Spirit, February 2016

spirit GONZAGA FACULTY AND STAFF NEWSLETTER

›› Gonzaga Day, 2 ›› Poet’s new mission, 3 ›› Core breakdown, 4 FEB. 2016 | VOL 17 | #5

ON CATHOLIC INTELLECTUAL LIFE, NEW PARTNERSHIPS AND SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER During the fall semester, we welcomed the largest incoming first-year class ever, received approval on the revised core (see story, p. 4), saw progress on the development of new facilities, (particularly regarding design of the new residence for the Jesuit Community and the performing arts center), and launched a capital campaign. President Thayne McCulloh and AVP Patricia Killen reflected on what’s to come in 2016 during talks before the faculty and staff in January.

“Excellent teaching and learning” Strategic planning by the College and the schools will make it easier to raise funds to support their initiatives, said Killen. Academic innovation is a central part of the capital campaign, and many people are working to tell stories about our outstanding faculty, innovative programs and academic success in ways that resonate, clarify and inspire those around us. “We have excellent teaching and learning going on,” Killen noted, urging us to improve our storytelling to increase perceptions of academic quality. Also a central focus for academics is nurturing and exploring Catholic intellectual thought. From the work around the Pope’s encyclical on caring for the Earth, and the new grant supporting a theology institute for high-schoolers, to new opportunities to explore women in Catholicism, great things are taking place, Killen said. “We need to find ways to bring this gift (of being Catholic) forward.”

“It’s as essential as electricity” While many of us took vacation time around the holidays, the ITS team continued intense work to address the challenges our campus has experienced in data storage and network reliability and connectivity. ITS implemented upgrades and installed new equipment, as well as researched what new investments are necessary to preserve our network capacity and stability, said McCulloh, because, “it’s as essential as electricity and water.”

New facilities in the plans The president outlined four building projects on the drawing board: the Jesuit Residence architectural plan is completed, and ground will be broken for this project – provided adequate benefactor support – this summer on the northwest

Gonzaga will look to enroll 1,150 new freshmen in fall 2016. corner of Boone and Astor. The Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center is currently being designed. It will be located on the south portion of the Jepson parking lot, west of Jepson and directly across the quad from Jundt Art Center and Museum. Work will begin this spring on the design phase of a new science and engineering building, west of Paccar Center. That project is necessitated by the growing interest in those two areas of study, and the upswing in nursing education. However, it will not advance until funding is in place. Plans for the Center for Athletic Achievement, south of Martin Centre, are ongoing, and fundraising is going well.

The Purple & Gold McCulloh said conversations around medical education and potential for partnership with the University of Washington’s School of Medicine continue.

Student Enrollment Shifts in enrollment over the last five years show that while undergraduate enrollment has increased slightly, graduate enrollment has decreased by about 15 percent. We’re also seeing changes in preferred undergraduate areas of study, with an increase in sciences, notably engineering, and

decreases in the humanities. Significantly, more students are arriving with a declared major, rather than opting to explore majors before choosing one. “One definition of a prestigious institution,” said McCulloh, “is one that has total control over its enrollment. We need to know exactly how many (students) we’ll accept, particularly in certain programs, because vacillations in enrollment create year over year challenges in the budget.”

Caring for One Another There have been many losses in our family recently – friends like Paula Foster and Marguerite Sladich – three students lost their fathers over Christmas, and we have faculty/staff members mourning the passing of spouses and loved ones. McCulloh said these “underscore that ours is not an artificial community, but a community of real people with real burdens and challenges. More often than not, these remain private. Sometimes making a positive impact requires only an email or a call. Sometimes it requires more. “But if there’s one belief that I truly hold about Gonzaga, it is that this is a place where, when the going gets tough, people are really there for one another,” McCulloh said. “Thank you for modeling for our students, and for each other, what it means to be a community.”

FEB 2016