Free Enterprise Center (FEC)
Our Mission: We believe that real relationships between our students and our neighbors can lead to solutions that support dignity and reduce dependence.
Our Vision: Cultivating virtuous leaders who embrace the role of free enterprise in developing healthy communities.
The Free Enterprise Center (FEC) will achieve this vision by acting as a University hub for activities relevant to free enterprise in the lives of our students, faculty and alumni.
The FEC promotes:
- Appreciation for free markets and the entrepreneurial mindset
- The cultivation of the virtues conducive to a free society
- The neighborhood stabilization philanthropy model
Through the work of the FEC, students will learn constitutional law and the benefits of free markets. The center will be unique with its focus on effective philanthropy. Students will learn the principles to be actively involved in neighborhood stabilization efforts.
The Student Fellows Program coordinates students interested in the FEC’s vision and values, and funnels them into conference, internship and fellowship opportunities.
We coordinate with liberty-oriented organizations such as the CRCD, The Acton Institute, The Intercollegiate Studies Institute, The Institute for Humane Studies and Capitaf.
Testimonials
“I was given the opportunity to attend the First Liberty Fellowship in D.C. last November, and the experience was nothing short of amazing. I was able to foster friendships with other high-achieving students from various undergraduate and graduate programs across the country, and cultivate connections with the outstanding speakers, which included academic scholars, esteemed lawyers, former U.S. congressmen and diplomats, and more. I not only grew in knowledge, but also in self-awareness. I learned more about myself and my future role as a Christian within our increasingly secular American culture.”
—Joy Greco, CUC student
"Attending the Center for Religion, Culture and Democracy was a wonderfully affirming and inspiring experience! The daily sessions provided insight from people of various professions in public service and instilled us with the knowledge and tools to approach our future careers, conversations and connections with logic, winsomeness and commitment to faith. Every detail demonstrated a dedication to providing the students with a high-quality experience. Each student left the conference with new friends, adventures in the city, and a sense of empowerment in our faith and beliefs."
—Melody Lipke, CUC student
FEC Leadership
Rachel Ferguson is the director of the Free Enterprise Center, assistant dean of the College of Business and professor of business ethics at Concordia University Chicago. She also serves as an affiliate scholar of the Acton Institute and is co-author of Black Liberation Through the Marketplace: Hope, Heartbreak, and the Promise of America.
Her commentary has been featured at the Christian Post, the Acton Power Blog, Discourse Magazine, Law and Liberty, EconLib and the Online Library of Liberty.
