As we concluded the academic year just past and are now busily planning for the start of school in the fall, I am struck by how routine life has been on campus these past eight months. Indeed, it has been routinely busy, routinely productive, routinely excellent and routinely hopeful - much like it is every year at PLU.
The wonder of it all is that teaching and learning have flourished in spite of the extraordinary economic and political circumstances that continued to swirl about us. I believe that there is no better place to be during these uncertain times than in college preparing for a career and for a life of service. And there is no better place to be than PLU where dedication to academic quality and opportunity is unwavering.
Pacific Lutheran University's commitment to academic excellence is moving ahead on several fronts:
The faculty is this fall implementing a new general education curriculum.
The university is hiring an exceptional group of tenure-track faculty members (while many colleges and universities have suspended hiring) to ensure that PLU’s excellence in teaching and learning will continue.
We are advancing our commitment to global education. Most recently we received the 2009 Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization making PLU the first and only private college in the West to receive this honor.
We are expanding our investment in student-faculty research and creative projects.
Media Lab's documentary, "Illicit Exchanges: Canada, the U.S. and Crime," received a National Honorable Mention Award in the video documentary category from the Broadcast Education Association, received a National First Place Grand Prize Award from the National Broadcasting Society and a 2009 college division Emmy Award from the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Art & Sciences.
The chemistry department received a National Science Foundation grant enabling it to acquire a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, the only such instrument at a private university in the Northwest.
We are advancing our commitment to sustainability. We were recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a 2008-2009 Individual Conference Champion for purchasing more green power than any other school in our conference.
Yes indeed, it has been another year of remarkable accomplishment for the campus community. We are looking forward to more of the same as you join our extended community in the fall.
Welcome to PLU. I know that you will help make next year a remarkable one in so many ways.
