Concordia College (New York)


Concordia College is a four-year liberal arts college in Bronxville, New York. Concordia College is sponsored by the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and is a member of the Concordia University System. It is chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York to offer associate, bachelor, and master's degrees.
Concordia, founded in 1881 as Concordia Progymnasium, received its original charter from the State Regents in 1936. From 1918 to 1969, it was named Concordia Collegiate Institute; in 1969, the preparatory school was closed and the present name of the college was authorized by a charter change. In 1972, the State Regents authorized the college to grant the baccalaureate degree. In 2011, the State Regents authorized the college to grant the master's degree.

Early history

Concordia College was founded in 1881 in Manhattan as a part of the Lutheran Church of St. Matthew. It was established as a feeder school for Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. Edmund Bohn and J.H. Sieker established a Sexta and a Quinta at St. Mathew Academy and thereby in effect began a Progymnasium.
Concordia soon outgrew its modest beginning and by February 1893, land was purchased in Unionville, New York for $9,000 donated by M. S. Becker. A sub-committee was elected to locate land outside of New York City. Pastor Edmund Bohn, William Dick, and Henry Fischer took a train to the Unionville Station in Westchester County. Property was selected based on the persuasiveness of a real estate agent and a local farmer who claimed that oats, corn, vegetables, and hay could be harvested from the land and that the property contained enough stones to build a foundation.
After great consideration the college was moved once again to its current home in Bronxville. were bought for $52,383 on April 23, 1908. The Bronxville property, like the Hawthorn campus, was chosen for its close proximity to Manhattan and for its bucolic backdrop. Three buildings—Feth Hall, Bohm Hall, and the Commons—were designed by Edward Lippincott Tilton and constructed in eight months for $160,000, which included furnishings and landscaping. On January 4, 1910, the Bronxville campus opened with a student body of 100 young men.

Scheele Memorial Library

The Scheele Memorial Library was dedicated on June 9, 1974, and honors the parents of Joan Scheele Mueller. Her father, business executive William Scheele, and mother were longtime members of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Brooklyn, New York.
The Concordia College Archives preserves historical records of the college. The archives document the college, beginning at its first location in Hawthorne as well as the purchase of the present site and all its additions in Bronxville. The collection includes documents, office files, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, photographs, college publications, musical recordings, audio visual materials and artifacts.

Programs of study

Concordia offers the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. The college also offers the Master of Science in Childhood Special Education, Early Childhood Special Education, Business Leadership, a post-baccalaureate Nursing program, an R.N. to B.S. program, and accelerated associate and bachelor's degree completion programs for adults.

Nursing program

Concordia College offers three nursing programs: the Traditional Undergraduate program, the Post-Baccalaureate program, and a RN to BS program.
The Traditional Undergraduate program is designed for first-year and transfer students and provides courses for traditional undergraduate students who seek a Bachelor of Science degree. The Post-Baccalaureate program is an accelerated, 15-month Bachelor of Science program for students with a bachelor's degree in another field. The RN to BS program is designed for Registered Nurses who seek a bachelor's degree to advance their careers.
In 2018, Concordia College's nursing students had an 94.8% pass rate for first-time RN NCLEX test-takers.

Students and faculty

Concordia's students come from 23 states and more than 37 countries worldwide. The student-to-professor ratio is 13 to 1. Total enrollment is 1,037 students. 93% of the College's students receive some form of financial aid, whether grants or loans, and approximately 60% of Concordia's students live on campus.
The College's Math Team regularly competes in the International Contest in Mathematical Modeling where students have consistently performed at or above the Ivy League and thousands of teams from China. In 2014 the team scored at the Successful Participant level, achieved by 58% of the world.
Professors at Concordia are graduates of such institutions as Yale, Columbia, New York University, University of Pennsylvania, Oxford University, and Eastman School of Music.

