PUC Haters
Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 by Erika Kim in Column
You hear it all the time.
“Worship/Colloquy credit is so unfair!”
“Caf’ food is terrible!”
“Curfew is so stupid.”
“Why can’t we have co-ed dorms?”
“I HATE PUC!”
There is a group of people on campus I like to refer to as PUC haters. These are the people who are constantly complaining about the way PUC looks, sounds, smells, feels, and tastes, starting with the Angwin sign to the cafe all the way up to McReynolds.
There are a few reasons why we gripe about things, and not all of them are bad. At times, it’s a way to relieve stress, sometimes it’s a reference point that allows us to connect to other people, and other times it’s a way to voice our frustrations and bring attention to issues. To a certain extent, that’s fine.
However, for those who feel strongly and earnestly about their negative opinions and criticisms of PUC, more needs to be done than making fun of and moaning over the way PUC is. Instead, we should focus on what PUC can become and how we can make that happen. This is the school we all attend. If we are still choosing to go here (and by choosing not to transfer, that is what we’re doing), we either need to change our attitudes, or do what we can to help the school evolve.
Getting things to change is hard, but using that as a reason to be apathetic is not acceptable. Yes, there are issues that need to be addressed. Yes, some of us here are unhappy with the way things are run, and might be happier under a different system. However, we can’t sit back and hope for change to happen on its own.
If you want to make a case about caf’ food, make a valid point about how having vegetarian food does not translate to being healthy cuisine, which was the original point of having a vegetarian diet. Make suggestions that can improve the menu and quality of the food. If you want to have other privileges, put away your sense of entitlement and act like adults who deserve them. Be responsible enough not to violate the terms of those privileges, and then fight to get things changed.
Educate yourself on what is actually going on and figure out how to get things changed. Investigate issues, talk to people, get a group together, and then do something. Instead of whining, make valid complaints. If you’re not willing to put in the work to try to get things changed, stop blaming PUC, stop making excuses, and stop whining.
I don’t exempt myself from my own criticism. In fact, I will be the first to admit that I’m tremendously guilty of this. If you see me walking around here, nine times out of ten I’m complaining about something wrong on campus. However, I realize that criticizing caf’ food does not make it any better, and criticizing worship credit does not make the system’s existence any less real.
As obvious as this statement might sound, it is important to remember that having issues with the system is not something that is exclusive to PUC campus. Every place has its issues, and when we leave PUC, there will be other (and probably much larger) issues that we’ll be faced with. While this may not be taught in a classroom by a professor, this is all a part of our education. Learning how to deal with issues here will teach us how to work on the larger ones out there.
PUC’s Financial Outlook
Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 by Nick Dibben in Campus
PUC’s financial future has recently been an item of discussion for many people. A lot of these financial issues were brought to the fore last year as it was announced that employees of the college, other than student workers, would be expected to take a 10 day furlough this year. This would serve to reduce PUC’s expenses to a more acceptable level. Another plan that was put into place was to reduce the college’s portion of payments into employee’s retirement accounts.
PUC has three main sources of income. The first is tuition money from the students, second are donations made from graduates and others, and the third source of income is subsidies from the church. The place where the biggest effect has been felt has been in tuition and giving. Since a lot of families have less money to pay tuition, PUC has had to pick up some of the slack with increased financial assistance for students. The global economic crisis has also reduced donations given to PUC, because people have either lost money, or they are worried about what is going to happen with it. This has led to a reduction in the donations that PUC has received. California’s own budget crisis has meant that Cal-Grant has been frozen with no increases in the money available for tuition assistance for the past while.
Another problem that PUC has faced that causes financial problems is that there has been a drop in enrollment since the school year of 04-05. At the beginning of the 04-05 school year there were 1542 students enrolled at PUC. Since 04-05 enrollment has dropped to a 20 year low in 08-09 of 1278. It is not hard to see how this affects PUC financial health.
There is, however, good news for PUC’s financial future. In an economic crisis, people tend to go back to school. This means that for the year 09-10 PUC’s enrollment has actually gone up by around 100 students. Needless to say, this means good things for PUC’s financial health, and that is reflected by the positive outlooks of the administration.
One of the more controversial measures taken by PUC to reduce financial strain was the ten day mandatory furlough for all employees, along with the reduction of retirement payments. However, because of the increase in enrollment and the general increase in financial outlooks the world over, this has improved. Pending board approval, the amount of furlough has been reduced from ten to five days, and the proposed reductions in retirement payments have not materialized.
