California Lutheran University President Chris Kimball attended the first Higher Education Summit of the United States and Mexico from March 29 to 31 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

The summit, which was organized by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and the Mexican Federation of Private Higher Education Institutions, included 24 private university presidents, five senior administrators and the president of the CIC.

“The summit was intended to introduce the participating universities to each other. And it did that very well,” Kimball said in an email interview.

The summit’s main goals were to emphasize the importance of student and faculty exchange programs, internship opportunities and research project collaborations.

During the summit,  participants visited multiple higher education institutions including Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Universidad Panamericana and Universidad del Valle de Atemajac.

“The universities that we visited are very impressive in their facilities, students and faculty. They already serve students from around the world and many of their courses are taught in English,” Kimball said. “So they would be a great destination for Cal Lutheran students to spend a term or two. And we know their students would love Cal Lutheran.”

Cal Lutheran currently offers one study abroad program in Guanajuato, Mexico that takes place each fall semester.

“I didn’t realize that we had an option to study abroad in Mexico, but I think it would be a great chance to explore and get more in touch with my culture,” said Latin American Student Organization member sophomore Jennifer Padilla.

Kimball said he hopes to offer more programs in Mexico for students in the next year. He plans to develop articulation agreements with other universities to make exchanges easier for students and staff.

“Just yesterday [March 6], in fact, one of the universities with whom I connected suggested a faculty exchange this summer. So we will talk to them about which faculty might be interested,” Kimball said. “Also, our HUB101 has been connected to a business incubator at one of their universities.”

The summit was also intended to discuss American immigration issues such as visa issues and undocumented students.

“The Mexican universities have offered (separate from our summit) to help any undocumented students unable to finish their degrees in the U.S., should that happen. But that was not the focus of the summit,” Kimball said.

Sophomore Jarrett Rodriguez is a Native American student on campus interested in diversity and the support of minorities.

“It’s cool to hear that Kimball is acting to support our students, regardless of immigration status,” Rodriguez said. “It’s one thing to talk about it and another thing to be about it when it comes to diversity.”

Kimball said he plans to work on developing partnerships before the next summit, which is planned to take place in two years.

“Latino and Latina students, whether of Mexican heritage or not, might be interested [in] the opportunities that emerge,” Kimball said. “But the hope is that all students at Cal Lutheran will be interested.”

“I think Cal Lutheran is taking a good step toward making this place more diverse and Hispanic serving,” Padilla said. “More exposure and appreciation for other cultures will definitely make the campus feel more like home.”

Brandy Alonzo-Mayland
Staff Writer