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The Concordia University of Edmonton has officially surrendered its religious roots to better reflect its openness and diverse student population.

The decision was finalized last fall in a board meeting, said Concordia president Gerald Krispin, but was officially announced April 15.

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“The idea to change has been there for quite some time,” he said. “Concordia has not been fully supported by any particular religious constituency for very many years. It basically goes back to 1978 that the level of support has gone down.”

In its $30-million annual budget, Krispin said $30,000 was provided by the constituency of Lutheran alumni this past year. This was a huge drop from their usual donation of $128,400 a year due to severe financial troubles faced by the church. But the decision to break away was being discussed in 2014 before the financial crisis, Krispin said.

“We really want people to know that we truly are an inclusive university which really has that openness and students who come here are welcome for every background they come from,” he said. “And when you’re associated with a church, people make assumptions.”