The Concordia University System (CUS) is an organization of ten colleges and universities throughout the United States operated by the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). All ten institutions are named "Concordia"--a reference to the Latin title of The Book of Concord, the collection of Lutheran confessions--and all include professional church work programs as part of their curricula. The CUS was formed in 1992. As of 2011, 28,421 students attend Concordia System colleges.
Each Concordia is completely independent and has its own president, faculty, and board of regents. At the same time, the ten schools interact with one another and share some resources and services. One service offered by the CUS, the Simultaneous Enrollment Program, allows any student enrolled at one Concordia to attend another CUS college for up to a year as a "visiting student." During this time, visiting students are considered to be enrolled at both CUS institutions simultaneously.
The ten Concordias are:
- Concordia College-New York, Bronxville, New York
- Concordia College, Selma, Alabama
- Concordia University, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Concordia University Texas, Austin, Texas
- Concordia University Chicago, River Forest, Illinois
- Concordia University Irvine, Irvine, California
- Concordia University, Portland, Oregon
- Concordia University, Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Concordia University Nebraska, Seward, Nebraska
- Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon, Wisconsin
There are many other institutions named "Concordia" which are not part of the Concordia University System. Both LCMS seminaries are named "Concordia" and are operated by the LCMS but are not part of CUS.
Similarly, the institutions of the LCMS's Canadian counterpart (the Lutheran Church - Canada) are called "Concordia". Concordia University College of Alberta and its Concordia Lutheran Seminary, Edmonton, were founded by the LCMS, but are now owned by the LC-C and are affiliated with the University of Alberta. The LC-C's other seminary, Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary, is affiliated with Brock University.
Other Concordias are not affiliated with the CUS or the Missouri Synod, including Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota and Concordia University in Montreal. For more universities named Concordia, see Concordia University (disambiguation).
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