Consumer Information

Academics

Institutional accreditation is an indicator of quality. Accreditation is granted to institutions that have gone through comprehensive reviews and have demonstrated strict adherence to accreditation standards in degree programs, courses, faculty, administration, and student support services. The institution must provide high quality education in order to qualify for and receive accreditation.

Accreditation also ensures that courses taken and degrees earned through Concordia University Chicago are transferable to (will be accepted by) other institutions that are also accredited by an agency that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

The accreditations, approvals and certifications of the University are based upon the University's status at the time of this update. Accreditations, approvals and certifications are subject to review and modification from time to time.

University Accreditation

Concordia University Chicago is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission to award baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees. All Concordia University Chicago degree programs are approved by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

Business Programs

The College of Business is a candidate for accreditation and a member of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Education Programs

The College of Education is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) to offer baccalaureate and graduate programs for the preparation of teachers and other professional school personnel. CAEP is a professional accreditor which reviews departments, schools and colleges that prepare teachers and other educators. In addition, the university's education programs are approved by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Music Programs

Concordia University Chicago is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).

Social Work Program

The Social Work Program is a candidate for accreditation and a member of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

Authorization and Academic Approval by State

• Illinois State Agencies
  Illinois Board of Higher Education
  1 N. Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 333
  Springfield, Illinois 62701-1377
  217-782-2551
  Fax: 217-782-8548
  TTY: 888-261-2881
  info@ibhe.org
  Complaint Hotline: 217-557-7359
  Online Complaint Form
  
  Illinois Office of Education, State Teacher Certification Board
  100 N. First Street, Suite S-306 Springfield, Illinois 62777
  217-557-6763
  
  Students may provide feedback or register complaints with these entities at the contact information above, or with the Illinois Office of Attorney General at 800-386-5438.
  
  
• Ohio State Agencies
  Ohio Department of Higher Education
  25 South Front Street
  Columbus, OH 43215
  614-466-6000
  hotline@highered.ohio.gov
  Link to the Online Complaint System
  
  
• Concordia University Chicago has been approved to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements.

Specialized Professional Associations (SPA) 

• Master’s - Curriculum & Instruction: ESL Endorsement (TESOL/CAEP)
• Master’s - Early Childhood (NAEYC)
• Early Childhood Education (NAEYC)
• Doctorate - Educational Leadership (ELCC)
• Master’s - Education Technology Leadership; ISBE Technology Specialist Endorsement (ISTE)
• Elementary Education (ACEI)
• English Language Arts (NCTE)
• Foreign Language Education: Spanish (ACTFL)
• Master of Arts in Teaching: Elementary Education (ACEI)
• Master of Arts in Teaching: Science Education (NSTA)
• Master of Arts in Teaching: Social Sciences (NCSS)
• Master of Arts in Teaching: English Language Arts (NCTE)
• Master of Arts in Teaching: Physical Education (NASPE)
• Master of Arts in Teaching: Mathematics (NCTM)
• Physical Education (Secondary Education) (NASPE)
• Master’s - Reading Education (ILA | IRA)
• Master’s - School Leadership (ELCC)
• Science Education (Bio. Chem. Designations) (NSTA)
• Secondary Education: Mathematics (NCTM)
• Secondary Education: Social Sciences (NCSS)
• Special Education (CEC)
• Special Education Endorsement, LBS 1 (CEC)

Affiliations

The University is a member of the following academic and collegiate associations to maintain the integrity of academic programs and operations.

• Associated College of the Chicago Area (ACCA)
• Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI)
• Association of Lutheran College Faculties (ALCF)
• Concordia University System of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
• Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)
• Council of Independent Colleges (CIC)
• Lutheran Education Conference of North America (LECNA)
• Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE)

Submit a complaint to Concordia University Chicago

Submit a complaint to the Illinois Board of Higher Education

Submit a complaint to the Higher Learning Commission

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law which governs the institutions confidential maintenance of student education records.

View CUC's Full FERPA Policy

Campus Banking Notice

Students receiving a financial aid refund can have it direct deposited into an account at any financial institution including a pre-existing account already belonging to the student. Please visit the Department of Education - Campus Banking Notice section for more detailed information.

Cost of Attendance

The cost of attendance (COA) estimates the annual amount needed to cover educational expenses while attending Concordia University Chicago. Several elements besides tuition, mandatory fees, room and board and residency determine the COA. It is important that you consider the cost of books and supplies, transportation and personal living expenses. Loan fees will also be added into the COA if you borrow a Federal Direct Loan to cover your educational expenses. 

