Seattle Pacific University
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| Motto | Engaging the Culture, Changing the World |
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| Established | 1891 |
| Type | Private |
| Endowment | $34,369,000 USD |
| President | Philip W. Eaton |
| Undergraduates | 3,022 (2005) |
| Postgraduates | 787 (2005) |
| Location | Seattle, Washington, USA |
| Campus | Urban, 43 acres |
| Mascot | Falcon |
| Affiliations | Council for Christian Colleges and Universities |
| Website | www.spu.edu |
Seattle Pacific University (SPU) is a Christian university of the liberal arts, sciences and professions, located on the north slope of Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1891 by the Oregon and Washington Conference of the Free Methodist Church as the Seattle Seminary. It became the Seattle Seminary and College in 1913, changed names again to Seattle Pacific College in 1915, and took its present name in 1977.
As a university strongly committed to the Christian faith, the university requires all students to complete a Christian Faith Exploration (CFE) Requirement, which stipulates a minimum of ten hours per quarter of student-selected participation in "co-curricular activities exploring the meaning of the Christian faith and its implications for life, academic disciplines and society, ... participation in campus-based faith exploration activities such as chapel, GROUP and other worship services; and/or non-worship-based programs such as faculty-and staff-led discussion groups (cadres) and campus forums on contemporary issues."
In 2000, Seattle Pacific University began hosting the quarterly IMAGE: A Journal of Arts and Religion, which features artists, writers, and musicians that approach their work from a Christian standpoint.
Seattle Pacific University is a member of the Christian College Consortium.
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[edit] Campus
SPU boasts of a 43-acre campus on the northern slope of the residential neighborhood of Queen Anne Hill, close to the artsy Fremont neighborhood. SPU also owns and operates two satellite campuses: a wilderness field station specializing in biology on Blakely Island in the San Juan Islands and former military fort turned retreat facility at Camp Casey on Whidbey Island.
[edit] Library
The four-floor Seattle Pacific Library was completed in 1994. It houses over 190,000 volumes and 1,300 print periodicals, and grows by 6,000 new titles a year. Students and faculty have access to the collections of the Orbis Cascade Alliance and Summit, comprising over 30 million items held in Washington and Oregon academic libraries, including the University of Washington. In addition to printed reference materials, the library also hosts many electronic sources, including abstracts and indexes from ProQuest Direct, EBSCOHost, First Search, and other online services, and is available at all computers in library and on campus, including several computer labs in library.
[edit] Residences
Seattle Pacific University has four dormitory halls. The university offers other on-campus residence options, such as the Robbins and Wesley apartments, and other small suite- or apartment-style living facilities for upper classmen. All living residences feature single-gender floors.
Ashton Hall, opened in 1965, is SPU’s largest residence hall with over 400 students on 12 floors, 9 of them being womens' floors. The hall is located on the highest point of SPU's campus. Many rooms have a nice view of the campus and the Lake Washington Ship Canal, but others face a concrete retaining wall that is less than idyllic. Annual Ashton events include the Ashton Cup lip-sync contest, the Ashton Art Show, and a formal ball. The hall is named in honor of SPU psychology professor Dr. Philip F. Ashton (1929-1971).
Emerson Hall, opened in 2001, is the campus's newest residence hall, featuring suites, card-access security, a main lounge with gas fireplace and Northwest wood beams, an exercise center and a prayer chapel. Emerson events include a quarterly Coffee House, the Emerson Film Festival, and the Spring Banquet. Emerson also features The Bridges Floors, dedicated to giving students a unique opportunity to discuss global issues and cultural relationships with other students. The hall is named for the street on which it resides.
Hill Hall, which opened in 1962, located in the upper middle of the campus just steps from Gwinn Commons and the SPU Library, is known as the "family" dorm for its comfortable atmosphere. It features a newly updates main lounge, the REX athletic center, and the Hill Hall “beach,” a grassy area behind the hall popular for outdoor recreation and sunbathing. Hill Hall events include the "Decades" Skate, a retreat to Camp Casey, and an annual ball. It is named for the Reuben Hill family who donated property to the school for it’s expansion.
Moyer Hall, opened in 1953 and remodeled in 1983, is located in the center of the campus on the edge of Tiffany Loop. The smallest of the traditional residence hall, Moyer hosts annual events including a fall retreat, an ice-broomball game, a citywide scavenger hunt, and an all-hall banquet.The 05-06 school year also included a new event called The Experience Moyer Project (EMP) which featured musical talent from the hall as well as a variety of other activities. The hall was named for SPU professor and dean, Jacob Moyer.
Robbins Apartments, opened in 1966 as on-campus, furnished one and two bedroom apartment-style housing. The apartments are more independent from the school than traditional dormitories, both in attitude and its somewhat removed location from the rest of the campus. Annual events include the Robbins Thanksgiving Dinner, a winter retreat, the Queen Anne Collect-a-Can food drive, and an annual broom ball game. The hall is named for Board of Trustees member and chair, Marion B. Robbins.
[edit] Traditions
- New Student Convocation: has its roots in a 1932 convocation where new students and faculty gathered to celebrate the opportunities and challenges of the new academic year that lays ahead.
- Christian Faith Exploration: As a university strongly committed to the Christian faith, the university requires all students to complete a Christian Faith Exploration (CFE) requirement, an honor-based system which stipulates a minimum of ten hours per academic quarter of student-selected participation in activities exploring the meaning of the Christian faith and its implications for life. Profession of the Christian faith is not required to complete the program. Community worship, concerts, presentations on special topics, and evensong services are all part of the CFE program. The CFE program has undergone some major changes for the 2006-2007 school year, all of which are in the "experimental phase."
