College’s Strategic Plan Approved

The Board of Regents recently approved the 2012-17 strategic plan for Concordia College.

The regents’ unanimous support marks the culmination of more than a year’s worth of conversations, revision and response led by President William Craft.

The final document, “Whole Self, Whole Life, Whole World: The Plan for Concordia College, 2012-17,” sets the college’s priorities for the next five years.

These priorities are organized into three categories:

• Whole self: leading students into a lifelong habit of reflection on their identity, purpose and engagement in the world.

• Whole life: guiding students through a college experience that goes beyond a collection of credits, to an experience that builds competence, creativity and character.

• Whole world: opening the world to students so that they understand and embrace the call to national and global citizenship.

Read the full strategic plan.

Oatey Appointed as VP for Student Affairs

Dr. Sue Oatey is Concordia’s new vice president and dean of Student Affairs. She comes to Concordia from Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where she served as vice president for Enrollment and Student Life.

“Concordia exemplifies the values and goals that are important to me both personally and professionally, and I believe this exciting time of planning for the college’s future offers an extraordinary opportunity to contribute to the holistic education of Concordia’s students,” she says.

Oatey holds bachelor’s degree and master’s degrees in teaching from New Mexico State University and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota. She began her duties at Concordia on July 1.

Four Named to Athletic Hall of Fame

Three alumni and a coach were honored during Homecoming.

Kari (Walrath) Ehlers ’96 was a two-time NCAA All-American and four-time All-MIAC golfer from 1992 to 1996. She finished among the top five golfers in the MIAC all four years of her career. Ehlers is an elementary school teacher in Marshall, Minn.

Terry Storm ’89 earned All-American honors in football in 1988 as a defensive back and team captain. He holds the school record for interceptions in a career and was twice named to the All-MIAC team. He is a pharmacist in Thief River Falls, Minn.

Darrel Pederson ’86 led the MIAC in scoring for basketball in 1986 and was named to the all-conference team. He was twice chosen team most valuable player after leading the Cobbers in rebounding in 1985 and scoring in 1986. He teaches at the Perham, Minn., middle school and farms near Lake Park, Minn.

Duane Siverson is one of the most successful coaches in Concordia athletic history. Since joining the staff in 1978, Siverson has coached the women’s and men’s basketball teams, and the women’s and men’s golf teams. He coached the women’s basketball team to consecutive NCAA national championship games, finishing as runners-up in 1987 and champions in 1988. He was NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year in 1988.

Siverson’s women’s golf teams won 11 MIAC titles and six top three finishes in the NCAA national tournament from 1989 to 2000. He was NCAA Division III Regional Coach of the Year in 2001 and MIAC Coach of the Year in 1998 and 1999. He was also coach of the inaugural women’s softball team in 1986-87.

Read more about the inductees.

First Barry Scholars Named

Business students Christoffer Birch-Jensen ’15, Billeberga, Sweden, and Matt Gantz ’14, Eagan, Minn., have been selected as recipients of the first Barry Scholars Endowment.

The scholarships are a gift from The Barry Foundation. B. John Barry, the foundation’s chair, is a member of the Offutt School of Business Global Leadership Council.

The new Barry Scholars Program is the most significant scholarship opportunity for students in the Offutt School.

Responsibilities for the scholarship recipients include leading seminars with other business students, service projects within the Offutt School of Business, and a senior lecture on a business topic based on individual research.

Campanile Named for Dovre

Dr. Paul J. Dovre '58 exemplified his dedication to Concordia’s mission during his 26 years as college president. In honor of his service, the campanile was named the Paul J. Dovre Campanile during Homecoming weekend.

Dovre retired as Concordia’s eighth president in 1999 and served as its interim president in 2003-04 and 2010-11. He also has remained active in higher education through roles as a visiting scholar at Harvard University, interim dean of students at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., and interim president at Capital University.

Watch a video of the naming ceremony.

Clint Hill Returns to Campus

Clint Hill ’54 made a return visit to Concordia in September to promote his new book, “Mrs. Kennedy and Me,” with co-author Lisa McCubbin.

