Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities

Yesterday, presidents of the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities were presented to the 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly as President Paul Pribbenow of Augsburg University addressed the assembly on behalf of NECU.

At lunch presidents and representatives of our institutions had the opportunity to meet and spend time with all assembly attendees.

We are thankful for this network and this opportunity to deepen our relationship with the larger church.

Cultivating love through community on campus - Living Lutheran The office of Campus Ministry and Spiritual Wellness at Midland University strives to enhance a sense of belonging for young adults.

At the 30th annual Vocation of Lutheran Higher Education Conference, Dr. Walter Fluker ,senior editor, The Howard Thurman Papers Project, gave the keynote address “Wake Up Running! A Call to Ethical Leaders in Quest of Democratic Space”.

Other key conversations and dialogue included Dr. Samaad Wes Keys, Ph.D. -the , President -Dr. Paul Pribbenow- , and Rev. Colleen Windham-Hughes, PhD, MDiv - California Lutheran University.

The 2025 Vocation of Lutheran Higher Education Conference of the Network of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Colleges and Universities (NECU) gathered at Augsburg University under the theme “Ethical Leadership in a Changing World”.

🌍✨ What a powerful week at !
Standing-room only for NECU’s session on Higher Ed, Liberal Arts & Democracy! 💬📚

We were honored to join changemakers from across sectors to explore how faith-rooted education supports vocational identity, belonging, and purpose-driven leadership. This diverse, intergenerational gathering gave us clearer vision and new opportunities for the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities.

Pictured Panelist: (l-r) Frederick Lawrence (CEO- Phi Beta Kappa Society), Jeremy Haefner (Chancellor, University of Denver), Lamont Wells (Executive Director, NECU), Lynn Pasquerella (American Association of Colleges and Universities- AAC&U), Dolores Duran-Cerda (Vice Chancellor, Pima Community College)

🌍✨ What a powerful week at !
Standing-room only for NECU’s session on Higher Ed, Liberal Arts & Democracy! 💬📚

We were honored to join changemakers from across sectors to explore how faith-rooted education supports vocational identity, belonging, and purpose-driven leadership. This diverse, intergenerational gathering gave us clearer vision and new opportunities for the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities.

Pictured Panelist: (l-r) Frederick Lawrence (CEO- Phi Beta Kappa Society), Jeremy Haefner (Chancellor, University of Denver), Lamont Wells (Executive Director, NECU), Lynn Pasquerella (American Association of Colleges and Universities- AAC&U), Dolores Duran-Cerda (Vice Chancellor, Pima Community College)

The Network of Colleges and Universities (NECU) convenes our cohorts of Senior Level Advancement & Enrollment Management Officers in January for professional development and missional collaboration. This year we also engaged local high school guidance counselors in San Antonio to share the unique opportunities and benefits of Lutheran Higher Education.

The brilliant minds in this room are changing the world so that all may flourish. At the Council of Independent Colleges’ Chief Academic Officers conference, the Network of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Colleges and Universities (NECU) convened and refreshed our commitment to academic excellence and shared strategies for student success. We are ROOTED and OPEN to serving our neighbors and world.

Last week the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Network of Colleges and Universities (NECU) partnered with the ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans to host over 16,000+ Youth and Young Adults. Our Faith-Affiliated Institutions of Higher Education shared hope, promise, and pathways to a brighter future with the young participants. We are committed to preparing these wonderful minds to live into their vocational identity so that they and everyone they encounter may flourish.

This week around 150 faculty and staff of our NECU institutions met in Minneapolis, MN at Augsburg University for the 2024 Vocation of Lutheran Higher Education (VLHE) Conference. The theme of our conference was “Educational Access: Lutheran Roots, Contemporary Practices”

We want to thank our speakers, panelists, workshop leaders, and our planning team for their hard work in making this conference possible! A special thank you to for hosting us.

Right after the conference DEI Officers and our Faculty Working Group met for a strategy session. We are thankful for their tireless work and are excited to hear the amazing work they have been doing!

Keep an eye out for the theme and finalized dates of the VLHE Conference next year!