- Homecoming: First instituted in 1935 at the school’s 42nd Commencement, Homecoming is now celebrated in early Winter Quarter and hosts class reunions, athletic events, drama and music performances, a student talent show, and other gatherings of alumni, students, and faculty.
- Tradition: Tradition represents the SPU community's Christmas celebration. Begun in the late 1980s, Tradition takes place in the Tiffany Loop during the first week of December and focuses on the birth of Christ through hosting a Christmas tree-lighting, carol singing, sleigh or horse rides, readings of the Christmas story, live nativities.
- Ivy Cutting: A part of SPU graduation since 1922, graduates receives a cutting from a long ring of ivy, symbolizing the graduate's ties to the university and new life found afterward.
- Baccalaureate: Occurring the night before Graduation, this service of worship and reflection is planned by the senior graduating class and featuring student speakers.
- Commencement: Commencement celebrates the scholarship, service, and Christian growth of graduating seniors, and degrees are awarded for both undergraduate and graduate level students.
[edit] Enrollment
[edit] Student Enrollment
(Statistics are based on Autumn Quarter 2005)
- Total enrollment - 3,873
- Undergraduate students - 3,022
- Post-baccalaureate students - 64
- Graduate Students - 787
- Continuing Education - 6,085 (Summer 2005)
[edit] Class Size
- 72 percent of the Autumn Quarter 2005 undergraduate classes had enrollments of 30 or less.
- Institutional Student-Faculty Ratio : 15:1 (Based on Common Data Set definition)
[edit] Recent History
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- September 22, 2005 - Seattle Pacific University announces higher selectivity in the admission process. A record number of applications and a capacity enrollment at Seattle Pacific University means increased competition for admission.
- August 29, 2005 - Seattle Pacific University earned high rankings in several college guides released this month. U.S.News & World Report's 2006 “America's Best Colleges” ranked SPU #4 in the category “Best Values” of colleges and universities in the West. The formula used to determine the best value compares a school's academic quality to the net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average level of financial aid.
- In another U.S.News category, Seattle Pacific ranked in the top 15 colleges and universities in the magazine's Western region, which includes institutions from Texas to Hawaii. SPU ranked #12 in the category "Master's Universities," institutions that provide a full range of undergraduate and master's programs and limited doctoral programs.
- In addition, SPU was named a “Best Western College” by The Princeton Review. The Review's Western region includes 122 colleges and universities from Texas to Hawaii. The ranking lists are based on surveys of more than 110,000 students, and feedback from counselors, students, parents, educators, and Princeton Review staff across the country.
- September 20, 2001 - a press release by the university states that they have once again hit record enrollment.
- September 21, 2000 - a press release by the university states that they have hit record enrollment.
- In Autumn Quarter 2003, a 64,000-square-foot Science Building opened, and the Otto Miller Hall (formerly the Miller Science Learning Center) underwent a major renovation. Both now enable undergraduate students to conduct research with faculty members in state-of-the-art facilities.
- In 1998, a unique “Common Curriculum,” an innovative approach to general education, was launched during the Autumn Quarter.
- In 1994, as part of its successful $25 million capital campaign, SPU opened a $10 million Library that now serves as the heart of the academic program.
[edit] Academic Profile
[edit] Academic Program Statistics
- Undergraduate Majors - 54
- Undergraduate Minors - 42
- Master’s and Post-Master's Degrees - 12
- Doctoral Programs - 3
[edit] Academic Structure
- College of Arts and Sciences
- Fine Arts
- Humanities
- Science and Engineering
- Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Schools
- Business and Economics
- Education
- Health Sciences
- Psychology, Family and Community
- Theology
[edit] Graduate Studies
- Master of Arts
- Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
- Master of Education (M.Ed.)
- Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)
- Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.)
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Family Psychology (Ph.D.)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Psychology (Ph.D.)
[edit] Famous alumni
- Dirk Been - Survivor contestant season one
- Doris Brown Heritage –1964, 1971– five-time world cross-country champion, coach, USA Track and Field Hall of Fame
- Jacob DeShazeer – B.A. 1948 – Doolittle raider, missionary to Japan
- Gordon Fee - prominent scholar on the Holy Spirit
- Marcus Hahnemann –1993– Men's National Soccer Team
- Eugene H. Peterson - author of The Message
- Jeff Probst - Host of Survivor, attended, did not graduate
- Larry Wall – B.A. 1976 – programmer, linguist, author, most widely known for his creation of the Perl programming language in 1987.
[edit] Presidents of SPU
| Alexander A. Beers, Ph.B., M.A. | 1893-1916 |
| Orrin E. Tiffany, Ph.D. | 1916-1926 |
| C. Hoyt Watson, Litt.D. | 1926-1959 |
| C. Dorr Demaray, Litt.D | 1959-1968 |
| David L. McKenna, Ph.D. | 1968-1982 |
| David C. Le Shana, Ph.D. | 1982-1991 |
| Curtis A. Martin, Ph.D | 1991-1994 |
| E. Arthur Self, Ph.D. | 1994-1995 |
| Phillip W. Eaton, Ph.D. | 1995- |
[edit] External links
- Seattle Pacific University official web site
- IMAGE Comes to SPU
- KSPU College Radio
- The Falcon Online
| Great Northwest Athletic Conference |
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| Alaska-Anchorage • Alaska • Central Washington • Montana State-Billings (fall 2007) • Northwest Nazarene • Saint Martin's • Seattle • Seattle Pacific • Western Oregon • Western Washington |
