Concordia University (Oregon)

Concordia Academy was founded in 1905 by a growing Lutheran community in the Pacific Northwest to meet the need for pastors and parochial school teachers. The school added a junior college by 1950 and women were first admitted to then Concordia High School in 1962. Concordia became accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges in 1968.{{cite web|url=http://www.cu-portland.edu/aboutcu/history.cfm|title=Our History|work=About CU|publisher=Concordia University|access-date=January 19, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100115202415/http://www.cu-portland.edu/aboutcu/history.cfm|archive-date=January 15, 2010|url-status=dead}}

File:Concordia University (Oregon) 1907.jpeg

In 1977, an association of local Lutheran churches, the Portland Lutheran Association for Christian Education, assumed ownership and management of the high school as Portland Lutheran High School. At that time, Concordia separated from the high school and became a four-year institution, graduating its first baccalaureate students in 1980. Concordia College became Concordia University in 1995 and converted to the semester calendar. The next year the school added master's degrees in teaching and education, followed by a Master of Business Administration program in 2001. In 2002, the master's degree in education became Concordia's first program to also be fully online.{{cite web|url=http://www.portland-lutheran.org/about-us/history/|title=PLS History|website=Portland Lutheran School|publisher=Portland Lutheran School|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218055809/http://portland-lutheran.org/about-us/history/|archive-date=February 18, 2015|access-date=January 29, 2010}}

The university added a bachelor's degree in nursing in 2005 and then started the College of Health and Human Services in 2007. The nursing program was the first new such program in the state in 40 years. In 2009, Concordia started a program for conferring a bachelor's degree in music. By 2012, enrollment at the private school was about 3,100, almost doubling its enrollment over the past five years.

In the early 2010s, the enrollment in the university's online programs, particularly its Master of Education, grew rapidly. In the fall of 2009, the university enrolled approximately 1,100 undergraduate and 800 graduate students; five years later, the university enrolled approximately 1,300 undergraduate and 5,400 graduate students. In 2016, The Oregonian reported that Concordia University awarded "more Master of Education degrees than any other public or private nonprofit school in the country". The university expanded its online programs through an agreement with HotChalk, a private contractor. The university's $160 million deal with HotChalk drew scrutiny, including a two-year investigation by the U.S. Department of Education and a federal lawsuit that was settled for $1 million.{{cite web |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2016/10/concordia_gained_thousands_of_new_students_--_and_a_federal_inquiry.html |title=Concordia gained thousands of new students -- and a federal inquiry |first=Molly |last=Young |publisher=The Oregonian |date=October 21, 2016 |access-date=February 11, 2020}}

The Concordia University School of Law was located in Boise, Idaho, and graduated its first class of students in August 2015.{{Cite web |title=Concordia Law Celebrates Inaugural Commencement |url=http://law.cu-portland.edu/news/concordia-law-celebrates-inaugural-commencement |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013133013/https://law.cu-portland.edu/news/concordia-law-celebrates-inaugural-commencement |archive-date=October 13, 2018 |access-date=October 21, 2015 |website=Concordia University}} Former Idaho Supreme Court Justice Cathy Silak was the dean of the law school.{{Cite web |title=History |url=http://law.cu-portland.edu/about/history |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013132946/https://law.cu-portland.edu/about/history |archive-date=October 13, 2018 |access-date=October 21, 2015 |website=Concordia University}}

In February 2020, Concordia University's parent entity, the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, decided not to provide continued financial support, and the university announced its plan to close after the completion of the spring 2020 semester, with a shut down as of April 25. The university's board of trustees voted to close the university "after years of mounting financial challenges, and a challenging and changing educational landscape".

In June 2022, the University of Oregon finalized its purchase of the campus. The university announced the campus will be known as UO Portland and house The Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health, and will first welcome students in fall 2023. {{ Cite web |title=University of Oregon finalizes purchase of Concordia campus for Ballmer Institute, UO Portland

|url=https://www.opb.org/article/2022/06/29/university-of-oregon-portland-concordia-campus-steve-ballmer-institute/ |access-date=January 26, 2003 }}

File:Concordia University Portland NE corner - Portland Oregon.jpg

Located in Northeast Portland in the Concordia neighborhood, the university sat on a {{convert|13|acre|ha|adj=on}} campus near U.S. Route 30 Bypass (Lombard Street). The George R. White Library & Learning Center, a $15 million, {{convert|75000|ft2|m2}} structure, opened across from the campus green in 2009.{{cite web |date=January 12, 2010 |title=Concordia in a Nutshell |url=http://www.cu-portland.edu/documents/concordia_in_a_nutshell.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412145535/http://www.cu-portland.edu/documents/concordia_in_a_nutshell.pdf |archive-date=April 12, 2018 |access-date=January 19, 2010 |publisher=Concordia University}} Other amenities on the campus included a {{convert|60|ft|m|adj=on}} tall bell tower and the {{convert|50000|ft2|m2|adj=on}} Concordia Place Apartments, a residence hall.

