California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

CLU merges with seminary in Berkeley

California Lutheran University intends to offer new opportunities at the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, Calif.

The new merger will connect students from both schools and incorporate PLTS as a part of CLU.

PLTS is a graduate school located in the San Francisco Bay Area offers training to students who want to become pastors.

According to the PLTS website it’s, “a faith and learning community dedicated to excellence in theological education for developing leaders for the church in the world.”

While closely located to University of California, Berkeley, PLTS provides opportunities to CLU students in a “beautiful location” with a “dynamic faculty” and “closely-knit community”, as told by the University’s website.

“One of the most basic things is that it would become one of our graduate schools, like the Graduate School of Education, or the Graduate School of Psychology,” said Chris Kimball, CLU President.“It would become part of the University. It would just happen to be up there as opposed to on campus here.”

Kimball said this change would be an additional piece of the university as it develops and grows.

Additionally, if the merger is granted, undergraduates will have the chance to take part in there programs, as well. “Some of the ideas that have come up, whether they happen or not, could be summer programs for undergraduate students,” Kimball said.

He said undergraduates may possibly spend a semester up in Berkeley.

“Along with merging with them, Cal Lutheran now would have a campus in Berkeley, basically, so we would have space they have of residence halls; they also own an apartment complex,” according to Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Leanne Neilson.

She said residence halls aren’t used that much over the summer so CLU would be able to use this space for summer programs.

Studying for a semester would be a little trickier, according to Neilson.

“During the academic year, almost all of the residence halls are used. The campus is small. There are probably 15 to 20 rooms on the campus,” she said.

Only ideas are being thrown around because the merger isn’t finalized yet. There are a couple steps left to complete the union.

According to Neilson, “On Oct. 14, at the faculty meeting, the faculty okay to approve the acceptance of the degree programs to be at Cal Lutheran”.

“Another piece is our convocators meeting in October to vote the approval and then there is a final step with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.  We are WASC accredited so they have to approve any major changes,” said Neilson.

The school is planning to have the merger completed by Jan. 1, 2014 so any programs through the university are planned to start by next fall.

 

Janella Caravetta
Staff Writer
Published Oct. 2, 2013

More to Discover