Overall then, while PUC has had better financial times, things are definitely looking up. The furloughs and reductions in benefits have not turned out to be as bad as everybody expected. With the new ideas that the new president, Heather Knight, has brought, John Collins, Vice President for Financial Administration, said that “I feel like we have turned a corner.” With the increase in enrollment and a generally better financial outlook in the world as a whole, PUC’s financial future has potential.
In Order to Form a More Perfect PUC: A Few Suggestions
Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 by Staff in Editorial
As we have several times mentioned in previous issues, PUC’s Student Senate is in the process of a reworking the constitution regarding the SA, clubs, and other aspects of student life. We at the C2 have decided to take a leaf from the books of many major newspapers past and present, and therefore have chosen to print our own considerations on the topic, in order to both create and facilitate discussion, and raise student awareness of the inner-workings of your government in general. The primary two issues on which we would like to stake some sort of stance are on the formation of clubs, and the still theoretical idea of a Publications VP.
In order to fully support our opinion on club formation, we would like to examine the fundamental, institutional motivation in club formation. A group of people can meet consistently to do whatever they so choose without officially being a PUC club (and we know of at least a few that do so). What, therefore, is the institutional benefit of being a club?
To become official, a group must fill out the paperwork with Student Services and be deemed an appropriate reflection of the PUC institution as a whole. Once this process is completed, and the club is “official,” and therefore … gets a booth at Fall and Spring fests. Ah, yes, and has a better chance of getting the Student Services stamp on its posters, “use of college facilities for programs and meetings at no charge,” “utilization of college business support services,” and a “student nominated and college administration approved adviser” (Organize a New Club, puc.edu). In short, becoming a club means that said club will be allowed without much hindrance to try to fund itself.
On the other hand, a group of students with common interests will be able to communicate through myriad other forms than posters and the ever-present Announce emails, and barring scheduling conflicts, an unofficial club can basically use whatever campus facilities are open. We are not trying to incite a rash of civil disobedience or unofficial clubs; what we are arguing, however, is that Senate owes it to the student body to facilitate student life. Therefore, let it be proposed that Senate set aside an amount of funding for clubs, and the process of club application and acceptance be relegated to the Senate. Moneys could come from a system with universal funding for each club, and further funding by application. Even if twenty clubs formed and each received $200, or even $100, Senate would still have plenty of funds available, and those clubs would have money to at least get started; for a small club, $200 could be all they might need for the year, or enough to help them grow into a large club. Ultimately, we propose this because at the present, previously standing clubs exist, but there is little motivation to form a new club. Senate’s money is our money; if it can fund and foster student growth, then it should. This legislation would move PUC clubs from the margins and into the forefront of social life. The details, of course, would need to be hammered out by the constitutional committee, but the idea remains.
Our second proposal is the creation of a Publication VP in the SA, and a rather radical restructuring of the publication branch of the SA as it currently exists. Offices like Funnybook, Yearbook, and our own have little time (or relevancy) to be public SA officers, and more importantly, should not be filled democratically. The general student body may have no clue regarding the degree of competency of a C2 Editor candidate; our own editor won last year’s election (against himself) with a mostly nonsensical poem posing as a speech—and the extent of his journalism experience is that he took Newswriting last quarter. It would be far more preferable for these positions (Funnybook, Yearbook, etc.) to be filled by application. Potential editors would be interviewed by a committee of Communication, Graphic Design, English, etc. professors, rather than chosen by a potentially unknowing student body. The editor of the NY Times was not elected by New York City.
Instead, we propose the creation of a Publications VP. This person would run on a platform, say, more funding for the C2 and Quicksilver, less for PUC Cast, and joining Video Yearbook and Yearbook into one publication (as a completely arbitrary example). The student body would therefore actually be voting on something substantive, rather than that the C2 candidate has gorgeous hair and writes pretty. This VP, in conjunction with the President, Financial VP, and hired editors, would determine funding for publications for the next year.
Again, these are simply ideas. Remember, because we feel compelled to mimic our State and Federal governments, the SA is apparently a Republic: the senators represent you and your opinions. If you like ours, tell your senator. If you hate ours, tell your senator. Else this will be a constitution by the Senate, with little input from a potentially apathetic people.
Declaration of Interdependence
Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 by Staff in Editorial
When in the course of human events it becomes potentially helpful for a people to express their opinions in support and in constructive criticism of an institution and to assume among the powers of the school, the separate and equal voices allotted them by an independently-minded and self-aware culture, a decent respect to the opinions of humankind requires that they should declare the opinions which impel them to such expressions.