Diversity of Federal Pell Grant Recipients

Concordia University Chicago’s Federal Pell Grant recipients totaled 716 students, which encompassed 43% of the enrolled undergraduate (both traditional and non-traditional) student population for the 2019-2020 academic year. Of these Pell recipients, 61% were female and 39% were male. The recipients of the Federal Pell Grant consisted of:

• 40% Hispanic
• 28.6% White
• 15.5% African American
• 2.2% Asian
• 3.9% Multiracial
• 9.8% Unknown

Federal Stafford Loan Recipients

CUC’s Direct Loan recipients totaled 1,092 which encompassed 69.5% of the enrolled undergraduate (both traditional and non-traditional) student population for the 2019-2020 academic year. Of those receiving a Direct Loan, a total of 918 or 84% received the Direct Subsidized Loan and a total of 174 or 16% received the Direct Unsubsidized Loan only Please visit our main Financial Aid pages for student loan information.

Financial Aid Policies

Learn more information on the financial aid available to undergraduate students, costs and policies.

Gainful Employment Programs

• Graduate Certificate in Gerontology
• Strength and Conditioning Certificate
• Fitness and Health Promotion Certificate
• Human Movement Science Certificate
• Sports Performance Training Certificate
• Sports Nutrition Certificate

Net Price Calculator

Prospective students are encouraged to utilize the Net Price Calculator. By providing basic information about themselves and their parent(s), if dependent, the Net Price Calculator will provide an estimated net cost of attendance. This tool is made available to help families better understand and prepare for college costs.

Consolidated Financial Statements

• Years Ended June 30, 2020 and 2019
• Year Ended June 30, 2018

IRS Form 990

• Concordia University Chicago
• Concordia University Foundation

Articles of Incorporation & Bylaws

• Concordia University Chicago Articles of Incorporation
• Concordia University Chicago Bylaws

Whistle Blower Policy

• Concordia University Chicago Whistle Blower Policy

Concordia University Chicago (CUC) is committed to protecting the privacy of students, employees, and other individuals interacting with the University.  This notice specifically pertains to the collection and processing of personal data of those individuals who are protected by the European Union’s (EU’s) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and contains information regarding the types of personal information CUC collects and how that information might be used.

Types of Personal Information CUC May Collect

1. Student Application—Upon applying to CUC, the university may collect an individual’s demographic and contact information, educational history, test scores, financial information and additional information needed for processing the application.
2. Enrollment Data—Upon enrolling at CUC, the university may collect an individual’s contact and financial information, housing and meal preferences, if applicable, and additional information as needed for enrollment purposes.
3. University Inquiry—Upon requesting information about CUC, the university may collect that individual’s contact information and other information relevant to the inquiry.
4. Employment—Upon applying for employment and/or being hired by CUC, the university may collect information such as the individual’s social security number and other personal information relevant for employment and conduct a criminal background check on the applicant.
5. Research—Upon participating in a research study with CUC, an individual’s personal information that is relevant to the study may be collected by the university.
6. Campus Event—Upon registering for an event on campus, CUC may collect an individual’s contact and billing information and other types of information relevant to the event.
7. Donation—Upon donating to CUC, the university may collect the donor’s contact and billing information
8. Vendor—To maximize operating efficiency, CUC may need to collect an individual’s personal information to enable vendors to provide goods and services in support of university operations.
9. Cookies—Upon visiting a CUC website, cookies may be utilized to allow the website to function properly. The cookies are used to customize content, allow authorization and access to secure areas, or to analyze how the university website performs through various analytics tools.
10. Email—Upon opening an email from CUC, the university may collect time data related to when the message was opened and any links or banners within were clicked.
11. Feedback—Upon providing feedback to CUC, an individual’s name, email address and other personal information may be collected in order to reply accordingly.
12. Health—To assist with accommodations, health information may be collected from an individual.
13. Mailing List—Upon signing up for a CUC mailing list, an individual’s name, email address and other pertinent personal information may be collected.
14. Publications—Personal information in relation to the publication may be collected from those who submit materials for publication, those who appear in the publication and those who subscribe to the publication.
15. Surveys—Upon participating in a CUC sponsored survey, an individual’s personal information as related to the survey questions and submission may be collected.
16. Web Logs--Upon visiting a CUC website, the following types of information may be collected: date, time, IP address, referring site, and browser version.

