Alcalá View 1986 2.9

USD's • • m1ss1on: to make a difference By Dr. William Pickett W hat is the mean- ing of what we do in our day-to-day lives here at the University of San Diego? I would sug- gest that our mission is to make a difference in soci- ety by making a difference in the lives of individual students. I think each one of us wants to make a difference in our own lives-we want to think that because we lived, because we worked, because we passed along a certain path-somehow things were different. I did that as opposed to some- one else. Organizations are the same way. Universities want to make a difference. Because there is a Uni- versity of San Diego, we want to make some differ- ence in society. We seek to make a difference in soci- ety by making a difference in the lives of individual students. We think that in- dividuals count. If we can make certain differences in the lives of our students whom we are preparing to assume posi- tions of leadership in our society it will bring about a difference in the life of our society-the life that we all share together. The difference we want to make is to in- crease the value of indi- vidual human beings. No matter how large our so- ciety gets, no matter how powerful our institutions, no matter how affluent they are, if we lose sight of the importance, dignity

Reaffirmation of our mission-It is important in the years ahead that we be faithful to our mission of making a difference in soci- ety by making a difference in the lives of individual students. We must avoid trying to be something that we are not-we must be our own model. Scale of the educa- tional environment-We must resolve that whatever financial challenges we face in the future, our solu- tions should not include sigIJ.Jfi._c.gnt increases in en- rollment. The larger we get the more difficult it is to make a difference in the lives of individual students. Program quality-In order to provide the very best education for stu- dents, we must have the very best faculty members. That means they must not only be expert in their dis- cipline, but also want to make a difference in the lives of individual students. Program diversity- The technical and scien- tific areas are going to play an increasingly larger role in our daily lives. It is im- portant that the University develop more fully its tech- nical and scientific pro- grams. Student quality-It is important that all students be challenged to achieve at their highest level. We want to increase the level of chal- lenge by admitting mcire high ability students. Student diversity-It is important that future student bodies at USD re- flect the diverse potential for leadership that exists among all races, creeds and economic back- grounds. As the cost of ed- ucation continues to increase, we must increase our own financial re- sources available to stu- dents. Financial strength- We must increase the size

of our endowment in order to ensure USD's long run fi- nancial stability and strength. In the long term we are simply undercapita- lized for the achievement of our institutional mission. If we are successful in meeting these challenges USD will create a human and physical environment which makes an impact on the total personal develop- ment of our students. To the extent to which we are successful, we will gradu- ate alumni who have an impact on the quality of our communal life. USD alumni will be char- acterized by their general and specific intellectual training, their commit- ment to a belief in God and to the dignity of individual human beings, and their orientation and commit- ment to the improvement of their professions. Such people assuming leader 0 ship positions in our com- munity will bring about continued increases in the quality of life in our com- munity. • Dr. William Pickett, vice president for university rela- tions, explained USD ·s mis- sion to faculty, staff and administrators during pre- sentations around campus unveiling the University 's $54 million Jund-raising cam- paign. This is a summary of his presentation. Last • issue This is the last issue of Alcala View until Sep- tember. In September, monthly publication will resume. If you have com- ments about the newsletter or suggestions for next year, please contact John Sutherland in the Publi- cations Office, DeSales 274, ext. 4684. •

and value of individual hu- man beings then we are de- luding ourselves about the quality of our common life. We have established five important areas in which we seek to make a differ- ence in the lives of our stu- dents: Competence-All stu- dents should develop intel- lectual competence in both a general and a specific sense. Commitment to val- ues - There are basic val- ues important to all of us. 1\vo of those are a ceqtral part of the USD experience: belief in God and belief in the dignity of individual human beings. Voluntary civic action - Students should learn the importance of service to others during their USD experience. The ability to look beyond self interests to achieve group goals is an essential ingredient in an effective and human- oriented society. International sensi- tivity- Understanding our neighbors around the world is crucial in today's global society. The Univer- sity's educational pro- grams must provide opportunities for students to achieve this sensitivity. Professional respon- sibility- USD has made special commitments to the professions of law, edu- cation, nursing and busi- ness management through its four professional schools. The University seeks not only to provide well-trained practitioners in these fields but to edu- cate students who have a sense of responsibility for maintaining and improv- ing the profession itself. There are challenges ahead for USD as well if we are to fulfill our mission of making a difference in the lives of individual students. Among the challenges we face: