Concordia University Irvine President Announces Retirement
IRVINE, Calif. (September 13, 2017)—President Kurt Krueger of Concordia University Irvine (CUI) announced today his intent to retire on June 30, 2018, the end of the 2017-2018 academic year. Krueger’s career in higher education as a scholar and administrator spans more than 46 years, 27 of which have been at the private Lutheran Christian university.
Krueger, the university’s fourth president, took office as president July 1, 2010. Prior to his appointment, he served as executive director of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod’s (LCMS) Board for University Education and president of the Concordia University System since 2005. Before joining the university system, he was a professor of English and later served as provost and chief academic officer at Concordia University Irvine. The university’s Board of Regents will lead the search for a new president.
During his eight-year tenure as President, Krueger led an administration that implemented new academic programs, built up the university’s endowment, paid down the school’s debt—goals that Krueger set from the beginning of his appointment—and set the record for the largest student enrollment in the school’s 40-year history. In addition, he led the university to new milestones: transitioning into a NCAA DII school, entering the next phase of the Master Plan with the construction of the new Music, Worship & Theology building, leading the campus in its goal of becoming designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution (with more than 25 percent of its students being Hispanic) making the school eligible for federal funding, and being named as one of the fastest growing private nonprofit master’s universities in the country by The Chronicle of Higher Education.
“I always look forward to coming to “work” each and every day,” said President Krueger. “CUI is a special place that has been abundantly blessed.”
President Krueger holds a Ph.D. in English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a master’s in English from Marquette University, as well as a bachelor’s in English from Valparaiso University. He serves as a board member at Crean Lutheran High School and the Center for U.S. Missions.
About Concordia University Irvine
Concordia University Irvine (CUI) is a non-profit Lutheran Christian liberal arts four-year university that prepares students for their vocations—their calling in life. Concordia offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs in education, nursing, theology, business, and athletics administration. CUI’s undergraduate program is distinctive because of its nationally recognized core curriculum, Enduring Questions & Ideas, and its Lutheran heritage that provides a thoughtful and caring Christian community that lives out the theology of "Grace Alone. Faith Alone." Concordia is a U.S. News Top Tier Regional University and has been named by The Chronicle of Higher Education as one of the fastest growing private nonprofit master's institutions. The university is part of the Concordia University System, the second largest education ministry system in the United States just behind the Catholic Church. The NCAA DII private university enrolls over 4,000 students annually.
Contact: Orith Farago
Communications Consultant
(714) 582-2300
[email protected]