University of Puget Sound case study explores history as private liberal arts college

RUNNING HEAD: University of Puget Sound 1
College Case Study: University of Puget Sound
BRANDI HOFFMAN
Private Liberal Arts Colleges (HIED 76601)
Kent State University
Word Count: 4583

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University of Puget Sound
“Trees that would give shade to giants dot the ninety-seven-acre campus, and
everywhere shades of green, vibrant and varied, are a gorgeous reminder of Puget Sound’s spot
in the Northwest. On a sunny day- and there are plenty of them, despite the meteorological
stereotypes of Washington- Mount Rainer is visible from campus. Amid this natural beauty stand
handsome buildings so classically collegiate that they might have been plucked from a New
England college. The campus ‘expresses the college’s soul,’” says President Ronald Thomas.
(Pope, 2012, p. 293)
The University of Puget Sound is a Private Liberal Arts institution tucked away in the
North Western corner of the country in Tacoma, Washington. It is home to about 2,600 students
and has a long and rich history within this vibrant region stemming from the University’s
founding in 1888. (About Us, You Ask? 2014) The University of Puget Sound’s website
provides a comprehensive timeline of events throughout the years of the school’s history.
Specifically we can understand the university’s inception through the highlighted points
provided from this page.
 1884
Bishop Charles H. Fowler, former president of Northwestern University, presides over
the first Puget Sound Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Conference
decides to create a university that will be a "praise in all the land."

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 1887
Port Townsend unwilling to live up to terms of agreement for Methodist College.
Committee of four ministers and three bishops created to find a new location.
 1888
Puget Sound University incorporated in Tacoma and first board of trustees selected by
the church.
(1880s, 2014)
The university was founded within the customs of a Private Liberal Arts College and has
committed to this institutional profile in their past. Uncovering the journey to the University of
Puget Sound we know today is easily done by reading the webpage timeline as well. I chose to
focus my understanding of the path the university took to officially adopting the Private Liberal
Arts focus that prevails in the curriculum, starting with, what’s in a name? The University of Puget
Sound renamed itself as a ‘university’ in January of 1960. This was done to, “reflect the addition
of graduate programs and increased enrollment.” (1880s, 2014) The boom in the history of Higher
Education as a whole during this time period impacted the University of Puget Sound, as it did
many institutions across the United States. According to author Thomas Brock, as stated in his
journal article, Young Adults and Higher Education: Barriers and Breakthroughs to Success,
“Demographic trends, combined with the social activism of the 1960s, also created pressure for
change. As the baby boom generation reached maturity, young adults poured onto college
campuses in record numbers.” (Young Adults and Higher Education, 2010) According to the Puget
Sound timeline, in 1973 the University had 2,910 full-time equivalent students enrolled on the

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main campus and in 1975 the University, “failed to reach budgeted enrollment goal for fourth year
is a row.” (1970s, 2014)
In my opinion the events and historical realities that transpired in Higher Educations
leading up to the 1980’s, created the environment needed to persuade university official’s to
consider their goals for the future of the institution and the students it would focus on serving. The
growing world of colleges and expanding numbers and types of Higher Education institutions lead
to the University of Puget Sound making the choices necessary to define themselves within this
growing world. “In the 1970s, when other universities were embracing the idea of a “multiversity,”
being all things to all people, the faculty and trustees here [University of Puget Sound] agreed that
the college must return to its liberal arts roots.” (Pope, 2012, p. 294) Following that choice the
University began to take action in their approach to return to their roots. “In 1986 the Board
approved a plan to reduce enrollment to 2,660 students.” (1980s, 2014) From this initial decision
the university’s enrollment numbers fluctuated throughout the years, often reaching higher
enrollment numbers. It wasn’t until 1993 that the Carnegie Foundation reclassified Puget Sound
as a liberal arts college. (1990s, 2014) This classification can serve as a point of reference in the
history of Puget Sound. From here we can to see the University strategically moving and building
toward the campus we see today.
“The key for us at Puget Sound at this moment in our history is not to invent a new story
about ourselves, but to understand where our story has taken us and how it might further unfold.
Ours cannot just be an account of institutional transformation; it must also be a story of distinction.
This is our challenge: to tell that story and make it true by defining our character and the difference
it makes. This is the thread that will lead us into the next chapter of a great story and will empower
us to define the future and Puget Sound’s place in history.” (Puget Sound Strategic Planning, 2014)

