Annual Report

2015-2016

Introduction

Chris Kimball Transformation and affirmation: these are two of the things that defined 2014–2015 at California Lutheran University.

This was a year of transformation for Cal Lutheran in a variety of ways. Ullman Commons opened and became the new heart of campus, a place where students, faculty, staff and neighbors come together for coffee, meals, meetings and more. Our new Westlake Center opened and renovation of the old cafeteria into a Student Union got underway. Building projects across our locations are not just physical transformations; they also improve the experience of our students.

We also transformed the way we describe ourselves to prospective students and the greater public with new marketing campaigns and a revitalized and contemporary look across all our advertisements, brochures and website. In addition to greater visual appeal, the new materials focus on our mission-driven message that Cal Lutheran is a place where students come to discover and live their purpose.

All these transformations, along with other work done over recent years, culminated with two very big affirmations received just after the end of the academic and fiscal year. In June, we got the welcome news that our regional accreditation with the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) has been renewed for ten years, the maximum allowed under federal law. This was a strong vote of confidence and affirms that we are living out our mission to educate global leaders.

What’s more, our Doctorate in Clinical Psychology program earned accreditation from the American Psychological Association. We applied for this accreditation as soon as we became eligible with the graduation of our first class in May. The APA granted the Psy.D. accreditation for the maximum term of seven years, a remarkable result for a new program.

You can learn more about the achievements of our students, faculty and staff below. Cal Lutheran would not be the successful place that it is today without their hard work and dedication and I am excited to see what they accomplish in 2015–2016.

Thank you for your interest and support.

Sincerely,

Signature

Chris Kimball
President

About Cal Lutheran

California Lutheran University is a diverse scholarly community dedicated to excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies. Rooted in the Lutheran tradition of Christian faith, the University encourages critical inquiry into matters of both faith and reason.

The mission of the University 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.

LEARN MORE

At Cal Lutheran, our dedicated and accomplished faculty works with small classes of undergraduate and graduate students who are open-minded — about ideas, about people, and about faith — and are seeking to grow as individuals while they pursue their passions and discover their purpose.

Ullman Commons

SBET

The Year In Review

Progress Report

In May 2012, California Lutheran University’s Board of Regents approved a Five-Year Strategic Plan comprised of five overall goals in support of our mission. Each year, members of the senior leadership develop annual goals in order to support these Five-Year Plan goals. Below you will see our five overall goals and a sampling of efforts completed or achievements related to them during the 2014-2015 fiscal and academic year.

Guide students to discover and live their purpose with real-world learning experiences, excellent academic and career mentoring, and a campus environment that promotes inclusion.

57% of the class of 2015 reported participation in an internship or earned academic credit for an internship during their time at Cal Lutheran.

32% reported that they did multiple internships. Students got a taste of the “real world” working at a variety of companies such as Ernst & Young, Farmers Insurance, KTLA 5 News, Make a Wish Foundation, Merrill Lynch, SAGE Publications, ULCA Health and Viacom.

24 faculty-mentored summer research projects were completed over the summer of 2014.

Work included research in biology, chemistry, global studies and psychology. Danielle Montoya ’15 worked with Theresa Rogers, assistant professor of biology, on a study of antibiotic resistance in local waterways. Her work, along with the other summer research projects were funded by more than $110,000 in grants provided by benefactors including Jim and Sue Swenson, The Darling Foundation and The John Stauffer Charitable Trust.

30 undergraduate students presented original research during the 11th Annual Student Research Symposium.

With guidance from faculty mentors, these students conducted research in the fields of biochemistry, biology, chemistry, computer science, exercise science, global studies, mathematics, psychology and religion. The event included the presentation of five awards to the top students as well as oral presentations and an interactive poster session. A number of these students also presented their work at professional conferences (seven students received funding from our Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship to do so) or had their work published in peer-reviewed journals.

Senior Salvador Brito received a $5,000 fellowship award from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Exceptional Research Opportunities Program.

Lisa Rowan ’14 became the fourth Cal Lutheran student in five years to receive a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship grant.

Rowan spent eight months teaching English in Nepal during 2014-2015. Participants are chosen for their academic accomplishments and leadership potential. Rowan entered Cal Lutheran as a Presidential Scholar, earned membership in the Scholastic Honor Society and Omicron Delta Kappa, The National Leadership Society, and graduated summa cum laude in May 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies. During her time as a Cal Lutheran student, she spent three summers teaching English in Thailand and four months teaching English at a nonprofit organization in Peru. She also conducted research into efforts to improve literacy rates in Latin America.

Our 9th Annual Festival of Scholars held April 27 to May 1, 2015 showcased more than 300 scholarly projects created by undergraduate and graduate students from the College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School of Education, Graduate School of Psychology and School of Management.

The opening of our Westlake Center provided a new home for our Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and start-up incubator.

In 2014-2015, the Cal Lutheran Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship hosted a series of lectures by start-up and technology leaders as well as the New Venture Competition. The New Venture Competition is designed for all Cal Lutheran students to get the experience of starting a business. Beginning in January, about 40 students attended workshops, brainstormed ideas, interviewed potential customers, and developed product ideas with guidance from faculty members and mentors from the community. Five finalist teams pitched their ideas at a special event held during the Festival of Scholars. This year’s winner was Dan Gerharts ’15 for Ryde, a ride-sharing service for college students.

At nine months after graduation, 97% of the class of 2014 reported they were either working or attending graduate school.

During the 2014-2015 school year, 180 students visited 43 countries through participation in a Study Abroad program.

An increasing number of students are opting to study abroad, with 28% of the class of 2015 participating in a program during their time at Cal Lutheran. Programs include semesters abroad as well as shorter, more focused, travel seminars. A new travel seminar offered in spring 2015 was “Barcelona: Through the Looking Glass.” Following a semester studying Spanish detective fiction, 15 students traveled with Assistant Professor of Spanish, Rafaela Fiore Urizar, and Associate Professor of Mathematics, Michael Gagliardo to Barcelona to witness first-hand the relation between space, architecture and math as it relates to the literature they studied. Students explored the many neighborhoods of Barcelona and had guided tours of the Gothic quarter, las Ramblas, and a number of Gaudi’s most famous buildings. The students were exposed to local culture through a cooking class, museums, musical performances and even a guest lecture from a local author.

In January 2015, Cal Lutheran affirmed its status as a Hispanic-Serving Institution with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU).

Since January 2014, our total Hispanic enrollment has met the minimum requirement of 25% of our total enrollment, and we have been considered a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) member of HACU. Our HACU membership is part of an ongoing campus initiative to achieve HSI status with the federal government in order to be eligible for a Title V grant so that we may better serve our Hispanic student population.

The Teagle Foundation provided Cal Lutheran an $8,000 grant for interfaith efforts.

Administered by the Interfaith Youth Core, the grant has allowed us to begin exploring new options for delivering interfaith education and programs. In 2014-2015, members of our Religion Department faculty assessed interfaith education in upper division courses and gathered in colloquia to discuss issues surrounding interfaith pedagogical practices, goals, and assessment.

Our Campus Diversity Initiative collaborated with our Office of Multicultural Programs and Residence Life staff to host a new event for first-year students called “Being You at CLU.”

The purpose of the events, held over the course of three nights in September, was to introduce students to the diverse nature of Cal Lutheran’s campus community and focus on the expectation of acceptance and inclusion of all. All first-year students were invited to bring a cultural artifact that represents an aspect of their identity to share with their peers. Resident Advisers led discussion of the artifacts and other topics over a themed meal of Mediterranean, Indian or Thai food.

Our Lunchbox Diversity Series, a professional development program for faculty and staff, was reimagined for the 2014-2015 school year.

All faculty and staff were invited to view a documentary film about various home countries of our international students while enjoying a meal with traditional dishes from those countries. Countries “visited” during these lunches included India, Korea, Brazil, Mexico and Australia.

Our Interfaith Allies student group continued their good work of cultivating a campus community of inclusion and awareness of the diverse faith traditions.

In addition to weekly meetings, they participated in “Faith Matters,” an evening of food trucks and interfaith discussion organized by the Office of Campus Ministry to facilitate a conflict resolution training session, and celebrated “Better Together Day.”

The CLU Choir took their talents and show on the road with a tour of Germany in May.