We hold these “truths” to be self-evident—as self-evident as we hold any “truths” to be, given that we are all English and History majors—that not all institutions are created equal, and that they are endowed by their constituents with certain alienable rights, that among these are the right to praise, the right to criticize, and the pursuit of betterment. —That to secure these rights, Publications are instituted among PUC, deriving their just powers from the consent of the readers (and Student Services, albeit occasionally begrudgingly so), — That whenever any school achieves or approaches these ends, it is the Right of the People to approve or reproach it, and to facilitate a new face, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Growth and Happiness. The history of the present body of Pacific Union College is a history of repeated growth and relative progress (see above caveat), all having in direct object the furtherment of education and individuals. In this tradition, let these Opinions be submitted to a candid school.
It has currently Faculty members in need of a supportive community.
It is at present experiencing the same gray world of internet privacy facing the rest of the online community.
It does at this time have a Yoga group (we are not quite sure of the relevancy of this to our apparent theme, either, but it is interesting and fun nonetheless).
It contains within itself clubs of promising and valuable content undergoing undeserved scrutiny.
It has established within itself a new President, who is proverbially rocking our financial and structural socks off.
It has on its borders dispute between itself and the natives which even now press upon its leaders.
It is at this time reconstructing its SA constitution.
It, as with many other institutions, is facing financial crisis, and is dealing with it accordingly and with a great deal of complicated numbers (thank goodness for business majors).
It has recently subjected itself to a metaphorically equivalent UN examination by WASC, and is in the process of declaring and achieving goals.
In every stage of these Growths We are Petitioning for constructive support in the most humble terms. Our repeated Petitions will be answered, we are certain, by an outpouring of student interest, as befit a free people.
We, therefore, the Representatives of Pacific Union College, in the C2, Assembled, appealing to the student body for the rectitude (it means “decency”) of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of this School, solemnly publish and declare, that we are PUC-ites, and to PUC’s betterment we mutually pledge to each other our Minds, our Fortunes, our parents’ Fortunes, our future Fortunes, some of the state’s Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
Ecovillage Project Alive but Dormant
Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 by Jonathan Pichot in Campus
For several decades, PUC has been searching for a way to monetize its 1900 acres of prime Napa Valley real estate. Unlike many other small schools, PUC does not have a very large endowment. This makes it particularly financially dependent on enrollment. By finding a way to monetize the college’s largest asset, the administration is hoping to alleviate the constant dependence on tuition dollars. Over the years, there have been many proposed developments, including a golf course and a five-star resort. The most routine and lucrative development in the Napa Valley, wine-grape production, is not being considered because of Seventh-day Adventist health beliefs. In 2006, the PUC Board of Trustees voted to examine the potential of developing the unincorporated village of Angwin. They approached a development company out of Seattle–Triad Development (triaddev.com)–known for building environmentally friendly, mixed-use communities. Triad, in consultation with PUC, developed a plan to build what they called an ‘eco-village’ in Angwin. The proposal included the construction of a new Angwin town square including more retail space and a small hotel and over 580 homes throughout PUC land.
In late 2006 and early 2007, Triad and PUC hosted a series of “town-hall” meetings at which they presented the development plans. After the plan was revealed, some members of the community formed an opposition group named Save Rural Angwin (saveruralangwin.org). They opposed any development of Angwin beyond the construction of new facilities for the college. Their primary criticisms centered on the impact the development would have on the rural nature of Angwin. They were concerned that Angwin’s infrastructure could not support the number of houses and cars that would be required.
The stand off between Save Rural Angwin (SRA) and PUC/Triad came to a head winter 2008 at a Napa County Board of Supervisor (NCBOS) meeting. Every five years, the NCBOS reviews the county general plan and accepts new proposals. At this meeting, SRA proposed a rezoning of Angwin from Planned Development to Institutional zoning. Angwin has been zoned Planned Development for decades, meaning that PUC could develop within this zoning, dubbed the Angwin Urban Bubble. The SRA proposal invented a new zoning type, Institutional, that would only allow PUC to build institutional buildings such as dorms and classrooms. The NCBOS voted against this proposal, explaining that it was out of the purview of the committee, thus allowing PUC and Triad to move forward with presenting an official development plan to the county, which includes an Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
In July 2009, Triad and PUC nullified their contract. Triad is no longer responsible for spearheading the development efforts, but will remain as a consultant. PUC will now be taking the lead in negotiating with the county. In a letter to the county, the PUC Board affirmed that it is still in support of pursuing the eco-village. The next step in the process is a formal development proposal. Reports indicate that it will be done, with the anticipated EIR, sometime in 2010. SRA has indicated that it is still prepared to lobby against the project.
