CLU School of Education Receives National Accreditation

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – April 21, 2004) – California Lutheran University’s School of Education has received accreditation by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), making CLU one of only five independent universities in California to achieve this distinction, President Luther S. Luedtke announced today.

The School of Education is already fully accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and the University is accredited through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). However, the NCATE accreditation is the first national accreditation for the School of Education.

Most school districts in the region, including Los Angeles Unified School District and all public schools in Ventura County, have numerous CLU alumni as teachers, guidance counselors and administrators. “This national recognition validates the academic successes of our program,” said Pam Jolicoeur, Ph.D., Provost and Dean of the Faculty. “It gives CLU credentials and degrees a level of recognition that extends well beyond the region.”

“Achieving this distinction puts Cal Lutheran in the company of some of the nation’s top ranked schools like Stanford,” said Millie Murray–Ward, Ph.D., Interim Dean of the School of Education. “This national accreditation validates our mission to prepare reflective, principled educators.”

NCATE, which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, is the profession’s mechanism to help establish high quality teacher preparation. Through the process of professional accreditation of schools, colleges and departments of education, NCATE works to foster competent classroom teachers and other educators who work to improve the education standards for all students. As a coalition of 35 specialty professional associations of teachers, teacher educators, content specialists, and local and state policy makers, NCATE represents more than 3 million individuals.

CLU is a selective liberal arts university located in Thousand Oaks, Calif., midway between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. With an enrollment of 2,900 students, CLU offers 36 undergraduate majors and six graduate programs within the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, and School of Education. A doctoral degree in educational leadership is also offered. Members of the CLU student body come from more than 30 states and 30 countries and represent a diversity of faiths and cultures.