Fresno Pacific University
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| Motto | Founded on Christ |
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| Established | 1944 |
| Type | Liberal Arts |
| President | D. Merrill Ewert |
| Faculty | 200 |
| Undergraduates | 1007 |
| Postgraduates | 900 |
| Location | Fresno, California, United States |
| Campus | 42 acres, 16 buildings |
| Sports teams | Fresno Pacific Sunbirds |
| Mascot | Sunbird |
| Website | www.fresno.edu |
Fresno Pacific University (Originally Pacific Bible Institute) was founded in 1944 by the Pacific District Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. The University awarded its first Bachelor of Arts degree in 1965. A masters degree program was introduced in 1975.
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[edit] Mission and Academics
"Fresno Pacific University exists to prepare students for faithful and wise service through excellence in Christian higher education, and to strengthen the church and improve society through scholarship and service."[1]
Fresno Pacific offers Bachelors degrees in 26 fields (and minors in an additional 10). Fresno Pacific Graduate School offers advanced degrees or credentials in four areas: Education, Individualized Master of Arts, Leadership & Organizational Studies, and Peacemaking & Conflict Studies. In the most recent U.S. News & World Report college rankings, Fresno Pacific's peer assessment score tied it for twenty-sixth in the state in the Universities-Master's category
Fresno Pacific is accredited through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).[2]
[edit] History
At the time of its founding, Pacific Bible Institute was located in a large home at 1095 N. Van Ness Ave. There were five staff members and 28 students. By the time the first school year was finished, a former YWCA building at the corner of Tuolumne and L streets (originally designed by Julia Morgan) had been purchased, and the next school year began in this building.
By 1958, land was purchased for the construction of the current campus at the corner of Butler and Chestnut, along with the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary and the new Butler Mennonite Brethren Church. Construction began on a new classroom building that year, and two dormitory buildings one year later. The classroom building was ready for use in the fall of 1959, but the dorm buildings were not completed until 1961 due to financial difficulties.
The Bible Institute became an accredited junior college in 1961, and decided to develop a four year program two years later, in 1963. In 1964, Pacific Bible Institute changed its name to Fresno Pacific College, and became accredited with the WASC the next year. By 1967, the decision was made to add graduate courses, and the accreditation for the first Master of Arts program was received from WASC in 1975.
[edit] Building Construction Table
| Completed | Name | Information | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Sattler Hall | Named for early Anabaptist leader Michael Sattler in 1973. | |
| 1961 | Krause Hall | Named for Arthur and Lydia Krause in 1990. Further units added to the building in 1962. | |
| 1961 | Nachtigall Hall | Named for Ben W. and Anna Marie Nachtigall in 1989. Further units added to the building in 1962. | |
| 1961 | Schlichting Hall | Named for Marvin and Loree Schlichting in 1994. Further units added to the building in 1962. | |
| 1961 | Warkentine Hall | Named for Al and Dotty Warkentine in 1989. Further units added to the building in 1962. | |
| 1962 | Hiebert Library | Named for Cornelius and Elizabeth Hiebert, the primary contributors. |
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| 1964 | Alumni Hall | Building costs were mostly covered by alumni (renovated 2005). | |
| 1966 | Marpeck Center | Named for early Anabaptist leader Pilgram Marpeck in 1973. | |
| 1968 | Kriegbaum Hall | Formerly Witmarsum, renamed for former college president Richard Kriegbaum. | |
| 1968 | Witmarsum Quad | Named for the city of Witmarsum, birthplace of Menno Simons, in 1973. | |
| 1971 | Strasbourg Hall | Named for the city of Strasbourg, where early Anabaptists often sought refuge, in 1973. | |
| 1981 | Special Events Center | ||
| 1986 | Bartsch Hall | Named for Silas and Nadine Bartsch. Silas was an administrator and former interim president. The building was an existing residence which was purchased and remodeled. | |
| 1990 | Wiebe Education Center | Named for Dr. Arthur and Evelyn Wiebe. Arthur was a former member of the faculty, college president, as well as the president of the AIMS Foundation, which provided a large portion of the funding. | |
| 1992 | McDonald Hall | Named for Arthur and Barbara McDonald, contributors and co-chairs of the fund-raising campaign. |
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| 1998 | East Hall | ||
| 2002 | AIMS Hall | Named for The AIMS Foundation, which provided a large portion of the funding by means of a grant. |
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| 2003 | Steinert Campus Center | Named for Marvin and Nadine Steinert, primary contributors. |
[edit] Athletics
[edit] Men's Athletic Teams
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Track and Field
[edit] Women's Athletic Teams
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Track and Field
- Volleyball
[edit] Traditions
- The Wittenberg Door, a board located in the atrium of Steinert Campus Center, near the entrance to the dining room, is a place for the exchange of ideas. People are free to post expressions of their views, but are asked to write pieces in a charitable spirit and to include the writer's name. It was built in approximately 1983, and the original version was located in Alumni Hall when it still served as the campus cafeteria. A new board was built in 2004, and the old one was dismantled. The Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary has a board with the same name and purpose outside the B.C. Lounge.