Dear Professor Ha…
Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 by Online Editor in Campus
Professor Ha,
Thanks for all the insight and knowledge in the many theology and ethics classes I took from you. You always seemed to find the humor in anything that we studied, and I’ll always remember the crazy stories you liked to tell us. Every time I drive by Caiocca Pass I think of you and your crazy deer-smashing story haha! Thanks for all you’ve done and I’m praying for you.
Your friend,
Brad Cacho
Hi professor 
I have been meaning to write to you or at least put some kind of “nice” comment, but i felt that it wouldn’t really seem earnest. I have been praying for you and been reflecting on what wise words you have imparted to me, one did stick out. It was after a sermon and you said, “if you don’t remember anything from this, just remember this, Love and Be loved.” hahaha. thank you for being a great professor and “preacher”.
still praying for you
Danny Chung
Dear Professor Ha,
Thank you for the vibrant smile that you wore on our trip to Albion. During Ministry Colloquium today, I got a copy of the group photo (the funny one) of the Religion department that we took on our retreat. You play a special part in our school’s family and I thank you for making it brighter.
Thoughts and Prayers,
Cameron Haley
Dear Professor Ha,
Hello this is Jae won Lee (I took SDA theology, Christian Bioethics, and Intro. to Christian Ethics from you). I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated your presence in the class room, the short notes and encouragement that you gave me. Thank you for your help for helping me to grow in Jesus. 하나님이 항상 선생님과 가족들에게 함께 하길 간절히 기도하겠습니다.
-Jae won Lee
Dear Professor Ha,
I’d like to inform you that you may be missing opportunities for self-medication. Many times in class you’ve said hilarious things and not laughed at them, perhaps through some misguided idea of social grace or coolness. You may be surprised to hear that laughter is the best medicine. From this point forward, please make sure to laugh at ALL of your own jokes.
We are all praying for you and thinking good thoughts.
We are ready for you to be well, inside and out.
With appreciation,
Megan Milholland
Hi Jimmy,
You know my girls (wife Angie, English lady doing chemo with you—daughter Aranyani Notestine, student in your Book of Daniel class). I work at the Market.
After my daughter used references from Daniel as life lessons that apply to us all, and made her inspiration obvious, I asked who her teacher was. “Jimmy Ha” she said with admiration. Angie spoke glowingly of your kind and gentle wife.
Our kids have only known Adventist education from pre-school. We are committed. I think this is the first time either one has demonstrated a love for the Bible in all these years. Aranyani now wants to go to the Holy Land with her fiancé. She is transforming, after years of reluctant “indoctrination”, into becoming wise, and devoted. I want to sit in your Daniel class.
A husband, a Dad,
Bob Notestine
Internet Invasion: Online Privacy
Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 by Jen Cotto in Feature
Imagine this scenario. You just graduated from PUC with your bachelor’s degree. After a very educational internship at a major corporation, you are ready to enter the work force and take on the world. You find a great company who has agreed to interview you for a position you have always wanted. You’ve sent your resume, a remarkable portfolio, and you have even provided them with first class professional references. There you are, they day of the interview, in your favorite suit and ready to impress your potential employer. When you sit down for the interview, you are shocked to hear the GM of the company quote your Facebook status and ask you to elaborate. Think this is a little farfetched? Think again! Believe it or not, this is actually happening more than you think. More and more in this increasingly competitive economy, employers and even colleges and universities are checking out every detail of your life.
It is nothing new that potential employers and educational institutions at every level check and double check your references, GPA, and credit scores among other information; but as the unemployment rate reaches an inconceivable 10 percent in the nation, employers now have the luxury to be picky. And it’s not just employers; colleges and universities are also tapping in to social networking sites to determine a student’s admission to both under graduate and graduate programs. Everyone wants to know every detail of your life, not just professionally and academically, but also personally—and there is no better place to find it than the World Wide Web.
