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 SEPTEMBER 2011     |      ISSUE: 1   

Welcome from Provost Pallavicini

As is usual with academic calendars, the energy of the campus ramped up considerably with the return of the students and their faculty! This academic year promises to be particularly busy. In addition to our primary teaching mission, parallel efforts are underway in strategic planning, building a culture of assessment and learning, and at this time of the year, budget preparations.

 

This is the first of a monthly newsletter from the Office of the Provost to inform faculty and staff about ongoing activities, to provide a forum for the academic division to share accomplishments, and to recognize our outstanding faculty.

 

Dean Searches: The search for the Law School Dean, chaired by Dean Oppenheimer, is in process with candidates visiting the campus in early 2012. Candidates for the SIS Dean search, chaired by Dean Parker, are also expected in November-December. Dean Jain announced his decision to retire in July. A search committee, chaired by Dean Gale, is being formed.

 

Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL): "Futuring" for CTL, in anticipation of recruiting a new director, is in progress. Please come October 3, from 3-4 PM to CTL if you would like to share your views or email [email protected] 

    

Strategic Planning: The Strategic Planning Process kicked off on September 24 with a provocative speaker, Anya Kamenetz, who initiated the futuring component of the process. The year-long process (detailed here) has multiple opportunities for faculty engagement and visioning and will culminate in a plan submitted to the Board of Regents in October 2012.    

 

Program Quality Improvements: Developing a culture of assessment and using evidence for decision making is well underway. The faculty on all three campuses have been doing an outstanding job on implementing assessment tools. The Educational Effectiveness Report is in its 'final' draft stages and will be available for faculty review within a few weeks.

 

Provost Office Re-Organization: The Office of the Provost has re-organized with 4 new vacant positions:  Vice Provost and three Assistant Provost positions, which are partial or full time 3-year appointments for voting faculty members-  Assistant Provost for University-Wide Programs, Assistant Provost for International Programs, and Assistant Provost for Faculty Affairs. Please consider submitting an application or nominations.

 

The office organizational chart may be viewed here.

Enrollment Update 

Associate Provost for Enrollment Rob Alexander 


Total university enrollment is trending slightly higher than last year's record-breaking level, mainly due to increased numbers of returning students on the Stockton campus.  knolesThe university expects to enroll more than 6,700 students across all three campuses.  

Undergraduate students will top 3,800 (another record), largely due to the large continuing classes of sophomores and juniors.  For new freshmen, the targeted goal of 925 will be slightly exceeded, estimated at 935.  Academic Quality (avg. SAT) has improved to 1170 (up from 1164 last year).  In comparison to previous years, international freshmen enrollment has nearly doubled to 7% of new freshmen, with China and Korea having the largest student representation. 

 

New transfer students are estimated at 230, slightly below the targeted goal of 250, but academic quality has increased slightly, with an average college GPA of 3.17.  

In the Graduate division, total enrollment is fairly steady at 740, down only 2 students from last fall.  

 

The Doctor of Pharmacy enrollment at the Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Science is stable at 640 students.  At the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, new JD enrollments are down significantly, but LSAT quality has held steady at 158.  The reduction in JD enrollment was impacted by the economic depression in the law employment market and the fiercely competitive law school recruitment environment.  For the Dugoni School of Dentistry, the number of new DDS students remains stable at 492 students. The dental school has one of the largest applicant pools in the country.  

    

In This Issue
Educational Effectiveness
Faculty Highlights
Faculty Promotions
Deans' Corner
Update from Academic Council
2011 University Diversity Retreat
Did You Know...

Did you know... 

Steven Anderson gecko
Carinatogecko stevenandersoni

Biology emeritus Steven Anderson has a gecko named after him, the Carinatogecko stevenandersoni. It's a new species of lizard discovered in Iran that was named in his honor. 

University Awards
 
 

How to submit a nomination for Order of the Pacific, Distinguished Faculty Award and Honorary Degree.


 

Upcoming Events
 
 

Saturday, October 15th

Pacific Preview Day

(Stockton Campus)

9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
 

Friday, October 28th
2011 University Diversity Retreat

11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Theme: Student Success
The Vereschagin Alumni House
For more information e-mail us:
[email protected]
 
 

More Fall Events...  

