significance. In the best liberal arts tradition, these symposia bring to campus knowledgeable speakers to represent various positions on the topic. The goal is to challenge participants to make informed judgments through hearing and discussing divergent points of view. In the past, topics have included medical ethics, the global economy, the environment and the quest for spirituality.
Nobel Peace Prize Forum: Each year for the past 20 years, an annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum has been hosted on a rotating basis by five Evangelical Lutheran Church in America colleges of Scandinavian heritage in the Upper Midwest: Augsburg (Minneapolis), Augustana (Sioux Falls), Concordia (Moorhead), Luther (Decorah) and St. Olaf (Northfield). Held in cooperation with the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo, Norway, the forum series was created to offer an opportunity for Nobel Peace Prize laureates, diplomats, scholars and the general public to take part in a dialogue on the underlying causes and manifestations of conflict and war in modern society and on the dynamics of peacemaking. Concordia College, Moorhead, will host the 25th annual forum in March 2013.

Departmental Honors Programs

Departmental honors programs are an option for highly motivated students. Several academic departments offer these intensified studies for exceptional students who wish to develop their talents to a greater degree than might otherwise be possible.
Students who successfully complete the departmental honors program graduate “with honors.” A notation to that effect appears on the academic record along with other honors earned at Concordia. The requirements of departmental honors programs vary. For more information, see the department chairs of biology, chemistry, communication studies, education, English, German, history, mathematics, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, religion, social work and Spanish.

Dovre Center for Faith and Learning

The mission of the Dovre Center for Faith and Learning is expressed through addressing four specific goals:
• to keep the questions and issues of faith and learning alive on campus
• to assist faculty in connecting matters of faith with their work and their contributions to the college’s religious identity
• to assist in developing and sustaining faculty community
• to encourage new initiatives in relating faith and learning to students
While many of the current programs of the Dovre Center are geared toward supporting faculty as they integrate faith and learning in their research and teaching, the center is also exploring programs that involve direct student involvement as well. For information about the Dovre Center, contact Director Ernest Simmons of the religion department at 218.299.3430.

Engineering Preprofessional Programs

Concordia College offers pre-engineering programs in collaboration with the Institute of Technology (IT) at the University of Minnesota and North Dakota State University (NDSU). Students may receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in applied science from Concordia and a Bachelor of Science degree from either IT or NDSU. The professional degrees available through these programs are accredited by the Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology and meet the degree portion of the requirements for registration as a professional engineer.
Concordia-University of M Minnesota program: Engineering students also have the option of participating in a three-two dual program with IT at the University of Minnesota. In this five-year program, students spend their first three years at Concordia taking courses in physics, mathematics, chemistry, computer programming, and the liberal arts. They finish the program by spending the next two years at the University of Minnesota taking engineering and applied science courses. All of Concordia’s core requirements must be met in the first three years. (The requirement for a minimum of 10 upper-level course credits does not apply.) Upon successful completion of the program requirements, students receive a B.A. degree from Concordia in applied science and one of 10 undergraduate degrees from IT: aerospace, biomedical, biosystems and agricultural, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, geological, materials science or mechanical engineering.
The faculty advisers for the pre-engineering programs are Mark W. Gealy, Bryan A. Luther, Heidi L.K. Manning and Paul A. Seifert, all of the physics department. Typical schedules of courses allowing students to meet required core and science courses for either program may be obtained from these advisers.