After graduation, Hill became a special agent, eventually being selected to protect President Eisenhower.

When John F. Kennedy was elected, Hill assumed he’d continue on the president’s detail. But instead he was reassigned to the first lady.

“She wasn’t too pleased to see me. I wasn’t very happy to be there either,” Hill says. “She didn’t want someone looking over her shoulder 24/7.”

Eventually, the two developed a strong bond. He traveled around the country and world with Mrs. Kennedy. Hill recalled that everywhere Mrs. Kennedy went, people gathered to catch a glimpse of the first lady. In fact, she often drew the same sized crowds as the president.

Hill is best known as the Secret Service agent who jumped onto the back of the presidential limousine when President Kennedy was assassinated.

Hill also visited campus in October 2011 when he accepted an Alumni Achievement Award.

Read more about Hill.

Buy the book.

Offutt School Receives Gift From Marcils

The Offutt School of Business received a gift of $1 million from William C. Marcil and Jane Black Marcil. The atrium of the Offutt School will be named in recognition of the Marcils.

William C. Marcil is the chairman of the board of Forum Communications Co., a multimedia organization and the parent company for several newspapers, radio and television stations, printing companies and an interactive media service.

“Given their leadership in journalism, I can think of no more appropriate gift than this one, which will create a gathering place for the exchange of ideas and the development of relationships that deepen our understanding of the world we serve,” says President William Craft. “Such a space fits beautifully with the Offutt School’s mission as a business program rooted in the liberal arts.”

Engelhardt Publishes Book About Farm Family

Dr. Carroll Engelhardt, professor emeritus of history, has published “The Farm at Holstein Dip: An Iowa Boyhood.”

In this book, Engelhardt brings readers into the world of his fourth-generation farm family who lived by the work ethic and values they inherited from their German and Norwegian ancestors.

Engelhardt is also the author of “Gateway to the Northern Plains: Railroads and the Birth of Fargo and Moorhead” and “On Firm Foundation Grounded: The First Century of Concordia College (1891-1991).”

Buy Engelhardt's new book.

Faculty, Staff and Administrators Recognized

Four Concordia employees have been recognized for their dedication and service to the college.

Roxane Case, administrative assistant for Cultural Events and Music Organizations, received the Ole and Lucy Flaat Distinguished Service Award. Since joining the staff in 1988, Case has been the face of Concordia for thousands of people who come to campus to attend various events.

Dr. Alexander Sze, systems specialist for Information Technology Services, was presented with the Ole and Lucy Flaat Distinguished Service Award. Since joining Concordia in 1979, Sze has served the college both as a teacher and administrator.

Dr. Mark Jensen, professor of chemistry, was presented the Ole and Lucy Flaat Distinguished Teaching Award. Jensen joined the faculty of the chemistry department in 1997. He is an accomplished scholar who regularly engages students in his research programs.

Dr. Betty Larson, professor of nutrition and dietetics, was presented the Reuel and Alma Wije Distinguished Professorship. Larson has directed the didactic program in dietetics for more than 25 years. She is known as an engaging study abroad leader and is dedicated to teaching a global perspective on healthcare.

Larson Honored for Research Leadership

Dr. Susan Larson was named the 2012 Council on Undergraduate Research Volunteer of the Year.

Larson’s significant contributions to the organization include an article co-authored for CUR’s “Characteristics of Excellence in Undergraduate Research” publication, webinars and a press briefing at the National Press Club to promote the work.

Larson, director of undergraduate research, scholarship and national fellowships, is also a professor of psychology at Concordia.

The Council on Undergraduate Research is a national not-for-profit educational organization that represents more than 900 mostly private or public liberal arts colleges and universities. The mission of the CUR is to support and promote high-quality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship.

Lorentzsen Center for Faith and Work Opens

Concordia’s new center for ethics and leadership held its inaugural event Sept. 21.

