ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 14, 2008  

ELCA's Grand View College Becomes Grand View University
08-191-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Trustees of Grand View College, Des
Moines, Iowa, voted Oct. 10 to change the institution's name to
Grand View University when its first graduate program received
final accreditation.  The Master of Science in Innovative
Leadership program was accredited Oct. 29 and Grand View became a
university.
     Grand View is one of 28 colleges and universities of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
     Kent L. Henning, president, Grand View University, held a
Nov. 6 news conference to unveil the new program and name.  He
said the Master of Science in Innovative Leadership program was
developed in collaboration with more than 30 Des Moines-area
organizations -- businesses, not-for-profit organizations, school
systems, health care providers and professional associations.
     The interdisciplinary program will enroll its first students
in the fall of 2009 in three tracks -- business, education and
nursing.  Graduates will be designated as organizational leaders,
teacher leaders or clinical nurse leaders.  Their courses of
study will focus on leading for change and innovative strategic
thinking.
     The "university" title reinforces Grand View's launch of
graduate education, said Robert S. DeWaay, board chair, Des
Moines.  "The board determined that this change will have a very
positive effect on many of our key strategic initiatives," he
said in a Grand View news release.
     "The board also took into strong consideration the impact of
the name change on the lingering perception that Grand View is
still a two-year institution or a community college," DeWaay
said.
     Danish Lutheran immigrants founded Grand View in 1896.  The
liberal arts institution currently has enrolled 1,900 students in
36 undergraduate majors and master's programs on two campuses in
the Des Moines area.
-- -- --
     The home page for Grand View University is at
http://www.grandview.edu/ on the Web.

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