USD Magazine, 1993 Winter-Spring 1994

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Press. Hill has read his poetry in front of student groups at USD and youth groups in his hometown of Tucson, Ariz. "If I can help just one person gain an understanding of a black man's struggle, or if someone sees himself or herself in my writing, then I will feel as though I've accomplished something." The USD sophomore already has accomplished things in the classroom and on the basketball court. A pre-med major with the goal of becoming a pediatric neurosurgeon, Hill was named scholar– athlete of the year last year, and is looked to as a team leader. "Val is a very physical, emotional player," Egan explains. "His physical abilities, combined with his seriousness and focus, are a big asset on the court." Hill says he's grateful to have the opportunity to play the game he loves while earning a college education. "Basketball gives me the chance to accomplish other things in my life."

USO BOARD GAINS THREE NEW MEMBERS

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of trustees has welcomed three new members to its ranks - two prominent San Diego business leaders and the head of the Society of the Sacred Heart's United States province. Robert H. Baker, president of Bob Baker Enterprises Inc., began his leg– endary career in the automotive industry as a car salesman 40 years ago. Today, he owns a variety of automobile fran– chises in San Diego and Imperial coun– ties. He is a recipient of many awards, including the 1991 Distinguished Ser– vice Award from the New Car Dealers Association of San Diego County. Baker is a member of the board of directors of Catholic Charities, the Catholic Diocese Finance Council and the board of the Academy of Our Lady of Peace. He was recently knighted into the Holy Sepul– chre of Jerusalem. Sister Barbara Dawson, RSCJ, is the newly named provincial for the Society of the Sacred Heart in the United States. A member of the order since 1968, she is an educator and an attor– ney-advocate of human rights. A gradu– ate of the University of San Francisco School of Law, Sister Dawson served as the directing attorney for the Mental Health Advocacy Project in San Jose from 1980 to 1982, when she was named director of ministry for the Soci– ety of the Sacred Heart in the United States. In 1988, she became director of immigration programs for Catholic Charities in San Francisco. She left the faculty of Atma Jaya University in Jakarta, Indonesia, in August to assume her current position. John A. McMahon is executive vice president and managing principal of Johnson & Higgins of California, a privately owned international insurance broker. In 1974, he joined Pacific Mutual Life as a group insurance and pension representative. Shortly after, he was named manager of the General American Group Insurance office in San Diego. In 1984, five years after joining Johnson & Higgins, he was named senior vice president and manager in San Diego. In 1992, he was appointed exec– utive vice president and invited to become one of the 40 owners of J&H worldwide. He recently became manager of Johnson & Higgins in Los Angeles, the broker's largest branch in the world.

-Jacqueline Genovese

PRESIDENT HUGHES ADDRESSES THE FUTURE he University of San Diego faces enormous challenges in the coming years, President Author E. Hughes university will continue strengthening its future. Toward that end, a university

committee representing all academic units began in January 1993 to review the planning process, making recommen– dations on how to improve the process for the 1995-2005 plan. Hughes asked the audience to think seriously about the questions facing the university in the near future. "One thing we have to think about is size," he said. "How big an institution do we want to be at the end of 10 years? How much larger, the same size or smaller? We also need to know what kind of institution we want to be. Faculty, look at the issue of balance between teaching and research. Do we direct ourselves where we want to go on this issue?" Strategic plans will be made based on scenarios blending USD's identity and academic opportunities with the needs of society, Hughes said. "Obviously, we can't do all the scenarios," he noted. "We need to select those that best fit USD's mission statement and its pur– pose. Those will then be the institu– tion's objectives.'' He urged all faculty and staff mem– bers to stay involved in the planning process and to make the plan their own. If that happens, he commented, the future for USD looks especially bright. "I think we have been blessed at this institution," he said. "My only prayer is that we continue to be blessed."

told faculty and administrators in his annual fall convocation address. He noted that the university is preparing to overcome those challenges through a new phase of strategic long-range plan– ning. The current long-range plan con– cludes in 1995. Hughes outlined several internal and external factors that must be addressed by the 1995-2005 plan: -The university is adapting to lead– ership changes, some of which have occurred on the board of trustees and at the vice presidential level. Additionally, Hughes' retirement is planned for the summer of 1995, with longtime Acade– mic Vice President and Provost Sister Sally Furay, RSCJ, to follow a year later. -Dramatic demographic changes that are occurring in today's society must be accounted for in the planning process. -The depressed economy continues to affect USD's operations. -The public view of higher educa– tion is changing, particularly concerning funding. State and federal funding has shifted dramatically, with more of the burden falling on the student. Through the new long-range plan, Hughes noted, USD will be better pre– pared to manage these concerns and, by further defining its identity and direc– tion during the planning process, the

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