Central Valley university praised for planning process

STOCKTON
July 8, 2009 12:37pm

University of the Pacific is receiving the first “Excellence in Institutional Innovation and Integration Award” from the Society for College and University Planning this month. The award recognizes universities and colleges that use original planning processes to tackle emerging issues facing higher education.

Pacific was chosen because of its “Pacific Rising” plan, a document that lists goals that Pacific hopes to achieve in the next seven years, as well as other efforts unique to higher education that support innovation.

The award will be presented during SCUP’s annual International Conference held in Portland, Ore., the week of July 20.

“Pacific Rising is a living document that promotes innovation and creativity across all aspects of teaching and learning and University operations,” says Rob Brodnick, assistant provost for the university and one of the key administrators in implementing Pacific Rising.

Pacific Rising contains “six core values, 11 aspirations, and six commitments that Pacific has pledged to reach by 2015,” the university says.

The statements are used to guide what programs and areas of operations that the university needs to invest in or modernize. For example, the University’s aspiration for sustainability drove Pacific to make sure the DeRosa University Center – opened in 2008 – was a green building that encouraged recycling, water conservation and minimal power use.

Pacific has a $1.5 million fund to support the development of collaborative and innovative academic programs that are linked directly to the values stated in Pacific Rising. So far, that fund has been used to establish numerous programs, from planning grants to multi-disciplinary faculty programs. Programs established in part due to Pacific Rising include the Global Center for Social Entrepreneurship, the Social Intelligence Initiative and the First Year Experience.

Five of the original innovation initiatives are currently operational with five more in a pilot phase and five in continued planning.

Comments on this story

warez alive 2/7/10 7:57 PM
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