University Profile
Emphasis on High Academic Achievement
California Lutheran University provides a challenging academic environment with emphasis on high achievement through personalized learning. All aspects of the University – distinguished faculty, ideal location, beautiful campus, diverse student body, value-centered education and commitment to personalized attention – contribute to a vibrant learning community.
CLU, with a population of more than 2,700 undergraduate and 1,400 graduate students, offers small classes that make it possible for students to develop close mentoring relationships with faculty. These relationships strengthen CLU’s sense of community and contribute to each student’s success during the college years and after graduation.
Technology and the Quest for Knowledge
Perhaps CLU’s greatest strength in delivering technology is a commitment to helping our students use technology effectively. The University offers a federated search tool that searches all of our databases without going to each database, freeing students to spend more time assessing and analyzing rather than locating information.
With a commitment to enhancing students’ experiences by providing the very best technological resources, CLU replaces lab, classroom and faculty computers on a three-year cycle. Students have access to 46,000 electronic full-text journals, 137,000 print volumes, and 94,000 e-books as well as ubiquitous Internet access (wired and wireless) on the Thousand Oaks, Woodland Hills and Oxnard campuses. The University has doubled its Internet bandwidth every year since 2007.
Our information specialists have created an easy-to-use website and subject guides to help students get started with their research. Qualified professional librarians regularly team up with faculty to lead class sessions aimed at enhancing student research skills and helping students identify the best resources for class projects.
Every classroom and large meeting room has an LCD projector and an Internet-ready computer, and the Center for Teaching and Learning assists faculty with the integration of technology into their teaching. CLU uses the latest in course management systems (Blackboard 910), which extends access to course materials and activities to the student’s iPhone, iTouch, or Facebook page.
CLU has 13 general computer labs: seven Windows labs and two Mac general computer labs on the Thousand Oaks campus, two Windows labs in Oxnard, one Windows lab in Woodland Hills, and a mixed Windows and Mac lab for student use in Pearson Library. There are also 11 departmental specific labs on the Thousand Oaks campus. These labs are more than Internet gateways. They give students access to a variety of productivity tools including advanced statistical tools, Web page design applications, and advanced graphics and video editing software.
Pearson Library was recently renovated with all new study chairs and movable lounge furniture, large screen monitors in the study rooms to facilitate group study and practicing presentations, and seven collaboration carrels for group study. The library has a core collection of 137,000 volumes, 94,000 e-books, approximately 500 journal subscriptions, 20,000 microfilms, a popular DVD collection, and access to more than 140 electronic databases providing access to more than 46,000 full-text journals.
Through WorldCat, students have access to more than 40 million records of every type of material, including manuscripts written as early as the 11th century, cataloged by OCLC member libraries. The CLU library has lending agreements with other libraries around the world, making it possible for students to access resources through the interlibrary loan program.
Location
CLU’s main campus is located in the city of Thousand Oaks, situated midway between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. This prime location puts students within easy reach of a variety of cultural experiences and the international business community. Off-campus centers are conveniently located in Woodland Hills and Oxnard.
With a population of approximately 128,000, Thousand Oaks offers the conveniences of an urban area – a state-of-the-art performing arts center, regional shopping centers and internship opportunities in clean high-tech industries – while maintaining its scenic natural beauty enhanced by designated open space, rolling hills and historic oak trees.
Incorporated in 1964, Thousand Oaks is located in Ventura County, 15 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Recreational and cultural opportunities abound. In addition to the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza and CLU’s on-campus cultural events series, world-renowned museums, concert halls and world premier productions are within easy driving distance. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, located just minutes from campus in the city of Simi Valley, offers additional opportunities for study and research.
Sports enthusiasts – both spectators and participants – will appreciate the variety and accessibility of athletic activities. Winter ski resorts are just a few hours away and both ocean and freshwater sports are close by. Hiking on the nearby trails, biking along scenic corridors, and CLU’s active intercollegiate and intramural sports programs provide ample opportunity for involvement.
According to FBI statistics, Thousand Oaks consistently ranks among the safest cities in the nation with a population of more than 100,000. In addition, 24-hour campus security and electronic key devices in residence halls contribute to the safety of CLU students, faculty and staff.
