Seattle Pacific University

Seattle Pacific University
Motto:	Engaging the Culture, Changing the World
Established	1891
Type:	Private
Endowment:	$43,369,000 USD [1]
President:	Philip W. Eaton
Undergraduates:	2,979 (2006)
Postgraduates:	794 (2006)
Location	Seattle, Washington, USA
Campus:	Urban, 43 acres
Mascot:	Falcon
Affiliations:	Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
Website:	www.spu.edu

Seattle Pacific University (SPU) is a Christian university of the liberal arts, sciences and professions, located on the north slope of Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, Washington, USA. It was founded in 1891 by the Oregon and Washington Conference of the Free Methodist Church as the Seattle Seminary. It became the Seattle Seminary and College in 1913, changed names again to Seattle Pacific College in 1915, and took its present name in 1977. Seattle Pacific University is a member of the Christian College Consortium.

Campus

SPU Gwinn Commons

Seattle Pacific University Library

SPU enjoys a 43-acre campus on the northern slope of the residential neighborhood of Queen Anne Hill, close to the artsy Fremont neighborhood. Some of the massive trees on campus are the oldest remaining original trees in Seattle. SPU also owns and operates two satellite campuses: a wilderness field station specializing in biology on Blakely Island in the San Juan Islands and former military fort turned retreat facility at Camp Casey on Whidbey Island.

Library

The four-floor Seattle Pacific Library was completed in 1994. It houses over 190,000 volumes and 1,300 print periodicals, and grows by 6,000 new titles a year. Students and faculty have access to the collections of the Orbis Cascade Alliance and Summit, comprising over 30 million items held in Washington and Oregon academic libraries, including the University of Washington. In addition to printed reference materials, the library also hosts many electronic sources, including abstracts and indexes from ProQuest Direct, EBSCOHost, First Search, and other online services, and is available at all computers in library and on campus, including several computer labs in library.

Residences

Seattle Pacific University has four residence halls. The university offers other on-campus residence options, such as the Robbins and Wesley apartments, and other small suite- or apartment-style living facilities for non-freshmen classmen. All residence halls feature single-gender floors. The four residence halls are Ashton Hall, Hill Hall, Moyer Hall, and Emerson Hall. Ashton is on top of the large hill. It is stereotyped to be the "party dorm." Hill is stereotyped as the family dorm. This is where Jonathan Scott Post resides - on the 6th level with Thomas Ryan Castle and Javier. Moyer is considred the Nerd/Artsy dorm, and Emerson is known as the Rich Snob dorm. That is where Ashley Buckholtz resides. She's an SMC on the first floor. All freshman are required to live on-campus in the dorms unless they are living with family. Meal plans are required for all students living in the dorms. Students may leave campus housing when they are 20 years old, have Junior class status, or have petitioned and been approved to live off campus by Campus Housing. Ashton Hall, opened in 1965, is SPU’s largest dormitory hall with over 400 students on 12 floors, 9 of them being women's floors. The hall is located on the highest point of SPU's campus. Many rooms have a nice view of the campus and the Lake Washington Ship Canal, but others face a concrete retaining wall that is less than idyllic. Annual Ashton events include the Ashton Cup lip-sync contest, the Ashton Art Show, and a formal ball. The hall is named in honor of SPU psychology professor Dr. Philip F. Ashton (1929-1971).

Emerson Hall

Emerson Hall, opened in 2001, is the campus's newest dormitory hall, featuring suites, card-access security, a main lounge with gas fireplace and Northwest wood beams, an exercise center and a prayer chapel. Emerson events include a quarterly Coffee House, the Emerson Film Festival, and the Spring Banquet. Emerson also features The Bridges Floors, dedicated to giving students a unique opportunity to discuss global issues and cultural relationships with other students. The hall is named for the street on which it resides. Hill Hall, which opened in 1962, located in the upper middle of the campus just steps from Gwinn Commons and the SPU Library, is known as the "family" dorm for its comfortable atmosphere. It features a newly updates main lounge, the REX athletic center, and the Hill Hall “beach,” a grassy area behind the hall popular for outdoor recreation and sunbathing. Hill Hall events include the "Decades" Skate, a retreat to Camp Casey, and an annual ball. It is named for the Reuben Hill family who donated property to the school for its expansion.

