End-of-Year Update – Upcoming CSP Global Launch Within Concordia University, St. Paul

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As we cap off another successful calendar year at Concordia St. Paul, a lot of work is going on behind the scenes for exciting new opportunities in store for early 2023. We want to provide this internal update before everyone takes some time off for the Christmas-New Year’s holiday season.

Many of you have heard some early updates on the planned launch of CSP Global, which is slated for introduction in mid-January. CSP Global is essentially a new way for us to bring our existing and proven online and hybrid non-traditional programming to even more people. As a newly defined division of Concordia University, St. Paul, CSP Global will be the entity housing 40+ career-propelling online and hybrid degree programs for non-traditional students. The existing “CSP” brand will apply to our traditional on-campus undergraduate programs. 

The introduction of CSP Global is the smart, logical next step in the long-term growth and vitality of the university as a whole. While many other higher education institutions are struggling with declining enrollment, our university has doubled in size over the past decade. By aligning our online/hybrid/graduate programming under CSP Global, we can continue to grow by reaching more students regionally, nationally, and internationally, which directly supports our stated vision to be a Christ-centered, nationally prominent university known for excellence and innovation. 

At the same time, growth will allow continued investment for the future of our traditional on-campus programming and infrastructure as well as supporting ongoing expansion of our online undergraduate and graduate offerings. In addition, we will be better positioned to support faculty and staff across traditional and non-traditional settings, which will create an even better, empowering environment for teaching and supporting our students in all programs. 

Our objective over the long term is to double our enrollment again, with a target enrollment of 10,000+ students by 2030 Concordia St. Paul is actively developing new traditional and non-traditional degree programs aligned with the needs and trends in today’s global economy.  

CSP Global will mark an evolutionary step for our 130-year old university, and it aligns with our continued adherence to our stated strategic plans. Careful planning over the past year has helped ensure a positive transition that will occur over many months. Our objective is to set the stage for sustainable growth and foster an environment for the benefit of students, faculty, and staff alike.  

A few facts to help guide everyone through the process in 2023:

  • At its core, CSP Global is primarily a means of creating a unified brand to better market our online and hybrid non-traditional offerings. 
  • Continued use of the shorter “CSP” as the brand for our traditional on-campus offerings will help ensure clarity of our distinct delivery channels.
  • CSP and CSP Global will still be Concordia University, St. Paul, at their cores. The degrees will be conferred by the university, just as they have for decades.
  • Faculty and staff will generally experience a business-as-usual transition. We will be aligning technology, support, and other services to enhance how we serve students – a process that will happen over the course of several months.
  • Ongoing growth will lead to a vibrant, sustainable alumni community, which will serve to make a degree from our university even more valuable in the marketplace.    

We will provide additional updates internally through many channels (in-person and online) prior to the planned mid-January public announcement. Additional materials will also be available before the news is made public to help everyone understand and share information with your own stakeholders. 

In the meantime, we hope you have a blessed Christmas and holiday season. We have much to be thankful for as we close out a successful year in 2022 and move into an exciting next stage for our university and the Concordia St. Paul community as a whole. 

CSP Strengthens International Programs Partnership During Trip to India

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Two Concordia University, St. Paul staff members recently visited India as part of the university-wide initiative to strengthen its global presence through international student enrollment. Director of International Student Services Tiffanie Loeb Schneider and International Recruiter and Partnership Manager Veronica Mashek spent the second week of September promoting CSP’s graduate and undergraduate offerings.

The first portion of the trip included the chance to visit local schools and participate in a college fair. CSP staff took advantage of opportunities to meet prospective students and showcase CSP’s increasingly popular MS in Information Technology Management and MS in Data Analytics, as well as its strong undergraduate catalog. These face-to-face interactions with future international students and their parents were invaluable to generating interest in programs and easing any fears about studying abroad.

