Guest column: CLU’s betrayal of contractual obligations and integrity

Joan R. Young
·3 min read

California Lutheran University’s latest attempt to hoodwink the public into believing that the Gallegly Archives are now available obscured the fact that appointments may be made fall 2023.

This early announcement suggests CLU fulfilled its contractual obligations to former Congressman Elton Gallegly. The university did not.

The statement boasts the availability of 356 boxes, far less than the original 454 boxes. Since no contact was ever made between the university or the collection processor with Gallegly, who decided what would be left in or out of the archives? And where is the remainder of the collection?

Placing original documents in boxes and announcing “there is no second copy or backup of this material" is absurd given their comment describing their efforts as "long-term preservation." Locating the documents involves an arcane and challenging manual process not the digital search promised by CLU to make the information readily available to students, scholars, the community and historians.

Past history is more relevant today than ever for future decision-makers in public service. If this is the best CLU can do, let’s pray it is not symbolic of its current skills. Or was this just another step in destroying the integrity of the archives?

Gone is the congressman’s furniture, the photo of him and his wife, the original speaker series, the balance of donor-directed funds and the Reagan-Gallegly Fellowships.

Thanks to a prior public release quoting CLU’s current leader, Lori Varlotta, a very important fact was omitted from her quote which skewed the article, thereby forfeiting the invaluable relationship with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Institute. What a tremendous loss for graduate students in public policy and administration and CLU, the only university in the nation to be awarded this relationship and the Reagan name.

I took umbrage at a public announcement by CLU regarding the center’s lack of attraction. The ribbon cutting took place on May 4, 2018. It took over one year to obtain permission from leadership to host a reception for donors at the Gallegly Center. Overcoming obstacles was endless.

And lastly, the Gallegly Center Advisory Committee, appointed by former CLU President Chris Kimball, was summarily dismissed. One committee member said, “This is the first time I have been fired as a volunteer.” I said, “Me too.”

A few facts:

  • Donors paid more than 90% of the building construction cost. Grading, lighting and landscaping materials were also donated.

  • The congressman’s furniture was not paid for or shipped at university expense.

  • Donors’ funds paid for 13 scholarships at full rate. All were chosen by CLU.

  • Donors’ funds were charged $135,000 for a few tables and chairs, fundraising expenses and brochures.

  • Donors’ funds were charged for compensations under the term honorariums.

  • Donors’ funds paid for the first distinguished speaker Condoleezza Rice. Hundreds of Ventura County community members, students and their families attended her speech and were invited to meet her personally and take a photo with the former secretary of state.

When a leader who prefers intimidation as her style of leadership, creates more problems than solutions and resorts to incurring substantial legal fees to defend poor decisions, there is something very wrong at CLU.

The Gallegly Center for Public Service and Civic Engagement was established in 2013 by the Board of Regents and Kimball. It celebrated Gallegly’s 33 years of public service and aimed to promote careers in public service through fellowships, speaker series and digitized archives. The center aimed to enhance the university's public policy program and inspire future leaders.

Since the Board of Regents and Kimball approved the center, have they approved its destruction by the current president?

Joan R. Young was CLU’s Chair of the Gallegly Center Advisory Council, a member of its Board of Regents, and a member of the CLU Executive Committee and Chair of Advancement.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Guest column: CLU’s betrayal of contractual obligations and integrity