How they do it
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past decade, you most likely have a myspace, facebook, or other social networking site. If you do, you probably haven’t given much thought to the fact that all kinds of people have access to personal information on your site. People that you don’t know can have access to every detail of your personal information. Have you stopped to think lately if you would want your boss or teachers looking at what you have on your facebook? According to Marcia Muller, Human Resource and Operation Manager of Spanish Broadcasting System, a national radio and television company, if you don’t feel easy with the idea of your boss or teachers looking at what you have up there, then you should probably take it down. “Companies are now using social networking sites to see the personal lives of potential employees and interns. Most corporations are increasingly interested not only in professional credentials, but in the characters of those we are looking to hire. We want to make sure that even when off the job, our employees will represent the image of our stations in a professional way.” Muller explains that even when a person intentionally makes a social networking profile public for all to see, for example on-air talent like Disk Jockeys or Television personalities, companies will seek out your personal profiles and study every detail of what you have posted for everyone to see.
But, what if your profile is private? “There are always ways to get around a private profile” Sais Muller. “Everyone is connected with someone you know, one way or another, so even if your profile is private, someone you know may have photos of videos of you, and there is a loop-hole where someone can access that information” Muller says. If it is on the web, eventually it will make its way to anyone who wants to access it.
Feel invaded?
That’s because you are. Although every social networking site has privacy policies and you are, to a certain extent, protected by the law, what you put on the internet is there for potentially everyone to see. So, when you post or upload information on line, think about what you are posting. Just like any other information, if you wouldn’t want certain people to access it, it’s best to be left off the web. Here at PUC there are also ways in which you can protect yourself. According to Juan Balderas if ITSS, the only way anyone in school can access information or files on your computer is if you have file sharing enabled. So, if you don’t have personal files on your “share” folder, your information is safe. Juan says ITSS does not have access to the files on your computer, and even if someone did try to access your PC, it would require your approval.
When it comes to your privacy and protecting your image, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Take a moment to think about what you have on the web, and what files you are sharing with everyone at school. If you wouldn’t feel comfortable with your PUC advisor, or your boss looking at those videos or pictures, its best you take it down. You are the only one who can take control of the information that is shared, and I recommend you do.
Jo-ga
Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 by Janna Vassantachart in Campus
We peered into the dimly-lit fireside room. The torch-like lamp shades opened upwards cast an eerie glow along both lengths of the wall. Three bodies lay sprawled on the floor. Were we in the right place? Stephanie Lao and I had heard about yoga from our history teacher, Professor Douglas. She had come into class several times commenting on how she could barely move because of “jo-ga.” Every time she mentioned this, I wondered to myself how that was possible. Yoga? You simply held a pose and breathed. Child’s pose. Two deep breaths. Feel the energy in your arms. Ahh… how relaxing. Not my picture of a tough workout.
The class began. Music drifted around the room, and we started with a few “simple” stretches. Jen Jaia, our instructor, told us to arch our backs and relax. While saying this, she gently rested her head on her heels, bending her back in half—backwards. I always prided myself on being flexible. I can just about get my elbows to the floor in front of my locked legs. But, I wasn’t prepared for this. It didn’t seem anatomically possible to contort the spine in such a way. I continuously glanced at my friend Stephanie through my fogged glasses, and we shook our heads in disbelief. Next was the “chatarunga.” This one was preceded with a caution: The next sequence may be a little more difficult, so just do as much as you can. Our instructor then proved her expertise. She gracefully eased her body through a twisting-turning-backbend crawl-like maneuver. The move went from dog stance (bellies facing the floor) to a backbend (back arch with stomach to ceiling), and back! For the majority of that exercise, I tried to conceal my laughter at how every movement found me collapsed on the floor. But, we were informed that it was good to laugh at ourselves and challenge our bodies. The pace slowed, and we released the tension in our muscles. Lying down, we took time to think, contemplate, and simply relax our minds; we even got a mini-massage. Needless to say, I could empathize with Professor Douglas for the rest of the week.
Everyone is welcome to the class, mat or no mat. Boys too, and you don’t have to worry about being the only guy there. Come, strengthen some muscles, and relieve stress. You decide how much of a workout you want. The lights are dim, and no one is there to judge you. Bring a small donation (not required) and your friends to “Jo-ga”!
Namaste.
President Knight and a Vision for the New PUC
Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 by Staff in Campus
C2: Which factors brought you to apply for PUC in the first place, or were you asked to come? Even if you were asked, which aspects of PUC most attracted you?
HK: I did not initially apply for the Presidency of Pacific Union College, since I was enjoying a very successful career serving for 3 years as Provost of Andrews University. There was still much work to accomplish at Andrews, as I was in the midst of operationalizing a 5-year Strategic Plan, but after I received several nominations for this position, I decided to submit my application materials and see what the Lord might have in store. I was, of course, very much attracted to PUC’s reputation for academic excellence, as well as to its committed and gifted faculty, staff and students. It was also an opportunity to return home to California where I had spent the majority of my academic career and where I could galvanize a variety of educational resources on behalf of PUC.
