California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks is adding an ethnic and race studies major. Launching in the fall of 2020, the interdisciplinary program is structured so that it can be easily added as a second major to better prepare students for a wide variety of careers.
Studies have shown that ethnic and racial minority students who complete classes related to ethnic and race studies have higher retention rates and perform better academically than those who don’t take them. About 45 percent of Cal Lutheran’s traditional undergraduate students from the United States identify themselves as Latino, Black, American/Alaskan native or multiracial.
Jessica Lavariega Monforti, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at California Lutheran University, stated that “this major will help students develop a solid identity validated by the historical, literary, artistic, social and economic contributions of the groups with which they identify. It will also help all students, regardless of background, develop multicultural perspectives and become effective leaders who bring diverse people together.”
