Under the stewardship of Pacific’s current president, Pamela A. Eibeck, Pacific is expanding its presence in Sacramento and San Francisco and implementing a bold new strategic vision, Pacific 2020. This vision capitalizes on Pacific’s highly regarded academic programs, formative student-teacher relationships and multiple locations to position University of the Pacific to become the best teaching-focused university in California – the first choice for talented students who want excellent programs, close working relationships with faculty, a challenging but supportive learning environment, and an exciting future after graduation.
Knoles HallIn 2013, the university received a transformational gift of $125 million from the estate of the late Regents Robert and Jeannette Powell. The Powells were ardent champions of the university’s educational mission, and great advocates for access and excellence. In accordance with their wishes, their gift has been endowed and earmarked largely for scholarships and academic programs. A large portion of the gift is being used to encourage others to make endowment gifts through the Powell Match Program. Our donors’ generosity and passion for Pacific will mean that generations of students will be able to achieve a superior education.
Pacific is leveraging its presence in three of Northern California’s most prominent cities. In July 2014, the university opened a stunning new campus in San Francisco at 155 Fifth Street. The campus provides the requisite space and facilities for the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry to continue defining the frontiers of dental education. It also expands Pacific’s educational footprint and visibility in San Francisco in the health, technology and arts and culture sectors. New academic programs in analytics, audiology, music therapy and food studies began in fall 2015, and additional new programs will be added in the coming years. Pacific’s Sacramento Campus is also expanding, offering exciting academic programs at the intersection of law, policy, business, education and health. Anchored by the McGeorge School of Law, the campus is adding graduate academic programs keyed to the needs of a metropolitan region, charting a bold future. A Master of Science in Law degree is now available through the McGeorge School of Law. New graduate programs in business and education launched in 2015 and new graduate programs in public policy and public administration, physician assistant studies and analytics will begin in 2016 and 2017.
Beyond Our Gates President Eibeck has made community engagement a priority for the university. In 2010, Pacific launched the “Beyond Our Gates…Into the Community” initiative in order to forge community partnerships that improve lives in our region. As part of Beyond Our Gates, some 50 community partners have united in an effort to improve early literacy. The Beyond Our Gates Reading by Third campaign recently received a grant from The James Irvine Foundation to strengthen early literacy programs in the San Joaquin Valley, while the Beyond Our Gates Community Council, an advisory board comprising local leaders, has garnered national attention. Through the work of the council, San Joaquin County has been designated a Community Pacesetter in the area of early literacy by the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. San Joaquin County has also been named a GradNation Community by the America’s Promise Alliance in recognition of efforts to increase high school graduation rates.
Pacific’s schools and programs also serve the community in important ways through health and dental clinics, legal clinics and community service. In the 2014-15 academic year, the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry provided $10 million in uncompensated dental care to patients; students at the Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences volunteered an estimated 30,000 hours to provide health-related services to the community; the McGeorge School of Law legal clinics provided free services to hundreds of clients; and student volunteers on the Stockton Campus gave more than 7,600 hours of community service.
