University of the Pacific (United States)

University of the Pacific (Pacific or UOP) is a private Methodist-affiliated university with campuses in Sacramento, San Francisco, and Stockton, California. It is the oldest chartered university in California,[4] the first independent coeducational campus in California, and both the first conservatory of music and first medical school on the West Coast.

Not to be confused with Pacific Union College or Pacific University.
University of the Pacific
Former names
College of the Pacific (1911–1961)
California Wesleyan College (1851)
TypePrivate
EstablishedJuly 10, 1851 (July 10, 1851)
Religious affiliation
Methodist
Endowment$463.3 million (2019)[1]
PresidentChristopher Callahan
Academic staff
431 full-time; 461 part-time[2]
Students6,447 (2019)[2]
Undergraduates3,640 (2019)[2]
Postgraduates1,183 (2019)[2]
Other students
1,624 (2019)[2]
Location
Sacramento, San Francisco, and Stockton
,
California
,
United States

37°58′46″N 121°18′45″W
CampusUrban, 175 acres (71 ha)
ColorsOrange and Black    
AthleticsNCAA Division I – WCC
NicknameTigers
AffiliationsNAICU[3]
IAMSCU
MascotPowercat
Websitewww.pacific.edu

UOP was first chartered on July 10, 1851, in Santa Clara, California, under the name California Wesleyan College. The school moved to San Jose in 1871 and then to Stockton in 1923. Pacific is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).[5] In addition to its liberal arts college and graduate school, Pacific has schools of business, dentistry, education, engineering, international studies, law, music, pharmacy, and health sciences.

It is home to the papers of environmental pioneer John Muir.[6]

History

Pacific was founded on July 10, 1851, in Santa Clara. It was originally named California Wesleyan College, but one month later, it petitioned to have its name changed to the University of the Pacific.[7] In 1858, the college opened the first medical school on the West Coast; it was called the Medical Department of the University of the Pacific. The medical school was later affiliated with University College under the name Cooper Medical College, and in 1908 it was taken over by Stanford University and became the Stanford University School of Medicine.[8]

In 1871, the campus was moved to San Jose, to an area that came to be known as the College Park neighborhood, and opened its doors to women, becoming the first independent co-educational campus in California.[4][9] In 1878, the Conservatory of Music was established at Pacific, making it the first of its kind west of the Mississippi River.[4][9] In 1896, Napa College merged with the college. In 1911, the name was changed to College of the Pacific (COP or Pacific).

In 1923, the campus relocated from the Bay Area to the city of Stockton[10] becoming the first private four-year university in the Central Valley; it changed its name back to University of the Pacific in 1961.[10] In 1925, the San Jose campus was sold to Santa Clara College which moved its Santa Clara Prep to the campus and renamed it Bellarmine College Preparatory.

The university expanded into graduate and professional education in the 1950s, establishing the School of Pharmacy in 1955 and the Graduate School in 1956.[11]

In 1962, Pacific merged with the San Francisco College of Physicians and Surgeons (established in 1896 in San Francisco), and then in 1966, with the McGeorge School of Law (established in 1924 in Sacramento).[12]

In the late 1960s, when "... federal law about public funding of church-related institutions became an issue ..." the university stopped receiving funding from the United Methodist Church, but maintains its affiliation with the church while operating as a non-denominational school.[13]

In 2013, the university received an estate gift of $125 million from Robert and Jeanette Powell. It is the largest gift in the university's history.[14] This gift increased Pacific's endowment to $334 million.[15] That same year, Pacific awarded its highest honor, the Order of Pacific, to the Powells.[14]

In fall 2018, the university announced a planned tuition increase and budget cuts. This was the third consecutive year of such plans. In response to these financial plans and the perceived secrecy with which they had been developed, faculty voted "no confidence" in the university's president and students protested.[16][17]

In May 2019, the university's Board of Regents approved a new health school, to launch in fall 2020 with four new graduate health care programs. The board also approved merging the Gladys L. Benerd School of Education with University College to form Benerd College, a new school focused on innovative educational programs with flexible pricing and delivery methods, including hybrid and online programs for working adults.[18]

Campuses

Stockton Campus
Burns Tower on the Stockton campus

The Stockton Campus, featuring a tower, rose gardens, architectural columns, brick-faced buildings, and numerous[19] trees, has been used in Hollywood films, due to its aesthetic likeness to East Coast Ivy League universities: High Time, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Sure Thing, Dead Man on Campus, and Dreamscape, among others.[20] Part of Disney's 1973 film The World's Greatest Athlete was also shot at Pacific.

