New and improved married and single student housing. New and improved athletic facilities. Interior renovation and reclaimed use of three large wings of the campus’ historic core. Reconfigured campus streets with improved flow and safety.

We had exciting news to share this summer with our Seminary community and with the church! On June 29, we announced an ambitious new Campus Plan to steward, renovate and improve our Seminary’s campus and to pass it on to future generations as a jewel, as it has been passed on to us.

A key piece of this Campus Plan will be construction of student housing closer to chapel and the historic core of the campus and a land use agreement with Washington University for acres to the west of the new housing. On that western end of the campus, Washington University is exploring the development of new auxiliary athletic facilities, including soccer practice fields and an indoor basketball court with spectator seating. The Seminary community will have access to these athletic facilities, and this land use agreement will provide revenue that will fund, along with donor support, other campus renovations.

The planning for this Campus Plan proposal and land-sharing agreement has been under development for several years and grows out of the Seminary’s 2017 Campus Master Plan.

In developing this plan, we had to address three challenges for our campus:

1. Condition and underutilization of large wings of the historic core
2. Dated and increasingly unsustainable married and single student housing
3. Desire to leverage the western acres for revenue, but concern over losing athletic fields and facilities

The Campus Plan we have announced provides an excellent path forward in addressing these needs and concerns.

1. It improves student housing — in quality and layout.
2. It provides revenue to help in restoring and stewarding our historic buildings.
3. It improves athletic facilities — shared use but at no cost to us to build and maintain.
4. It creates a large, green commons space for recreation, activities and community events.
5. It accentuates the centrality of the chapel in our campus layout and campus life.

This Campus Plan intentionally aims to enhance the quality of our shared community life, contributing to our broader efforts at “Fostering Community,” the fourth of 12 major initiatives in our current Strategic Plan.

I am convinced that this plan secures a strong future for our life together here on this campus. We continue to pursue the necessary municipal and ecclesial approvals, and we will make this Campus Plan a part of our new comprehensive fundraising campaign that will launch in 2024.

More information regarding our Campus Plan is available at csl.edu/campus-plan.

One last note, I am writing this greeting from the 2023 LCMS convention in Milwaukee, Wis. One of the great things about our national conventions is the opportunity to see so many friends and colleagues. For those of you whom I have been blessed to visit with this week, thank you. You are a joy and an encouragement to me! And thanks to all of you for your service to the Gospel and for your support of the Seminary’s work.

Blessings in Christ,

Dr. Thomas J. Egger
President