Robbins Apartments

Moyer Hall, opened in 1953 and remodeled in 1983, is located in the center of the campus on the edge of Tiffany Loop. The smallest of the traditional residence hall, Moyer hosts annual events including a fall retreat, an ice-broomball game, a citywide scavenger hunt, and an all-hall banquet.The 05-06 school year also included a new event called The Experience Moyer Project (EMP) which featured musical talent from the hall as well as a variety of other activities. The hall was named for SPU professor and dean, Jacob Moyer. Robbins Apartments, opened in 1966 as on-campus, furnished one and two bedroom apartment-style housing. The apartments are more independent from the school than traditional dormitories, both in attitude and its somewhat removed location from the rest of the campus. Annual events include the Robbins Thanksgiving Dinner, a winter retreat, the Queen Anne Collect-a-Can food drive, and an annual broom ball game. The hall is named for Board of Trustees member and chair, Marion B. Robbins. Other Apartment Complexes, including Bailey, Cremona, Dravus, Falcon, and other buildings known by address rather than name are owned and maintained by SPU. These complexes differ from Robbins mainly in social structure due to the lack of internal hallways in most complexes. These apartments are closer to campus but provide a more independent living situation. These apartments provide a great aggregate living environment among students but are unfortunately in disrepair and comparatively very expensive. On a clarifying note, the Wesley Apartments at Cremona and Dravus are not owned or maintained by SPU but still have many feature in common with SPU owned apartments including Peer Advisors, SPU security response and campus communication (campus extensions and internet).

Ministries

As a university deeply committed to the Christian faith, Seattle Pacific University has recently updated its ministry program, developing the new Office of University Ministries and Center for Worship. These programs focus on being involved in the Christian story and history, bringing people together in community, and investing in God’s work. The programs’ new 37-Five project enables students engaged in the ministries to give through the University to non-profit organizations they are passionate about.

Traditions

• New Student Convocation: has its roots in a 1932 convocation where new students and faculty gathered to celebrate the opportunities and challenges of the new academic year that lays ahead.
• 37-Five Project: Starting in the 2007-2008 school year, the CFE program has been replaced in favor of a new project called 37-five. This project is a completely voluntary program where students who participate in on-campus worship events can apply to direct funds to non-profit organizations through the Office of University Ministries and Center for worship.
• Homecoming: First instituted in 1935 at the school’s 42nd Commencement, Homecoming is now celebrated in early Winter Quarter and hosts class reunions, athletic events, drama and music performances, a student talent show, and other gatherings of alumni, students, and faculty.
• Tradition: Tradition represents the SPU community's Christmas celebration. Begun in the late 1980s, Tradition takes place in the Tiffany Loop during the first week of December and focuses on the birth of Christ through hosting a Christmas tree-lighting, carol singing, sleigh or horse rides, readings of the Christmas story, and live nativities.
• Ivy Cutting: A part of SPU graduation since 1922, graduates receive a cutting from a long ring of ivy, symbolizing the graduate's ties to the university and new life found afterward.
• Baccalaureate: Occurring the night before Graduation, this service of worship and reflection is planned by the senior graduating class and featuring student speakers.
• Commencement: Commencement celebrates the scholarship, service, and Christian growth of graduating seniors, and degrees are awarded for both undergraduate and graduate level students.
• Social Venture Plan Competition: Beginning in 2007, SPU annually sponsors a voluntary Social Venture Plan Competition in which SPU students develop projects that can make a difference in the world. By requiring students to develop business proposals that are later judged by Seattle-area small business owners, the Social Venture Competition develops participants' entrepreneurial skills.
  • 2007 Winner: Karman Tandon and Brandon Teng with Care For Kids

Enrollment

Student Enrollment

(Statistics are based on Autumn Quarter 2006)

