California Lutheran University (also CLU or Cal Lutheran) is a private, liberal arts university located in Thousand Oaks, California. It was founded in 1959 and is currently affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, but is nonsectarian. Their mission is "to educate leaders for a global society who are strong in character and judgment, confident in their identity and vocation, and committed to service and justice." California Lutheran College, which remained its name until January 1, 1986, was the first four-year private college in Ventura County when it opened in 1960.
Notable speakers at CLU have been Presidents Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford. CLU was the training camp for Dallas Cowboys for 27 years, and is the training site for Los Angeles Rams in 2017-18. Numerous films have been shot at campus and surrounding areas, including Spartacus (1960), Welcome to Hard Times (1967), Wuthering Heights (1939), and Gunsmoke (1955-1975).
For over ten consecutive years, California Lutheran University has been ranked among "Top 25 universities in Western United States" by U.S. News & World Report published by America's Best Colleges Guide. It was ranked 14th as of 2018.
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History
In 1954, a committee was first formed jointly by the American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church in America to plan a Lutheran college in California. These two organizations much later joined with another organization to become the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Five churches served on the committee, dubbed the California Lutheran Education Foundation, which still owns the university. Richard Pederson, son of Scandinavian immigrants, donated 130 acres of farmland for the university in 1957. In 1959, the college was officially incorporated, with Orville Dahl, Ed. D. instituted as the first president. The college opened to its first incoming class in September 1961, and was accredited by the Western Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools in March 1962. Dahl served as president until 1962, bringing the university's first football coach, Robert Shoup, to the campus in his final year.
Around the range of about 200 students in February 20, 1967 create a sit-down in front the gymnasium while the chapel was in service to protest things that they believed that needed to be changed such as the attendance policy, library, bookstore and coffee shop which were closed during chapel services. Also in April 19, 1968 300 Cal Lutheran students commemorate the life of Martin Luther King Jr. an African American activist, by marching down Moorpark Boulevard in his memory.
CLU grew in size, and in debt, steadily through the 1960s. In 1970, the college was $3,600,000 in debt and predicted to go bankrupt. However, belt tightening by the school and enrollment increases pushed finances into the black by the end of the year. Fates turned around further when the school won its first, and only, NAIA football championship, in 1971.
In the 1980s, the school began expanding at a rapid pace; with major construction of new buildings and renovations underway. In 1986, the school was renamed California Lutheran University to reflect the addition of graduate programs.
In 1994, KCLU was created and housed on the Cal Lutheran campus.
Several notable teams have trained on the campus. The Dallas Cowboys, an NFL team, trained there from 1963 to 1989. After the Samuelson Aquatic Center was completed in 2007, it served as the official training site of the 2008 and 2012 US Olympic Men's Water Polo teams. Other notable visitors to CLU events include President Gerald Ford in 1981; Ronald Reagan in 1979; Bob Hope in 1984; and the President of Nicaragua Violeta Barrios de Chamorro in 1991.
Beginning in 2016, the school will accommodate the temporary headquarters and regular season training facilities of the Los Angeles Rams.
Maps California Lutheran University
Rankings
In 2012, CLU was ranked the 14th best university in Western United States by U.S. News & World Report, a ranking still kept as of 2017. Forbes ranked CLU 276 out of 650 "Top Colleges" in the US. The company Niche ranked CLU as 47th in "Best Christian Colleges in America" in 2017, and 78th in "Best College Dorms in America". It also ranked the campus as the 101th best college campus in the U.S. The university also appeared in the 2015 "America's Top Colleges" by Forbes and Time Magazine's "Best Colleges For Your Money 2017".
The student-faculty ratio is 15:1, and 98.4% of its classes have 49 students or fewer.
Accreditations and affiliations
CLU is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities, a commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The School of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. The Financial Planning Program has been registered with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. The Doctorate Program in Clinical Psychology, within the Graduate School of Psychology, is accredited by the American Psychological Association.
CLU is one of 28 colleges and universities affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is a member of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities, and Council of Independent Colleges. CLU's intercollegiate athletic programs compete in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, NCAA Division III.
Campus
The 225-acre (91 ha) main campus is located in Thousand Oaks, a city in southern Ventura County, including 41 buildings, 4 fields, 2 stadiums, 2 pools, a tennis court, a botanic gardens, as well as undeveloped chaparral hillsides.
The university has a 96,000-square-foot athletics complex, the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center. Adjacent to the complex is the 50 meter Samuelson Aquatic Center and a 4,800-square foot community pool.
Kwan Fong Gallery of Art and Culture
The Kwan Fong Gallery in the Soiland Humanities Center was established by the Kwan Fong Charitable Foundation, co-founded by Maria Lee and Katie Yang, with the participation of Dr. Ed Tseng, Professor Emeritus of Political Science of California Lutheran University and Dean of International Education. The foundation, which supported hospitals, schools, and homes for the elderly and mentally challenged, dissolved in 2006.
