Concordia University Irvine

{{Short description|Lutheran university in Irvine, California, US}}

{{Infobox university

| name = Concordia University Irvine

| image = Concordia University Irvine seal.svg

| image_size = 150

| former_name = Christ College Irvine (1976–1993)

| motto = Developing Wise, Honorable, and Cultivated Citizens.

| established = 1976

| type = Private

| religious_affiliation = Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod

| endowment = $46 million

| president = Michael Thomas

| provost = Scott Ashmon

| undergrad = 1,592{{cite web |url=https://www.cui.edu/aboutcui |title=About CUI |publisher=Concordia University Irvine |access-date=December 11, 2018}}

| postgrad = 2,454

| city = Irvine

| state = California

| country = United States

| campus = Suburban

| athletics_affiliations = NCAA Division II – PacWest

| mascot = Golden Eagles

| website = {{URL|https://www.cui.edu/|cui.edu}}

| enrollment = 4,046

| colors = Green and gold{{cite book |url=https://www.cui.edu/Portals/0/uploadedimages/fte/brand/Concordia-Athletic-Style-Guide-022.pdf |title=Concordia Athletics Style Guide |date=August 8, 2022 |access-date=August 15, 2022}}
{{college color boxes|Concordia Golden Eagles}}

| affiliations =

| logo = CU Irvine logo.svg

| logo_size = 200

}}

Concordia University Irvine is a private Lutheran university in Irvine, California, United States.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cui.edu/en-us/|title=Concordia University Irvine |access-date=June 16, 2016}} It was established in 1976 to provide a Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod college to serve the Pacific Southwest{{Cite web|url=http://www.cui.edu/aboutcui/heritage/index/id/18635|title=Our History |publisher=Concordia University Irvine |access-date=June 16, 2016}} and provide training for pastors, religious education teachers, and Christian school administrators. Concordia University Irvine has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,592 and its campus size is {{cvt|70|acre}}.{{Cite web|url=http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/concordia-university-california-29059|title=Concordia University {{!}} Concordia University (California) {{!}} Best College |website=US News |access-date=June 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421001230/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/concordia-university-california-29059|archive-date=April 21, 2016}} It is part of the Concordia University System.{{Cite web|url=http://www.lcms.org/page.aspx?pid=652|title=Concordia University System |publisher=The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod |access-date=June 16, 2016}}

History

In 1955, Dr. Victor Behnken, then president of the Pacific Southwest District of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS), proposed the creation of a preparatory college for the Pacific Southwest. In 1962, the LCMS agreed to build the school. A search committee commissioned by the district considered 87 sites before commercial and residential real estate developer The Irvine Company offered the present location in Irvine. In 1973, Rev. Dr. Charles Manske accepted the call from the district to be the founding president of the school, which was originally named Christ College Irvine.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ocregister.com/articles/manske-671060-irvine-lutheran.html|title=Charles Manske, founder of Concordia University Irvine, dies at 82|last=Crescenzo|first=Sarah de|website=Orange County Register|date=July 10, 2015 |language=en-US|access-date=June 16, 2016}}

In February 1993, the Board of Regents of Christ College Irvine voted to change the school's name to Concordia University Irvine.{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-02-09-me-1322-story.html|title=Irvine: Christ College to Be Concordia University|last=McQueeney|first=T. O. M.|date=February 9, 1993|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035|access-date=June 16, 2016}} At that time, the university became the tenth campus in the national Concordia University System (CUS). In addition to the Concordia University System, the LCMS and its congregations also operate two seminaries, 130 high schools, and more than 900 elementary schools, making it the second largest church-operated school system in the United States.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

Academics

The university currently includes five schools: Christ College (School of Theology), School of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Education, and School of Professional Studies; and offers 20 undergraduate majors and 50 specializations, nine graduate programs, four adult bachelor's degree completion programs, and three nursing programs.{{cite web|title=Academic Programs|url=http://www.cui.edu/academicprograms|publisher=Concordia University Irvine}} In 2014, Concordia University Irvine added its first doctoral program, Educational Leadership.