The Stockton Campus is home to three main residential halls: Grace Covell Hall, Southwest Hall, and the Quad Buildings. The Quads are composed of several separate smaller residence halls in proximity to each other. Grace Covell is the largest residence hall on campus holding more than 350 students while Southwest and the Quads hold a lower number of students. Junior and seniors can find housing in the University Townhouses on the northwest side of campus, McCaffrey Center Apartments located in the center of campus or in the three apartment buildings: Monagan Hall, Chan Family Hall, and Calaveras Hall, which is named after the river that flows through the campus, the Calaveras River.[21] There are also fraternity and sorority houses located on campus.

In 2008, the university opened the Don and Karen DeRosa University Center (DUC), at a cost of $38 million, to centralize all campus student-centered activities. The DUC houses a central dining hall, student cafe, pub, bookstore and conference centers, replacing facilities in the McCaffrey Center. The university also built a new $20 million Biological Sciences Center in 2008 that provides advanced classroom and laboratory facilities for students studying the natural sciences and the health sciences.

The university opened the LEED Gold-certified John T. Chambers Technology Center, home of the university's School of Engineering[22] and Computer Science, in 2010. Calaveras Hall, a new apartment-style residence hall, opened in 2018.[23] In 2019, the university is in the process of renovating the William Knox Holt Memorial Library.[24]

The campus is home to Morris Chapel, a non-denominational church.[25]

Sacramento Campus

Pacific's 13-acre Sacramento Campus houses graduate and professional programs and a degree completion program in the Oak Park neighborhood, south of downtown. It consists of 24 buildings, including academic facilities, four residential facilities, and a fitness center/pool [26]

The campus is anchored by McGeorge School of Law, which is the only law school approved by the American Bar Association in Sacramento County. In 2015, Pacific began a transformation of its Sacramento Campus by adding graduate and professional programs. The campus is now focused on law, education, health sciences, organizational leadership, and public policy.[27]

San Francisco Campus
Main article: University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry

Pacific's San Francisco Campus is located in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood, containing classrooms, administrative offices, a simulation laboratory and clinics offering dental care to the public through the Dugoni School of Dentistry. The San Francisco Campus also includes graduate programs in analytics, audiology, food studies, and music therapy.[28]

Campus sustainability efforts

The university strives to promote environmental responsibility. Students are given opportunities to take part in sustainability service projects through the M.O.V.E. (Mountains, Ocean, Valley Experience) program. The on-campus dining services participates in the Farm to Fork Program, buying food locally where feasible. In 2009, students from the Residence for Earth and Environmental Living and Learning (a campus residential learning community), the Students for Environmental Action, and the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences designed and implemented the "Tap That" campaign, whose goal was to inform students, faculty and staff about the effects of disposable water bottles on the environment.[29][30] The university has been listed in the Sierra Club's list of "Cool Schools, " of universities that value sustainability, for eight years running.[31] The university has opened several LEED certified buildings, including the Don and Karen DeRosa University Center, the John T. Chambers Technology Center, and the Vereschagin Alumni House[32] and has an interactive garden program on its Stockton and Sacramento campuses.[33]

Student demographics

As of 2019, the Stockton Campus had 4,921 students (3,628 undergraduates, 681 graduate, 612 first professional students).[2] The University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco had 677 students (11 undergraduates, 168 graduate, 498 first professional students), and the McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento had 849 students (1 undergraduate, 334 graduate, 514 first professional students).[2]

Student Body Composition, 2019 [2]
UndergraduateU.S. Census[34]
White American 22.4%65.8%
African American 3.2%12.1%
Asian / Pacific Islander 38.2%4.3%
Hispanic American 20.9%14.5%
Multi-Ethnic 4.1%(N/A)
Native American < 1%0.9%
International student 8.5%(N/A)
Race/Ethnicity Unknown 1.6%(N/A)

Academics

Pacific is fully accredited and offers more than 80 undergraduate areas of study, including 12 accelerated programs, more than 30 graduate and professional programs in 11 schools and colleges and a continuing education program.[35]

The university's 11 schools and colleges are:[36]

  • Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry: San Francisco
  • Benerd College: Stockton, Sacramento, and San Francisco.
  • College of the Pacific: The university's school of arts and sciences (liberal arts), Stockton
  • Conservatory of Music: The first conservatory of music on the west coast, Stockton
  • Eberhardt School of Business: Stockton [37]
  • The Graduate School: Stockton, Sacramento and San Francisco
  • Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy: Stockton
  • McGeorge School of Law: Sacramento
  • School of Engineering and Computer Science: Stockton
  • School of Health Sciences: Sacramento
  • School of International Studies: Stockton, housed within College of the Pacific. One of six undergraduate schools of international studies in America.[38]

Admissions
First-Time Freshmen Profile[2][39][40][41][42]
20192018201720162015
Freshman Applicants 13,04313,54513,0648,87014,449
Admits 8,5448,5988,4755,8539,328
% Admitted 65.564.065.066.064.6
Enrolled 779954899726937
GPA 3.603.543.523.543.45
SAT Composite* 12401230119811631150
(*SAT out of 1600)

Admission to University of the Pacific is rated as "more selective" by U.S. News & World Report.[43]

For fall 2018, Pacific received 13,545 freshmen applications; 8,598 were admitted (64%).[44] The average GPA of enrolled freshmen was 3.45, while the middle 50% range of SAT scores were 560-660 for evidence-based reading and writing, 560-690 for math.[44] The middle 50% range of the ACT Composite score was 22–30.[44]

Rankings
University rankings
National
Forbes[45] 238
THE/WSJ[46] 113
U.S. News & World Report[47] 133
Washington Monthly[48] 131
Global
QS[49] 801–1000

The 2021 U.S. News & World Report ranking of U.S. colleges and universities ranked University of the Pacific's undergraduate program tied at 133rd in the "Top National Universities" category.[50] Also for 2021, USN&WR ranked Pacific 53rd in "Best Value School," tied at 93rd for "Best College for Veterans," and tied at 36th for "Top Performers on Social Mobility". [50]

Athletics
Main article: Pacific Tigers
See also: Pacific Tigers men's basketball and Pacific Tigers football

Pacific had previously competed in the NCAA Division II California Collegiate Athletic Association conference but left in 1950. In 1952, Pacific became a charter member of the California Basketball Association, which soon became the West Coast Athletic Conference (WCAC) and is now the West Coast Conference (WCC). They remained in the WCAC until joining the Pacific Coast Athletic Association, now known as the Big West Conference, in 1969 for football and 1971 for other sports. Pacific dropped football after the 1995 season, and returned to the WCC in 2013.

Facilities on the Stockton Campus include the 2,500-seat Klein Family Field for baseball, the 350-seat Bill Simoni Field for softball, the 6,150-seat Alex G. Spanos Center for basketball and volleyball, Knoles Field for soccer, Chris Kjeldsen Pool for swimming and water polo, the Eve Zimmerman Tennis Center, Janssen-Lagorio Gymnasium and Performance Center.

University of the Pacific competes in NCAA Division I athletics as the Pacific Tigers in the West Coast Conference. After over 40 years of being in a conference (the PCAA/Big West) in which they were the only private school ever to have been a member, they returned to a league that is now composed exclusively of private, faith-based schools. (BYU is affiliated with the LDS Church, Pepperdine with the Churches of Christ, and the other seven members are Catholic.) The athletics department sponsors 17 sports: baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's cross country, women's track and field, men's golf, men's and women's soccer, women's softball, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, women's volleyball, women's sand volleyball, and men's and women's water polo. The university's two national championships have come in women's volleyball, a sport in which the school advanced to 24 straight NCAA Tournaments (1981–2004) and appeared in nine Final Fours (2 AIAW, 7 NCAA).

Administration

On July 1, 2020, Christopher Callahan became the university's 26th president. Callahan, the founding dean of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, was selected after a nationwide search and a unanimous decision by the Board of Regents.[51]

The president is selected by the university's Board of Regents. The board has up to 35 members, many of whom are alumni, and strives to include graduates of all three campuses and professional schools. Former members include former NASA Astronaut José M. Hernández and former San Diego Chargers owner Alex G. Spanos.