Primary Purpose for Collecting Personal Information

CUC collects personal data for many purposes, including, but not limited to the following reasons:

1. To improve university services and procedures
2. For conducting research
3. For identification
4. For marketing
5. To meet contractual and/or legal obligations
6. For responding to inquiries
7. To provide educational instruction

Sharing of Personal Information

CUC may share information with affiliates, third parties with consent, service providers and to comply with legal requirements and processes.  In addition, the institution at its discretion may provide Directory Information as per school policy.

Personal Information Retention

Personal information will be retained in accordance with university policy and state and federal law. 

Protection of Personal Information

The University has put in place reasonable physical, technical, and administrative safeguards designed to prevent unauthorized access to or use of personal information that is collected.

Rights Under GDPR

The GDPR notes the following rights:

1. Right of access to personal information
2. Right of rectification of personal information
3. Right to erasure (right to be forgotten)
4. Right to restriction of processing of personal information
5. Right to data portability (request a copy of personal information)
6. Right to object to processing of personal information

Contact Information

Please contact the Office of the Registrar by email at registrar@cuchicago.edu or by phone at 708-209-3165 should you have any questions.

Disability Resources and Services

The mission of the Center of Accessibility and Resource for Excellence (CARE) is to provide accommodations and support for students with documented disabilities that will ensure their full engagement in university life, both in the classroom and outside the classroom.

If you have questions about accommodations, please contact Mary Wink at Mary.Wink@CUChicago.edu or 708-488-4109.

Health Policies, Procedures and Services

• Campus Health Clinic
• Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Information Policy Included in our annual Campus Security Report. 
• Vaccination/Immunization Policy

Security Logs, Policies, Procedures and Reports

Campus Security Report

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) is required to maintain records of all security related activity on the campus. The Concordia department of Public Safety publishes a report that discloses relevant information about campus security policies and crime statistics which can be found on the annual Campus Security Report.

Emergency Response and Evacuation

Emergency Response and Evacuation procedures are distributed to all departments and residential facilities within the University. The Emergency Guide provides steps to take in the event an emergency occurs. In addition, employees and students of CUC are encouraged to sign-up for the Emergency Notification Service. For additional information, please contact the Director of Public Safety at 708-209-3629.

Fire Emergency Plan 

For specific information on CUC's fire emergency plan, please contact the Director of Public Safety at 708-209-3629.

Missing Persons Procedures 

For specific information on CUC's missing persons procedures, please contact the Director of Public Safety at 708-209-3629.

Concordia University Chicago signed and submitted the Certification and Agreement for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund for the student portion on May 8, 2020. The amount was approved and received on May 15, 2020. The Certification and Agreement for the institutional portion of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund was signed and submitted on May 29, 2020.  The amount was approved and received on June 2, 2020. The University intends to use no less than 50% of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) to provide emergency financial aid grants to students.

Learn More

Non-Discriminatory Policy as to Students

Concordia University Chicago, River Forest, Illinois admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students of the University. While it does give preference to members of the Lutheran faith, it does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational polices, admissions policies and loan programs and athletic and other University-administered programs. 

Non-Discrimination Employment Policy

Concordia does not discriminate in the employment of individuals on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, disability, sex or age. However Concordia is an institution of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and, to the extent allowed by law, reserves the right to give preference in employment based upon religion. 

Additional Policy Information

• Donor Privacy Policy
• Copyright Information
• The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
• Title IX

Concordia University Chicago Undergraduate Admissions SMS Terms of Service

Program Description
Concordia University Chicago uses SMS messaging to communicate to prospective students important information, including but not limited to: admission deadlines, notifications, and reminders for upcoming events. These messages may be both marketing and non-marketing related in nature. By opting into this service you agree to be bound by these SMS Terms of Service.

Opt-In
Prospective students are given the opportunity to opt-in to SMS messaging when completing their admissions application by providing the mobile phone number and consenting to receiving messages.

Messaging Costs
Message and data rates may apply. Consult your wireless provider to determine the costs for receiving text messages.

Frequency
Message frequency will vary and may include up to 10 messages per month.  

Opt-Out
To stop receiving messages reply “STOP” to [SHORTCODE] to opt out of future messages. If you opt-out, you will no longer receive text messages unless you re-subscribe.

HELP
You can also reply “HELP” to [SHORTCODE] for more assistance.

Liability
The University and the mobile carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

Privacy
The University’s privacy policy can be located at the Consumer Information page.