Campus

File:CUI Campus.jpg

The campus is located {{convert|50|mi}} south of Los Angeles, {{convert|80|mi}} north of San Diego, and {{convert|6|mi}} inland from the Pacific Ocean in the city of Irvine. Irvine is a planned community which is rated one of the safest cities of its size in the United States.{{cite web|title=Location and Maps|url=http://www.cui.edu/aboutcui/campus/index.aspx?id=46|publisher=Concordia University Irvine}} The campus rests on a {{convert|70|acre|adj=on}} plateau overlooking Orange County in a private residential community {{citation needed|date=January 2025}} surrounded by wildlife and hiking trails.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

The offices of the School of Professional Studies - Adult Degree Programs, M.A. International Studies, Nursing programs, and the Masters in Coaching and Athletic Administration (MCAA) teams moved to an offsite location in Irvine.{{cite web|title=Growth at Concordia University Irvine Leads to Expansion to New Location|url=http://www.cui.edu/AboutCUI/News/Press-Releases/View-Press-Release/tabid/598/ArticleId/72/-Growth-at-Concordia-University-Irvine-Leads-to-Expansion-to-New-Location.aspx|publisher=Concordia University Irvine}}

Athletics

The Concordia–Irvine (CUI) athletic teams are called the Golden Eagles. The university is a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Pacific West Conference (PacWest) for most of its sports since the 2015–16 academic year;{{cite web|url=https://cuieagles.com|title=The Official; Athletic Site of Concordia University Irvine |website=Concordia University Irvine Athletics|access-date=December 19, 2021}} while its men's volleyball team competes in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF);{{cite web|url=https://mpsports.org/news/2016/6/30/cui_gcu_will_join_mpsf_in_2018.aspx|title= CUI, GCU WILL JOIN MPSF IN 2018|website=MPSF Athletics|access-date=June 20, 2016}} and its men's water polo team competes in the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA). CUI previously competed in the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1987–88 to 2014–15; and as an NAIA Independent from 1981–82 to 1986–87. The CUI women's water polo team competed in the Golden Coast Conference (GCC) until the 2022 spring season.

CUI competes in 20 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, track & field, volleyball and water polo; while women's sports include softball, basketball, beach volleyball, cheerleading, cross country, soccer, softball, stunt, tennis, track & field and volleyball.{{cite web|title=Home of Your Concordia Eagles|url=http://www.cuieagles.com/|publisher=Concordia University Irvine Athletics}} Former sports included women's lacrosse and women's water polo.

=Accomplishments=

The university was previously a member of the NAIA from 1981 to 2015. During that time, Concordia–Irvine earned 7 NAIA Team National Championships and 25 NAIA Individual National Championships. In addition to the NAIA championships, Concordia–Irvine won 26 GSAC Regular-Season Championships and 13 GSAC Tournament Championships.{{cite web|title=Concordia Irvine Championships|url=http://www.cuieagles.com/f/Concordia_Irvine_Championships.php|publisher=Concordia University Irvine Athletics|access-date=July 9, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140722222831/http://www.cuieagles.com/f/Concordia_Irvine_Championships.php|archive-date=July 22, 2014|url-status=dead}}

LGBT prohibition

Concordia University Irvine's code of conduct for students prohibits sexual intimacy for unmarried people, and defines marriage as heterosexual only.{{cite report |author=Concordia University Irvine |date=2021–2022 |title=Student Code of Conduct |url=https://www.cui.edu/Portals/0/uploadedfiles/StudentLife/Student_Code_of_Conduct_21-22.pdf |page=24 |access-date=September 28, 2021}}