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This incorporation of history into the present allows Puget Sound to not only inspire pride for the
University but inspire pride in the University throughout the years. All pride stemming from those
who have had a hand in guiding the path the institution has taken.
Student life at the University of Puget Sound today is shaped by what the institution
currently looks like and the experiences of the student body. Starting with the financial level of
experience for the students you must begin by looking at the tuition bill. According to the
University’s webpage we can look to see the Cost of Attendance in a broken-down format.
Cost of Attendance (2014–15)
 Tuition: $43,200
 Room and Board: $11,180 (Appendix A)
 Fees: $228
 Total: $54,608
(About Us, You Ask? 2014)
What is important to realize is that with a hefty tuition price tag there is often a larger assistance
package granted through financial aid. This is also the case for many Private Liberal Arts
Colleges that are similar to the University of Puget Sound. Assistance from Puget Sound looks
something like, “More than 90 percent of students receive need-based financial aid or merit
scholarships… Puget Sound provides merit scholarships that range from $5,000 up to the full
cost of tuition, room, and board.” With an endowment standing around $250 million dollars, the
University has been able to provide security and support for students, faculty and staff
comfortably. With the investments in the history and future together you can find active alumni
and successful donors looking to give back and assist in the development of the University while

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doing their part to help better the experience for the students there today. (About Us, You Ask?
2014)
“We’re kind of quirky here.” Students also describe themselves as “happy,” “respectful
of others,” “social,” and “having interests in academics but also in life outside the classroom.”
(Pope, 2012, p. 297) My personal reflection on this semester of learning about the Private Liberal
Arts College has lead me to make connection between the importance of a community identity
and the role it plays within the small home like campus environments of these institutions. At the
University of Puget Sound there is a tradition of the UPS Hatchet and the story itself speaks to
the quirky nature of the student body and the curious characteristics they portray. “The
Hatchet was first unearthed by students in 1908 as they were tearing down a barn at the 6th and
Sprague campus. The students decided to carve their year of graduation on the old carpenter's
hatchet and the tradition became one in which each class would carve in their year when the
hatchet was "passed" from the seniors to the juniors on Senior Recognition Day.” (1990s, 2014)
Since the tradition began it has turned into a competition among the classes to see who
could possess the hatchet the longest. Eventually the tradition of "hatchet running" became so
dangerous it was finally outlawed in 1965. The hatchet has since disappeared many times, once
for over 15 years. In 1998, the hatchet's return was negotiated through an intermediary and the
University placed it on permanent display in the Wheelock Student Center. The current President
Ron Thomas (Appendix B), who took on this role at the University in 2003, had an encounter
with the self-proclaimed “hatchet men” who anonymously returned the hatchet in 2008.
President Thomas wrote an entertaining article titled, The hatchet men, detailing the mysterious
return of the hatchet to the campus. The introduction reads, “This year marks the 100th

