University News
Concordia University, St. Paul is pleased to announce expanded roles for several proven members of our faculty and administration. These new roles and promotions directly support CSP’s commitment to delivering focused, career-relevant academic programming for our students and supporting long-term growth plans for the university.
Each individual listed below has shown exceptional talent and leadership in their roles to help make CSP the great university that it is today. The following new roles take effect January 3, 2022. CSP’s leadership team will provide support to help ensure seamless transitions as certain functions will be better aligned within the organization.
Dr. Katie Fischer is being elevated to Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Strategic Program Development.
Katie has been with CSP for more than 11 years, serving most recently as the Dean of the College of Health and Science. In her new role as Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs and Strategic Program Development, Katie will apply her strategic management skills for an even greater impact on the trajectory of CSP, specifically for the nursing and health sciences programming that is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.
With a strong track record of advancing the health sciences-related academic programs, Katie will also serve a critical role in supporting academic program development across CSP. She will collaborate with all stakeholders to advance the academic mission of the university.
Dr. Mark Koschmann is being elevated to Associate Vice President of Faith and Ministry.
Mark takes on this expanded role, which builds on his leadership at CSP over the past 6 ½ years. Most recently serving as the Chair of the Theology and Ministry department, Mark will provide his expert leadership and support for campus programs that support CSP’s Lutheran identity. Responsibilities will also include serving as a key resource for the entire CSP community while supporting recruitment and retention of LCMS students, leading the Department of Theology and MinistryMInistry, and working with the university pastor to support campus ministry and clubs.
Mark will also continue to represent CSP at important off-campus, church-related events, and foster relationships with churches and schools to continue to build essential relationships with various LCMS constituencies.
Dr. Sara Kellogg is being elevated to Associate Vice President of Continuing Studies and Strategic Partnerships.
This expanded role for Sara is a natural extension of her 15 years as an emerging leader in the organization, with her most recent role being Director of Continuing Studies and Program Coordinator for the Master of Arts in Education (K-6) Licensure. Sara will lead efforts to develop strategic opportunities related to workforce education, continuing education, and cutting-edge credential and certifications to help advance career value for current students, alumni, and our industry partners.
Sara will collaborate with internal and external groups to identify new offerings CSP can bring to market to drive even greater value from a degree and certifications from Concordia. This will include leading collaborative teams to develop new course offerings and partnerships.
Jason Rahn is being elevated to Associate Vice President for Student Life and Retention.
In this role, Jason will expand on his current role focusing on all aspects of student life at CSP along with student retention. As Associate Vice President, Jason will also work closely with all on-campus groups and external organizations to foster exceptional student experiences at CSP. He will also establish a long-term retention plan to help ensure students stay with CSP through the completion of their degree programs – and potentially beyond. In addition, Jason will work closely with CSP’s Chief Diversity Officer, Title IX team, behavioral intervention teams, the crisis response team, and CSP’s senior administration to advocate for the needs of students in all aspects of their CSP experience. Jason has been instrumental in cultivating great experiences for CSP students over his 26+ years with the university.
Milissa Orchard’s role is elevating to Associate Vice President of Accreditation and Assessment.
Milissa’s role is a natural extension offrom her current role as Associate VP of Human Resources. In this new role, Milissa will be responsible for CSP’s ongoing accreditation and compliance relating to all federal, state, and local requirements. This essential role is pivotal as CSP continues to focus on career-relevant academic programming that aligns well with the needs of businesses and organizations for the coming years. She will work collaboratively with all academic departments to help ensure program accreditation, which is foundational for the continued delivery of high-value high value degree options for students across disciplines.
Milissa has fostered essential strong relationships within CSP during her time with the university, and she will continue to do the same with the regulatory agencies and program accreditors in this new role. She will also facilitate reporting all programmatic accreditation standards and annual program reviews.
Kristin Vogel’s role is expanding as the Director of Enrollment Systems and Operations.
With 18 years at CSP, Kristin has established an important presence in enrollment management. As Director of Enrollment Systems and Operations, Kristin will focus on planning, managing, and executing strategies specific to enrollment operations. This will include overseeing the enrollment operations team members, CRM administration (SLATE), communication, and marketing to support CSP’s assertive enrollment goals.Kristin’s ability to collaborate, drive solutions through data-informed decisions will continue to help improve the entire experience for students from enrollment to acceptance to embarking on successful academic careers at CSP.
Organizational Overview
Each one of these new appointments will result in some re-alignment in the overall structure of CSP. You can view a revised org chart here.
The expanded roles for these CSP leaders will also lead to some adjustments to the executive leadership and strategic planning teams. The executive leadership team to the President will include all vice presidents, the Chief Diversity Officer, and the Associate Vice President of Faith and Ministry. The strategic planning team consists of a broader team, including the president, all vice presidents, deans of schools, the Faculty Senate Chair – along with the Associate Vice Presidents of Continuing Studies, Faith and Ministry, and Accreditation and Assessment. This team will also include representatives from CSP service areas, including the library, technology, athletics, and facilities department.
“These new roles for proven leaders at CSP will better tap their unique skills to directly support the needs of our students, which will ultimately support the university’s strategic growth goals,” noted Dr. Eric LaMott, Provost and COO for CSP. “The university has a solid plan in place to grow CSP across most areas of academic programming, with particularly significant growth opportunities in non-traditional, and graduate studies programs. The value we provide, whether online or in-person, is paramount. This new alignment of leadership and skills will further help propel our students and university forward in competitive and innovative ways.”