ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 21, 2008  

ELCA's Wartburg Theological Seminary Restructures Positions, Programs
08-197-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- At its regular fall meeting Nov. 6-7,
the board of Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa,
approved "a new strategic plan that involves the restructure
of programs as well as faculty and staff positions," according
to a seminary news release.  The action comes during record
growth in the seminary's enrollment and record decline on
Wall Street.
     Wartburg is one of eight seminaries of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
     "The market has hurt us deeply in terms of our endowment
values.  We've suffered a significant decline," said the Rev.
Duane H. Larson, president, Wartburg Theological Seminary.
     "Endowment is one of the main income streams we rely on
for operations," he said.  Because income from endowment is
calculated from three-year averages, Larson said something
"utterly responsible and responsibly bold" had to be done now
to position the seminary for its financial future.
     "We need to do this particular cash repositioning in
light of the fact that we are also absolutely full with
enrollment.  We've had serial years of increasing enrollment,
and this year had the largest first-year class we've had in
a generation.  That looks to continue," Larson said.
     The new strategic plan focuses on three growing
programs -- master of arts, master of divinity (M.Div.) and
the Theological Education for Emerging Ministries (TEEM)
programs.  "That has meant, quite unfortunately, some
changing of faculty positions as well as suspending some
programs," Larson said.  Changes are to be in place by June
30, 2009.
     Wartburg will suspend the M.Div. program at the Lutheran
Seminary Program of the Southwest (LSPS), Austin, Texas. 
Wartburg cosponsors that program with the Lutheran School of
Theology at Chicago, another ELCA seminary.  Three faculty
members and one staff member will be released at LSPS.
     Larson said LSPS will refocus its energies on being the
primary Hispanic ministry school for the TEEM program of
the ELCA.
     "'Suspension' is a formal term," Larson said.  If a
program were "eliminated," it could not be restored without
going through a new accreditation process.  "'Suspension'
means that we can bring it back on the table without as much
formality," he said.
     In Dubuque, Wartburg will suspend its master of arts in
theology, development and education program.  It will continue
to sponsor the Center for Theology and Land, Center for Youth
Ministries and Center for Global Technologies but "under
faculty direction."  It sponsors the Center for Theology and
Land with the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary.
     The seminary will release three faculty, three full-time
staff and two part-time staff members.  Another faculty
member will assume a phased retirement "senior distinguished
faculty status," and another faculty member will take a
primarily administrative position.
     The economic downturn and growing enrollments are not
unique to Wartburg, Larson said.  Other ELCA seminaries have
taken similar actions to bolster programs while cutting costs
"without going toward release of faculty," he said.
     In a letter to alumni, donors and other friends of the
seminary, Larson said Wartburg suspended withdrawals from its
endowment until Jan. 1, 2010, "allowing the portfolio an
opportunity to regain its health."
     Wartburg is taking several other steps to stabilize its
income streams.  Instead of relying on large contributions
from a few major donors who are able to give from assets
earning stock dividends, the seminary will concentrate on
attracting a large number of donors, who are each able to
make smaller donations from their incomes.
     "We want to raise scholarship support for those students
who continue to see Wartburg as one of the better places to
come," Larson told the ELCA News Service.  "Then we need, of
course, to change our financial structure by paying down our
own debt," he said.
-- -- --
     The home page for Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque,
Iowa, is at http://www.wartburgseminary.edu/ on the Web.

EDITORS:  Wartburg Theological Seminary is a separate and
distinct institution from Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa,
which is one of 28 colleges and universities of the ELCA.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
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