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anniversary of the tradition of The Hatchet, and, just in time for the centennial, the venerable
icon of campus high jinks is back where it belongs. How The Hatchet was last stolen and how it
came home again is a twisting tale of intrigue—as usual.” (Defining Moments, 2005)
Campus is not just a place that embraces the quirky side of students, it is also a place of
caring and respect for students from the top down beginning with the administration. An
important fact I learned while reading more about President Thomas is the care he still takes to
communicate with students at their level. “President Thomas has open office hours between eight
and ten every Monday morning, and once a month him and his wife host a fireside dinner for
students. An e-mail goes out to the whole student body with an invitation; the first ten students to
respond are in.” (Pope, 2012, p. 297) It is this care taken by the university leaders and officials,
faculty and staff that consistently makes a difference within the lives of students at the
University of Puget Sound. The campus does also host a generous range of options for students
to spend time dedicating themselves to hobbies they wish to pursue. The campus boasts over
100+ wide ranging organizations and clubs including Greek- letter organizations. Engaging the
active student body on all levels of interest ranging from personal, to academic to extra-
curricular, the 90% graduation rate within 4 years from their students institutes an understanding
that something is being done right in terms of student life at the Puget Sound.
Student life at the University of Puget Sound takes shape in more than just the
University’s quirky student personalities and engaging campus environment. “From the day the
University of Puget Sound was established by the citizens of Tacoma in 1888 (the year the city
was incorporated) the University of Puget Sound and the greater Tacoma community have been
more than neighbors, they have been partners” (Community Engagement, 2014). The whole

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institution, including its programs in support of both the academic side of development and
through the Division of Student Affairs, encompasses an underlying focus of the bigger
community picture. Understanding the University of Puget Sound means understanding the
community they are a part of. It’s not often that universities make such targeted efforts to
incorporate their surrounding environments into their education and student life. This unique
approach by the university inspired me to better understand the issues the area of Puget Sound is
currently dealing with to in turn take a unique viewpoint on the discussion of the challenges the
institution is currently facing.
Puget Sound is called home by about 4.4 million people, accounting for about 67% of
Washington State’s entire population. (Saving the Sound) So indeed a large majority of the
challenges being faced in the area are environmental in nature. Understanding this you must first
develop a better picture of the marine life of the area. “Puget Sound is the second largest estuary
in the United States. Only Chesapeake Bay is larger. The Puget Sound estuary is an arm of the
Pacific Ocean that extends inland where it meets 19 different river basins. The Sound
experiences tidal flows and there is a changing mixture of fresh and salt waters... Unlike
Chesapeake Bay, Puget Sound includes vast stretches of deep, open waters, shallow bays and
inlets, and muddy to sandy to rocky sediments underneath.”(Saving the Sound). The important
thing to note here is not just that Puget Sound is home to one of the nation’s largest estuaries, but
rather what that means to the community and to a community specifically with a rapidly growing
population. (Appendix C) “As ecosystems, estuaries are under threat from human activities such
as pollution and overfishing. They are also threatened by sewage, coastal settlement, land
clearance and much more. Estuaries are affected by events far upstream, and concentrate
materials such as pollutants and sediments.” (Estuary, 2014) Puget Sound boasts one of the

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largest concentrations of the population within the state of Washington. Taking into
consideration the expansion of people requiring space and the development of the land within
this area, you can start to piece together where the issues of this community are springing from.
The Department of Ecology for the state of Washington has created a ‘Saving the Sound’
campaign to help educate the population of city livers on how they too can join in and spread
awareness within the community. This campaign has multiple aspects within it. The education of
the public aspect focuses on topics like manure management, dog poop, yard care, septic
maintenance, car maintenance, car washing and boat maintenance tips. (Saving Puget Sound) In
relation to how the University of Puget Sound works to educate their community of college
students you see an approach of intentionality with a keen eye for continued campus
development and the ability to interconnect the classroom with the larger picture of real life
context. The university's engagement with the community has been widely praised, including
recognition from:
 Cross District Association of Tacoma, which named Puget Sound its Community Partner of
the year in both 2007 and 2010
 American Red Cross, which honored Puget Sound with its Good Neighbor Award in 2010 for
our work on the Zinna Linnik project
 Pierce County AIDS Foundation, which recognized Puget Sound for its commitment to the
community with the foundation's Community Service Award for 2008
 Pierce County Department of Community Services and the Road Home Leadership Team,
which recognized Puget Sound with its Systems Change Achievement award in 2008 for our
contributions to ending homelessness in Pierce County
 United Way of Pierce County, which honored Puget Sound's highly successful Workplace
Giving Campaigns in 2006 and 2007
According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, Puget Sound was
also named to the President's National Honor Roll for Higher Education Community Service in