Stops included Munich, Dresden, Wittenberg and Berlin. The choir performed in a variety of breathtaking and historically significant venues. Particularly significant to our roots and connection to the Lutheran faith tradition was a stop at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig – a church where Martin Luther preached and Bach performed. President Kimball and a group of alumni and friends also participated in a sightseeing tour of Germany and Austria with concurrent stops with the Choir to enjoy their performances.

Continue to set high institutional academic standards with distinguished faculty who embody and embrace diversity and with widely respected academic programs.

Support student achievement across all programs with equitable treatment for all students, by enhancing student services, and by utilizing the most pedagogically appropriate delivery methods for student learning.

Build and modernize sustainable facilities for an environment that sustains social, cultural and intellectual activity while respecting and protecting the planet.

Attract students of high ideals and promise by enhancing regional and national awareness of CLU’s mission, by raising the profiles of students who are drawn to our mission, and by offering new programs and scholarships to attract these students.

By the Numbers

Financial Report 2014-2015

California Lutheran University did well financially during the fiscal year ending May 31, 2015. Total institutional assets increased to $315.6 million, up from $309.1 million in the previous year. Net assets (total assets less liabilities) increased to $225.3 million, up from $215.3 million, due to operating gains.

Revenues and Expenses

Due to good operating performance and investment returns, revenue exceeded expenses by $10.0 million. Total revenues and gains are $116.8 million, down from $123.5 million in the previous fiscal year primarily due to higher investment returns in the endowment in the prior year. Operating revenue increased to $109.5 million from $107.9 million in the prior year, while non-operating revenue was down to $7.3 million from $15.6 million in the prior year primarily due to the fluctuations in the value of the endowment.

Net tuition revenues in 2014–2015 decreased to $77.0 million, down from $79.0 million in the previous year. (All of the revenue figures above are net calculations. They do not count tuition covered by institutional scholarships and grants: $40.9 million in 2014–2015 and $39.0 million in 2013–2014.)

Expenses increased to $106.8 million for the fiscal year, up from $98.8 million.

Balance Sheet

Total assets increased by $6.5 million, liabilities decreased by $3.5 million, and net assets increased by $10.0 million. Cash increased to $52.6 million, from $48.2 million.

Contributions receivable increased to $7.5 million, from $7.2 million. During the year, the value of Cal Lutheran’s endowment increased by $6.7 million to $92.9 million due to market value changes on endowment assets of $3.8 million, transfer of surplus from operations of $2.3 million, new gifts of $3.8 million offset by distribution to scholarships of $3.2 million.

The endowment fund helps to ensure the University’s long-term financial health and stability and to provide an affordable education, including scholarships and grants, for current and future generations of students. Donors’ gifts are invested in perpetuity with a portion of the income available for university needs and the remainder reinvested to maintain future buying power.

Our property, plant and equipment increased to $136.2 million, from $126.6 million in the previous year, primarily due to the completion of the dining commons offset by depreciation.

Donor Contributions

Donor contributions are a significant factor in the continued financial strengthening of Cal Lutheran. Charitable giving during the period consisted of 23,206 gifts and pledges from 10,689 donors, including alumni, parents of students and alumni, friends, churches, corporations, foundations and other organizations. A breakdown of gifts and pledges as recorded in the audited 2014–2015 fiscal report includes:

Unrestricted Gifts
CLU Annual Fund	$1,497,000
Church	$845,000
KCLU Radio	$1,014,000
Restricted Gifts
(capital, endowment, scholarship, etc.)	$8,246,000
Grand Total	$11,602,000

We are grateful to all of our 2014-2015 donors for sharing in Cal Lutheran’s mission and success. For additional information about our audited financial statements, please visit Office of the President’s website.

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Graduate/Professionals

Sciences

Thank You

All of this would not be possible without the generous support of our alumni, family and friends around the world. With your gifts to Cal Lutheran, you help drive our mission to prepare leaders for a global society. Your support means improved facilities, a world-class faculty, and most important, opportunities for our students to discover their purpose. Thank you.

Below find a list of all those who generously supported Cal Lutheran during its 2014-2015 fiscal year divided into our Honor Roll, new members of the Orville Dahl Society, Gifts-in-Kind, and Matching Partners.