CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Freshman enrollment at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's 28 colleges and universities has increased by 17 percent over the past year, according to a report received by the ELCA Division for Higher Education and Schools board meeting here March 13-15.
College officials cited a larger pool of high school seniors and more effective recruitment as major factors in the increase.
Schools reporting the highest increases were Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kan.; California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks; Capital University, Columbus, Ohio; Carthage College, Kenosha, Wis.; Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn.; Dana College, Blair, Neb.; Gettysburg College; Gettysburg, Pa.; Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, N.C.; Luther College, Decorah, Iowa; Midland Lutheran College, Fremont, Neb.; Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash.; Roanoke College, Salem, Va.; Suomi College, Hancock, Mich.; Texas Lutheran University, Seguin, Texas; Thiel College, Greenville, Pa., Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa; and Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio.
In other action the board: + Voted unanimously to set up a Global Educators Network, together with the ELCA Division for Global Mission to provide a structure for dealing with international teaching opportunities. A report from a consultation earlier this year on global education said "education could become the track on which mission will run in the next century." + Noted that the number of ELCA schools has increased by 400 over the last 18 months to 2,218. Of that total, 1,961 are early childhood education centers, 234 are elementary programs and 23 are ELCA and affiliated high schools. + Learned that 63 percent of the students in ELCA seminaries were educated either at Lutheran colleges or at institutions with ELCA campus ministries.
For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
