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 University President Don DeRosa discussed the difficulties and successes the University of the Pacific has experienced in the past year during his annual Open Forum. The Open Forum provided a rare opportunity for students, staff, and faculty to hear about the future plans of Pacific moving into the next year.
“This university is on the road to being the West's most distinctive, student-centered national university,” he said during the lecture. “The university is positioned so well right now to do everything that we seek to do to accomplish that goal. But it is going to require all of us to work on it.”
During the hour-long presentation DeRosa covered all subjects that had to do with the financial and academic health of Pacific. Working without notes and barely referencing the PowerPoint slides filling the screen behind him, DeRosa addressed the audience in the University Center Ballroom with disarming ease. Common themes throughout DeRosa's presentation were the economy and increasing enrollment. For those that missed the presentation on November 13 a recording of it will be available on the University of the Pacific YouTube channel: pacifictigers. University Enrollment Now and For the Future Enrollment statistics were the first topic of discussion with greater detail given on the specifics than has previously been reported. Total enrollment for all the campuses this year increased slightly from 2007 to 6,251 students. One factor in the increase was the decision to increase the selectivity rate for incoming students. Selectivity is the percentage of applicants that receive the option of attending the University of the Pacific. According to DeRosa, Pacific's selectivity range is normally between “the fifties to low sixty percent.” “Our indicators were telling us that we were going to have a much more modest freshmen class,” he said. One of these indicators was a smaller percentage of applicants. To compensate for this potential shortfall the selectivity rate was raised to 69%. Instead of hitting the assumed enrollment numbers, Pacific welcomed its largest freshman class since 1982 of 882 students. DeRosa credited individual departments for targeting students to draw them to Pacific. “We have to continue to work tirelessly together on enrollment across every unit of the University,” he said. “We are all in this together and I am so optimistic right now about how it's coming out.” As an example, DeRosa noted the efforts of the Biology Department for making a concerted effort in increasing enrollment within their department. Part of the Pacific's commitment to their effort was the completion of the Barbara Davis Biological Sciences Building. The efforts of other departments to increase their enrollment will also to be rewarded as the University continues to honor future development commitments. Examples of these commitments are the construction of the Janssen-Lagorio Multipurpose Gymnasium for the Athletics Department and the John T. Chambers Technology Center serving the School of Engineering and Computer Science. The Powell Scholars featured prominently in DeRosa's discussions of improving the overall academic standing of Pacific. Recipients of the scholarships were among the higher achieving students averaging 1400 on SAT with a 3.85 GPA. The program is part of the Founders Scholarship with plans in place to increase funding beyond the initial endowment of $5 million dollars. DeRosa stated that since Pacific is not a heavily endowed university that enrollment is key to Pacific's financial strength. “Family wealth is shrinking and that is going to have an effect on the mindsets of people in ways we haven't been able to predict because we haven't seen it before,” he said. Fortunately the initial indicators are proving to be positive. The goal for Fall 2009 is to have an incoming freshman class of at least 900 students. At the time of the Open Forum admissions had received approximately 2700 applicants for admission for Fall 2009. The number of applicants at this time last year was less the 600. Aside from the efforts of individual departments, Admissions hired a contractor to increase the size of the applicant pool and increase the visibility of Pacific. This is in addition to placing recruiters specifically for the Pacific northwest and internationally. “We're doing the right things and I am confident that this is a university that is not going to lose it's momentum during this time,” DeRosa said. “In fact, I think we are going to take gains.” Part of these gains should be in the professional schools and graduate programs. Historically economic recessions and depressions have resulted in more people returning to complete graduate degrees. DeRosa noting strong enrollment and retention in the Pharmacy Program as an example. Financial Strength and Fundraising “Our concern,” De Rosa said referencing the economy, “is about enrollment and the fluctuations that take place in this state.” Amid the current financial turmoil Pacific still managed to obtain a balanced budget and surplus for the fiscal year 2008. The same results are anticipated for 2009. De Rosa said this was due to conservative but confident budget planning. This includes avoiding the short-term variable rate financing that is affecting some schools. “All of us have suffered personals hits in our investments,” he said. Pacific has not been immune to this with the endowment depreciating 20%, losing $40 million since June 20, 2008. “The effect of that is modest. It will have some effect on the budget.” This statement may seem overly optimistic until you consider that the endowment is based on the three-year average. “We will be down some, but not dramatically. We will adjust for that,” DeRosa stated mentioning that those loses will be compensated by newer endowments. De Rosa did caution the audience that the economy "will constrain us and the other things we can do" such as the ability to finance new projects. Undergraduate financial aid totaled $37.5 million with 80% of students receiving funds. According to the figures provided to DeRosa the average debt a student has upon graduating is $17,000. The approximate amount of 58% of these loans is $7,000 per year. These numbers that may be a surprise to some students and is something DeRosa is mindful of. “Whenever I say something like that I am just talking to someone who has borrowed $100,000,” an amount that DeRosa described as “manageable.” The economic downturn has not appeared to affect Pacific's fundraising efforts. During the 2008 fiscal year $22.5 million was raised for the annual fund. One cause for concern is a three percent drop in the Alumni giving rate from 13% to 10%. DeRosa said the main problem with the current fundraising efforts is simply having the right addresses for alumni. Once this is corrected DeRosa expects Alumni giving to reach 18-20%. Planning for 2010
Looking towards the future DeRosa started off with news that will not be welcome to students and parents: there will be an increase in tuition. He did add that it would be sensitive to the difficulties that parents face. Since 2002 increases have been 4.5%. The exception was last years tuition increase of 6.8% The next increase will be at the level that has been set in the past. DeRosa did not specify which increase rate he was referring to: 4.5% or 6.8%. “As soon as we have more certainty about our own budget I will be communicating with parents about our plans,” DeRosa said while also noting that the national average increase in tuition is between 5.5%-6% In an effort to offset the tuition increase, financial aid will be increased by $2 million. DeRosa named this and other tasks as key priorities in the coming year. These priorities also include a commitment to improving and introducing new facilities along with a salary increase for faculty and staff. “Our greatest resource in my mind is our faculty and staff,” DeRosa said. De Rosa did not give an estimate as to how much faculty and staff salaries would increase, but assured the audience that there would be one. Another way DeRosa and the Board of Regents plan to acknowledge faculty and staff are the Innovative Program Development Grants. “This is great opportunity for faculty, staff, and others to look for ways to continue to move ahead. Innovative ways to better do whatever we do at Pacific,” he said. “Whether it is administratively or whether it is academically look at these grant opportunities because we want your brainpower in helping us do better.” The Innovation Grants are part of the Pacific Fund, which was launched in October 2007. To date $1.03 million has been raised with the funds also being earmarked for experiential learning and faculty scholarship and research. Whole Student Learning
A main component of the Open Forum was dedicated to discussing the concept of Whole Student Learning and specifically Social Emotional Intelligence. “Whole Student Learning will continue at the highest level,” DeRosa said noting the enthusiastic support of the Board of Regents. “This is what makes us distinctive. It's not just about what happens in the classroom or academically, it's about the whole person.” Plans are in development for a center for Social/Emotional Competence. This is in addition to the other programs currently in place such as the Study Abroad program and the Pacific Seminars. DeRosa used the Brubeck Institute as an example of what can happen when these innovative programs can evolve into a program of distinction. “This initiative has the opportunity to make Pacific's education as a whole, to give it a theme, to give it a centrality in a sense. That way everyone knows that if you come from Pacific that you are educated well professionally, that you were educated well academically, but you're also educated as a whole person.”
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