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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONCORDIA ANN ARBOR PARTNERS WITH CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE
ANN ARBOR, Mich. May 28, 2008 – Concordia University Ann Arbor (CUAA) unveils its plans for a new campus bookstore. The university is partnering with Concordia Publishing House (CPH) out of St. Louis, Missouri, to open a brand-new university bookstore on the Ann Arbor campus. The bookstore is scheduled to open for business on July 1, 2008.
“We are always looking for ways to provide better services for our students,” said Executive Vice President of Concordia Charles A. Winterstein. “We realized that our bookstore was not adequate, and we invited CPH to our campus two years ago, and after the visit it was determined that lack of square footage was an issue.” The idea had to be put on hold.
Winterstein and CUAA President Thomas R. Ahlersmeyer revisited the idea six months later at a conversation with CPH President Bruce Kintz and Vice President Jonathan Schultz, which was followed by an email from the President of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Jerry Kieschnick, encouraging universities to work in partnership with CPH. “We responded right away,” said Winterstein. “CPH came back up and met with our administration. We presented them with an opportunity to open a franchise in the middle of southeast Michigan, which could serve the Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan districts in a effective way. Both sides were very excited; it was a win-win for everyone.”
By reexamining the layout of CUAA’s cafeteria, it was determined that the university could convert an overflow room into extra space for an expanded bookstore. “CPH has designed a store that will allow students to walk through aisles and find their textbooks, new university apparel, supplies and snacks” said Winterstein. The open floor plan will allow students to pick out the books that they need and avoid waiting in lines while 1 or 2 employees work to help students.
Winterstein is excited about providing students with affordable texts, “Students will find that they can buy their books at a competitive price. CPH will compete with online bookstores and stay in-tune with their pricing. Their goal is to match those prices.”
“CPH partnered with us with the intention of marketing the bookstore to all the Lutheran churches in the region,” said Winterstein. The bookstore will be able to offer a better selection of logo items and a new collection of Christ-centered items and literature that will draw more people in from the surrounding congregations and districts. Clear benefits are available for regional churches and schools. Winterstein provided an example, “Lutheran congregations and day schools can come in and look at the materials we have on hand for Vacation Bible School and Sunday School and order directly from our bookstore.” Materials will then be shipped directly to the bookstore, saving churches and schools from shipping expenses.
CPH has Concordia campus bookstore experience. The organization currently runs bookstores at Concordia-Chicago and Concordia Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. CPH is working closely with the CUAA professors to order textbooks. The books for the upcoming fall semester have already been ordered and are on their way.
In June, the current bookstore will close down for a period of three weeks. The space will go through renovations in preparation for the July 1 opening of the new Concordia Bookstore.
Winterstein concluded, “This is a great opportunity for Concordia and our students. I think students will see a place where they really want to go to, and not just a place that they have to go to. It’s going to be a nice enhancement for our university.”
Concordia University Ann Arbor is a liberal arts institution of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. With a Christian environment and an academic community dedicated to excellence, CUAA offers a broad range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. CUAA is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) and by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). CUAA Family Life Program is approved by the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). CUAA’s Athletic Program is a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Champions of Character institution. CUAA is listed as one of America's Best Private Colleges®. For more information on CUAA, visit: www.cuaa.edu.
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