Student organizations

Concordia College's clubs and organizations are formed by students with common interests and objectives. The clubs and organizations are listed below.
Student Government: Executive Board, Student Senate, Inter-Greek Council; Committees on Issues and Voting, and Outreach
Publications: The Arcade, The Prelude, and The Clippings
Culture/Fine Arts: Concordia Players, Tour Choir, Festival Choir, Gospel Choir, Chapel Choir, Chamber Ensembles, International, Jazz Ensembles, Music and Talent Club, Multicultural Club, and Praise Dance Team, and Spanish Dance Club
Service/Spiritual Clubs: Alpha Sigma Chi, Delta Omega Pi, Theta Zeta Upsilon, Omega Psi Eta, Business Club, Education Club, Social Work Club, Praise Dance Team, Christian Campus Ministries
Social/Recreational: Commuter Council, International Club, Student Activities Committee, Cheerleading, and Intramurals
Academic Clubs: Biology Club, Psychology Club, Pre-Law Club, Alpha Mu Gamma Foreign Language Honor Society, Alpha Sigma Lambda Adult Education Honor Society, Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society, Nursing National Honor Society, and the National Student Nursing Association

Athletics

Concordia College-New York is a long-time competitor in NCAA Division II, as a member of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference. Concordia sponsored 12 varsity intercollegiate teams in the 2018–19 academic year: women's cross country, soccer, tennis, volleyball, basketball, and softball, and men's cross country, soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis and golf. The Meyer Athletic Center's 700-seat gymnasium is home to the Concordia College men's and women's basketball teams and volleyball team. It also houses the Department of Athletics offices, as well as the athletic training room, locker rooms for both men and women, and a fitness center. Also in the complex are the Clipper Baseball Field, Clipper Softball Field, and the Clipper Soccer Field.

Concordia Conservatory

Concordia Conservatory is a center for music education in Westchester County. The Conservatory attempts to integrate music into the cultural life of the lower Westchester community. In addition to grassroots programs in schools, libraries, assisted living, and day care centers, the Conservatory offers performances. More than 150 performances are given each year including: Music-on-Parade for Scholarship, the Hoch Chamber Music Series, the Chamber Music Festival, and faculty concerts.

Donald A. Krenz Academic Center

The Krenz Center addition to the Scheele Memorial Library's second floor, completed in August 2006, contains classrooms, including the 82-seat Pietruski Auditorium, a 20-station computer teaching room, the Darlene Hedin Krenz Center for New Media and Digital Production, The Yeager Collection, and the OSilas Art Gallery. It is named after Donald Krenz who was chairman of Concordia College's 13-member Board of Regents, a New York City lawyer, and businessman.
The center was selected for the 2009 American School and University Magazine Education Interiors Showcase. The project was chosen "for its ability to integrate current and future technology, innovative use of materials, life-cycle cost versus first cost, timelessness, safety and security, clarity of design concept, and accommodation of an enhanced educational mission."
The Yeager Collection is a collection of autographs of American businessmen, financiers, and wealth creators. It is underwritten by George and Barbara Yeager.
The OSilas Gallery opened on September 14, 2006. The gallery provides exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and art tours featuring a variety of art genres and styles, such as historic, contemporary, and new media. Many of these events are integrated with art and other academic programs at the college; an exhibition of Concordia student art is held annually.

Schoenfeld Building

In 1926, the college's Board of Control unsuccessfully petitioned the LCMS to build a campus gym. Subsequently, the Schoenfeld Memorial Campaign committee was formed and set out to raise $100,000 for construction costs. The Schoenfeld Gymnasium was ultimately erected by the efforts of both the church congregation and The Lutheran Education Society. The gym opened on October 1, 1928. The final cost for the construction project was $140,000. The gymnasium was originally designed by American architect: James Gamble Rogers.
The gym was dedicated to William F. Schoenfeld, "one of the foremost Lutheran ministers in New York". Among many accomplishments associated with the Lutheran Church, Schoenfeld was pastor for 21 years of the Immanuel Church in Manhattan and one of the founders of the Lutheran Education Society. He "died suddenly July 30 , on Buck Mountain, near Lake George, N.Y".
In 1994, three million dollars was raised to convert the Schoenfeld building into a drama facility and center for student life. On September 30, 1995, the building was re-opened to the college community.
On October 30, 2015, the new Schoenfeld Campus Center opened. The new modifications included a food court, expanded seating area, an enhanced game room, a redesigned campus store, new study lounges, and a redesigned garden in the outdoor courtyard.

Accreditation

Concordia College is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The Social Work program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Social Work Education.
The Teacher Education Program at Concordia College-New York is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Education Preparation. This accreditation covers initial teacher preparation programs at Concordia College-New York. However, the accreditation does not include individual education courses that the institution offers to P-12 educators for professional development, relic ensure, or other purposes.
The Nursing Program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
The Business Program is a candidate for accreditation by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education.
The college is registered by the New York State Education Department and the College's International Center for English as a Second Language is a member of the American Association of Intensive English Programs.

Notable alumni