In 2018, Concordia hosted a religious liberty and discrimination debate featuring LGBT-rights advocate John Corvino and religious liberty advocate Ryan T. Anderson.{{cite news |author= |date=January 9, 2018 |title=Religious Liberty and Discrimination Debate set for Tuesday, January 30 at Concordia University Irvine |url=https://www.cui.edu/aboutcui/news/press-releases/view-press-release/ArticleId/211/Religious-Liberty-and-Discrimination-Debate-set-for-Tuesday-January-30-at-Concordia-University-Irvine }} Concordia hosted the annual conference of Exodus International{{cite news |author= |date=June 21, 2010 |title=Gay Rights Movement Becoming More Confrontational with Religious Right |url= https://voiceofoc.org/2010/06/gay-rights-movement-becoming-more-confrontational-with-religious-right/ |work=Voice of OC}}{{cite news |first=Ellyn |last=Pak |date=June 28, 2010 |title= Gays protest Exodus forum at Concordia |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2010/06/28/gays-protest-exodus-forum-at-concordia/ |work=Orange County Register }} until the organization was disbanded in 2013 because of the failure of conversion therapy to make people straight.{{cite news |last=Lovett |first=Ian |date=June 20, 2013 |title=After 37 Years of Trying to Change People's Sexual Orientation, Group Is to Disband |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/us/group-that-promoted-curing-gays-ceases-operations.html |work=The New York Times }}

Rankings

In U.S. News & World Report{{'}}s 2013 rankings of the best colleges in America, Concordia University Irvine is listed as 63rd in the Western region.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}} In 2016, the university earned a ranking of 55 among regional universities in the Western U.S.

In 2015, The Chronicle of Higher Education ranked Concordia University Irvine as one of the fastest-growing private nonprofit master's universities in its 2015–2016 edition of Almanac of Higher Education, noting that the university grew over a 10-year period (2003–2013).{{Cite web|url=http://chronicle.com/section/Almanac-of-Higher-Education/883?cid=megamenu|title=Almanac of Higher Education 2015|website=The Chronicle of Higher Education|access-date=June 16, 2016}}

Also in 2015, Money magazine included Concordia University Irvine in a list of schools "that provide the best value for your tuition dollar."{{Cite web|url=https://money.com/best-colleges/|title=MONEY's Best Colleges|access-date=June 16, 2016}}

Notable alumni and faculty

Tayshia Adams – phlebotomist, replacement lead in The Bachelorette (16th season)
Cameron Gliddon – professional basketball player in Australia
Misty May-Treanor – three-time Olympic gold medalist; beach volleyball champion{{cite web|url=http://www.cuieagles.com/article/1936.php|title=Famous Olympian Misty May-Treanor Touts Concordia's MCAA Program|publisher=Concordia Eagles|date=August 6, 2012|access-date=August 17, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017020605/http://www.cuieagles.com/article/1936.php|archive-date=October 17, 2012|url-status=dead}}
J. A. O. Preus III – former president of Concordia{{Cite web |date=August 4, 2022 |title=Called to Glory: Rev. Dr. Jacob A. O. Preus, Third President of Concordia University Irvine|url=https://www.cui.edu/aboutcui/news/view-article/ArticleId/280/Called-to-Glory-Rev-Dr-Jacob-A-O-Preus-Third-President-of-Concordia-University-Irvine |website=Concordia University Irvine |access-date=November 29, 2023}}
Christian Ramirez – professional soccer player
Rod Rosenbladt – professor of theology{{cite web|url=https://www.1517.org/contributors/rod-rosenbladt|title=Rod Rosenbladt|access-date=November 29, 2023|website=1517.org}}
John Shimkus - Congressman from Illinois {{cite web|url=https://www.cui.edu/academicprograms/christcollege/articles/post/citizenship-on-capitol-hill|title=Citizenship on Capital Hill|access-date=December 11, 2024|website=cui.edu}}
Larry Tieu (2007) – ASEAN Basketball League player for the Saigon Heat