The Lorentzsen Center for Faith and Work builds upon the practices of the former Center for Ethical Leadership. As part of the Offutt School of Business, it will identify and support ethical practices in individuals and organizations.

The center honors the life and work of Norman M. Lorentzsen ‘41, philanthropist, former CEO of Burlington Northern, alumnus of Concordia College and former member and chair of its Board of Regents.

Speaking to a capacity audience of Fargo-Moorhead business leaders and clergy, Lorentzsen said he was very happy to see ethical leadership become part of the Offutt School of Business.

“It’s one thing to know truth, but it’s quite another to know the whole truth,” he said.

Dr. Paul J. Dovre, president emeritus of Concordia, serves as the interim director of the center. Dr. James R. Legler, associate professor of ethics and leadership in the Offutt School of Business, is associate director.

Band and Choir Plan Spring Tours

The Concordia Band will tour Minnesota Feb. 5-10. The musicians will join concerts with high school bands in Princeton, Stillwater, Brainerd and Morris. For more details, visit ConcordiaCollege.edu/band.

The Concordia Choir will take a performance tour during spring 2013. More details will be posted at ConcordiaCollege.edu/choir.

Concordia Chef Wins Silver Medal

Concordia chef Phillip Edwards received a silver medal and a fourth place finish at the National Culinary Challenge on July 12 in Boston.

Edwards competed in a regional qualifying competition in February and received third place. It wasn’t until the day before the national competition that the regional champion dropped out and Edwards was invited to compete.

He competed against five other contenders from across the United States. Each recipe had to be nutritionally balanced and was judged on taste, technique, skills and organization.

Edwards joined Concordia’s culinary team in 2011. As culinary manager, he has reduced food waste, inspired his team to maximize culinary creativity and has introduced new menu items based on student input.

The National Culinary Challenge recognizes outstanding food preparation and presentation skills in collegiate dining services across the country.

ELCA Bishop Visits Campus

The Rev. Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, spent a day with Concordia students, faculty and staff Oct. 16.

During his visit, the bishop talked about the importance of vocation in Lutheran higher education, a calling that he sees being lived out at Concordia.

Students asked Hanson questions about interfaith and ecumenical engagement, the environment, the impact of college on his faith and his understanding of the college’s mission statement.

Faculty members wanted to know how the ELCA is reaching young adults that are increasingly not interested in church, how decisions on issues like sexuality are affecting congregations and what qualities the next generation of Christian leaders will need to possess.

While Hanson admitted that living in today’s world requires difficult dialogue between faiths, between denominations, between congregations and among believers, he is convinced that God is at work in all of it.

“Do not be afraid. Do not fear,” he said. “This is what God sent messengers to say before he did a new thing. And this is what He is saying now as He does a new thing among us.”

Watch a video of the bishop's chapel homily and public address on campus.

Sports Highlights

•    Cobber women’s track and field athlete Kaari Jensen ’13, Pierz, Minn., was named to the Capital One Academic All-American Team. She also earned All-American honors as she placed fourth at the NCAA Championship Meet in the heptathlon.

•    Concordia men’s golfers Pat Deitz ’12, Moorhead, and Coy Papachek ’15, Fargo, N.D., earned Golf Coaches Association of America All-Region honors. Deitz and Papachek were both named to the Central All-Region Team and Papachek also earned Central Region Freshman of the Year honors.

•    Michael Olson ’13, Monticello, Minn., and Brian Guler ’13, New Rockford, N.D., earned American Baseball Coaches Association All-Region honors. Olson was named to the All-Midwest Region Third Team and Guler was the region’s Gold Glove winner at first base.

•    Cobber fastpitch softball pitcher Kesley Jones ’12, Billings, Mont., became the first player to earn MIAC postseason honors in four consecutive seasons. Jones was named to the MIAC All-Conference Honorable Mention Team.

•    The Concordia Athletic Office hired two new coaches in the spring. Mike Reese was named the fastpitch softball coach and Ben Schneweis was slated as the new men’s soccer coach.

For up-to-date sports information, visit GoCobbers.com.