The Campus
The picturesque main campus spans 225 acres set against scenic Mount Clef Ridge. At the heart of the beautifully landscaped campus is Kingsmen Park, surrounded by the University’s academic and residential facilities.
CLU’s Scandinavian heritage is evident in the names on several of the major buildings: Pearson Library/Preus-Brandt Forum, Ahmanson Science Center, Samuelson Chapel, Hansen and Pederson administration buildings, Soiland Humanities Center, Spies-Bornemann Center for Education and Technology and Swenson Center for the Social and Behavioral Sciences.
All 14 residence halls on campus are coed, divided by floor or section, and offer recreational areas, kitchen and laundry facilities, and security systems. Individual rooms are equipped with voice mail, computer hook-ups, free cable and air conditioning. Each suite of rooms has a private bathroom.
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.
Preliminary work on a new $15 million Dining Commons began in June 2012 with a targeted completion date of spring 2014. The University’s 20-year master plan envisions a performing and visual arts center, science facility, enlarged library, an administrative center and additional residence halls.
Growth in the 21st Century
- Mogen Hall was the University’s first new building of the 21st century. Nicknamed The Apartments and occupied by students in fall 2000, the three-story residence hall houses 120 students in 30 two-bedroom apartment-like suites.
- Spies-Bornemann Center for Education and Technology, dedicated in October 2002, incorporates a distance-learning classroom, television studio, computer labs and faculty offices. The 23,000-square-foot facility, designed to afford maximum interaction between students and faculty, houses undergraduate, professional and graduate programs.
- George “Sparky” Anderson Baseball Field was inaugurated in January 2006 with the legendary Hall of Famer throwing out the first pitch. Ullman Stadium, with grandstand seating for more than 300 spectators, was completed the following year.
- Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center, dedicated in October 2006, houses two major gymnasiums, an events center, a 9,000-square-foot fitness center, athletic training facilities, a dance and aerobics studio, sports medicine facilities and faculty offices.
- Samuelson Aquatics Center hosted its first competition in March 2007. The center’s 50-meter pool, diving well and diving boards accommodate competitions in swimming, diving and water polo.
- Hutton Field, home to the Regals softball team, was dedicated in March 2008.
- Ron and Sue Poulson Tennis Center, completed in January 2009, includes six lighted tennis courts featuring Plexipave® professional surfacing.
- Trinity Hall, a 220-bed, 80,000-square-foot residence hall, welcomed students in September 2009.
- Swenson Center for the Social and Behavioral Sciences, CLU’s first LEED-certified structure completed in fall 2010, houses classrooms and faculty offices.
- Fredrickson Family Early Childhood Center, a 4,738-square-foot facility dedicated in March 2011 replaces the smaller House on the Hill preschool that served CLU employees and community members for 36 years.
- KCLU Broadcast Center houses the Paulucci Studios, the Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Education Suite and a community room/performance space. The high-tech 6,570-square-foot facility was dedicated in May 2011.
- William Rolland Stadium and Gallery of Fine Art hosted its first football and soccer games in October 2011. The gallery of fine art may be the country's only dedicated art gallery inside of a stadium.
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 provide youth the benefits of Christian education in a day when spiritual values can well decide the course of history.” 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 (WASC) during its first academic year.
In 1986 the name was changed to California Lutheran University to better reflect its breadth of undergraduate, graduate and professional programs.
Accreditations and Affiliations
CLU is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The Graduate School of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, and its credential programs are approved by the State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. CLU’s program in Financial Planning has been registered with the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board of Standards Inc.
The University is a member of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU) and the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC). The University's intercollegiate athletic programs compete in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, NCAA Division III.
Just as our first name, California, describes where we are geographically, our middle name, Lutheran, connects us to a 500-year-old educational tradition. We proudly share this tradition with 27 other Lutheran colleges and universities that, like CLU, are affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
For information regarding WASC accreditation, contact:
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
985 Atlantic Ave., Suite 100
Alameda, CA 94501
Phone: (510) 748-9001
E-mail: wascsr@wascsenior.org