Concordia University contained four undergraduate colleges: College of Education, School of Management, College of Health and Human Services, and College of Arts and Sciences. Through these colleges the university offered a total of 18 majors and 20 concentrations. Additionally, the university offered graduate degrees in education and business administration and developed a law school, the Concordia University School of Law, in Boise, Idaho.{{cite news|url = http://www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/1043594.html|title = Concordia law school to move into Downtown Boise|last = Roberts|first = Bill|date = January 16, 2010|work = Idaho Statesman|location = Boise, Idaho|access-date = January 18, 2010}} Concordia had a dual enrollment agreement with Portland Community College.{{cite news|title=PCC, PSU renew co-admission agreement|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2012/01/23/pccpsu-renew-co-admission-agreement.html|access-date=February 4, 2012|newspaper=Portland Business Journal|date=January 23, 2012}}

In 2013, U.S. News & World Report ranked Concordia as 80th best among the regional universities in the west.{{cite news|last=Siemers|first=Erik|title=UofO 101st, OSU 138th in U.S. News rankings|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/morning_call/2011/09/uofo-101st-osu-138th-in-us-news.html|access-date=February 4, 2012|newspaper=Portland Business Journal|date=September 14, 2011}} Concordia University was accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.{{cite web|title=About Concordia University|url=http://www.cu-portland.edu/aboutcu/index.cfm|work=About CU|publisher=Concordia University|access-date=February 26, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127184004/http://www.cu-portland.edu/aboutcu/index.cfm|archive-date=January 27, 2013|url-status=dead}}

{{Main|Concordia Cavaliers}}

The Concordia athletic teams were called the Cavaliers. The university was a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) from 2015–16 to 2019–20.{{cite web|url=http://www.cascadeconference.org/sports/2008/1/5/concordiaquickfacts.aspx|title=Concordia University|work=Quick Facts & Directory|publisher=Cascade Collegiate Conference|access-date=January 19, 2010}}{{cite news |last=Brandon |first=Steve |date=Summer 2015 |title=Concordia moving to NCAA D-II, will join GNAC in 2015-16 |website=Concordia University |url=http://www.cu-portland.edu/moving-big-leagues-0 |url-status=dead |access-date=March 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005230411/http://www.cu-portland.edu/moving-big-leagues-0 |archive-date=October 5, 2016}} The Cavaliers previously competed in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1993–94 to 2014–15. The official school colors were navy and white.

Concordia competed in 14 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports included baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer and track & field (indoor and outdoor); while women's sports included basketball, soccer, cross country, golf, softball, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball.

Concordia was known for the consistent success of its athletic teams over the last several decades. Both men's and women's soccer established their programs with titles at the conference, regional and national level. Dan Birkey had coached the men's program for over 30 years and Grant Landy led the women's team for more than 22 years. Along with the successful soccer teams, the Cavaliers golf team dominated their former conference at the NAIA level, with the men winning 13 of 13 Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) titles since its inception in 1997. They were also champions of the 2016 inaugural Cavalier Invite.{{cite web |title=Men's Soccer News |url=http://athletics.cu-portland.edu/msoccer/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609112754/http://athletics.cu-portland.edu/msoccer/ |archive-date=2009-06-09 |access-date=January 23, 2010 |publisher=Concordia University}}{{cite web |title=National Championships; Concordia Wins First Soccer Title |url=http://www.gocugo.com/news/2013/12/7/WSOC_1207131951.aspx?path=wsoc |access-date=February 17, 2015 |publisher=Concordia University Athletics |archive-date=February 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224055016/http://www.gocugo.com/news/2013/12/7/WSOC_1207131951.aspx?path=wsoc |url-status=dead }} The track and field program included throwing (discus, hammer throw, javelin, and shot put) coach Jarred Rome, a two-time U.S. national champion and two-time Olympian, who ran the Throw Center.{{Cite web |title=The Official Athletics Site of Concordia Cavaliers - 2016 Men's Track & Field Coaching Staff |url=http://gocugo.com/coaches.aspx?rc=562&path=mtrack |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013093607/https://gocugo.com/coaches.aspx?rc=562&path=mtrack |archive-date=October 13, 2018 |access-date=January 11, 2016 |website=gocugo.com}}

In 2012, Concordia opened a new athletic complex, Hilken Community Stadium, which was built at a cost of $7.5 million. The stadium was referred to as "Tuominen Yard" (for NAIA All-American Jarkko Tuominen) when set up for soccer usage and as "Porter Park" for baseball and softball.{{cite news|last=Kish|first=Matthew|title=Concordia gets $1.5 million for stadium|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2012/02/03/concordia-gets-15-million-for-stadium.html|access-date=February 4, 2012|newspaper=Portland Business Journal|date=February 3, 2012}}{{cite news |title=Concordia University to Name New Soccer Complex for Alum Jarkko Tuominen |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/cascadeconference/2011/11/concordia_university_to_name_n.html |access-date=May 5, 2020 |work=The Oregonian |agency=Cascade Collegiate Conference |date=January 10, 2019}}

• Don Benton - former member of the Washington State Senate; former Director of the Selective Service System
• Dave Reichert - former representative from Washington's 8th congressional district; former King County sheriff
• Charles Sams director of the National Park Service and member of the North West Power Planning Council
• Paul Simon - late U.S. Senator from Illinois
• Gregory N. Todd - 20th Chaplain of the Marine Corps
• Jay Ellis - actor, Insecure

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Concordia University (Oregon)}}

• [http://www.cu-portland.com/ Official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430102952/https://www.cu-portland.edu/ |date=April 30, 2020 }}
• [http://www.gocugo.com/ Official athletics website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818100724/https://gocugo.com/ |date=August 18, 2020 }}

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