Career Services- The Office of Career Services serves all students beginning their first year on campus.

Counseling Center- The Counseling Center's services are available to the students of Concordia University Chicago. All services are strictly confidential and free of charge.

Residential Life - As a residential student you will live in the safe, charming neighborhood of River Forest that surrounds Concordia University Chicago.

Student Activities - Concordia University encourages all students to participate in extracurricular activities, to develop leadership skills, to make life-long friendships and to have some fun!

Voter Registration - Concordia University Chicago encourages all students to take part in their voting rights during the political election periods.

College of Education Programs Reviewed by CAEP or Specialized Program Associations (SPA)

• Chief School Business Official (Endorsement)
• Curriculum and Instruction, ESL (MA)
• Early Childhood Education (Advanced Level Subsequent Endorsement)
• Early Childhood Education (BS)
• Early Childhood Special Education (Advanced Level Endorsement)
• Educational Leadership (Advanced Level, PhD)
• Elementary Education (BS)
• Elementary Education (MAT)
• Gifted Education-Endorsement
• Middle Grades Education (MAT)
• Middle Grades Education (BS)
• Music Education (BME)
• Physical Education (BS)
• Reading Specialist K-12 (Subsequent Endorsement)
• School Leadership (MA)
• Secondary Education (BS)
• Secondary Education (MAT)
• Spanish Education (BS)
• Special Education (BS)
• Special Education, LBS1 (Advanced Level Endorsement)
• Principal Preparation (MA)
• Teacher Leader (Advanced Level)
• Technology Specialist K-12 (Endorsement)
• Visual Art Education

College of Education Candidate Performance

CAEP Annual Reporting Measures 2018-2019

CAEP Annual Reporting Measures 2019-2020

As our teacher and professional education programs are accredited through CAEP, we are required to submit an annual report and publicly present data on our programs. We encourage you to look through our data and analyses in each of the sections below.

Measure 1: Impact on P-12 Learning and Development

EdTPA Scores (PDF)

Impact on P-12 Learning and Development Performance Measure Data are gathered from the edTPA assessment at the end of the fall and spring semesters. Analysis of the current data indicate after previous consistent increases in edTPA scores across programs, students in AY 2019-2020 experienced some difficulty achieving scores  at or above the national and state averages. Students performed above the state and national averages in only 6 of the 20 programs. Of note are the Secondary History, Visual Arts, Middle School and Secondary Math scores. Across all programs, the edTPA scores indicate CUC students are performing at a level consistent with their peers across the state and the nation. Of note are the secondary English/Language Arts and Secondary Math sores which, are well above national and state averages. These scores are not the norm and were mostly likely impacted by the Covid 19 pandemic. In addition to analyzing the total scores, CUC examines the edTPA data by tasks and individual rubric scores. Overall, the task with the highest scores was Task 1 (lesson planning) with a mean score of 155.3, the task with the lowest scores continues to be Task 3 (assessment) with a mean score of 146.2. The two rubrics with the lowest scores across programs are 11 (analysis of student learning) with a total lean score of 26.1 and Rubric 13 (student use of feedback) with a total mean score of 28.4.

Through the process of gauging program impact, the EPP will also be working with PK-12 schools where our graduates are now teaching by systematically and collaboratively partnering with the in-service teacher, faculty, staff, and administration of CUC and the cooperating school. In addition, the effort to evaluate data will involve data-driven collection and decision making through a team-based approach of interviewing the teacher, collecting data, deciphering the results, and then making changes to program  development and administration as deemed necessary across all content areas and specializations. This will provide another measure for gauging graduates’ impact on PK-12 learning and development.

Measure 2: Indicators of Teaching Effectiveness

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) began reporting teacher evaluation data to the EPP’s in June 2018. ISBE shares analysis reports of that data to each institution for administrators to explore strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement within their programs. The teacher performance evaluation process consists of the evaluation of student growth and professional practice.  When defining student growth, it is the significant change in a student’s or a group of students’ knowledge or skills, as it pertains to two or more assessments, between two or more points in time.  

Concordia University Chicago understands the limitations of this evidence as it evaluates for those completers that are currently working in P-12 Illinois schools.  It does not provide data for those completers that are working in the private setting.  However, a strong representation of the CUC completers are prevalent in the data provided by ISBE and therefore, determinations can be made on the impact that the new teachers have on their students over the course of time.  

