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Page 20 text:
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As we remember THE PAST A reflection by Dr. W.O. Rieke More than twenty-five years ago when Mrs. Rieke and l were stu- dents on the campus of what was then Pacific Lutheran College there was very little of the current physi- cal structure in evidence. On upper campus, Old Main Know Hartsadl was the major building and served multiple purposes including hous- ing female students, providing the Cafeteria for the entire campus in its basement floor, and having admini- strative offices and a few classrooms scattered between the cafeteria be- low and the dormitory above. In addition to Old Main only the Sci- ence Building iwithout its current additionj, a student Center Build- ing isubsequently torn down and now replaced by the University Cen- teri, a Library Classroom building inow Xavier Halll and, in the later years of our tenure, the Eastvold Chapel-Auditorium existed. To be sure, there was an older building north of Old Main which had been the old Chapel and still served as a place for some art classes, student meetings and the site of publica- tion of the Mooring Mast, but there were no other buildings of note on upper campus. All of the area west of Eastvold Auditorium which now is resplendid with new build- ings was then simply wooded ter- rain. On the lower campus only the Memorial Gymnasium was present as a permanent structure. A few temporary buildings provided some housing for male students Cmost of whom lived off campus in faculty or other homesl, and there were a few tennis courts and the beginnings of the current golf course. Otherwise the lower campus was without structure and form and in no way resembled the current condition. In this rather small physical cam- pus there were some 600 to 800 stu- dents who went about their daily routines. A tuition of approximately S800 a year combined with living expenses of a few hundred meant that an average student could be- come educated at a total annual cost of about 51,200 Student activities in athletics, forensics, drama, journal- ism and many other fields were vigorously pursued, and there was an active student body government. Student concerns and complaints centered primarily about the quality of food service tis it any wonder, we ate at an average cost of 51.03 per day?J and the prohibition on social dancing on campus. Interestingly, there were some of the same divi- sions in religious thought among the students then ia great many of whom came from faiths-or lack thereof-other than Lutheranism even in those daysl which charac- terize the current student body. There was, however, an overriding spirit of friendliness and open warmth among the students on the campus then as now. Christianity was professed and practiced by the great majority, and the fruit of Christian love was clearly evident in the lives of the students even though there were all of the squab- bles and interpersonal failures that have characterized the nature of man through all of time. ln general, the students were an active, happy group who were the recipients of much concern and dedicated at- tention from devoted faculty. Stu- dents, including joanne and Bill Rieke recognized only after leaving this setting how truly golden those golden years were. The academic emphasis at Pacific Lutheran College was primarily in Liberal Arts although there was also a strong and growing program to prepare people for careers as teachers. ln addition, preprofession- al training, especially in the health sciences fmedicine, dentistry and nursingl was present although none of these preprofessional fields had been formalized in terms of separate programs or schools. Although only 60-70 in number the faculty were particularly dedicated to their Christian persuasions. They had to be dedicated then ievenmore than nowl: they were grossly under- paid. Of the many competent and qualified faculty there can be no doubt that one of those who most influenced the lives of many stu- dents was Dr. 1. P. Pflueger who taught Ethics and Philosophy. His reasoned and masterfaul orations defining love as the experience of oneself and the life of another not only emphasized a central theme of Christianity but bestowed upon his students an endowment that has served them well throughout their lives. Owned by the then Evangelical Lutheran Church, Pacific Lutheran College saw its educational mission
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Page 21 text:
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as teaching in a very definitely de- fined Christian environment. The byword of that day was education with a plus. Although the academic quality of the school was nowhere near what it is today, its church re- latedness and concomitant dedica- tion and support from persons both within and without the institution added a truly valid and continuingly useful dimension to the educational process. Administration in those days was nowhere near as complex as it is today. The President truly ran the institution with the as- sistance of the Dean. Decisions on nearly all matters whether large or small emanated from the desk of the President, and policies or proced- ures were largely unquestioned. Although some did say that this style was too autocratic or authoritarian, it was appropriate for its time in history, for the ties and simplicity of structure of the institution, and for maintaining good relations be- tween the institution and the or- ganized church. PRESENT AND FUTURE Time and the efforts of many dedicated individuals have worked tremendous changes in the physical appearance of the Pacific Lutheran campus. While the change from College to University status was at- tained well in advance of most of the current additions to the plant, it was only these additions