Music Organizations

Known both nationally and internationally, Concordia’s music organizations are many and varied. The famed Concordia Choir, Concordia College Orchestra and Concordia College Band annually tour various regions of the United States; and all three ensembles have toured in Europe. Other vocal ensembles on campus include The Concordia Chapel Choir, Männerchor, Cantabile, Bel Canto and the Vocal Jazz Ensemble. All of the choirs perform in chapel regularly and present local concerts. The Concordia Cobber Band, The Concordia College Jazz Ensembles, the Percussion Ensemble, Marimba Choir and Tintinnabula are other campus instrumental ensembles that perform in local concerts throughout the year. Membership in Concordia music ensembles is determined by audition. Students may also audition for the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony, a professional ensemble that performs a regular subscription series. In addition, there are numerous brass, woodwind, string and piano ensembles.
One 0.25-course credit per semester is granted to members of all ensembles and musical organizations. Membership is determined by audition. Prospective members of instrumental ensembles should bring their own instruments. A limited number of instruments are available at a nominal rental fee per semester. For information about participation in any of these ensembles, contact the music department.
Choirs:
• The Concordia Choir (sophomores and above) tours nationally and internationally, performing at major concert venues on a regular basis, in addition to campus concerts and chapel appearances.
• The Concordia Chapel Choir (sophomores and above) also undertakes a regional tour and performs in local and campus concerts, as well as during chapel.
• Bel Canto (women’s choir) performs in chapel regularly in addition to campus concerts and local appearances.
• Männerchor (men’s chorus) and Cantabile (women’s chorus) serve members in their first year of college and perform primarily campus concerts, including chapel appearances.
• The Vocal Jazz Ensemble specializes in the performance of American classic and contemporary song literature in the jazz idiom.
All of the choirs (with the exception of the Vocal Jazz Ensemble) participate in the annual Concordia Christmas Concerts.
Bands:
• The Concordia College Band, usually consisting of about 70 players, performs a variety of symphonic and popular music at concerts, convocations and other college functions and on its annual tour.
• The Concordia Cobber Band, which also studies a wide range of musical literature, performs at concerts, chapel services and athletic events.
Orchestras:
• The Concordia College Orchestra performs representative works from the symphonic music literature in a series of concerts on campus and on its annual tours.
• The Concordia College Symphonia plays chamber works in on-campus concerts.
Instrumental ensembles: Smaller ensembles are formed on the basis of student interest and ability. Brass, string, woodwind, percussion, marimba and piano ensembles perform in concerts and at various college functions.
• Tintinnabula, a handbell choir, has 13 ringers who are chosen by audition. They play on five octaves of Malmark bells and appear in campus concerts, chapel services and at various local events. They also play at churches and festivals in the region, and participate in the annual Concordia Christmas Concerts.
• The Concordia College Jazz Ensembles consist of approximately 20 musicians each. These groups perform major works representing contemporary jazz literature and styles at numerous concerts and clinics both on and off campus.
• The Percussion E Ensemble is a chamber music organization consisting of 20 to 25 musicians who perform on the many and varied definite and indefinite pitched instruments of the percussion family. The Percussion Ensemble is open through audition to students of all levels who express an interest in performing on percussion instruments. The group performs a wide variety of literature from the “standard” percussion repertoire, as well as exciting new arrangements of popular, classical and folk music. All students, regardless of their majors, are eligible to audition for the Percussion Ensemble.
• The Marimba Choir is a chamber music organization consisting of eight to 10 marimbists selected from the members of the Percussion Ensemble. They perform literature ranging from transcriptions of works by Bach, Mozart and other great composers, to Latin American, pops favorites, ragtime and contemporary literature for keyboard percussion. The Marimba Choir performs in the Percussion Ensemble concerts, as well as at numerous community and civic events. All students, regardless of their majors, are eligible to audition for the Marimba Choir.

ROTC

The Army ROTC education program provides professional preparation for future Army officers. ROTC develops men and women who can use their education as commissioned officers on active duty or in the Army National Guard or Army Reserves. To receive a commission, ROTC students must complete all requirements for a degree in accordance with university rules and regulations, as well as complete courses specified by the ROTC program.
Scholarships: Four-year, three-and-a-half, three, two-and-a-half, and two-year scholarships are available on a competitive basis to qualified students. The scholarships pay for tuition, fees, and $1,200 per year for textbooks and supplies. For those who contract, a ROTC stipend pays $300 per month freshmen year, $350 sophomore, $450 junior and $500 per month senior year.
If you are interested in the Army ROTC program through Concordia, see the Office of the Registrar for information on Tri-College registration. You may also call or write the department of Military Science (Army ROTC) at 701.231.8186 at North Dakota State University in Fargo, or visit the ROTC Web site at www.ConcordiaArmyROTC.com for more information.

Student Research Opportunities

Department assistantships: Student assistantships are also available in several academic departments. These are positions with special educational and personal qualifications involving close cooperation with supervising faculty members. Application is made in writing and in person to the head of the department before April 1 for assistantships for the following college year. Ordinarily, the candidate has a year of residence at Concordia College before becoming eligible for an assistantship.
Centennial research co-inquirers: Each year, a number of faculty are awarded grants to work with two students on an in-depth project in their discipline, focusing either on a primary research topic or on the best teaching methods in that discipline. The student partners work as true partners with the faculty member, spending two months during the summer developing the project, then working with the faculty member throughout the following year to finalize the presentation of their findings. Students receive 1.0 credit for an Independent Study course in the summer, for which tuition is waived; they also receive stipends of $2,000 each. It is common for these projects to result in published articles or professional presentations, with one or both of the students serving as co-authors or co-presenters.
Student L Lecture Series: Each semester, the Special Awards Committee of the Faculty Senate sponsors a series of two to three lectures given by students on academic topics. Nomination by a faculty member is required for participation in the lecture series. Typically, these presentations begin as research papers or projects within courses that have been completed and received excellent grades. However, with participation in the Student Lecture Series, the student commits to polishing and often enlarging the original assignment under the mentorship of the faculty member, with the result of additional growth through investigative inquiry.

Superior Studies Consortium

Concordia College is a member of the Superior Studies Consortium and offers a variety of courses at the Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, Minnesota. Wolf Ridge is an accredited residential environmental school that offers outdoor learning experiences focusing on ecology, science, human culture, team-building and personal growth. For detailed information about the programs, contact the co-chairs of the environmental studies program.

