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• Increased Internship Opportunities: Established relationships with 10 new businesses in priority areas, resulting in paid internship and professional experience opportunities for ������ý students.
• Expanded Student Networks: Connected over 200 students with approximately 200 employers, business and community leaders through targeted networking events, fostering valuable professional relationships.
• Showcased Student Work: Enabled more than 80 students to present their research, projects, and talents to the workforce and community through 20 distinct opportunities, highlighting their academic and creative achievements.
• Enhanced Experiential Learning: Expanded experiential learning through the Distinguished Guest Artists & Speakers series, resulting in diverse, engaging activities attracting more than 1,000 participants, including students, staff, faculty, and community members, enriching their educational experience.
• Attracted Recruiters: Hosted 115 employers at the Annual Career and Intern Expo, creating a focused platform for recruiting ������ý students and facilitating career opportunities.
• Engaged Local Professionals: Leveraged local expertise by inviting professionals to speak in classes and participate in discussion panels, providing students with valuable industry insights and connections.
• Increased Clinical Service Experiential Learning Opportunities: Secured $28,975 in grant funding to enhance students’ Clinical Service experiential learning, leading to the provision of mental health services to over two dozen additional regional community members.
  
  Last Updated: August 16, 2024

• Enhanced University Visibility: Delivered presentations and conducted tours showcasing ������ý and its students to approximately 300 employers, community leaders, and prospective students through collaborations with 10 strategic community organizations.
• Forged Local Business Partnerships: Collaborated with over 50 local businesses to promote ������ý through "Welcome Students" signage and secured discounts for students from 15 local establishments.
• Elevated ������ý's Strategic Exposure: Boosted the University’s profile by coordinating the participation of around 50 representatives in over 20 significant business and community events across Ventura and Los Angeles Counties.
• Showcased Campus as a Premier Venue: Positioned ������ý’s stunning campus as a premier location by hosting more than 12 strategic community partner events, enhancing its reputation as a top choice for local gatherings.
• Increased Student Community Engagement: Deployed 82 Student Ambassadors across 13 strategic business and community events, increasing ������ý’s engagement throughout the Ventura County region.
• Strengthened Neighbor Relations: Fostered community relationships by hosting 200 neighbors at appreciation events, meetings, and additional activities and grew the neighbor electronic update subscriber list to 265.
• Engaged Local Schools and Families: Welcomed over 300 local students and families from more than 10 schools and youth organizations to ������ý’s hosted athlete meet and greet and athletics events.
  
  Last Updated: August 16, 2024

This initiative is actively developing and expanding strategic business, organization and community relationships that directly benefit students. The distinctive impact resulting from advancements within this initiative include: increased access to education for all students, including those traditionally underserved, elevated exposure within the community, a heightened position as the go-to higher education option, enhanced quality of learning, increased experiential learning activities, additional pathways to career opportunities, robust student career industry networks, and expanded opportunities for students to live their purpose through mission-aligned activities.

Reach out to Initiative Owner Sommer Barwick to engage in this initiative by communicating needs and linkage opportunities with organizations, host potential partners, represent the University at community events or serve on the committee.  

Progress Update:

• Launched Strategic Plan Initiative Distinctive Impact 3.1.2 Corporate, Community, and Government Partnerships  
• Created inventory of existing governmental, non-profit, and community partnerships
• Developed gaps analysis to identify areas of need
• Constructed strategic approach to maximize community sponsorships
• Secured paid internships for ������ý students through two new Community Service Partners
• Established new business partnership with one local and global business partner
• Increased ������ý's exposure at six external business, community and non-profit events
• Outreached to local neighbors and initiated system to track engagement and enhance communication
• Streamlined facility rental process to maximize community relationships and showcase campus and students

Last updated: August 31, 2023

University Advancement has spent Summer 2023 gathering insight and opinions from Cal Lutheran’s most supportive donors and friends. Starting on June 1, the Advancement Division has planned and organized meetings with more than 50 of the university’s most loyal friends, donors, and regents for meaningful conversations about major fundraising initiatives derived from the university’s Strategic, Campus, and DEIJB plans. During these sessions led by President Varlotta, participants shared their thoughts on an array of student-experience-enhancing projects, including academic and athletics facilities, academic programs, PLTS, as well as internships and scholarships. ������ý’s higher education fundraising consultant is scheduled to provide recommendations that indicate the top priorities based on donors’ interests by the middle of the fall semester. Their findings will outline the shape, size and timeline for this first phase of fundraising.

