2008 Woodie Awards
Gearing up for change
President says growth is 'normal'
Mike Baldwin
Issue: 7/14/08 Section: News
Seattle U has gone through a significant amount of change over the last five years--and this trend of change doesn't seem like it'll be slowing down in the next five years, either.
Freshmen in the class of 2012 will see a decidedly different Seattle U than did the freshmen of the class of 2008. The change begins at the administrative level, with provost John Eshelman stepping down after 20 almost--uninterrupted years as provost of the university. Isiaah Crawford has moved in to replace him.
Wallace Loh, former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, has left for a job as provost of the University of Iowa, and, sometime next year, the university will hire a new head of the school of theology and ministry.
"There's always a bit of concern around change for students," said Seattle U President Stephen Sundborg, SJ.
But Sundborg maintained that most of these changes are routine. He said it is typical to have a turn around of one dean per year, and while Eshelman was a staple of the university's administration since the early 1980s, his successor will be treated as another long-term administrator, not simply a temporary fix.
"I don't think the changes in administration will greatly impact what the incoming freshman class will see," said Sundborg. "This is just a normal kind of change for the university to go through."
Some of the biggest changes around the university will come at the physical level, as a result of the highly successful $160 million Capital Campaign. While the changes at the administrative level are deemed typical and routine, these changes will dramatically affect the layout of the campus.
"Next year," Sundborg said, "is going to be a big year in terms of construction."
Construction on a new residence hall on the corner of 12th Avenue and Cherry Street will begin this summer. The new hall will house 242 students and will include eight townhouses for faculty.
With the growth of the university, student housing concerns have consistently been an issue over the last three years due to a record number of incoming freshmen every year since 2003. Seattle U received more than 5,000 freshman applications for 2008, and next year's class will approach 1,000 freshman students for the first time in school history.
Freshmen in the class of 2012 will see a decidedly different Seattle U than did the freshmen of the class of 2008. The change begins at the administrative level, with provost John Eshelman stepping down after 20 almost--uninterrupted years as provost of the university. Isiaah Crawford has moved in to replace him.
Wallace Loh, former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, has left for a job as provost of the University of Iowa, and, sometime next year, the university will hire a new head of the school of theology and ministry.
"There's always a bit of concern around change for students," said Seattle U President Stephen Sundborg, SJ.
But Sundborg maintained that most of these changes are routine. He said it is typical to have a turn around of one dean per year, and while Eshelman was a staple of the university's administration since the early 1980s, his successor will be treated as another long-term administrator, not simply a temporary fix.
"I don't think the changes in administration will greatly impact what the incoming freshman class will see," said Sundborg. "This is just a normal kind of change for the university to go through."
Some of the biggest changes around the university will come at the physical level, as a result of the highly successful $160 million Capital Campaign. While the changes at the administrative level are deemed typical and routine, these changes will dramatically affect the layout of the campus.
"Next year," Sundborg said, "is going to be a big year in terms of construction."
Construction on a new residence hall on the corner of 12th Avenue and Cherry Street will begin this summer. The new hall will house 242 students and will include eight townhouses for faculty.
With the growth of the university, student housing concerns have consistently been an issue over the last three years due to a record number of incoming freshmen every year since 2003. Seattle U received more than 5,000 freshman applications for 2008, and next year's class will approach 1,000 freshman students for the first time in school history.
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smccreight
Sean McCreight
posted 7/15/08 @ 6:27 PM PST
Months have passed with The Spectator staff continuously "bickering" themselves regarding student apathy. I do not and never have believed that SU students are apathetic. (Continued…)
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