As I become better-acquainted with the campus community, I have become even more impressed with the academic acumen and spiritual commitments of the campus. The preparation for our recent WASC Accreditation site visit, for example, was flawless, and I am delighted to learn of the number of PUC students who are very well-prepared and positioned to gain acceptance to medical, dental, and other professional schools, as well as prestigious graduate programs and jobs with innovative companies like Google, for example.
C2: What special skills do you bring to PUC?
HK: I bring to PUC a very rich background in higher education, both in Seventh-day Adventist and non-Adventist settings. This type of cross-fertilization has allowed me to focus on what constitutes “best practice,” both inside and outside of our system, and to do my best to implement strategies that work to improve educational effectiveness across the board. I have also been fortunate to serve at institutions that have undergone institutional transformation, so I know that institutions can experience turnarounds; I also know the strategies and types of planning that must occur to help institutions move forward in the right direction for success. At Andrews, for example, I managed the day-to-day operations of the entire campus, and also served as chief academic officer, which enabled me to help move the university to the next level of excellence. I am also a “tough-minded optimist,” and I believe that for successful leadership, optimism and moderation are best.
C2: How have you put these skills to use so far? How do you plan to put them to use?
HK: During my first 7 weeks here at PUC, I have focused on articulating a compelling intellectual and spiritual vision for the campus, which is one of the key roles for any CEO. I have also begun the planning process by working with the Vice Presidents to craft goals for the year which are highly integrated and aligned, thus creating an even greater opportunity for synergy and momentum. I have been able to plan a Board of Trustees Retreat focused on Board training, as well as to visit with departments here on campus and with PUC alumni to gain an understanding of their needs and desires and to hear how a new President can be most helpful to them. I have also been out in the Napa Valley community meeting with community leaders and seeking opportunities to develop strategic partnerships which can create win-win scenarios for our campus. As a public intellectual, I care deeply about how PUC can add intellectual, cultural and spiritual capital to our region.
4) There is particular concern (and emphasis in this issue of the C2) on PUC’s financial state. As much as is part of your position, what is your perception of PUC’s financial stability or instability, and what are your plans to deal with funding issues for the school in general?
HK: PUC does have serious financial issues that must be addressed, and the recent WASC team certainly pointed those out as institutional challenges. First of all, we must continue to grow our enrollment in order to grow our major revenue stream—tuition dollars. This fall, we experienced an 11.1% increase in enrollment due to the excellent work of Vice President Julie Lee and her enrollment team. I hosted a special luncheon at my home today to thank then for their hard work. At the same time, however, we also strategized together on how to keep this positive trajectory moving in the right direction for the next several years. Concurrent with growing the enrollment, we must also develop multiple revenue steams. We are making plans in that direction.
C2: We understand that you have special expertise in diversity. How does that relate to PUC? How do you intend to (or how have you been) implement those skills here?
HK: At the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, where I spent 18 years before going to Andrews University, I had the pleasure of serving as Assistant, then Associate Provost for Faculty Development, Diversity, and Special Programs. Having the responsibility for enhancing the university’s diversity infrastructure provided me with many valuable learning opportunities. To illustrate, I was the first faculty member to develop courses in African-American and Multicultural Literatures at Pacific. I also worked to improve faculty, staff and student representation and to improve campus climate and multicultural programming. I further secured a diversity grant from the James Irvine Foundation for $900,000, which gave us much needed resources to offer scholarships and fund a number of other important diversity initiatives.
My approach to diversity has been to emphasize the educational benefits of diversity. At Andrews University and here at PUC, I have expanded that approach to include the spiritual and social benefits as well. In the end, I would like to explore and to model how as a community of faith, we can embody the concept of the “Beloved Community” here on our wonderfully diverse campus. I would like to promote a concept which higher education thought-leaders are now calling “inclusive excellence.” That is, the realization that you cannot have excellence without diversity, and diversity must add to a sense of community rather than creating artificial barriers between different groups. It is both/and rather than either/or. As the first female, as well as the first African-American President of PUC, I am certainly committed to promoting intercultural competence.
HK: Some students have expressed views that the “Adventist Advantage” has potential to infringe on academic or artistic freedom, since sometimes can be perceived as aberrant. Do you care to comment on this?