- The Mennonite Central Committee holds its annual West Coast Relief Sale and Auction on the campus during the first weekend in April, at approximately 4:00pm-9:00pm Friday and 7:00am-3:00pm Saturday. Ethnic foods, used books, antiques, plants, world crafts, and quilts are all sold on campus in various booths and auction events.
- Breaded veal cutlets are called "Brillo Pads".
- All-Campus Pismo Beach Trip
- University Family Thanksgiving Meal
- Winter Formal
- Casa Pacifica Retreat
- Male students are dunked by their roommates in a fountain on campus after becoming engaged to be married.
[edit] Chief Executives
- 1944-1946 Rev. S.W. Goosen - Acting President/Dean
- 1946-1947 Rev. G.B. Huebert - Administrator
- 1947-1953 Dr. G.W. Peters - President/Dean
- 1953-1954 Dr. R.M. Baerg - Acting President
- 1954-1955 Dr. R.M. Baerg - Acting President, one-half year; Administrative Committee last half of year, Dr. G. W. Peters, Chmn.
- 1955-1960 Rev. B.J. Braun - President
- 1960-1961 Dr. Arthur J. Wiebe - Director of Pacific Bible Institute; Mr. Joel A. Wiebe - Interim Director
- 1961-1962 Dr. Arthur J. Wiebe - President
- 1975-1976 Rev. Edmund Janzen, Chairman, Presidential Council
- 1976-1982 Rev. Edmund Janzen - President
- 1982-1983 Mr. Silas Bartsch - Interim President; Edmund Janzen on leave
- 1983-1985 Rev. Edmund Janzen - President
- 1985-1997 Dr. Richard Kriegbaum - President
- 1997-2000 Allen Carden - President
- 2000-2002 Dr. Harold Haak - Interim President
- 2002-present Dr. Merrill Ewert - President
(Wiebe 1994)
[edit] Notable faculty
- Greg Camp, Ph.D., Program Director of Biblical and Religious Studies, Program Co-Director of Classics, and Director of General Education
- Larry A. Dunn, Ph.D., Director of Undergraduate Peacemaking and Conflict Studies Programs
- Will Friesen, Ph.D., Interim Dean of School of Humanities, Religion, and Social Sciences
- Roy Klassen, D.M.A., Vocal & Choral Music Faculty
- Jo Ellen Misakian, M.L.S., Interim Dean School of Education
- Loren Neufeld, Ph.D., Interim Dean School of Natural Sciences
- Janita Rawls, Ph.D, Dean of School of Business
- Walter B. Saul, II, D.M.A., Academic & Co-Curricular Chair, Department of Music
- Paul Toews, Ph.D., History Faculty
- Richard Unruh, Ph.D., Chair of Division of Social Sciences, Director of Political Science, Social Science, and Pre-Law Programs
- Steve Varvis, Ph.D., Director of Business and Civic Relations, History Faculty
- Peng Wen, Ph.D., Economics and Finance Faculty
- Billie Jean Wiebe, Ph.D., Communications and English Faculty
[edit] Notable athletes
Ron Adams, Assistant Coach for the Chicago Bulls
[edit] References
- Toews, Paul, ed. Mennonite Idealism and Higher Education: The Story of the Fresno Pacific College Idea. Fresno, Calif.: The Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies, 1995. ISBN 1-877941-05-0.
- Wiebe, Joel. Remembering...Reaching: A Vision of Service, a Fifty Year History of Fresno Pacific College. Fresno, Calif.: Fresno Pacific College, 1994. ISBN 1-884397-01-8.
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Official athletics website
- Fresno Pacific University Information
- Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies
- The U.S. Mennonite Brethren Church website
- Mennonite Central Committee
- West Coast Mennonite Relief Sale and Auction
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