University Profile
Mission Statement
California Lutheran University is a selective, comprehensive institution offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in the liberal arts and professional fields. Mentored by dedicated and accomplished faculty members, students pursue their passion and discover their purpose as they seek to grow as individuals.
The mission of the university is to educate leaders for a global society who are strong in character and judgment, confident in identity and vocation and committed to service and justice.
Academic Excellence
Central to the university’s academic excellence is a dedicated teaching faculty, who come to Cal Lutheran from some of the finest universities in the country.
Cal Lutheran offers undergraduate, graduate and professional programs through the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Management, Graduate School of Education, Graduate School of Psychology and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS).
The university’s highly regarded graduate programs include doctorates in educational leadership, higher education leadership and clinical psychology, and master’s degrees in business administration, education, psychology, information systems and technology, economics, and public policy and administration. International programs include a full-time MBA for international students and an Executive MBA in Europe. A number of post-graduate credential and certification programs also are offered. Graduate and certification programs are offered at PLTS.
Technology and the Quest for Knowledge
Information Technology and Services delivers and supports high-quality research and information technology tools for the Cal Lutheran community. The MyCLU portal provides a single gateway to many of the online resources available to students.
The university supports a mixed platform of Mac and PC computers in several labs on campus. In addition to open computer labs, Cal Lutheran provides wireless network access to students free of charge. All residence halls are equipped with Wi-Fi connections for student use.
The campus network provides wireless coverage to all buildings on campus and some outdoor areas. Students can connect their personal computer devices to the wireless network using their personal MyCLU account and password. The Help Desk offers support for MyCLU accounts including scheduling and troubleshooting for wireless hookups.
Pearson Library’s professional staff provides reference assistance as well as information literacy instruction for undergraduate and graduate-level courses. One-on-one appointments and virtual one-on-one assistance is available, as well as the usual walk-up research and technology usage assistance. Library reference services that include real-time chat service, email reference, and SMS messaging and mobile initiatives provide students with access to information wherever they are, whenever they need it.
Items not available in the library can be requested through Interlibrary Loan. The library’s online catalog provides access to library collections, offers a powerful discovery and delivery tool and student-initiated functions like self renewal of books and placing holds on print resources.
Campus Locations
Cal Lutheran’s main campus is in the city of Thousand Oaks, situated midway between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. This convenient location puts students within reach of a variety of cultural and recreational experiences, the beach and mountains, airports and the international business community.
The university’s proximity to the 101 technology corridor provides a highly skilled workforce the opportunity to pursue bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees near their places of employment.
Cal Lutheran has established off-campus centers in Oxnard, Westlake Village and Santa Maria to better serve working adults who live in and around Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, northern Ventura County and the Central Coast. Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary is in Berkeley.
Thousand Oaks Campus
The main campus spans 225 acres set against scenic Mount Clef Ridge in Thousand Oaks. At the heart of the beautifully landscaped campus is Kingsmen Park, surrounded by the university’s academic and residential facilities.
Since the turn of the century, the university has added several major facilities on the main campus, including the Swenson Science Center in 2021.
The athletics complex on the north side of campus continues to grow with venues for intercollegiate and intramural sports, exercise science classrooms and laboratories, and athletic and fitness areas. William Rolland Stadium opened in fall 2011 as a venue for football, soccer and intramural matches. The 16,000-square-foot facility also houses the William Rolland Gallery of Fine Art.
The LEED-certified Ullman Commons, completed in fall 2014, transformed the heart of the campus. The $15 million, 20,000-square-foot environmentally friendly two-level dining commons with adjoining Starbucks coffee bar provides a gathering place for undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff and visitors.
A new Student Union Building added in 2015 is an 18,000-square-foot facility that houses Student Life, student government and experiential learning, with expanded areas for student recreation and study.
History
In 1959 the Pederson Ranch, nestled against the rolling hills of the Conejo Valley, began its transformation to today’s dynamic learning community of California Lutheran University.
Richard Pederson, the son of Norwegian immigrants, donated his scenic ranch to be used “to cultivate a new crop of fertile, inquiring minds.” The ranch now forms the heart of the Thousand Oaks campus.
California Lutheran College welcomed its first students in 1961. The young college’s early commitment to excellence led to its being granted accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges during its first academic year.
In 1986 the name was changed from California Lutheran College to California Lutheran University to better reflect its breadth of undergraduate, graduate and professional programs.
Educational Objectives
As a comprehensive university rooted in the Lutheran tradition, California Lutheran University views liberal learning, professional preparation and character development as mutually supportive pillars of its educational excellence.
The liberal arts establish the essential foundations for defining challenges, integrating perspectives and articulating solutions, all of which comprise the cornerstone of lifelong learning. Professional programs provide the theoretical and practical framework for students to excel in specialized careers. A Cal Lutheran education must instill in students both the habits of heart and the convictions that will lead them to use their knowledge for service in their immediate communities and in society.
With varying degrees of emphasis, these basic elements undergird all of Cal Lutheran’s educational activities. They are delivered to students through academic and co-curricular programs, but also through pedagogical practices and the culture that permeates the campus.
The success of our academic and co-curricular programs ultimately will be measured not only by what our students learn in the classroom but also by their success in realizing and pursuing their individual passions. The distinction of a Cal Lutheran education is that its graduates are exceptionally well prepared for meaningful lives directed by a sense of vocation, leadership and service.
Accreditations and Affiliations
California Lutheran University is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission.
The Graduate School of Education is accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing to offer credentials. Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary is accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools. The School of Management is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. Cal Lutheran’s program in Financial Planning has been registered with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. The Graduate School of Psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association.
The university is a member of the Council of Independent Colleges, Association of American Colleges and Universities, New American Colleges and Universities, American Council on Education, Alliance for Hispanic Serving Institution Educators, Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, and the National Association of College and University Business Officers.
California Lutheran University is one of 26 colleges and universities affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and is a member of the Lutheran Educational Conference of North America.
The University's intercollegiate athletic programs compete in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, NCAA Division III.
For information regarding WSCUC accreditation, contact:
WASC Senior College and University Commission
1001 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 402
Alameda, CA 94501
Phone: 510-748-9001
Email: wascsr@wascsenior.org
University Governance
California Lutheran University was formally incorporated on Aug. 4, 1959. The governing bodies of the University are the Board of Regents and the Convocation.
Board of Regents
The 35-member Board of Regents directs the administration through its policy-making role, safeguards the mission and assets of the University authorizes budgets and strategic plans, elects the president of the University, and approves the appointment of chief administrative officers and faculty. Its members meet four times per year. Learn more about our Board of Regents.
Convocation
The Convocation is a group of 85 people intended to serve as a link between the University, the Church and the greater community. It is made up of members of the five Synods of Region II of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, faculty, students, the University president, and members-at-large. The Convocation meets once annually, typically in the fall, to conduct official business and elect the University's Board of Regents. Learn more about our Convocation.
Administrative Leadership
John Nunes
Interim President and Chief Executive OfficerLeanne Neilson
Provost and Vice President for Academic AffairsRick Ysasi
Vice President for Administration and FinanceMelinda Roper
Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of StudentsMatthew Ward
Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student SuccessRegina D. Biddings-Muro
Vice President for University AdvancementColleen Windham-Hughes Associate
Associate Vice President for Mission and Identity
For the most current information about the Board of Regents, Convocators, and Administrative Leaders, please visit University Leadership.