Pacific Lutheran University
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| Pacific Lutheran University | |
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| Established: | 1890 |
| Type: | Private |
| President: | Dr. Loren Anderson |
| Faculty: | 250 |
| Students: | 3,669 |
| Location: | Tacoma, Washington, United States of America |
| Colors: | Black and Gold |
| Mascot: | Lutes |
| Affiliations: | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |
| Website: | www.plu.edu |
Pacific Lutheran University is located in Parkland, a suburb of Tacoma, Washington. As of February 2008, PLU had a student population of 3,443 and approximately 280 full-time faculty.[1] It currently consists of the College of Arts and Sciences (consisting of the Division of Humanities, the Division of Natural Sciences, and the Division of Social Sciences), the School of Arts and Communication, the School of Business, the School of Education and Movement Studies, and the School of Nursing.
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[edit] History
Founded in 1890 by Scandinavian immigrants to further Lutheran higher education in the Pacific Northwest, PLU is an institution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The school merged with Everett's Columbia College in 1920, became a two-year school, and resumed operations as Pacific Lutheran College. Spokane College merged with Pacific Lutheran College nine years later. PLC resumed awarding four-year degrees in 1939. Pacific Lutheran gained university status in 1960. PLU retains strong ties with its Scandinavian heritage, having been visited multiple times by Norwegian and Swedish monarchs and the Norwegian Parliament, Stortinget[citation needed].
[edit] Academics
The university is particularly known[who?] for its music department and touring ensembles, including the Choir of the West, and the Christmas concerts held each December. PLU also has strong education and communication departments[citation needed]. PLU's student media and organizations have won many awards and the forensics team is nationally ranked.
[edit] Degrees
PLU offers the following degrees:
- Bachelor's: Bachelor of Arts; Bachelor of Science; Bachelor of Arts in Education; Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education; Bachelor of Arts in Recreation; Bachelor of Business Administration; Bachelor of Fine Arts; Bachelor of Arts in Communication; Bachelor of Music; Bachelor of Music Education; Bachelor of Musical Arts; Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Bachelor of Science in Physical Education.[citation needed]
- Master's: Master of Arts in Education; Master of Arts in Education with Initial Certification; Master of Arts in Social Sciences, Marriage and Family Therapy; Master of Business Administration; Master of Science in Nursing.[citation needed]
[edit] Athletic Programs
PLU is a member of NCAA Division III, as well as the Northwest Conference.
Varsity Sports
- Baseball
- Basketball (Men's and Women's)
- Cross Country (Men's and Women's)
- Football- most well known for coach Frosty Westering, head coach from 1973-2003.
- Golf (Men's and Women's)
- Rowing (Men's and Women's)
- Soccer (Men's and Women's
- Softball
- Swimming (Men's and Women's)
- Tennis (Men's and Women's)
- Track and Field (Men's and Women's)
- Volleyball
Club Sports
- Lacrosse
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Skiing
[edit] Campus
The campus of PLU is unofficially divided into two sections, Upper Campus and Lower Campus, with Hinderlie Hill dividing them. Upper Campus is home to:
- Harstad Hall, or "Old Main", the oldest building on campus, once housed the whole university but is now used primarily as a residence hall. It is an all female hall, the only single sex hall on campus.
- Phillip Hauge Administration Building
- University Center, which has recently been renovated. This houses the all campus cafeteria called the University Commons, and the Old Main Market. In addition its houses the offices of Campus Ministry, Student Involvement and Leadership (SIL), Residential Life, the Diversity Center, the Scandinavian Center, Student Media (KCNS, the Mast Newspaper etc.), Resident Hall Association, the Associated Students of PLU (the student government), Dining Services, Conferences and Events and the Chris Knuntsen Lecture Hall.
- Eastvold Chapel
- Mortvedt Library
- Xavier Hall, which houses the Philip Nordquist Lecture Hall
- Ramstad Hall
- Ingram Hall
- Mary Baker Russell Music Center and Lagerquist Concert Hall, which houses the Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Organ
- Stuen Hall
- Ordal Hall
- Kreidler Hall (Originally West Hall)
- Hinderlie Hall (Originally South Hall for Women) became the men's hall on campus, officially Hinderlie, but widely nicknamed after a local beer, "Rainier" or "Rainier House" from the 1970s to the early '90s. "Rainier" housed primarily new students and members of the varsity football team in the 1980s. Hinderlie became co-ed in 1993.
- Hong International Hall (Originally North Hall) has five language wings (Norwegian, Chinese, French, German, and Spanish) and the International Honors wing.
Lower Campus includes:
- Rieke Science Center
- Olson Auditorium
- Memorial Gymnasium
- Names Fitness Center
- Columbia Center
- Morken Center for Learning and Technology
- Foss Hall
- Pflueger Hall
- Tingelstad Hall
- South Hall
- University Golf Course
- Keck Observatory
Additional buildings off campus are also used for University purposes, including offices, the Wang Center for International Studies, East Campus, the Women's Center, the Faculty House and Trinity Lutheran Church.
For a visual, see these WikiMapia coordinates.
The rose window, located in Eastvold Chapel, has been a symbol of PLU since its dedication in 1952. The stained-glass window is eight feet in diameter and contains many elements of Christian theology.
[edit] Notable alumni
- Edna Goodrich '41, '65: National leader in women's correction work.
- Marv Harshman '42: Nation's winningest college basketball coach when retired at end of 40-year career.
- Jack Metcalf '51: Former United States Representative, 2nd Congressional District, Washington.
- William Foege '57: Worked with World Health Organization to eradicate smallpox, former director of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Carter Center.
- Lois Capps '59: United States Representative, 22nd Congressional District, California.
- Lute Jerstad '58: Part of the first U.S. team to conquer Mt. Everest.
- Peter Wang '60: Came to PLU from Taiwan and went on to become a university professor and businessman who donated $4 million to endow the Wang Center for International Programs.
- H. Eugene LeMay Jr '62 (BA), '64 (MA): Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at the University of Nevada, Reno. Coauthored the best selling high school chemistry textbook used today, Chemistry: Connections to our Changing World.
- Doug Herland '73: Bronze medalist in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
- Joyce Barr '76: United States Ambassador to Namibia.
- Paul Stumme-Diers '82: Became a pastor and now at the age of 41, the youngest bishop in the ELCA.
- Sean Parnell '84: Current Lieutenant Governor of Alaska and lawyer.
- Elizabeth Pulliam '85: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist.
- Rick Larsen '87: United States Representative, 2nd Congressional District, Washington.
- Connor Trinneer '92: Actor. Starred as Cdr. Charles "Trip" Tucker III in Star Trek: Enterprise & Wraith Michael in Stargate Atlantis
- Graham Johnson '96: News reporter for KIRO-TV Seattle.
- Ingrid Ford '97: Works with Doctors Without Borders, conducting AIDS research in Africa.
[edit] References
- ^ Minutes of the Feb. 8, 2008, meeting of the Faculty Assembly; Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog, 2007-2008, pp. 214-22.
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