 

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Approach to Educational Effectiveness  
Eileen McFall, Director of Learning and Academic Assessment 

 

University of the Pacific's mission is to provide a superior, student-centered learning experience integrating liberal arts and professional education and preparing individuals for lasting achievement and responsible leadership in their careers and communities. We translate this mission into an educational goal of preparing "practice-ready" graduates, but what does it mean to be practice ready? We can promote that goal, and evaluate our educational effectiveness, by using research into proficiency and its development. We do not expect students to be experts in their fields upon graduation, but we do expect them to be proficient; that is, able to apply knowledge skillfully and ethically to address meaningful problems. Furthermore, we expect them to be on a trajectory toward becoming experts as they continue to learn in graduate or professional school, in their careers, and in their personal lives and communities. Continued here

FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS 
Celebrating Faculty Accomplishments 

Paul Glassman

Paul Glassman DENT RESIZED
Paul Glassman
Professor of Dental Practice and Director of Community Oral Health


Dr. Paul Glassman has been appointed as a member of the federal
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's expert panel on assessing healthcare quality measures. The panel was recently formed to provide comment on the state of national pediatric health care. Glassman was among 15 individuals selected from nearly 100 nominations for the 2011 expert panel, and is the only dentist on the panel. His appointment serves as an outgrowth of the work that he and the staff of the Pacific Center for Special Care have done over the last several years on oral health outcomes measurement, quality improvement systems and innovative dental care delivery models for vulnerable and underserved populations.

 

Dr. Glassman was also a member of the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Committee on Oral Health Access that recently released the report on Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations.  This is a significant and prominent oral health report that addresses the barriers that millions of Americans who are not able to receive needed dental care services face. The report offers recommendations for changing funding and reimbursement for dental care; expanding the oral health work force by training doctors, nurses and other non-dental professionals to recognize risk for oral diseases; and revamping regulatory, educational and administrative processes. 

For more information, visit the Dental school's news & events.

 

The IOM Web page for the committee and report can be viewed at IOM.

Nicolasa Kuster 
Nicolasa Kuster MUS RESIZED
Nicolasa Kuster
Assistant Professor of Bassoon, Conservatory of Music

Professor Kuster participated in the International Alliance for Women in Music 2011 Congress, hosted at Northern Arizona University,   September 15-18. She was invited to appear as a soloist at one of the official concerts, performing Dreaming in Colours for bassoon and piano, a piece written by composer HyeKyung Lee, who also accompanied Professor Kuster on the piano for the performance. Each movement has its own distinctive colors. They can be paletted into any kind of color depending on a performer's interpretation. The first movement is hopeful, cheerful, the second dreamy, illusionary, and the third nonchalant, realistic, even angry. The piece was commissioned in occasion of the 2005 Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition for young women bassoonists, a competition co-founded and co-directed by Prof. Kuster. In dreams there is no limit to our imagination. 

 

The 2012 Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition and Symposium will take place on the University of the Pacific campus, January 6-8, 2012. 

Louise Stark 

ENG Louise Stark RESIZED
Louise Stark
Associate Dean and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

 

Louise Stark, Associate Dean and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and faculty advisor for the Pacific Society of Women Engineers (SWE) student section, was named the 2010 Faculty Advisor of the Year by the SWE national organization. The award was presented at the SWE National Conference in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Stark has been the faculty advisor since joining Pacific in 1992. The Pacific SWE student section recently celebrated its 35th anniversary, with a history of only four faculty advisors over this time period.

 

Dr. Stark actively promotes math, science and engineering to girls in the Central Valley. She was instrumental in bringing Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) to Pacific in 1992, a program for middle and high school girls designed to encourage pursuit of careers in math and science through hands on workshops and inspirational speakers. Dr. Stark is also active in the San Joaquin Valley SWE professional section.

Cathie McClellan    

Cathie McClellan COP RESIZED
Cathie McClellan
Associate Professor, Theatre Arts, College of the Pacific
DeltaFusion Festival a Huge Success
After two and a half years of planning by Theatre Arts professor Cathie McClellan, Visual Arts professor Brett DeBoer, and Director of Research Initiatives & Strategic Partnerships for the College of the Pacific  Joanna Albala, the DeltaFusion festival came to fruition on July 23. DeltaFusion was an event created to celebrate the immigrants who gave Stockton its rich cultural diversity. DeltaFusion combined displays of visual and theater arts with music, creating a pageant of larger-than-life puppets. Professor McClellan, who conceived and initiated the DeltaFusion project, has already started planning for a fundraising campaign to prepare for the next DeltaFusion event in summer 2012.