Last updated: August 31, 2023

Check back for more information soon.

Last updated: August 31, 2023

The primary tool for communicating internally at ������ý is the email newsletter. The marketing and communications department has decided to focus its energies in the 24-25 academic year on developing some standards and best practices for internal newsletters, so that all can effectively and efficiently share information across our campus. With limited resources, we feel delving deeply into improving one key internal communications matter now will be more effective than trying to superficially address many. 

Last Updated: June 18, 2024

This initiative to create a set of internal communications protocols involves an appraisal and revision of the electronic tools we use to communicate with each other, how we communicate with the various communities on campus (email, MyCLU app), who does the communicating, and what kind of language we use and information we share. It is a large project. As of August 2023, we have completed a crisis communications plan, which is in the approval stage, and have begun evalulating the effectiveness of the tools we use.

Last updated: August 31, 2023

Our brand ambassador work will focus on using Athletics to build awareness and enthusiasm for ������ý on campus and in the community. Athletics has already created an informative internal newsletter, and we will continue to work with them and our community relations team on this initiative. 

Last updated: June 18, 2024 

The marketing and communications department decided in the fall of 2023 to instead use the tools at our disposal to make sure our public-facing communications devices are clearly communicating ������ý’s value to our most important audiences. The team has made great progress, updating our online and print materials for prospective students and re-conceptualizing our alumni magazine and online news content.

Last updated: June 18, 2024

A brand refresh involves senior members of the Marketing and Communication department in determining our needs in finding an updated way to communicate ������ý's values to the public. As of August 2023, we have audited our current brand identity (how it works in theory and practice) and have begun a search for a brand firm to lead our brand refresh based on the needs we identified in our audit. We expect to have a firm chosen and working by October 2023.

Last updated: August 31, 2023

Academic Differentiators: Full curriculum for the Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Masters of Sport Management programs have been completed. The programs have been approved by appropriate school/college and curriculum committee. The two program are expected to be tabled and approved at the winter faculty retreat in January 2024, after which we will seek WSCUC final approval before the program can be offered. Meanwhile the Financial Analysis Pro-form and Institutional Impact Analyses have been completed. Program Director has been hired for both programs. It is expected that marketing and advertisement of these program will commence in spring 2024 pending WSCUC approval. There has been a slight delay in curriculum development for the Biotechnology program;  however conversations are ongoing on the implementation and launch of the program.

Co-Curricular differentiators: The three workgroups created to engage in further discussions on the  co-curricular programs have met and are currently discussion ideas of co-curricular programs that fit into  the three “buckets” focus (Athletics, Clubs and organizations, and Wellbeing.) These workgroups are exploring how to characterize the three areas of distinctions and they are expected to provide recommendations by the end of spring 2024. It is anticipated that the co-curriculum program recommendations will launch in fall 2024.

Last updated: January 25, 2024

Academic Differentiators: Market analysis for six new programs were completed. Three of the programs - Data Analytics, Sports Management and Biotechnology were moved forward and approved for launch in Fall 2024, Fall 2024 and Fall 2025 respectively. The program framework for both Data Analytics and Sport Management programs have been completed. Full curriculum development is ongoing with a goal of seeking the University Curriculum Committee’s approval in Fall 2023. Faculty searches for the two new programs are ongoing. We are on target to seek WASC approval of the two programs in spring 2024.
Co-Curricular differentiators: A workgroup was created to have further discussions on the co-curricular programs. Three co-curricular program “buckets” focus (Athletics, Clubs and organizations, and Wellbeing) have been identified with individuals assigned to take a lead on each area. Each leader will identify relevant campus stakeholders to invite into future conversation, lead a conversation on how to characterize the area of distinction, examine relevant data and create relevant milestones. The work of each group will not begin until late September.

Last updated: August 31, 2023