From the president and dean:
The Civic Scholarship Initiative at the University of Puget Sound, commissioned by President Thomas in 2004 and made into a reality by members of the faculty, has been remarkably successful in developing and distinguishing the university’s distinctive scholarly assets, linking academic excellence with civic responsibility, enhancing the learning environment for students and faculty, and raising the profile and reputation of the university nationally. Faculty and student work in sustainability, in race and pedagogy, and in strategies to eliminate homelessness, among other initiatives, has produced important scholarship, influenced policy, generated scholarly partnerships, and earned recognition regionally, nationally and beyond our borders.
We are now working with faculty leadership to embark upon a project to expand the Civic Scholarship Initiative and transition to a full-fledged Center for Strategic Issues. We invite and encourage all faculty, staff, and students to review a memo outlining the goals and objectives of the new center at
A Center for Strategic Issues at Puget Sound will embody the principle that a great private liberal arts college can have a significant public purpose. It is an academic centerpiece of the strategic plan’s goal to establish Puget Sound as a national liberal arts college—with the imprint of the Pacific Northwest—that stands with distinction among the most highly regarded colleges in the nation.
We look forward to collaborating with you on the development and realization of the goals of the Center for Strategic Issues, and the further realization of Puget Sound’s strategic plan.
Sincerely,
Ron Thomas
Kris Bartanen