Fraternities and sororities

About 10% of students are members of a social fraternity or sorority[52] at University of the Pacific, where there are three on-campus social fraternity houses and three on-campus social sorority houses overseen by the university. In addition to the four social fraternities and three social sororities, there are four multicultural organizations. There are also a variety of professional organizations and fraternities.[53]

Fraternities

Sororities

Multicultural fraternities

Multicultural sororities

Professional fraternities

Service fraternities

Honor societies

Notable alumni
Main article: List of University of the Pacific (United States) people

See also

References
  1. As of June 30, 2019. "U.S. and Canadian 2019 NTSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2019 Endowment Market Value, and Percentage Change in Market Value from FY18 to FY19 (Revised)". National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  2. "Fast Facts 2019". University of the Pacific Institutional Research.
  3. "NAICU – Member Directory". Archived from the original on 2015-11-09. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
  4. "Key Dates in Pacific's History". University of the Pacific. Archived from the original on June 15, 2008. Retrieved September 30, 2007.
  5. WASC Institutions, wascsenior.org/institutions/university-pacific, Retrieved March 30, 2014
  6. Welcome to the University Library. Library.pacific.edu. Retrieved on 2013–07–17.
  7. "Pacific's Mission". University of the Pacific. Archived from the original on October 14, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  8. Wilson, John Long (1998). "Stanford University School of Medicine and the Predecessor Schools: An Historical Perspective". Lane Medical Library. Stanford University. Archived from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  9. "Pioneering Firsts". University of the Pacific. Archived from the original on June 9, 2010. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
  10. "History and Mission". Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  11. "History and Mission". University of the Pacific. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  12. "In The Beginning". University of the Pacific. Archived from the original on May 1, 2007. Retrieved September 30, 2007.
  13. "General Questions/Is Pacific a religious or church-related university?". University of the Pacific. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  14. "University of the Pacific receives $125 million gift". University of the Pacific. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  15. "Endowment Investments". www.pacific.edu.
  16. Whitford, Emma (October 25, 2018). "Revolt at U of the Pacific". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  17. Whitford, Emma (November 6, 2018). "Faculty Vote No Confidence at U of the Pacific". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  18. "Board of Regents approves new health school and merger of Gladys L. Benerd School of Education". University of the Pacific. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  19. "Beautiful Campus Environment". University of the Pacific. Archived from the original on June 9, 2010. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
  20. "Hollywood at Pacific". University of the Pacific. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
  21. "Upper Division, Graduate and Professional Housing Options". University of the Pacific. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  22. "John T. Chambers Technology Center". University of the Pacific. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  23. "Calaveras Hall - Our Newest Housing Option". University of the Pacific. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  24. "Renovation". University of the Pacific. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  25. "Morris Chapel". University of the Pacific. Retrieved September 30, 2007.
  26. "About McGeorge". University of the Pacific. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
  27. "University of the Pacific to launch five new graduate programs in Sacramento". Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  28. "Pacific announces new Sacramento degrees: Expansion is milestone in region's higher education". Archived from the original on 2015-07-05. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  29. "The College Sustainability Report Card". University of the Pacific. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
  30. "Sustainability at Pacific". University of the Pacific. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
  31. "We knew it already, but Pacific is a 'Cool School'". University of the Pacific. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  32. "John T. Chambers Technology Center is Certified LEED Gold". University of the Pacific. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  33. "The Pacific Garden Program". University of the Pacific. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  34. See Demographics of the United States for references.
  35. "Majors and Programs". University of the Pacific. Retrieved 2019-06-12.
  36. "Schools and Colleges". University of the Pacific. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  37. "Eberhardt School of Business". www.pacific.edu.
  38. "School of International Studies". University of the Pacific. Retrieved 2010-06-26.
  39. "Fast Facts 2018". University of the Pacific Institutional Research.
  40. "Fast Facts 2017". University of the Pacific Institutional Research.
  41. "Fast Facts 2016". University of the Pacific Institutional Research.
  42. "Fast Facts 2015". University of the Pacific Institutional Research.
  43. "University of the Pacific". U.S. News & World Report. 2020.
  44. "Common Data Set 2018-2019" (PDF). University of the Pacific.
  45. "America's Top Colleges 2019". Forbes. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  46. "Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings 2021". Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  47. "2021 Best National University Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  48. "2020 National University Rankings". Washington Monthly. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  49. "QS World University Rankings® 2021". Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. 2020. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  50. "University of the Pacific Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  51. "Christopher Callahan Begins Role as University of the Pacific President". University of the Pacific. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  52. "University Fast Facts". University of the Pacific. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
  53. "Greek Organizations". University of the Pacific. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  54. "Iota Gamma Website".
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