University of Puget Sound

The University of Puget Sound (often called UPS or just Puget Sound) is a private liberal arts college located in the North End of Tacoma, Washington, in the United States. It is the only nationally ranked independent undergraduate liberal arts college in Western Washington.

It offers bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, bachelor of music, master of arts in teaching, master of education, master of occupational therapy, and doctor of physical therapy degrees. As of 2006, it has an undergraduate enrollment of 2,576 and a graduate enrollment of 209. The school draws students from 47 states and 13 countries. It offers 1,200 courses each year in more than 40 major fieldsDedication of new science building, Harned hall, set for September 2006.

In the 1980s the university was widely known for its freewheeling social life, but throughout the 1990s, the focus increasingly shifted to academics. Now, Puget Sound is a nationally ranked institution enjoying top academic marks from third party evaluators and college guides. In 2006, US News ranked it 81st in a list of top liberal arts colleges in the United States. The college radio station, KUPS, was ranked the 12th best college station in the country by the Princeton Review.

For thirty years, UPS has held a unique one-year study abroad program known as the Pacific Rim/Asia Study-Travel Program on a three-year rotation.

History

The University of Puget Sound was founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1888 in downtown Tacoma. The character of the school changed dramatically during the presidency of Edward H. Todd (1913-1942), who brought financial and academic stability. During his tenure, the campus moved in 1923 to its current location in the residential North End of Tacoma, with 5 buildings, setting a stylistic tone for the institution.

President Franklin S. Thompson (1942-1973) led a massive physical and institutional expansion: during this era all of the university's buildings save three were constructed. Phillip H. Phibbs presided from 1973 to 1992 and endeavored to change the tone of Puget Sound. In 1980, the university divested its attachment with the Methodist Church, and an independent board of trustees assumed full fiscal responsibility of the University. Also during this time, the university began to focus on undergraduate educational excellence, phasing out all off-campus programs except the law school, and most graduate programs. During this time the library collections were broadened and the faculty greatly expanded.

With the advent of President Susan R. Pierce (1992-2003), the law school was promptly sold to Seattle University, in a move that was calculated to focus the University's resources on its undergraduate campus, but angered many alumni. Also during her tenure, the Collins Memorial Library was renovated, and Wyatt Hall was constructed to house the growing class and office space needs of the Humanities. Trimble Residence Hall was also constructed, bringing on-campus student residency to 65%. Puget Sound's newest President is Ronald R. Thomas, affectionately called "Ron Thom" by many students, a scholar of Victorian Literature, and the former vice-President of Trinity College.

Currently the campus is undergoing a renovation of Thompson Hall, home of sciences studies. The two year plan includes the construction of a new wing (Harned Hall) on the northern side against Union Avenue, with extensive renovations to the current wings and courtyard to allow for upgraded labs and facilities. The entire project is scheduled to be completed in 2008.

Harned Hall, named for alumnus and local real estate developer H.C. "Joe" Harned, will be dedicated on September 29, 2006. The building is 51,000 square feet and cost $25 million to build. It was designed to meet the US Green Building Council's LEED silver standards. Because of this, sustainable building materials were used in construction and the building adheres to strict environmental guidelines. The building will feature labs for biology, geology, chemistry, environmental science, and physics, as well as a 10,000 square foot courtyard with a crystalline glass gazebo in the center, offering a café which serves fair trade coffee to the campus community.

Tuition and finances

University of Puget Sound's cost is on par with most of its peer institutions. Costs for the 2005-2006 school year were $28,270 for tuition, $7,140 for room and board, and $190 in various student fees, making the total cost $35,600.

Although the college is viewed as expensive by most students, it has a reputation for being very generous with financial aid. There are four scholarships attainable by incoming freshman based on statistics alone:

Wyatt Trustee Scholarship: $9,000/year
Trustee Scholarship: $8,000/year
President's Scholarship: $6,000/year
Dean's Scholarship: $3,000/year

All of the above scholarships require no additional applications and are renewable provided a student maintains a 2.5 GPA and fails no more than 25% of their classes.

Athletics

The Puget Sound athletics teams are known as the "Loggers", with a grizzly bear, "Grizz", as their mascot. They participate in the NCAA's Division III Northwest Conference, competing with George Fox University, Lewis and Clark College, Linfield College, Pacific University, Pacific Lutheran University, Whitman College, Whitworth College, and Willamette University.

Varsity sports

The University offers 21 different varsity sports teams:

Men's Baseball
Men's and Women's Basketball
Men's and Women's Crew (competes in the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference)
Men's and Women's Cross Country
Men's Football
Men's and Women's Golf
Women's Lacrosse
Men's and Women's Soccer
Women's Softball
Men's and Women's Swimming
Men's and Women's Tennis
Men's and Women's Track & Field
Women's Volleyball

Club sports

There are both men's and women's club soccer teams, as well as men's club lacrosse (which, due to Title IX restrictions, competes in the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League). The University also has a men's club Ultimate team, known as the "Postmen", and a women's club Ultimate team known as the "Clearcut".

Achievements

Several sports teams have achieved some degree of success in recent years:

The men's basketball team has won three straight Northwest Conference championships since 2004, as well as having the highest winning percentage (.850) in the nation in 2006. In 2005, the Division III Loggers defeated the Division I Highlanders of the University of California, Riverside, making it their first Division I defeat since the 1970s^*.
The men's crew team has taken first in the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference every year since 2001, until 2006, when they earned third place.
The women's crew team has taken first four out of the last five years in the NCRC, as well as coming in second place in the nation in 2003 and fourth place in the nation in 2004 and 2005.
The women's soccer team took second place in the nation in 2004 and ended the 2005 season ranked fifth nationally.

Fraternities and sororities

UPS is home to four fraternities and four sororities. 23% of students are involved in Greek life^*.

Fraternities:

Sororities:

Notable alumni

Jack Fabulich ('51), former Port of Tacoma Commissionerhttp://www.portoftacoma.com/aboutus.cfm?sub=25&lsub=25http://www.ups.edu/documents/OpenLine102805.pdf (Former football player Jack Fabulich '51...)
Bill Baarsma ('64), mayor of Tacoma, 2002-present http://www.billbaarsma.com/biography.htm
Jeff Smith ('67), TV Chef, "The Frugal Gourmet"http://www.nndb.com/people/046/000044911/
George Obiozor ('69), Nigerian Ambassador to the US http://www.nigeriaembassyusa.org/obiozor.shtml
Mike Price ('69), head football coach at the University of Texas-El Pasohttp://www.kvia.com/Global/story.asp?S=2299334&nav=AbC3R2RL
David Brame ('80), former police chief of Tacoma, 2001-2003 http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/projects/david_brame/timeline/v-lite/story/4121646p-3888032c.html
Deanna Oppenheimer ('80), UK Banking Chief Operating Officer, Barclays, London http://www.newsroom.barclays.co.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=426&NewsAreaID=2
Rick Brooks ('82), president and CEO of Zumiezhttp://www.nwen.org/venturer/0404/community1.htm
Scott Griffin (MBA '82), CIO of Boeinghttp://www.cio-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=13300BUSYO15"Class Notes." Arches Summer 2006: 34.
Justin Jaschke ('84), founder and former CEO of Veriohttp://www.millenniapartners.com/OurTeam/TeamView.asp?TeamMemberID=45
Jori Chisholm ('97), Champion bagpiper http://www.bagpipelessons.com/bio.htmlhttp://www2.ups.edu/arches/2006Winter/alumniChisholm.html

References

External links

Universities and colleges in Washington | Liberal arts colleges | North Tacoma, Washington | Northwest Conference

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