• Total enrollment - 3,830
  • Undergraduate students - 2,979
  • Post-baccalaureate students - 57
  • Graduate Students - 794
  • Continuing Education - 5,482 (Summer 2005)

Class Size

• 73 percent of the Autumn Quarter 2005 undergraduate classes had enrollments of 30 or less.
• Institutional Student-Faculty Ratio : 15:1 (Based on Common Data Set definition)

Recent History

1915: Alexander Hall - first building of Seattle Pacific College

• September 22, 2005 - Seattle Pacific University announces higher selectivity in the admission process. A record number of applications and a capacity enrollment at Seattle Pacific University means increased competition for admission.
• August 29, 2005 - Seattle Pacific University earned high rankings in several college guides released this month. U.S.News & World Report's 2006 “America's Best Colleges” ranked SPU #4 in the category “Best Values” of colleges and universities in the West. The formula used to determine the best value compares a school's academic quality to the net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average level of financial aid.
  • In another U.S.News category, Seattle Pacific ranked in the top 15 colleges and universities in the magazine's Western region, which includes institutions from Texas to Hawaii. SPU ranked #12 in the category "Master's Universities," institutions that provide a full range of undergraduate and master's programs and limited doctoral programs.
  • In addition, SPU was named a “Best Western College” by The Princeton Review. The Review's Western region includes 122 colleges and universities from Texas to Hawaii. The ranking lists are based on surveys of more than 110,000 students, and feedback from counselors, students, parents, educators, and Princeton Review staff across the country.
• September 20, 2001 - a press release by the university states that they have once again hit record enrollment.
• September 21, 2000 - a press release by the university states that they have hit record enrollment.
• In Autumn Quarter 2003, a 64,000-square-foot Science Building opened, and the Otto Miller Hall (formerly the Miller Science Learning Center) underwent a major renovation. Both now enable undergraduate students to conduct research with faculty members in state-of-the-art facilities.
• In 1998, a unique “Common Curriculum,” an innovative approach to general education, was launched during the Autumn Quarter.
• In 1994, as part of its successful $25 million capital campaign, SPU opened a $10 million Library that now serves as the heart of the academic program.
• In 2000, Seattle Pacific University began hosting the quarterly IMAGE: A Journal of Arts and Religion, which features artists, writers, and musicians that approach their work from a Christian standpoint.

Academic Profile

The SPU Clock Tower

Academic Program Statistics

• Undergraduate Majors - 56
• Undergraduate Minors - 42
• Master’s and Post-Master's Degrees - 11
• Doctoral Programs - 3

Academic Structure

• College of Arts and Sciences
  • Fine Arts
  • Humanities
  • Science and Engineering
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Schools
  • Business and Economics
  • Education
  • Health Sciences
  • Psychology, Family and Community
  • Theology

Graduate Studies

• Master of Arts
• Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
• Master of Education (M.Ed.)
• Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)
• Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.)
• Master of Science (M.S.)
• Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Family Psychology (Ph.D.)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial/Organizational Psychology (Ph.D.)

Famous alumni

• Dirk Been - Survivor contestant season one
• Doris Brown Heritage –1964, 1971– five-time world cross-country champion, coach, USA Track and Field Hall of Fame
• Jake DeShazer – B.A. 1948 – Doolittle raider, missionary to Japan
• Gordon Fee - prominent scholar on the Holy Spirit
• Marcus Hahnemann –1993– Men's National Soccer Team
• Eugene H. Peterson - author of The Message
• Jeff Probst - Host of Survivor, attended, did not graduate
• Larry Wall – B.A. 1976 – programmer, linguist, author, most widely known for his creation of the Perl programming language in 1987.
• Alex Thomason - The Apprentice (TV series) contestant
• Jen Montzingo - The Littlest Groom (TV series) contestant Little People Big World (TV series) series regular/family friend

Presidents of SPU

External links

• Seattle Pacific University official web site
• IMAGE Comes to SPU
• KSPU College Radio
• The Falcon Online