The second leg of their visit centered on continuing CSP’s highly-regarded relationship with its international admissions partner. That flourishing partnership has resulted in a massive influx of international students enrolling at CSP, particularly in graduate programs.

“Since then, the partnership has changed and grown, with our largest student population now being graduate students from India,” said Loeb Schneider. “This growth is expected to continue in the future, so this is a valuable partnership for CSP.”

The international admissions partnership has been marked by success with the university welcoming a record number of international students in spring 2022, and being featured in Forbes India, published earlier this year. In total, CSP currently enrolls 577 international students as of fall 2022. The spring enrollment milestone was simply the first step in CSP’s long-term global outlook as both sides continue toward further growth.

“It was such a great experience being able to meet our partners. I am very optimistic about our relationship moving forward,” added Mashek.

Beyond building in-person relationships, Loeb Schneider and Mashek also made local TV news appearances as featured guests presenting CSP’s degree programs. Watch their full segments on YouTube below:

Tiffanie Loeb Schneider on TV5 News

Veronica Mashek on NTV Live

 

Learn more about international admissions at CSP:

Common Pickleball Injuries and How to Recover – Summit Orthopedics Post

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Link: https://hubs.ly/Q01gSshZ0

Common Pickleball Injuries and How to Recover

Summit Orthopedics hand therapist Shannon Evenson, OTR/L, CHT, shares some common pickleball injuries — and what you can do to get back out on the court quickly.

Have you heard about pickleball? It’s a sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong into a fun and accessible game that almost anyone can enjoy. But like other racquet sports, pickleball can also result in sports injuries, particularly to the upper body. Summit Orthopedics hand therapist Shannon Evenson, OTR/L, CHT, shares some common pickleball injuries — and what you can do to get back out on the court quickly.

“I am an avid tennis player, so I underestimated how challenging pickleball can be the first time I played,” Evenson said. “The court is smaller, and the racket is smaller, but when you’re getting started with pickleball, remember that it can be more of a workout than you might expect.”

Most common pickleball injuries

The most common pickleball injuries are in the elbow. They include:

  • Golfer’s elbow — medial epicondylitis, or “golfer’s elbow,” is an inflammation of the tendons that attach your forearm muscles to the inside of the bone at your elbow.
  • Tennis elbow — lateral epicondylitis, or “tennis elbow,” is an inflammation of the tendons that join the forearm muscles on the outside of the elbow.

Both of these conditions are overuse injuries that can happen as a result of forceful gripping of the racket or repetitive wrist motions.

Wrist and hand injuries can also happen in pickleball. Specific issues can include:

  • Tendinitis in the wrist
  • Flare-up of arthritis or tendon pain in the hand, both arthritis in the base of the thumb and trigger fingers, a form of tendinitis in the hand

In some cases, pickleball players could see shoulder impingement or aggravation of past impingement or bursitis in the shoulder. It’s especially common to reaggravate old injuries, causing symptoms to flare up. “But of all of these upper-body areas, it’s most common to injure the elbow,” Evenson said.

How to recover from common pickleball injuries

“When you first experience an injury, you always want to start with ice,” Evenson said. Icing the affected area for 20 minutes two to four times a day will help with soreness.

Massaging the area, followed by some gentle stretching, will also help promote circulation and ease irritation. After about a week, Evenson recommends switching to heat. “Gentle heat opens up the vasculature of the body. It helps healthy circulation reach the involved joints and tendons,” Evenson said. “It can make massaging and stretching easier as well.”

The best medicine, Evenson said, is always prevention. “Making sure you do a good warmup before you hit the court or field can prevent overuse injuries in the first place,” she said. Doing some simple wrist circles, bending and straightening the elbows, circling the arms, and then doing some gentle volleying for five to 10 minutes is a good basic warmup.

Finally, if your pickleball injury is not improving after a week of self-treatment, it’s a good idea to have an orthopedic specialist check it out. “You may think it’s nothing serious, but what if you’re wrong? The longer you wait, the harder it can be to get it under control,” Evenson said. “We want to prevent something more serious, so when in doubt, check it out.”

