wfn.org | Pamela Jolicoeur Named President of ELCA's Concordia College

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

May 12, 2004

Pamela Jolicoeur Named President of ELCA's Concordia College
04-096-RD*/JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The board of regents of Concordia College,
Moorhead, Minn., voted unanimously May 3 to name Dr. Pamela
Jolicoeur president of the college. She will be the 10th
president in Concordia's 113-year history and is expected to
assume the role in July.
     Concordia College is one of 28 colleges and universities of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
     "Dr. Jolicoeur is a great fit for Concordia," says Ronald
Offutt, board chair, Fargo, N.D. "Her distinguished record of
strong leadership in Lutheran higher education makes her ideally
suited to carry forward our mission. She brings wisdom, heart and
energy that will invigorate the entire Concordia community."
     Jolicoeur, 59, has served as provost and dean of the faculty
at California Lutheran University (CLU), Thousand Oaks, since
1996, according to a Concordia College news release. Her
responsibilities there included academic affairs and services,
admissions, information systems and services, athletics,
institutional planning and research, the release said. Having
developed CLU's academic and strategic plans, her leadership
resulted in a 30 percent increase in undergraduate enrollment and
an improved academic profile, the release said.
     CLU is also an ELCA higher education institution.
     Jolicoeur joined the sociology faculty at CLU in 1972,
serving as faculty chair from 1978 to 1980 and department chair
from 1979 to 1983. Her teaching emphases centered on social
issues and problems, ethnic relations, sociological theory,
sociology of religion, deviance and social psychology. She
assumed key leadership positions in the dean's office beginning
in 1981 and remained on the faculty until 1993, when she became
vice president for academic affairs.
     "I am ready for this exciting change," Jolicoeur said. "I've
known about Concordia and its outstanding reputation for a long
time. I am attracted to Concordia's mission, the distinctive
strengths of its academic programs and the remarkable quality of
people there. The college is thriving and eager to move to the
next level. You can sense the energy on campus. I can't wait to
get started."
     "I think there's a genuine spirit of optimism and enthusiasm
about Dr. Jolicoeur," said Dr. Barbara Olive, professor of
English and member of the presidential search committee. "She's
exceptionally qualified to lead us, and we are fortunate to have
her joining our community."
     A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Santa Clara
(Calif.), Jolicoeur earned her master's and doctorate in
sociology from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. She is a
widely sought-after speaker and author of more than 20
publications and papers on a variety of sociological issues,
including "The Good Daughters: Acculturation and Caregiving Among
Mexican-American Women," published in the Journal on Aging,
Summer 2002, the Concordia release said.
     Jolicoeur is recognized for her insights and commitment to
the cause of Lutheran higher education, the release said. She
speaks frequently on the vocation of a Lutheran college, which
she addresses in "Finding the Words: The Challenge of Being
California Lutheran University," published in the Winter 1999
issue of "Intersections," a newsletter produced by the ELCA
Division for Higher Education and Schools. She has chaired and is
a member of the Lutheran Education Conference of North America
(LECNA) Comparative Advantage Task Force.
     Jolicoeur has a daughter, Jessica Rich, and is married to
Michael A. Doyle, associate professor of criminal justice, and
director of graduate and adult programs at CLU.
---
     Concordia College maintains a site at
http://www.concordiacollege.edu/ on the Web.

*Roger Degerman is senior director for communications and
marketing at Concordia College.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news