USD President's Report 1987

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Overview

Of Meaning and Identity

The University of San Diego is an independent Catholic institution of higher education located on 180 acres overlooking San Diego's Mission Bay. USD is known for its commitment to teaching, the liberal arts, values and community involvement. It is an institution which takes pride in the personalized approach it brings to the educational process. Chartered in 1949, USD enrolls more than 5,600 students who may choose from more than 50 under- graduate and graduate degree programs, ranging from marine sciences to business administration. The Univer- sity's academic units include the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Schools of Business Administration , Education, Law and Nursing. The School of Graduate and Continuing Education coordinates the graduate programs of all schools with the exception of the Law School. Throughout its history, USD has remained committed to the ideals of liberal education and to recognizing the dignity of men and women as human beings and as creatures of God. As a Catholic institution, the University is committed to examination of the Catholic tradition as the basis of a continuing search for meaning in contem- porary life. The 16th century Spanish architectural style of the campus buildings and beautiful campus grounds create a pleasant atmosphere for both students and visitors. USD offers a year-round calendar of concerts, art exhibitions and lectures open to the public. Its men's and women's sports teams compete against national opponents in I 5 sports.

Who are you? What do you stand for? No matter who we are-individuals, corporations, organizations-these two questions, above all , will trail us through life. I hear such questions frequently as the University of San Diego continues reaching out to new people. The two questions are not always asked as plainly as I put them. Sometimes they 're framed as questions about our curriculum or our funding base or what we mean by "values" or what kinds of jobs our graduates get. But make no mistake. Nearly all questions you can ask about the business or activities of an individual. a corpora- tion or a university can be reduced to just these two. That's why we decided in this President's Report to try to explain some of those aspects of USD's institutional identity that reveal most clearly our full institu- tional character. Public perception of certain aspects of our character-what it means to be a "Catholic university," for example-has been clouded by long-standing assump- tions not always borne out by fact. In other instances, such as our commit- ment to volunteerism , our character may be obscured because the public has insufficient information about the extent of what we do. That is why this President's Report presents a few specific elements of our identity as forcefully as we can- departing in the process from the usual narrative style of past President's Reports. Perhaps by letting the spotlight shine brightly and for a few moments each on separate aspects of USD's identity, our full character as an institution can be seen with the clarity and intensity it so richly deserves. ~he(.~ President • 3

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