Capital Improvements
The physical and online spaces in which our students learn shape their CSP experience. In these spaces, students learn, grow, and build lifelong relationships with their peers and influential faculty and staff. Investments in on-campus facilities and online technology and infrastructure allow CSP to foster these deep, meaningful connections.
Concordia St. Paul is blessed with a vibrant, 45-acre campus located in St. Paul, and two locations in Portland, Ore. However, the university is currently landlocked, and facilities require upgrades and renovations to meet continued growth needs for on-campus students. Similarly, technology must advance to serve traditional, commuter, and online learners, providing tools for innovative curriculum and cohesive community-building.
While some institutions grapple with the usefulness of their physical spaces because of dwindling enrollment and financial pressures, we know that our locations in St. Paul and Portland continue to matter to our on-campus students. We do not, however, place value on the physical spaces above that of our learners; those spaces and places exist to serve our students and their needs.
In CSP’s early days, funding for buildings and physical spaces came through The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. In more recent years, such funds have come from philanthropy and careful financial stewardship.
In the past 30 years, the campus in St. Paul has seen tremendous growth and change, both in the addition of new spaces and the repurposing of others. Newly constructed buildings in that time include the Gangelhoff Center, EM Pearson Theatre, Library Technology Center, Cross of Christ Fellowship Center, Holst Hall, and Sea Foam Stadium.
Other additions to the physical footprint include the Fandrei Center for athletic staff and functions, and Ries Tower for CSP’s health science programs. Moenkemoller Hall, an outdated apartment building, is now Thompson Hall, which houses CSP’s kinesiology programs and provides additional classroom space. The original 1972 student union was remodeled to serve as the Concordia Art Center. All these physical changes have created new environments for students to live, grow, and learn.
In the summer of 2024, CSP will add new entrances on the west and south sides of the St. Paul campus to further enhance accessibility and usefulness of our physical spaces. The Lutheran Memorial Center will receive a new entrance on Hamline Ave. that will provide a more welcoming and effective entry point for prospective students, visitors, and current students complete with an elevator and additional natural lighting. This is the first phase of what’s hoped to be a two-phase project that will transform the LMC into a full-service hub for student services.
Similarly, Luther Hall will receive a new entrance on its south end near the Concordia Art Center. This new addition will provide an elevator, study space, and a more welcoming feel to those who enter campus from the south. Both the LMC and Luther projects will be completed in (late 2024).
Capital improvements at CSP also include implementing and upgrading technology to benefit students, especially those who study through CSP Global. This includes effective network infrastructure, server and cloud-based software and hardware upgrades, cutting edge learning management systems for coursework, and hands-on tools for academic programs, such as simulators for nursing and physical therapy students.
As students’ needs and expectations evolve, we know additional work needs to be done on our campus to create even more welcoming and student-friendly spaces for academics and co-curricular activities, updating and re-imagining our existing spaces for future learners, and making consistent improvements in technology to serve non-traditional students.
Investments by donors in this area will allow CSP to do the following:
- Continue investments in technology to foster responsive learning platforms for online students
- Purchase additional property on the west and southwest sides of the campus (that could be leased until such time when the land is needed for new facilities)
- Upgrade athletic facilities for training, practicing, and competing
- Support additional renovations in Ries Tower to allow further expansion of health science programs
- Enable critical upgrades to campus living and gathering spaces, including the aging Luther and Wollaeger residence halls
Our traditional-age students who live on or commute to our campuses deeply cherish the opportunity to learn and interact in face-to-face environments, while non-traditional undergraduate and graduate students rely on relevant and efficient technological tools to succeed in their programs. Investments in these areas will foster a more vibrant learning community and an even higher quality experience for Concordia St. Paul students, resulting in higher retention and graduation rates.