Summer 2000

Gonzaga on a roll!

Part 1

(Originally published in the Summer 2000 edition of GONZAGA, the alumni publication.)

Gonzaga's on a roll!
Rumors of Gonzaga's significant enhancements have not been exaggerated.
As you may have heard, we capped enrollment of the freshman class at 825. We processed a large number of additional applications for financial aid, but unfortunately, we are not able to accept these students for the freshman class. They will be able to reapply in spring semester or next year as transfer students. Needless to say, Gonzaga has not had this "great problem" before, but we're only too happy to live in the "high."
Eight national merit scholar winners will attend Gonzaga and the quality of the student body has improved considerably (3.62 is the current average GPA of the confirmed freshmen compared with 3.55 for last year).
A key factor in making all this possible has been our fantastic basketball team. We said a very sad farewell to five of our graduating seniors: Matt Santangelo, Richie Frahm, Axel Dench, Mike Nilson, and Ryan Floyd. We will very much miss these ambassadors to Gonzaga's basketball prowess, education, and values.
Yet realistic hope for another fine year has begun to emerge and we are excited. Recruiting went quite well and we have three solid players back inside B Mark Spink, Zach Gourde and all-conference Casey Calvary. We're expecting big things from Casey on the court, and great leadership from him off the court.
Gonzaga's five mission areas are developing well. With respect to (1) faith, Fr. Bill Watson, S.J., has initiated two new retreat programs. The five-day Ignatian silent retreat, and the Agape retreat (where students talk about their faith to one another). After participating in these retreats, I can say without hesitation that they were two of the most edifying experiences of my 20-year academic career. The students' articulation of their faith in the Agape retreat was so nuanced, deep, perceptive, and effectively integrated that I sat there dumbfounded. The pilgrimage program will be restored to its two-day format this fall, and other retreat programs will be increased quite dramatically.
With respect to (2) service, Gonzaga students contributed more than 15,000 volunteer service hours last year and are gearing up to do more next year. Biology Professor Robert Prusch (acting dean of the College of Arts and Sciences) has won grants from Campus Compact, the Alcoa Foundation and the Wells Fargo Foundation to underwrite an outreach program to the Native American schools in Wellpinit and Nespelem. Sima Thorpe (director of the Center for Community Action and Service Learning) has been busy initiating new programs and garnering new grants to make our service programs ever more efficacious.
With respect to (3) justice, Raymond Reyes (associate academic vice president for diversity) has continued to work on diversity programs both inside and outside the University. He coordinated the Community Congress on Race Relations which took place on campus in April and helped to coordinate with GU law Associate Professor George Critchlow (of the Gonzaga Institute for Action Against Hate) the Anne Frank Exhibit which ran from April to June 2. Raymond has hundreds of new ideas for education and racial justice in the Spokane region. I will keep you posted on progress.
With respect to (4) ethics, we have officially initiated the Tilford Institute of Ethics which will help develop ethics across the Gonzaga curriculum, graduate ethics programs, continuing education ethics programs, and off-site programs across the nation. This will put Gonzaga on the national ethics map. A national website is being developed. Keep your eyes peeled for www.gonzagaethics.com. We have hired a director for the Institute: Michael Stebbins, former director of the Arrupe Program in Social Ethics for Business at Georgetown University's Woodstock Theological Center. Mike's national reputation bodes well for the future of Gonzaga ethics.
With respect to (5) leadership, we have initiated a new two-year comprehensive leadership program. Any student with any major is entitled to participate in the program which will combine course work with retreats, mentor relationships, and internships. Students should be able to work this into their regular academic schedules, allowing them an excellent opportunity to develop their particular leadership qualities and style through their particular personality and major.
The directors of this program have been selected: Thayne McCulloh, (current dean of Financial Aid) and Joe Albert (chair and assistant professor of Professional Studies and Organizational Leadership). We are most grateful to them for their service to this important Gonzaga project.
In my next GONZAGA Quarterly Perspective, I will address five other initiatives: 1) new academic programs; 2) new buildings, renovation, technology and equipment; 3) the Capital Campaign; 4) new scholarships and endowments for students; and 5) a hint of 80 other smaller initiatives from our faculty and staff.
The roll continues!