Cal Lutheran celebrates foreign students
11 percent of students are citizens of another country
Students will carry flags for each of the countries represented at Cal Lutheran during the International Chapel Service.
Photo: Brian Stethem(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Nov. 4, 2015) California Lutheran University will highlight its international students and study abroad programs during International Education Week Nov. 16 through 20 on its Thousand Oaks campus.
Cal Lutheran’s observance of the week, which is a joint initiative of the U.S. Departments of State and Education, will include a World Fair and International Chapel Service that are open to the public. The theme is “World Celebrations.”
The fair will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 18 in University Plaza. The celebration will feature food, entertainment and displays from countries represented at Cal Lutheran. Cal Lutheran presents the fair in conjunction with the ELS Educational Services English-language school on campus.
The worship service will be held at 11:25 a.m. Nov. 19 in Samuelson Chapel. Students will carry flags for each of the countries represented at Cal Lutheran. International student Gaulys “Gaby” Romero will speak. Romero is an undergraduate student from Venezuela who is majoring in biochemistry.
The number of foreign nationals taking classes this fall is 460. Eleven percent of Cal Lutheran’s current students are citizens of another country.
The university’s foreign students come from 45 countries. The largest sending countries are, in descending order, China, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Austria, India, Norway, Thailand and Sweden. Some other home countries are Croatia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Kuwait, Mongolia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine.
Cal Lutheran offers study abroad programs in 75 countries around the world. Each year, nearly 200 students participate in semester, summer and yearlong programs and faculty-led seminars. Twenty-three percent of the 2015 graduating class studied abroad or participated in a travel seminar during their time at Cal Lutheran. The university is working to increase that figure to 40 percent by 2020.
University Plaza is outside Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center, which is on the north side of Olsen Road between Campus Road and Mountclef Boulevard. Samuelson Chapel is located at 165 Chapel Lane.
Cal Lutheran’s Office of Multicultural Programs and International Student Services is sponsoring the free events. For more information, contact Daniel Lawrence at lawrenc@callutheran.edu or 805-493-3489.