HK: Again, as someone who has spent the majority of my academic career outside of Adventist higher education, I am particularly sensitive to issues of academic and artistic freedom. In fact, you may recall that I attended the High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts in New York City, the high school that the movie Fame is based on, so I have a deep appreciation for the Arts and literature (my Ph.D. is in English from Stanford University). However, all of us, faculty, staff, and students, who choose to join this distinctive Seventh-day Adventist learning community, including myself, choose to and commit to honoring and enacting our shared community values and beliefs as a church sponsored institution with the Christian vision as our organizing paradigm. Thus, we respond to a higher freedom—the freedom that we share as disciples of Christ who have committed ourselves to following in His footsteps. Philosophically and spiritually, I crafted the “Adventist Advantage” to “repackage,” if you will, our core values and commitments for a twenty-first century audience and to attempt to articulate with some clarity, the relevance of Adventism in the contemporary world. I don’t see that motive as infringing on academic or artistic freedom in our profoundly Christian context.
C2: Do you have anything in particular you would like to share about the recent WASC visit, either regarding policy, intended goals, or accreditation in general?
HK: I was very pleased with the recent WASC Accreditation site visit. PUC received 11 areas of commendation, and the team members really admired our commitment to do much with little and the tremendous commitment of our faculty and staff. As noted earlier, they highlighted the fact that we must address serious financial and planning issues, and we are now in “turnaround mode” heading toward recovery—although there is much hard work ahead. This work, however, is achievable, and my goal is to propel PUC from a culture of scarcity into a culture of abundance—God’s abundance.
In conclusion, I considerate it a special privilege to be here at PUC at this particular historical moment. This is truly a breakthrough moment for the campus in many ways, and I believe that all of the past opportunities and experiences that God has given me have culminated in this grand opportunity to help move PUC from “good to great.” This is not mere rhetoric with me. I believe that we as a campus community—faculty, staff, and students—should settle for nothing less than being known as the most outstanding Christian College in the West!
WASC
Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 by Erika Kim in Campus
Melissa Totton contributed to this article.
As you may already know, WASC has recently come through PUC. WASC, or Western Association of Schools and Colleges, is an organization that “is recognized as one of six regional associations that accredit public and private schools, colleges, and universities in the United States” (www.wascweb.org). So for those that doubt the respectability of PUC, know that this school meets the standards of WASC and has received accreditation as a legitimate educational establishment.
The four standards for accreditation that PUC meets are:
1. Defining Institutional Purposes and Ensuring Educational Objectives: The institution defines its purposes and establishes educational objectives aligned with its purposes and character. It has a clear and conscious sense of its essential values and character, its distinctive elements, its place in the higher educational community and its relationship to society at large. Through its purposes and educational objectives, the institution dedicates itself to higher learning, the search for truth, and the dissemination of knowledge. The institution functions with integrity and autonomy.
2. Achieving Educational Objectives through Core Functions: The institution achieves its institutional purposes and attains its educational objectives through the core functions of teaching and learning, scholarship and creative activity, and support for student learning. It demonstrates that these core functions are performed effectively and that they support one another in the institution’s efforts to attain educational effectiveness.
3. Developing and Applying Resources and Organizational Structures to Ensure Sustainability: The institution sustains its operations and supports the achievement of its educational objectives through its investment in human, physical, fiscal and information resources and through an appropriate and effective set of organizational and decision-making structures.
These key resources and organizational structures promote the achievement of institutional purposes and educational objectives and create a high quality environment for learning.
4. Creating an Organization Committed to Learning and Improvement: The institution conducts sustained, evidence-based, and participatory discussions about how effectively it is accomplishing its purposes and achieving its educational objectives. These activities inform both institutional planning and systematic evaluations of educational effectiveness. The results of institutional inquiry, research, and data collection are used to establish priorities at different levels of the institution, and to revise institutional purposes, structures, and approaches to teaching, learning, and scholarly work. (http://www.puc.edu/academics/accreditation/about-wasc-accreditation, click Criteria for review).
PUC made a statement about four themes they would use to guide and focus their work throughout the accreditation process: The four they used are:
1. A Learning Community: We will both develop a more intentional culture of evidence and use that evidence to strengthen our community of learners.
2. Stewardship: We will develop systematic processes for the stewardship of our important resources—including land development, endowment building, and enrollment management—and ensure that the assessment and planning that we engage in actually guide budgeting and decision-making.