Tri-College University

Fargo-Moorhead is fortunate to have three institutions of higher education within its boundaries. Each of these schools has outstanding departments, and students from all three schools are able to take advantage of each school’s respective strengths under the Tri-College University (TCU) program. TCU is a consortium of Concordia College, Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) and North Dakota State University (NDSU). TCU also provides several services and programs of interest to Concordia students.
Students regularly make use of the student exchange for courses in such fields as engineering, ROTC, special education and East Asian languages (see below).
Student exchange: Full-time Concordia students may take courses at NDSU and MSUM during fall and spring semester at no additional charge, but are subject to the following limitations: 1) a student may take only one course each term, 2) a student may not take a course also offered at Concordia College, and 3) an overload charge is assessed if total course credits in a student’s load are greater than 4.25. Grades and credits received for such courses are applied to a student’s Concordia grade point average and graduation requirements. Substitution of TCU courses in a Concordia major must be approved by the appropriate department or program chair. Students should see the Office of the Registrar for information on available courses and further details about TCU registration.
Tri-College minors: The Tri-College institutions recognize minors earned through the TCU course exchange. This means students can receive recognition on their transcripts for minors completed on one of the other TCU campuses, if in compliance with graduation requirements at Concordia. This policy applies only to minors earned in programs not available on a student’s home campus. This option makes it possible to combine majors at Concordia with complementary minors on another campus.
Library services: Library patrons have direct access to the local collections at Minnesota State University Moorhead and North Dakota State University through the Tri-College Library Consortium, providing a library resource of more than 1.25 million books and 5,000 journals with titles representing all academic disciplines. Materials are delivered between libraries daily.
Bus service: Community bus service is provided between campuses on a regular weekday schedule during the academic year.
Parking: Concordia students enrolled in TCU who desire to park at Minnesota State University Moorhead or North Dakota State University must obtain a TCU parking permit, available without charge from the Campus Security Office.

East Asian Languages

Instruction in Chinese is available at Concordia College.
Instruction in Japanese is offered through the Tri-College University Program in East Asian Languages. For more information contact the Office of the Registrar. Courses taken through the East Asian language program can satisfy the liberal arts Core requirement for proficiency in a world language and can lead to or contribute to degrees granted by Concordia College.

Education Through Involvement

Applied Learning Opportunities

  Cooperative Education Internship Program
Concordia’s Cooperative Education program forms a bridge between the academic and working worlds, integrating classroom instruction with supervised work-based learning related to a student’s career interests. Cooperative Education, also known as a co-op, allows students to explore career interests, increase their skill set, and build their resumé. For majors and minors without a required practicum or internship, a co-op enhances employability after graduation. Students are registered for academic credit and work with a faculty coordinator in their department. Experiences must be professional or paraprofessional in nature and can be paid or unpaid.
Each work-based learning experience is unique, based on a partnership between the college, the student, and the business community, including government and non-profit organizations. Career Center staff assists in coordinating each experience, and the student is mentored by a site supervisor, with individualized learning goals and outcomes determined at the outset in consultation with a faculty coordinator. The Cooperative Education office is located in Academy 110.
Separate and distinct from programs of study with required clinical experiences or internships, the Cooperative Education program is centrally coordinated and college wide. The universal course number 390 identifies Cooperative Education in all departments. Each department determines the amount of credit allowed for the fulfillment of majors and minors. Students may enroll for a minimum of 0.25 credit per term, reaching a maximum of 2.0 course credits permitted toward degree and graduation requirements.

Internship and Practicum Experiences

Similar to Cooperative Education Internships, practicums provide on-the-job training for a specific profession. Some programs require practicums as a demonstration of mastery and/or the licensing requirements of outside agencies. Required practicums and internships are arranged by departments and supervised by qualified faculty as well as trained and/or licensed or certified professionals at the placement site. A required practicum or internship is typically assigned a 490-499 course number.

Service-Learning

In many courses, your professors will use service-learning as a strategy to help you integrate your classroom learning and a community service experience. The projects will involve work with the staff or clients of community organizations such as after-school programs, shelters for people who are homeless or in crisis, environmental programs or local schools. The emphasis in service-learning is on both the service experience and the learning: while Concordia students contribute to these organizations through service, that work provides the opportunity to learn about the social, economic and political context in which the service is necessary, as well as a way to enhance learning of the course’s academic content. Staff and clients of the organization become community experts from whom students can learn. Through this experience, students are able to see the context in which the theoretical principles of their learning are applied, acted out, and sometimes challenged. The service helps the organization attain its important goals, but the lessons that students gain from that service, and from fellow humans in that context, can be powerful. Contact Student Leadership and Service for more information.

Work-Study Opportunities

Students with financial need who require a job to help pay for college expenses are potentially eligible for employment by the college under state or federal supported work-study programs. Students without financial need who desire employment can work under Concordia’s supported work program.
To work under these programs, you must be enrolled and be in good standing, or be accepted for enrollment as at least a half-time student. Visit the Financial Aid Office for more detailed information.