Since its establishment the gallery has exhibited works by Jeremy Lipking, Dan Welden Teresa Oaxaca, Tony Pro, Alexey Steele, Cyn McCurry, Gary Palmer, Christophe Cassidy, Morgan Alexander, and Christopher Marshall, among others. The gallery has residencies by artists, the first in 2007 by Dallas / Fort Worth based figurative painter Cyn McCurry.
The William Rolland Gallery of Fine Art
The William Rolland Gallery of Fine Art was established by philanthropist William Rolland on the University's campus in 2011. The gallery provides free public programming including lectures, foreign language tours, and concerts and serves the Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties. Exhibitions rotate approximately five times per year, and have featured works from artists such as Andy Warhol, Chuck Close, David Hockney, Fernando Botero, and Picasso.
The Barbara Collins Arboretum
The grounds of the campus is dubbed the Barbara Collins Arboretum. It's named after Dr. Collins, who taught microbiology and botany at CLU for 50 years, and selected and cataloged much of the campus flora. Many of the trees flank a natural creek that bisects the campus.
Campus Layout
The campus of CLU is primarily organized by the four cardinal directions, with the North side, located across Olsen Road and backed up against Mt. Clef Ridge, serving as the primary center for athletics. Some North side facilities include: Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center, Samuelson Aquatic Center, Ullman Baseball Stadium and George Sparky Anderson Baseball Field, Hutton Softball Field, William Rolland Stadium (opened Fall 2011), Facilities Building and Yard, and a community pool for the City of Thousand Oaks.
The East side is the primary location for freshmen residence halls and some administrative offices. Some East side facilities include: Mt. Clef Residence Hall, Thompson Residence Hall, Pederson Residence Hall, Student Union, Alumni Hall, Centrum Café, Hanson Business Center, and Pederson Administration Building.
The South side, also known as the Academic Core, is the primary location for the academic buildings on campus. Southside facilities include Soiland Humanities Building, Ahmanson Science Center, Spies-Bornemann Center for Education and Technology, Jamba Juice, Nygreen Hall, Peters Hall (School of Business), and Swenson Center for the Social and Behavioral Sciences (opened Fall 2010).
The West side is the primary location for upperclassmen housing. Some West side facilities include: Grace Hall Apartments, Mogen Hall Apartments (with the Mogen Market facility), Old West Complex (Afton, Janss, Rasmussen, and Conejo Residence Halls), New West Complex (North, South, West and Potenberg residence halls), and Trinity Hall (completed in 2009).
The center of the campus primarily features the Pearson Library as well as the Ullman Commons.
The former chicken coops of the Pederson Ranch were converted into classrooms by Jefferson A. Elmendorf, the same architect who worked with Dr. Dahl in planning the campus and designed The Centrum and other campus buildings.
CLU's first LEED Certified building, the Swenson Center for the Social and Behavioral Sciences, opened in Fall 2010.
50th anniversary
The 2009-2010 academic year at CLU represented the school's 50th anniversary as an established university. New facilities include a new building for the KCLU radio station and an Early Childhood Center, located on the North Campus. Trinity Hall, a new 220-bed residence hall, is located on the west side of campus near all the other upperclassmen residence halls. Also in honor of the anniversary, the Enormous Luther statue was painted gold.
Academics
California Lutheran University has five academic divisions; the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Management, the Graduate School of Education, the Graduate School of Psychology, and the Adult Evening program. Across all divisions, class sizes are kept small; 16 students on average. CLU offers undergraduates either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science, depending on their field of study, in 36 academic majors and 31 minors, with the ability to double-major. There are 30 graduate programs offering credentials and certifications to doctorate degrees.
College of Arts and Sciences
The Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences is Dr. Jessica Lavariega Monforti. A vast majority of the school's academic departments are in the College of Arts and Sciences, with 33 Arts and Sciences majors.
Graduate programs
For graduate students, the College of Arts and Sciences contains master's degree programs in psychology, computer science, clinical psychology, counseling psychology (MFT), and public policy and administration. Some undergraduate students who intend to enter one of these programs upon completion of their undergraduate studies can choose to enroll in some graduate courses as an undergraduate, and obtain graduate-level course credits.
School of Management
Containing all of CLU's business-related programs, the California Lutheran University School of Management employs many professors who have earned respect in their chosen fields prior to becoming professors. In addition, some professors have come from senior executive backgrounds and offer real-world experiences. The School of Management is based in Peters Hall. Students in the School of Management can major in Business Administration, Economics, or Accounting. The School of Management is headed by its dean, Dr. Gerhard Apfelthaler.