The data indicate how the new teachers impact P-12 students through the teacher performance evaluation process. Most new teachers from Concordia University Chicago earned an Excellent or Proficient on the evaluation cycle with 96.9% from 2015, 98.6% from 2016, 97.8% from 2017, 97.5% from 2018.  100% of new teachers earned an Excellent or Proficient in 2019.  For the Needs Improvement Rating there were 3.14% in 2015, 1.42% in 2016, 2.2% in 2017, 2.47% in 2018. There were no Needs Improvement in 2019 and no Unsatisfactory ratings for any of the completers across time.  

The Illinois State Board of Education considers the student growth component a large factor, making up at least 30% of the final rating of the teacher evaluation model.  Therefore the determination can be made, based on the teacher evaluation data, that program completers have a strong and positive impact on their students.  

Measure 3: Satisfaction of employers

The Employer Satisfaction Survey was deployed at both the advanced level in fall 2019. Only two individuals completed the survey, thus there is no data to report. This limited and lacking data does not provide information for interpretation or program improvement. The College of Education recognizes the need to develop strategies to enhance and increase response rates in order to ascertain employer satisfaction with completers’ preparation.  To this end, the College of Education has developed a phase in plan in order to better address this CAEP annual measure.  

Measure 4: Satisfaction of Completers

The Completer Satisfaction survey was deployed at the advanced level in Fall 2019. The survey was sent to 234 program completers who had been teaching for at least one year. 18 individuals completed the survey. This limited and lacking data does not provide enough information for interpretation.

The Completer Satisfaction survey was not deployed for the initial preparation program completers. Data gathered from the End of the Program survey indicate recent graduates were satisfied with our programs. The majority of the ratings indicate feeling Very Well and Well prepared across the 24 survey items.

Measure 5: Graduate Rates

Initial and Advanced Graduation Rates (PDF)

The 2019-2020 academic year has a graduation rate of 58% for MAT Secondary Education and 87% for initial licensure, undergraduate programs. Both of these numbers indicate an increase over last year’s rate. The graduation rate has been steady across the last few years.

For Advanced, the Graduation Rate was calculated using a start date of Summer 2017, which sets a three year to completion perimeter. This date was utilized due to the fact that the majority of students currently in the Advanced programs started within Summer 2017 and Summer 2019. Is it likely many of those who “Did Not Complete” are still enrolled and working to complete as CUC is aware that many students take more time to complete their program and/ or stop-out and restart.

Measure 6: Ability of completers to meet licensing (certification) and any additional state requirements

Pass rates on content exams are used to demonstrate the ability of our students to meet licensing requirements. Content Test Scores for the 2019-2020 academic year for initial licensure in Math, Science/Social Science, Fine Arts, Physical Development, Middle Grades 5-8 Mathematics, Middle Grades 5-8 Social Science and Special Education had a 100% pass rate. This represents 57 students. The pass rate for Language and Literacy was 94% representing 17 students. The Early Childhood Education program had a pass rate of 50%. The pass rate for all advanced licensure programs ranged from 95%- 100%.

Measure 7: Ability of completers to be hired in education positions for which they have prepared (initial & advanced levels)

Concordia University Chicago’s completers have ample employment opportunities in their fields of study across Illinois and beyond. We do retrieve employment data for those who accept employment in public and Lutheran schools. However, it is more difficult to track those who seek employment out of state or outside public or Lutheran school settings. The data indicate the average percentage of program graduates who hold an Illinois teaching position one year after graduation is 87%. This number is comparable to state averages. We are in the planning stage for acquiring and reporting this information for graduates of our advanced-level programs.

Measure 8: Student loan default rates and other consumer information

Student Loan Default Rates are collected and reported with a lag over a 3 year period. National Loan Default statistics reports a 7.8% default rate. The current default rate for all CUC students entering repayment is 5.1%. This rate encompasses both undergraduate and graduate students that have gone into default.

College of Education Enrollment

Title II Report Card 2020

Copyrighted Materials

Concordia University Chicago is committed to the education of its students and employees regarding copyright and fair use laws.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Information

Included in our annual Campus Security Report.

Federal Student Financial Aid Penalties for Drug Law Violations

Present in the Student Code of Conduct on Concordia Connect for enrolled students. 

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Financial Aid Policies

Services for Students with Disabilities

In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, CUC recognizes that qualified students who have diagnosed disabilities are entitled to an equal opportunity to benefit from the educational programs of the College and that reasonable academic accommodations may be necessary.

Transfer of Credit Policies and Articulation Agreements

Vaccination/Immunization Policy