Community Collaboration  

In June, workshops were offered to local teachers and artists to teach them about the history of Stockton as well as the basics of puppet making. In July, members of the community were invited to attend larger workshops where the finishing touches were put on the puppets, and practices were held to help participants learn to maneuver and perform with these giant works of art.

 

Faculty from the Visual Arts and Theater Arts departments along with Pacific students joined with the Haggin Museum, the Cultural Heritage Council of San Joaquin County, students and faculty from Delta College, local artists, and other community members to collaborate on the parade and pageant that took place at Victory Park in Stockton. DeltaFusion was partially funded by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Stockton Arts Endowment. Additional generous support was also provided by the Pacific Fund, The Innovation Fund, the College of the Pacific, and the Benerd School of Education. 

 

For more information about DeltaFusion, check out the website http://deltafusion.wordpress.com to find pictures, video clips, and other interesting things about the event.

Faculty Promotions Effective September 1, 2011 

Deans' Corner 

 

Giulio Ongaro

Conservatory of Music
The new Director of the Brubeck Institute, Dr. Simon Rowe, joined Pacific on September 20th. We expect that his dynamic leadership will shape the future of the Institute and allow it to achieve new levels of excellence.   

 

Jin Gong

Research and Graduate Studies

The graduate enrollment at Pacific Stockton campus increased 39% from 2007 to 2010 while applications have increased 79% during the same period. The Master of Science in Engineering Science program initiated in 2009 has seen a very successful start. The program has over 90 students in the three concentration areas: Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering / Computer Engineering / Computer Science. The program offers thesis or non-thesis options and can be completed in the traditional post-baccalaureate structure or in a blended format where the students finish with a BS and MS.

 

Cynthia Wagner Weick
School of International Studies

Award winning author and journalist Charles C. Mann will deliver the SIS Distinguished Scholar Lecture this year on November 2nd at 6:00 pm in Janet Leigh Theater. The talk will address the history of globalization, and is free and open to the public. Mann's recently published book, 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created, has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and NPR.

 

Ravi Jain 

School of Engineering and Computer Science

For the first time, Pacific's School of Engineering and Computer Science is ranked in the top 40, or top 20% among the schools of engineering without a doctorate program (212 total) by US News and World Report. Nearly all schools ranked above Pacific have masters-level programs established for many decades. Now, with the initiation of a graduate program at the masters-level in three concentration areas, the School can attain national recognition for its excellent academic programs.

 

Phil Oppenheimer
Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

To see a list of upcoming Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences student hosted Health Fairs, Immunization Clinics and Medicare Part D events, click here.

 

Elizabeth Rindskopf-Parker
McGeorge School of Law
New Legal Studies Center

The grand opening of the new Legal Studies Center was held September 17, 2011, with U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy in attendance to help usher in an exciting new era in Pacific McGeorge history. The two-story building housing the Gordon D. Schaber Law Library features expanded study space, a new computer lab and high-tech classroom, meeting rooms and faculty offices. The $10 million, 46,000-square foot LSC is the largest construction project ever undertaken on Pacific McGeorge's 13-acre campus. Read the full story here, New Legal Studies Center Brightens Law Campus.

Academic Council Update

Chris Goff, Chair, Academic Council 

Chris Goff
Chris Goff
Associate Professor of Mathematics, College of the Pacific

This semester, a brand new office opened its doors on Pacific's Stockton campus.  Located on the 6th floor of Burns Tower, the Faculty Governance Office supports faculty committees on campus, most notably Academic Affairs, the Technology in Education Committee, and the Academic Council.  Our new administrative assistant, Lourdes Reyes, an alumna of Pacific's School of Business and Public Administration (before it earned its Eberhardt name), started work on September 6th. Since this is a brand new office, we have been combing Pacific's surplus for furniture, getting that furniture moved in and assembled by Physical Plant, calling OIT for phones and email accounts, and trying to make sure Lourdes has access to all the systems and technologies she needs to maintain the office budget, finish decorating, purchase supplies and equipment, and provide the aforementioned committee support.  The staff in the Provost's Office have been most supportive of us and have really helped Lourdes get her bearings. Burns Tower

