New CLU dean to focus on diversity and community

It was Lutheran tradition — both religious and academic — that brought Joan Griffin from a small college in Minneapolis to Thousand Oaks, where she now is serving as a dean at California Lutheran University.

Griffin, who earned her doctorate at Harvard, was brought up in the Lutheran church, which calls for a life of service to others.

In Griffin's case, that call to service will translate into building diversity and community involvement in her new role as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at CLU.

"What you do is be in service to other people and the community," she said. "It's a church tradition and also an intellectual tradition."

Griffin, who started the job this month, comes to CLU from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, where she served as an associate dean, member of the faculty senate and professor of English.

She replaces Michael Brint, who was named an Uyeno-Tseng Professor of International Studies at CLU in 2005. Tim Hengst was serving as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Griffin brings to her new job a mix of intellect, fairness and integrity, said Provost Chris Kimball, who knew her at Augsburg.

"She's exceedingly thoughtful, very intellectual and well-read," Kimball said. "She's very reflective, particularly about what matters in an undergraduate education at this time."

Along those lines, Griffin hopes to make CLU a more "civically minded university." That will mean shaping the curriculum so students get more hands-on learning, including internships, research and community service.

"Theory is great, but it's not where everybody is," Griffin, 60, said. "Young people are idealists. They want to put their education to work."

At the same time, Griffin recognizes CLU's mission to develop its science programs, specifically working with local biotechnology companies to train future scientists.

That mission remains despite the recent resignation of John Sladek, a research scientist who served as CLU's president for just one year.

"It's my job to maintain the liberal arts, and that includes the sciences," she said. "I may be like the child in The Emperor Who Has No Clothes,' asking the naive questions and getting the truth."