Cal Lutheran Wins Key Honor

Joining an elite group of California campuses, Cal Lutheran University has earned national accreditation for its School of Education, a distinction that university officials say will add prestige to the school’s degree and credential programs.

The Thousand Oaks university last month received the honor from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, the nation’s primary accrediting body for teacher preparation.

Cal Lutheran is one of five private universities in California to have achieved the distinction. The others are Stanford University, Loyola Marymount, Azusa Pacific University and University of the Pacific in Stockton.

“We are in good company,” said Millie Murray-Ward, interim dean of Cal Lutheran’s School of Education. “This is a crowning achievement. Every credential and degree we offer now has this stamp of approval.”

University officials set out more than three years ago to earn accreditation from the national council, a nonprofit coalition of more than 30 teacher associations that sets and monitors standards for colleges of education.

Officials in the School of Education were required to meet a rigorous set of quality standards, and education programs were subject to an on-site review by an examining board.

Cal Lutheran’s School of Education, made up of 700 students and 22 faculty members, already was fully accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. And the university as a whole is accredited through the Western Assn. of Schools and Colleges.

However, university officials said the national accreditation would boost the value of credentials and degrees offered by the School of Education.

“This establishes the School of Education on par with the leading private universities nationwide,” said Luther S. Luedtke, president of the 2,900-student liberal arts campus.

The recognition comes at a time of renewal and expansion at the sprawling east Ventura County university.

Cal Lutheran officials recently announced that they were in the homestretch of a campaign to raise $80 million to modernize the 44-year-old campus.

More than 2,000 donors have contributed upwards of $70 million in the last three years to upgrade the university and plan for its future, providing funds to construct a new education and technology building and a state-of-the-art sports and fitness complex.

Money also will be set aside to support student scholarships and endow chairs and professorships.

Teacher preparation has long been a cornerstone of Cal Lutheran’s academic mission, and university officials have prided themselves on the quality of degree and credential programs offered by the School of Education.

Now the university is one of 19 in California and 575 nationwide to be recognized for meeting the standards set by the national accrediting body.

“This isn’t news to a lot of people, because we’ve always had high-quality programs,” Murray-Ward said. “But it’s an acknowledgment by our peers and a tribute to our programs.”