 

Her position is an interesting one, in that she reports to the current chair of Academic Council, which means she has a different supervisor each year!  But our desire is that the Faculty Governance Office and Lourdes will help to provide some continuity and institutional memory to the faculty side of shared governance.  We also expect that the office will help update and improve record-keeping, especially concerning faculty representation on committees and annual faculty elections, and will help support New Faculty Orientation.

 

Even though we have only been open for business less than three weeks, things are starting to come together.  I see this office as a real commitment to shared governance on behalf of the Provost, and I trust that the Faculty Governance Office will live up to those ideals.

2011 University Diversity Retreat

Mitchell Chang
Dr. Mitchell J. Chang
Associate Professor at UCLA


Theme: Student Success

Friday, October 28 from 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

The Vereschagin Alumni House

For more information e-mail:  [email protected]

Register online

 

Want to get an update about Pacific's Diversity Strategic Plan or gain a better understanding of the educational benefits of diversity? 

  

Then join faculty, staff, students, administrators, alumni and local community members and be challenged to consider ways that diversity and inclusion are connected to student success and how it can enhance student engagement.

  

Dr. Mitchell J. Chang, the keynote speaker, is an Associate Professor in Higher Education and Organizational Change at UCLA. Dr. Chang is considered one of Higher Education's leading scholars on diversity issues and initiatives. His book, Compelling Interest: Examining the evidence on racial dynamics in colleges and universities was cited in a United States Supreme Court ruling involving the use of race sensitive admissions practices. More recently, Dr. Chang has been a part of a Higher Education Research Institute's (HERI) project, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), on Promoting Diversity: Access and Engagement in Biomedical and Behavioral Science Research Preparation. In addition to his keynote address, Dr. Chang will participate in the assessment roundtable and will also act as the moderator for the student panel. 2011 University Diversity Retreat

Did you know...   

College of the Pacific
Steven Anderson
Steven Anderson, Professor Emeritus, Biological Sciences, College of the Pacific

Biology emeritus Steven Anderson has a gecko named after him, the Carinatogecko stevenandersoni. It's a new species of lizard discovered in Iran that was named in his honor.

gecko
Carinatogecko stevenandersoni

Professor Anderson was granted the honor by Farhang Torki, a researcher who Anderson once advised. Torki announced the discovery of the new gecko species in the latest issues of the journal Salamandra.  "After some 50 years of research on the Iranian fauna, it is a dubious distinction to have a species wearing my name," Anderson said. "It brings an amused sense of recognition to my past efforts and reinforces my determination to encourage future research in Iran". See more 


Gladys L. Benerd School of Education

The School of Education recently celebrated the graduation of its second cohort of students in Shanghai, China. Twenty-six Chinese teachers and administrators were awarded Master of Arts degrees in a late August ceremony. Associate Professors Michael Elium and Dennis Brennan, Instructor Nancy Shaw, and Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies, Jin Gong, were on hand to celebrate the accomplishments of our new alumni. 

Ai Streacker
Ai Streacker, Restorative Dentistry,
Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry

 

Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry

Department of Restorative Dentistry faculty member Dr. Ai Streacker is a dedicated dental educator. But did you know he is also an avid scuba diver, musician (plays the tuba and guitar) and motorcycle collector?

Read more about Dr. Streacker in a new profile published on the dental school's web site at: The Dugoni Experience

  

Eberhardt School of Business

Peter Hilsenrath's manuscript, "Health Expenditure Efficiency Implications for Pharmaceutical Marketing," was published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing.
 

Center for Professional and Continuing Education

CPCE launched a new Wellbriety Certificate Program in September. A completely online initiative created in partnership with White Bison, Inc. (a leading national Native American organization), this seven-class, seven-month program promotes the teaching, traditions and healing strategies of the Wellbriety Movement for Native American populations. The first cohort of 17 includes participants working as behavioral health specialists, social workers, addiction counselors and health care workers; eight have direct tribal affiliation.

Office of the Provost

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