Faith in the Freshman

Our blog is a wonderful opportunity to talk about a range of issues and themes that emerge in Faith in the Freshman.  In anticipation of that we have created categories for dialog and discussion.  One of these is titled “Concordia Conversations.”  Christian higher education is a big part of my book, and Concordia is a place where the story continues to unfold day after day.  Last night we had a good “Concordia Conversation” on campus!

Once a semester our Student Government Association sponsors a forum for me and other administrators on campus to interact with students.  Usually on a Monday night, SGA leaders were careful to avoid scheduling the forum on an evening when the Packers might be on TV.  They were obviously less concerned about avoiding a conflict with my beloved Denver Broncos who were en route to their sixth straight victory with a win over division rival San Diego.  That’s okay—I’d rather spend an evening with Concordia students any time!

We have been doing these forums for many years.  In fact, we probably started doing them in some form or another already my first year in office in 1997 and have done them ever since.  For the most part the issues that concern students do not vary too much.  Food service and meal plans, residence life concerns, parking—the sort of things you might expect given that these pertain to student’s basic needs regarding what they eat, where they live, and how they are going to get around.  Last night was no exception.  We had a great crowd who gathered to eat pizza and chew the fat with the administration!

I expected questions about parking.  Since enrollment has continued to increase the volume of cars on campus has also grown.  We have tried to encourage some ride sharing.  In the past we have resisted charging a parking fee.  A fee might discourage people from bringing cars to campus unless absolutely necessary, and we may need to revisit that idea in the future.  Recently the Mequon Planning Commission approved our plan to add some additional spaces.  That should alleviate our problem for the rest of this year, but I don’t imagine that spirited discussions about parking will end any time soon, not with winter looming.  Once the snow flies the situation becomes even more complicated as the need to plow and the uneasy pedestrian access from some of the more remote lots come into play.

Most of the questions about food service dealt with the kinds of concerns that you would likely find on most college campuses.  Students would like more variety in their menus and hours of availability that more conveniently fit their schedules.  I anticipated that we might have more concerns than in the past since this year we adopted a “tray-less” service approach in the dining hall as a part of our Christian environmental stewardship initiatives.  Simply put, people waste less food when they don’t have trays.  We also use lots less water in the dish room since we don’t have to wash all those trays.  Admittedly, it is more of a hassle to juggle plates, and cups, and silverware.  Sometimes a few trips are required to get everything to the table to begin a meal.  The new approach is not without glitches, but it does save food, water, and is the right thing to do.  Sodexo, our excellent food service provider, continues to look for ways to make the dining experience better for our students, and they are responsive to student input.

In sum, most of the items raised by Concordia’s students relate to their quality of life which, naturally, they are eager to see improved.  My hope is that they will continue to find the university’s administration equally eager to make their living—and learning—experience the best that it possibly can be.  Certainly, our growing student population is both a testament to the fact that Concordia is meeting the needs of an ever-increasing number of college students, and also a challenge to continue to build out the infrastructure of support in staff and facilities to ensure that everyone is enjoying an opportunity to learn and grow here.

The students who attended last night’s forum were gracious and respectful.  Each one who stood to raise a question thanked us for coming and spending time with them.  I thank them—for being here and for all that they do make Concordia such a special place.