Board of Regents Summary – July 28, 2022

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The Board of Regents met for its quarterly meeting on July 28. At the meeting, the Board received a report from President Brian Friedrich detailing a number of items, including a review of the theme for the 2022-23 academic year (“God so Loved the World”), a recap and discussion about the Kanahoma project, and updates on the work of the LCMS 7-03 Task Force and Concordia University System institutions.

President Friedrich, along with Drs. Eric LaMott and Michael Dorner, presented the findings from the Higher Learning Commission assurance process, which demonstrated CSP’s strengths as an institution. Dr. LaMott was joined by Ann Voda of Bentz Thompson Rietow, Inc. for a presentation on CSP’s master facility plan for the St. Paul campus.

Chief Diversity Officer Mychal Thom shared about the work he has done during his first year at CSP and how CSP seeks to fulfill its mission and live out its promise through the diversity strategic plan.

The Board received updates from the Executive, Academic, Advancement, and Finance Committees. Finally, the Board took the following actions:

  • Approved Jacob Trippel as a tenure track faculty and chair of MBA program
  • Reappointed Dr. David Bell as a Regent (2022-2025)
  • Disbanded the Advancement Committee
  • Established a Governance Committee
  • Endorsed the revised President’s Advisory Council Charter (which will carry the functions of the Advancement Committee moving forward)

The Board meets again on September 30, 2022.

So, You Overdid It. Here’s What to Do Next

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https://www.summitortho.com/2022/07/13/so-you-overdid-it-heres-what-to-do-next/

Summit Orthopedics hand therapist Shannon Evenson, OTR/L, CHT, explains what to do if you’ve overdone your summer activities and are having soreness.

Hand holding blue icepack over elbow

In Minnesota, summer is a glorious season, when we can enjoy getting out into our state’s natural beauty after a long, cold winter. In the summer months, people flock outside to garden and do yard work; play sports like golf, tennis, or pickleball; do spring cleaning; or go hiking, cycling, or swimming. With all of these options at our fingertips, it’s easy to overdo it.

“Getting active is good, but if you overdo it, you might find yourself having aches and pains in joints and tendons, or even numbness or tingling of fingers,” said Shannon Evenson, OTR/L, CHT, one of Summit’s team of certified hand therapists.

What to do if you overdo it

  1. Ice is best in the first few hours or days after an overuse injury — 20 minutes two to four times a day is good.
  2. Gentle massage and stretching is also helpful. Ice can make the area feel stiff, so ease into massage and stretching after ice.
  3. If the pain persists, heat might be more helpful in the days to follow. “Heat can be especially helpful if you suspect any arthritis pain could be contributing to your situation,” Evenson said.

How to avoid overdoing it next time

Evenson is a big proponent of prevention. “A few simple steps can prevent overuse injuries from happening in the first place,” she said.

Here are some quick prevention tips:

  • Don’t skimp on the warmup — five to 10 minutes of dynamic warmups, that is, gently going through the motions you’ll be using during the activity itself, will help warm up the muscles and lubricate the joints, getting them ready for the full activity.
  • Take breaks periodically — doing a half hour each day is better than doing four hours in one day.
  • Use good ergonomic tools and good body mechanics during the activity.
  • Start slowly — pickleball may be your new favorite sport, but you’ll want to cut your play sessions short at first to avoid injuries.
  • Stretch after the activity — static stretching for up to 30 seconds can help with flexibility.
  • Know — and heed! — your limits.
  • Stay hydrated — good hydration will help prevent injury.

If your discomfort and irritation have lingered for more than a week after overdoing it, even with at-home treatment, it’s time to make an appointment with your primary care provider or orthopedic specialist. “People say all the time, ‘I wish I hadn’t waited so long to come in.’ If you haven’t seen improvement after a week, come in and get it checked out,” Evenson said.