CLU plans closure of Oxnard and Westlake satellite campuses
California Lutheran University [CLU] plans to shut down two of their satellite campuses in Oxnard and Westlake Village in fall 2026 due to a decrease in enrollment rates and an estimated $7 million debt. CLU was founded in 1959 and is a private liberal arts institution based in Thousand Oaks, California.
CLU President John Nunes sent out an email to administrators and staff on Aug. 22 announcing the next steps towards the closing of the Oxnard and Westlake Centers. The first phase of this development was already completed during the summer and consisted of transferring offices from off-campus houses to the main campus in Thousand Oaks. The university’s next step is to form a combined enrollment center of undergraduate and graduate students during the winter, before the final shutdown stage of the satellite campuses. This agenda leaves Santa Maria as the last CLU satellite campus.
The Oxnard campus opened in 2005 and houses organizations such as the Center for Nonprofit Leadership and the Program for Accelerated College Education, which allows students to complete an Associate degree in two years. The Westlake site opened in 2013 and is home to schools including the Graduate School of Psychology and the School of Management, as well as the Steven Dorfman Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, which are aimed to support launching businesses. Roughly 14 faculty and staff members work at the Oxnard location and nine at the Westlake location.
According to the Ventura County Star, CLU is no stranger to financial struggles as their enrollment has dropped for seven consecutive years and their closing of the Woodland Hills satellite campus in 2022. As a result of low registration, applications for multiple majors will no longer be accepted such as the art history and applied scientific computing, master’s degree in quantitative economics and the minor in German.
CLU removed an undisclosed amount of jobs through layoffs and non-renewals over the summer as they work to cut costs. Another way the school is increasing revenue is by renting out offices and unused athletic facilities over the summer and on weekends.
However, some programs have been met with a higher demand this year, such as the clinical psychology doctoral degree program. As reported by the Ventura County Star, it received more qualified students than the amount able to be accepted, so three additional professors were hired to start instruction in the fall.
Currently, CLU is home to around 3,300 students: 2,300 undergraduates and 1,000 graduates, and offers 44 majors. Although facing obstacles from deficit and drop in registration numbers, the school continues to move forward at its main campus in Thousand Oaks.