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both 2006 and 2007. (Corporation for National) Although the University has been recognized
nationally for its time, dedication and resources devoted to service within their surrounding
community, the student body continues to respond by challenging the institution to do more.
Recognizing that the University does an excellent job of focusing on community service
and experiential learning both outside and inside the classroom allows us to recognize what this
dedication to involvement brings to the campus as a whole. The idea of servant leadership can be
assumed here. “Servant leadership is a philosophy and set of practices that enriches the lives of
individuals, builds better organizations and ultimately creates a more just and caring world.”
(What Is Servant Leadership) The phrase “servant leadership” was coined by Robert K.
Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay,
Greenleaf said, “The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one
wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is
sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual
power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two
extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of
human nature.” (What Is Servant Leadership) This idealism is important to recognize because
not only does it play into the current student body and student experience it also further defines
the community identity. The influence can also be seen in the future goals student set for
themselves and the future of Puget Sound. We can also connect the impact of this type of
learning environment on the alumni and their actions post-graduation from the University of
Puget Sound. “These experiences influence students long after they graduate. The college has
ranked in the top ten small colleges for producing Peace Corps volunteers since 2001, when the

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Peace Corps began issuing its annual report. In 2011, Puget Sound tied for seventeenth among
small schools for the number of graduates who joined Teach for America.” (Pope, 2012, p. 298)
It is within the curriculum that we see the melting pot of ideas begin to come together in a
structured way that enriches the education and experience of the students. “Our engagement
work is aimed at connecting the university's academic assets and personal resources to the
community in order to create and support a variety of projects and programs. The common
purpose of these programs is to collaborate with stakeholders in enhancing the quality of life of
our neighborhood, our great city of Tacoma, and the Puget Sound region as we enrich the
educational experience of our learning community and advance the frontiers of knowledge.”
(Community Engagement, 2014) Advancing the frontier of knowledge stems heavily from the
unique structure of programs of study. The refocusing to a liberal arts approach by the University
of Puget Sound provides for a vision of collaboration within academic fields. “It’s devotion to
the liberal arts feels less like the assumed love between an old married couple and more like the
passion of newlyweds: exciting and enchanting, hopeful and forward looking.” (Pope, 2012, p.
294)
Faculty enjoy the stimulating environment of creating change and advancement of the
current state of their professional fields. “For proof, look to the colleges curriculum, which is
full of interdisciplinary programs, valuable for their emphasis on connecting ideas from different
fields.” (Pope, 2012, p. 294) Though the issues of faculty and staff security are present at many
Private Liberal Arts Colleges across the nation currently, the faculty at Puget Sound find
themselves in a more stable predicament. The average class size is about 18 students and the
faculty to staff ratio is standing at 12:1. There are about 93% of the faculty that are full time and

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those holding a doctorate or equivalent are 99% of tenure-line faculty. (About Us, You Ask?
2014) These facts alone help provide an environment for not only student success but also faculty
success, which holds the key to the forward thinking attitude that fuels the campus. The faculty
are eager to work with students and to serve as mentors and role models to their students. Many
faculty members represent the epitome of a ‘good professor’ and students rant about the quality
of the teaching at Puget Sound. The faculty not only serve as teachers they do their fair share of
research and development within their fields. The interdisciplinary nature of the curriculum and
programs of study are inspired by the ideas of students and faculty often pushing the boundaries
of knowledge together to expand the depth of understanding we hold in the present day of our
fields of study. “But the faculty here like to dream up new courses and expand offerings as their
fields grow, change and overlap.” (POPE, 2012, p. 294) Something like an exceptional student
creating a Special Disciplinary Major (SIM) in combination of multiple academic interests is not
unheard of at the University. This attitude toward growth and change does wonders for the
creativity found in the classrooms all across campus.
Alongside the unique collaborative approach to learning there is a core liberal arts
education. Puget Sound provides a four-year core curriculum, as is traditional in the liberal arts,
and the offer of more than 50 traditional and interdisciplinary programs to choose from are. Over
1,200 courses are offered annually and there is a restriction at Puget Sound that all students must
wait to declare their major within their sophomore year. The delayed timing allows for more
exploration and reflection many students need during this often daunting time in their lives as
young adults. (About Us, You Ask? 2014)