Graduate programs in the School of Management
The School of Management at CLU offers a range of graduate programs. The School of Management also offers a variety of certificate programs. All programs are accredited by WASC. Many foreign students come to take the graduate IMBA Program. California Lutheran University School of Management's MBA program was ranked 66th in North America by The 2010 QS World University Rankings.
Graduate School of Education
California Lutheran University's School of Education is an integrated scholarly community of educators, administrators, and like-minded learners who all desire to cultivate teachers for the betterment of all children's schooling, either at the elementary, secondary, or post-secondary levels. It is based out of the Spies-Bornemann Center for Education and Technology in the Academic Quarter. While primarily a graduate school, CLU undergraduate students can major in Liberal Studies, which qualifies them to teach elementary school and prepares them for the multiple-subject examinations (the CBEST and CSET) required by the State of California. While in this major, students take a Career Decisions in Education course that expose them to various facets of the education world, and allows them to participate in field studies at local elementary schools. The School of Education is headed by its dean, Dr. Michael R. Hillis.
There are multiple master's degree programs within the School of Education, as well as the Teacher Preparation program for California teachers. Students are able to obtain a Teaching Credential while at the same time earning credit toward their Master's of Education (M.Ed) degree. In addition to the Teacher Preparation program, students can obtain a Master's of Science in Counseling and Guidance or Educational Psychology, and a Master's of Arts in a wide variety of education-related administrative career fields, including Educational Technology, Educational Leadership, or School Site Leadership. Graduate students can also obtain a Doctor of Education (Ed.D) degree in Educational Leadership from the School of Education. This program requires extensive field work and a dissertation defense.
Graduate School of Psychology
The Graduate School of Psychology has three academic programs and two counseling centers. The school offers an APA-accredited doctorate in clinical psychology (PsyD) and master's of science degrees in clinical psychology and counseling psychology (MFT). The counseling centers provide low-fee services to Ventura and LA counties and are located in Oxnard and the City of Westlake Village. Graduate students provide the clinical services at the counseling centers and are overseen by 21 licensed supervisors. Dr. Rick Holigrocki is the founding dean of the School.
Bachelor's Degree for Professionals
Formally named the Adult Evening Degree Program (ADEP), the bachelor's degree for professionals is aimed at working professionals who want to earn a bachelor's degree in a compressed timeline.
Residence life
California Lutheran University maintains a policy of guaranteeing on-campus housing for all four years if students elect to do so. On-campus housing or living at home is required for freshmen and sophomores; however, juniors and seniors may elect to live off campus with friends.
Upperclassmen housing
Once students move on to their sophomore, junior and senior years at CLU, they are allowed to choose which residence hall to live in on the "upperclassmen side" of campus, which is the West end of campus. This area contains the New West Complex (comprising four buildings: North, South, West, and Potenberg Halls), the Old West Complex (comprising four buildings: Afton, Janss, Rasmussen, and Conejo Halls), the Mogen Hall Apartments, Grace Hall, and Trinity Hall. Traditionally, New West attracts much of the sophomore housing, Old West the juniors, and Mogen and Grace the seniors. However, in recent years there has been a virtual complete mixing of sophomores, juniors and seniors all throughout Old West, New West, Mogen, Grace, and Trinity.
Special housing options and graduate housing
Kramer Court is a special housing option for undergraduate students. They are on the East side of campus and come fully furnished with a living room, two bedrooms, a backyard, and many other features not common to other on-campus housing. These units are application-based, and usually juniors and seniors occupy them. The third floor of Grace Hall has been converted to graduate student housing.
Student body
The current student body consists of approximately 3,931 students, originating from 39 states and 56 countries. About 56 percent of students are female, and about 60 percent of students live on campus. The average class size is 16 students.
ASCLU-G Student Government
The student government of California Lutheran University is, as of the 2009-2010 academic year, divided into three branches, all which possess different responsibilities. The ASCLU-G (Associated Students of California Lutheran University Government) comprises the Senate, Programs Board, and Executive Cabinet. For Senate and Programs Board, there are four elected positions available per class level as well as a transfer student, recorder, and commuter student position. The Executive Cabinet is made up largely of students who have served on ASCLU-G for one or more years, and contains the offices of the ASCLU President, Programs Board Director, Senate Director, Executive Recorder, and ASCLU Controller. Meetings are held Monday nights, and the entire student body is welcome to attend. Elections are held in Spring (for all positions for the next academic year), and in Fall (to elect the four freshmen positions and any unfilled spots from Spring).
Senate
The ASCLU Senate is primarily responsible for the financial needs of the students. Some of their duties include (but are not limited to): approving and allocating funds to new campus clubs, purchasing equipment for residence halls, and discussing and/or changing campus dining policies. The Senate is usually divided into three or four committees, headed by a committee chair (who has usually served on Senate for one or more years), and each has a specific jurisdiction regarding campus policies.