which allowed the full implementation and realiza- tion of true University status. Ex- panding from a minute campus of only approximately five major build- ings to one of more than thirty beautiful and functional structures, the University has similarly experi- enced marked growth in its financial status. Its operating budget has in- creased from a figure which proba- bly did not even meet three-quar- ters of a million dollars in the late 1940's to a current level of more than eleven and one-half million dollars per annum. The increases in buildings and in operating funds have been made possible by careful long-range planning which has al- lowed for the development of an exceedingly beautiful campus. The landscaping, maintenance and planning for appropriate care of all of the physical aspects of the cam- pus have made it a place of beauty and attraction above lbut not in replacement ofj the splendor of its native setting. Commensurate with this in- crease in the size and capability of the campus there have been in- creases in the numbers of students. Now approximately 3,000 students. instead of just a few hundred, bene- fit from Pacific Lutheran University. Not only is the number of the stu- dents increased but the academic quality of the student has also been enhanced. In addition, there is a definite talthough as yet smalll trend toward having many students who are much older than the traditional post high school individual. Indeed, one of the growing roles for Pacific Lutheran in the future will be to serve the person in the middle decades of his or her life in seeking educational renewal. It appears that the students who live on campus are even more open, warm and friendly today than were those of many years ago. While the simple increase in numbers of students has inevitably tended to decrease some of the closeness that comes with the small family the general attitude among the students is still one of mutual respect and concern. Students seem much more aware of their external lnon-campusl world than before, and are very much in tune with cur- rent events. Their topics for discus- sion and concern then are not just local issues such as cost of tuition, the role of the Liberal Arts as versus preprofessional education or co-ed as opposed to segregated housing, but include much more pragmatic issues which derive from the ex- ternal world of day to day reality. In general, however, all of these concerns of students seem to be handled by students in appropriate fashion with enthusiasm and vigor and yet under the constraints of the channels which are appropriate both to the University and society. Academic Programs have de- veloped comensurate with the in- crease in student body and en- larged campus. While emphasis remains with the College of Arts and Sciences, strong schools have now developed in a number of prepro- fessional and professional areas. This is as it should be in a changing society. It also, however, poses a problem for the future in that the balance between traditional liberal arts education and preprofessional education must be determined.The faculty at Pacific Lutheran University have increased in numbers to ap- proximately 200, and with this in- crease there has come both a much greater diversity and depth of talent available to the students. While some would express concern that the faculty are less personally con- cerned with their students than they were two and one-half decades ago, it appears that the element of per- sonal concern and dedication to stu- dents still remains as the hallmark of the great majority of the instruction- al staff at the University. As would be expected with the increases that have occurred over time in all other areas, so also there have been en- largements in the administrative staff and the complexity of admini- stration. While the Office of the President remains the final author- ity, subject to the Board of Regents, the functions that were in the past accomplished by the President have largely been delegated to other line officers. This is as it must be. Chan- nels of communication through these line officers must, however, be open and freely accessible to stu- dents, faculty and staff. In addition, there must be horizontal communi- cation among all of those in admini- stration and vertical communication between administration and the many external constituencies of the University. The mission of Pacific Lutheran University remains most important for it must continue to develop its academic excellence while at the same time preserving the oppor- tunity to attain firstrate education in a Christian context. The precepts and doctrines of Christianity will give direction and meaning to the intellectual training that is available at the University and these precepts must continue to be emphasized by all. The University in its Christian role is not simply a place to se- quester individuals from a secular world for a period of four years. Rather, it is a place where indi- viduals can come to grips with the interaction between the knowledge of the world and the meaning, directions and validity of this knowl- edge which derive from Christianity. The juxtaposition of Christianity and the best academics provides the student with the opportunity to do more than simply be educated. He can emerge educated with a pur- pose and a commitment toward service to God and his fellowmen that will set him apart from col- leagues who have not had such an opportunity. For the future, then it will be most important for Pacific Lutheran University to maintain and further develop the interaction be- tween Christianity and the best of man's learning and attainment in all fields of human endeavor. Only by studying and understanding this interaction can students be best pre- pared forthe life of tomorrow.
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