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The themes of experiential learning expand beyond the classroom and the Tacoma
community for the students of Puget Sound. The learning expands out to the global community
through the University’s intentional and poignant investment in the study abroad experience. In
1963 the Study Abroad program began and funding for these programs quickly followed suit as
well. (1880s, 2014) Although the University has multiple study abroad experiences for students
to choose from today, The Pac Rim experience stands alone in comparison (Appendix D). In
1973 The Pac Rim experience assumed the reoccurring three year structure it still abides by
today. (1880s, 2014) As a noted Study Abroad program of the University, “The Pac Rim
experience strips away a student’s assumptions and gives her powerful academic and personal
experiences. She sees for herself the cultural, political, and economic influences of each place
and expands her understanding of global affairs.” (Pope, 2012 p. 296)
A program that provides personal understanding to a student and knowledge they will
need to have prior to departing as well as prefacing them for the knowledge they will likely gain
throughout the experience, ultimately provides a more quality program for the students. This
process also helps evade or reduce the likelihood of ‘disaster tourism,’ a term I learned from the
“10 Myths of Social Justice,” presentation given by Vernon Wall at the American College
Personnel Association (ACPA) Convention in late March. The term disaster tourism explains the
issues faced by communities when students visiting from affluent environments visit
communities abroad (or at home in the nation) without the proper level of self-awareness and
personal contextual understanding. A common culprit of this phenomenon is both spring break
trips and study abroad programs.

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Quality assurance has been an underlying theme throughout this process of discovery of
Puget Sound. This extends to the environmental realm, academic realm, professional realm and
personal realm of the student experience at the University of Puget Sound. The quality of the
experience aligns with the mission the University holds itself to. “The mission of the university
is to develop in its student’s capacities for critical analysis, aesthetic appreciation, sound
judgment, and apt expression that will sustain a lifetime of intellectual curiosity, active inquiry,
and reasoned independence. (Mission Statement, 2014) It is through this mission of the
University that we see the accomplishments being made and the plans for the future being
constructed to continually grow Puget Sound. “In fall 2003, the university began the first phase
of a 20-year master plan. This comprehensive plan will build on the university's strengths and
make improvements that will enhance the value of the institution for all who participate in the
life of the campus.” (2023 Master Plan, 2014) Within this master plan set for 2023, the focus will
be upon environmental construction as well as the strategic planning goals that have been
identified. There are four objectives of the overall strategic plan for the university. They are as
follows:
INNOVATE: Enhance and distinguish the Puget Sound experience.
INSPIRE: Build an inspiring physical environment for learning.
ENGAGE: Forge lifelong relationships.
INVEST: Strengthen our financial position.
(Puget Sound Strategic Planning, 2014)

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Of the 2,600 students currently attending the University of Puget Sound the percentage
breakdown by gender stands at 43% men and 57% women who are attending from 44 states, 16
countries and 76% are from outside Washington State. (Diversity Strategic Plan, 2014) The
University’s strategic planning does not just focus its efforts in one capacity, but rater multiple
factors of planning for the future are considered and taken into account. Puget Sound aims for a
diverse campus by considering their current institutional profile and creating a Diversity
Strategic Plan as well. The current population hosts a student body of:
 African American 3%
 Asian/Pacific Islander 12%
 Caucasian 74%
 Hispanic/Latino 6%
 Native American 2%
 Other 3%
 International approximately 1%
To become a more diverse campus the strategic planning committee laid the ground work by
identifying the moves that will receive concentrated efforts and funding to move progressively
toward the identified goals below. (Diversity Strategic Plan, 2014)
Goal One
We will increase the recruitment and retention of students, staff, and faculty from
underrepresented minority groups.
Goal Two
We will create a campus environment that fully welcomes and supports social diversity.
Goal Three