Programs Board
The ASCLU-G Programs Board is primarily responsible for planning, organizing, financing, and running many of the on- and off-campus events that go on throughout each academic year. The principle event that Programs Board is responsible for is known as Club Lu, a free event for traditional undergraduate students every Friday night. Each Club Lu is different; in the past, some Club Lu events have included rollerskating, on-campus dances, iceskating, bowling, movie nights, the Homecoming carnival, Christmas festivals, and talent shows. Programs Board is also responsible for planning larger off-campus events such as the Homecoming Dance and Spring Formal. Like Senate, Programs Board is divided into three or four committees, each headed by a committee chair (who has usually served on Programs Board for one or more years), and each is assigned specific events to plan throughout the academic year.
Norwegian roots
California Lutheran University is located on land which was donated from the Norwegian Colony. The road which it is located on, Olsen Road, is named for Norwegian pioneer Nils Olsen of the Norwegian Colony.
The ties to Norway remain strong, and 20 percent of the international undergraduate students were from Norway in 2017. The Scandinavian influence can continue to be seen in the spring Scandinavian Cultural Festival and in the names of buildings on campus and local streets, which named for prominent Norwegians who helped establish CLU. An example is Lars Pederson's original home which has been relocated to Faculty Street on campus. It is known as Pederson Home and Water Tower and is designated Ventura County Historical Landmark #45 and Thousand Oaks Historical Landmark #3. The Pederson (Pedersen) family, who donated the farmland in Thousand Oaks, were among many Scandinavian immigrants populating the hills of Thousand Oaks.
Student research and publications
CLU houses two annual undergraduate research events, the Festival of Scholars and the Student Research Symposium.
Athletics
CLU is a member of the NCAA at the Division III level, playing as part of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The following sports are offered for intercollegiate play on campus:
- Men's teams (Kingsmen): Baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and water polo.
- Women's teams (Regals): Basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and water polo. In all, there are 11 men's sports and 10 women's sports.
Kingsmen Football
Robert Shoup led the Kingsmen to 13 NAIA District 3 Championships and the 5 playoffs in his 17 years as coach. He was named NAIA Coach of the Year in 1971, the same year they won the NAIA National Championship.
Kingsmen Baseball
On May 30, 2017, the Kingsmen won their first NCAA title under coach Marty Slimak.
Regals Volleyball
In 2015, The Regals volleyball were the NCAA National Champions. They were led by head coach Kellee Roesel.
KCLU-FM
KCLU-FM Radio, an award-winning National Public Radio station located on California Lutheran University's campus. The station serves Ventura County, California, at a radio frequency of 88.3 MHz and Santa Barbara, California, at a frequency of 102.3 MHz.
University presidents
- Orville Dahl, Ed.D., 1959-1962
- Raymond Olson, D.D., 1963-1971
- Mark Mathews, D.B.A., 1972-1980
- Jerry Miller, D.D., 1981-1992
- Luther S. Luedtke, Ph.D., 1992-2006
- John R. Sladek, Ph.D., 2006-2007
- Chris Kimball, Ph.D., 2008-Present
University Press
California Lutheran College University Press has published books such as California Lutheran College: The First Quarter Century (1984), The Temescals of Arroyo Conejo (1982), Voyages (1977), Hiking In Wildwood Regional Park: Natural History, Folklore, and Trail Guide (2000), and several books by Barbara J. Collins.
Notable alumni
- Nikki Bacharach (1966-2007) - daughter of songwriter Burt Bacharach and actress Angie Dickinson. She had Asperger Syndrome, which is part of Autism Spectrum Disorders now. She committed suicide on January 4, 2007 at age 40, partly because of her struggles with Asperger Syndrome. She had a degree in Geology from California Lutheran University, but couldn't be a geologist because of her poor eyesight.
- Hank Bauer - retired special teams player San Diego Chargers, 1977-82
- Derrick Clark - head basketball coach at Metro State University
- Jason Dolley - actor
- Jacquelynne Fontaine - 2006 Miss California
- Kevin Gross - retired Major League Baseball All-Star pitcher
- Tom Herman - football head coach at University of Texas
- Rich Hill - former head baseball coach at CLU; current head baseball coach at San Diego
- Jason Hirsh - Major League Baseball pitcher
- Brian Kelley - retired linebacker New York Giants, 1973-83
- Rod Marinelli - former head coach of the Detroit Lions, 2006-2008
- Bianca Santos - actor
- James Ware - retired federal judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- Moe Set Wine - Miss Universe Myanmar 2013
References
External links
- Official website
- Official athletics website
Source of article : Wikipedia
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