Concordia College has announced a gift to the school that it said will transform how business students receive their education.
The donation was revealed during a Thursday gathering of administrators, faculty and students at the liberal arts college in Moorhead.
Concordia President Colin Irvine announced the “transformative” milestone, a $20 million gift to the Offutt School of Business from an anonymous donor.
“This truly historic contribution will greatly enhance our capacity to attract, teach, to inspire and to equip the next generation of business leaders,” Irvine said.
Terry Brandt, vice president for advancement, said the gift — the largest gift ever given to the business school and one of the largest ever given to the college — is more than a financial contribution.
“It is a profound investment in the future of education at Concordia College. It will open doors, it will create opportunities and significantly enhance the experience and impact we offer our students,” Brandt said.
Irvine said the donation builds on other major steps made in the last year , including the opening of the Sanford Heimarck School of Health Professions.
Following that, a $10 million anonymous gift helped the school launch 22 new or reimagined academic programs, five new or expanded co-curricular programs, and infrastructure investments, including a new outdoor track, new turf and lights for the football field, he said.
Those investments have helped prompt a boost in enrollment, Irvine said, with more than 600 new students registered this fall, marking the school’s largest class since 2018.
Susan Larson, Concordia provost and dean, said the $20 million gift will lay the groundwork for expanding graduate program offerings, including a master of business administration degree and graduate certificates in management and business analytics.
At the undergraduate level, Concordia will expand programs that integrate real-world experiences with rigorous academic learning, she said.
“We have had exciting conversations in the past year on areas around econometrics, business and sustainability, and sports and arts management,” Larson said.
The gift will also bring upgrades in classroom technology, she said, and will prioritize scholarships for lower-income students.
Concordia broke ground in June 2011 on the Offutt School of Business, named after former chairman of the Concordia Board of Regents Ron Offutt, who contributed the lead gift toward the $50 million fundraising campaign.
The business school opened its doors in January 2013.
Chris Mason, dean of the Offutt School of Business, said since then, the school has graduated more than 2,000 students.
“This generous donation ensures that our future students will continue this legacy armed with an education that not only meets the demands of today but anticipates the challenges of tomorrow,” Mason said.
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