3. A Culture of Service: We will enhance the already strong culture of compassionate service across campus, making it the hallmark of a PUC education by providing opportunities to serve locally and globally while in school as well as thoughtful and intentional preparation for a life of on-going service.
4. Conversations about Faith, Learning, and Adventist Identity: We will encourage free, honest, and critical conversations, in and out of the classroom, about the relationships between faith and learning, and about the meaning and value of being a Seventh-day Adventist Christian in the twenty-first century. (http://www.puc.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/14056/Final-Proposal.pdf)
1. A Learning Community
The first theme that PUC has is that of a Community of Learning. It is a goal of PUC to encourage every person on campus (not just the students or professors) to seek out new knowledge and constantly be learning. That being said, we have a mighty fine school here at PUC. According to U.S News & World Report in their annual “Best Colleges” issue, PUC is one of the best colleges you can go to. As of their 2010 issue, we are ranked 11 for best baccalaureate college on the West coast.
And don’t even get us started on our professors. From the sciences to the arts, PUC is stacked with some of the best in the field, and it shows in their lectures, one-on-one conversations, and expertise. Many faculty here are well known and respected in the world of academia, and we, as students, should be honored and grateful to learn from such intelligent and respectable people instead of complaining of the amount of homework they give out.
2. Stewardship
Stewardship is actually a big deal here at PUC. No matter which way you turn, there is always something to do with stewardship. From the recycling center to the Eco-village project to the Amnesty International chapter here at PUC, there are people taking responsibility and taking care of this world and others in it.
For instance, though many of us love to complain about it, Bon Appétit is actually very conscious of taking care of this world. They provide us with food bought locally to stimulate local economy as well as save on carbon emissions by not buying food from places farther away. So, what does this have to do with you, the students? Well, for one, we could all learn a little lesson or two. Instead of throwing your candy wrappers, bottles, and other trash on the ground (it’s true; we’ve seen it happen) why doesn’t everyone try using one of the many trashcans or recycling bins here on campus? Want to faculty, staff, and everyone else to take you seriously as an adult? Try cleaning up after yourself in the cafeteria. Your mom didn’t follow you to school (if she did, that’s a whole other issue that needs to be addressed at another time), and I am sure that she taught you how to clean your own place off the table. It’s all apart of taking care of this campus and each other.
If you want our honest opinion, we think that stewardship is the key to being taken seriously. Once people can see that students are taking responsibility for their own behavior and looking after the world that we live in (starting locally on our own campus), then we will start being treated like adults. And don’t be afraid to call your friends out. If someone you know leaves a mess, tell them you think it’s gross. Be proactive and help everyone else catch on.
3. A culture of service
PUC does an excellent job of providing opportunities for students to serve the community. We have a wide range of programs that have impact locally and worldwide such as Kidz Reach, Homeless Ministry, Amnesty International, World Missions, and Health Ministry.
PUC as an educational establishment also does an excellent job of providing students with a culture of service through the professors. One aspect of PUC that allows the professors to serve the students so well is the simple fact that PUC has such a small campus. The professor to student ratio makes it possible for every student to have access to face time with the teachers. Not only are students able to ask teachers for help with their classes, they are also able to establish relationships with each other. At many other colleges and universities, this is almost impossible. The professors here are clearly dedicated and passionate about what they do, and they provide the best service to students as both a mentor and friend.
However, the culture of service that PUC could improve on is addressing other concerns of the students. There are students who feel as though they are helpless to change things on campus due to a lack of voice. By encouraging students to speak up on issues, PUC could improve their sensitivity to students’ criticisms.
4. Conversations on faith, learning and Adventist identity
PUC is quite a progressive campus, especially in comparison to many other Adventist establishments. However, there is always room for improvement, and we can always be doing more as a school to challenge students to have conversations on faith, learning, and Adventist identity.
Adventist identity has become dominated by the idea of maintaining status quo, as far as the application of the religion goes. However, in light of today’s ever-changing society, this is not enough. By maintaining status quo and refusing to adapt to the culture of today, we render ourselves irrelevant and ineffective. Followers of Adventism don’t learn and grow in their faith, and they become isolated in their own bubble of outdated practices. We certainly have constructed a strong Adventist identity both in and outside of our community, but there is always more we could be doing to improve it.
Pursuing the idea of progressive revelation does introduce the threat of compromise to Adventism, but this fear should not be the reason to remain stagnant. In order to keep Adventist beliefs and principles relevant to our generation, we need to be able to apply them effectively. Although the beliefs and principles remain the same, the application of them must be changing to adapt to the culture they are in.
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