In My Opinion: President DeRosa
Private Universities May Cost Less Than You Think
Economic turmoil on Wall Street and Main Street has all of us concerned about our financial future. As the stock market drops and rises on an hour-by-hour basis, and we hear news about bailouts, a recession and rising unemployment, we question the wisdom of any long-term financial commitments. Read the rest of Dr. DeRosa's newspaper editorial
Commitment to Environmental Stewardship
One of the distinctive aspects of a Pacific education is the development of the whole student for responsible leadership. We think of this leadership as encompassing both career and community, and also by extension the preservation of natural resources. As the steward of 75% of the existing papers of naturalist John Muir, it is fitting for the University to build environmental stewardship into a number of our experiential learning programs and our daily operations. See Commitment to Environmental Stewardship.Philanthropy is a Community Foundation
One of the most satisfying roles I perform as University president is that of building and stewarding lifelong relationships between Pacific and its students, alumni and friends. These relationships form a foundation upon which current and future support of the University is built, and such support is the basis of significant progress in many areas. The generosity of our alumni, Regents, friends, parents, faculty and staff is the lever which over many years has lifted the University from good to great, and from great to greater. See Philanthropy is a Community Foundation.A Look Toward the Future
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. See A Look Toward the Future.Making Higher Education More Affordable
During May's Commencement address, alumnus Jose M. Hernandez '84 stood before more than 5,000 graduates, family members and friends and reminisced about his childhood days as a migrant farm worker. He recalled sitting in his family's car "tired, dusty, and sweaty" after a hard day's work and hearing his parents' words - words that never left him. See Making Higher Education More Affordable.
Educating Responsible Leaders
Making leadership development an explicit part of what happens in college is critically important in our increasingly complex society. Higher education leaders were recently reminded of this by a report from the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), which concludes that change is urgently needed to meet the greater expectations placed on colleges and universities by students, parents, employers, and policy makers. See Educating Responsible Leaders.
In Support of Independent Higher Education
America has long been regarded as having the best colleges and universities in the world. Among the nation’s 4,200 institutions of higher learning, some 1,700 are “public,” meaning that they depend on the taxpayers for a substantial portion of their funding. The remaining 2,500 are “private” institutions that operate independently, raising nearly all their funds from tuition and donations. See In Support of Independent Higher Education.
Weaving Undergraduates into the Web of Research
When I was an undergraduate, the idea of working directly with faculty members on their research was all but unheard of. Psychology students could volunteer as subjects for studies, but getting into the laboratory, using state-of-the-art instruments and helping prepare articles for publication in major journals were privileges reserved for graduate students. See Weaving Undergraduates into the Web of Research.
