A pause for celebration

Dear Students, Staff, and Faculty,

It is hard to believe that finals week for the 2020-21 academic year has come to a close, and we have already celebrated our 2021 Traditional Undergraduates at the in-person, drive-in ceremony at the Ventura County Fairgrounds last weekend. This week we are making final arrangements for the 2021 Cal Lutheran Graduate and Professionals Commencement and for a ceremony that acknowledges 2020 graduates from all programs. Both events will take place this Saturday at the same fairgrounds. Our graduates at PLTS will celebrate with a virtual commencement on May 22. As staff put final touches on those activities, I know that many of our faculty are finishing up final grading and preparing for some well-deserved time off this summer. 
 
As we wrap-up this unprecedented academic year, I hope that you will take some time to reflect on all that we have learned. I’d like everyone to really think about what we have accomplished during this time. Even if some of those achievements seem trivial, remember that we did them during a global pandemic. It is so important, especially in difficult times, that we take some time to pause, reflect, and celebrate the wins.
 
Academics
Our hosting of the two-back-to-back in-person commencement ceremonies garnered national media attention from NPR and local media. We also held our Inaugural Cultural Celebration in-person on April 24 and were able to find creative ways to hold our annual Festival of Scholars. 
 
Community
We were able to arrange COVID vaccination clinics for staff, faculty, and students. Our latest estimates indicate that 1,030 members of our community have received the vaccine. If you have not yet gotten yours, please do so at your earliest convenience. For many of us, being a part of a fully vaccinated community gives us a sense of peace and optimism that has been missing this past year. 
 
Speaking of optimism, the results of this spring’s CARES Day signaled a bright future for fundraising. We came together as a community to attract more donors than ever before; collectively we raised more than $1 million for our programs. Also, staff and faculty worked together to secure more than $2.9 million in grant funding for programs that explore important areas of research, improve experiences for students, and address critical social issues.
 
One of those programs—the Community Scholars for Black Lives Fellowship Program—welcomed its first cohort of scholars. These impressive students shared their projects with Cal Lutheran faculty and staff and a host of community leaders during a virtual recognition event last week. Scholars worked with leaders across Ventura County to develop timely and relevant projects aimed at improving the lives of black people in our communities. The next cohort is currently being recruited.

During this whole year, so many of you have gone above and beyond to serve and support students and Cal Lutheran. Thank you for the compassion you have shown. 

KCLU
KCLU was honored with 7 Golden Mike Awards for outstanding reporting by the News Directors Association of Southern California, bringing the station total to more than 350 major awards. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, KCLU continues to surpass its fundraising goals and has maintained a successful donor program with more than 40% of station donors committed to monthly, ongoing donations with no end date. We are fortunate to have this outstanding news organization as part of our community.
 
Athletics
In total, our student-athletes have been able to compete in more than 80 athletic contests this Spring. Our women’s water polo team, in particular, competed in the NCAA tournament this week in Westwood at UCLA. They had a strong showing against Division I Fresno State. 
 
Shared Governance
We are making staggering progress in designing and implementing a comprehensive system of shared governance. Our enhanced system will create an official body for staff. It will also include a detailed decision-making matrix called ADRI that delineates who plays what role in key issues across campus. The eight-month process of building and populating this chart was a highly inclusive one; it involved over 50 meetings (60-90 minutes long each) with constituents across campus. The final draft of the chart (yet to be endorsed by the Board) has been directly shaped by the heart, the hands, and the head of many. I am told by the 13 members of the Task Force on Shared Governance this has been one of the most transparent and inclusive processes coordinated in a decade.
 
Hiring & Staffing
We are in the process of adding several positions that will support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work on our campus. These positions include the Vice President of Talent, Culture, and Diversity; Director of Faculty Development and Inclusive Excellence; and a senior role in the athletic department that will be funded through the NCAA Strategic Alliance Matching Grant. It is exciting that the incumbents in these new positions will be able to join forces with each other and with those of you who are have long supported DEI on our campus. I am confident that we will soon see positive and palpable changes in this area.
 
We also have a bittersweet celebration as we commemorate the retirement of our beloved Campus Pastor and double alumnus Pastor Scott Maxwell-Doherty. On behalf of all at Cal Lutheran, I thank him for his many years of service and spiritual guidance he has offered our community through joyous and challenging times. There will be an in-person celebration in the Peppergrove on May 19 at 11:30 am and a virtual celebration on May 20 at 4 pm.
 
Ahhh
I know these last 14 months have been hard, but I am encouraged by the resilience of our community. Last week, I announced the imminent return of furloughed employees, and soon we will be able to announce details about upcoming faculty searches. 
 
Many of us will be able to take a little time this summer to pause or at least slow our pace for a short while. Let’s use that time to rejuvenate ourselves so we can come back refreshed and ready for the Fall. 
 
I wish everyone a safe and enjoyable summer. 

Lori E. Varlotta, Ph.D.
President