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We will improve working and business relationships with race/ethnic and other diverse
communities in the Puget Sound region.
Goal Four
We will be accountable for implementing the diversity strategic plan and working toward
achieving diversity goals.
(Diversity Strategic Plan, 2014)
In 2013 the University of Puget Sound celebrated 125 years as a university. A deep rich
history is not complete without the involvement of those who have made that history come alive.
Alumni express deep gratitude for what the college did for them. An executive of Netflix and a
1992 alumnus expressed his feelings about his alma mater. “Puget Sound taught me that really,
it’s up to you to choose your path... It gives you opportunities and makes the consequences of
failure low. It taught me to take chances and to be an outside-the-box thinker…The people who
are going to solve the problems of the world are the ones who see the problem differently from
anyone else. Puget Sound helped me with that, and I look for people who can do that too.” (Pope,
2012, p. 298) The phrase “Once a logger, always a logger,” resounds as more than just a saying
and instead is taken to heart by all those who have lived there. “One of our greatest sources of
pride is the alumni of this university, who distinguish themselves at such a high level throughout
the world and throughout the range of human experience. They embody the spirit of leadership
and innovation we have identified above and form a remarkable group of individuals in their
communities.” (Defining Moments, 2005) The University provides its students an institution
equip to inspire growth and learning about themselves and the environment they live in. Through
their experiences these students come away from the University of Puget Sound ready to not
only pursue their dreams, but to also create positive change in our world.

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Resources
A Sound Past (2014)
Retrieved From: http://www.pugetsound.edu/about/history-traditions/
About Us, You Ask? (2014)
Retrieved From: http://www.pugetsound.edu/about/
Brock, T. (2010). Young Adults and Higher Education: Barriers and Breakthroughs to Success,
Transition to Adulthood, Vol 20, Issue 1, Retrieved from:
http://futureofchildren.org/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=72&articleid
=523&sectionid=3589
Community Engagement (2014)
Retrieved From: http://www.pugetsound.edu/community/
Corporation for Nationals and Community Service (N.D)
Retrieved From: http://www.nationalservice.gov/
Defining Moments: A Vision for the University of Puget Sound. (2005)
Retrieved From: http://www.pugetsound.edu/about/history-traditions/defining-moments/
Diversity Strategic Plan. (2014)
Retrieved From: http://www.pugetsound.edu/about/diversity-at-puget-sound/diversity-
strategic-plan/

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Estuary (2014)
Retrieved From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estuary
Mission Statement (2014)
Retrieved From: http://www.pugetsound.edu/about/strategic-planning/mission-statement/
Pope, L. (2012). Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think
About Colleges. London, England: Penguin Books Ltd.
Puget Sound Strategic Planning. (2014)
Retrieved From: http://www.pugetsound.edu/about/strategic-planning/
Saving Puget Sound. (N.D)
Retrieved From: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/puget_sound/education.html
What is Servant Leadership? (N.D.)
Retrieved From: https://greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/
1880s. (2014)
Retrieved From: http://www.pugetsound.edu/125/timeline/1880s
1970s. (2014)
Retrieved From: http://www.pugetsound.edu/125/timeline/1970s/

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1980s. (2014)
1990s. (2014)
2023 Master Plan for University of Puget Sound. (2014)
Retrieved From: http://www.pugetsound.edu/about/strategic-planning/the-master-plan/

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Appendix A
Schiff Residential Hall
Appendix B
Current President Ron Thomas and the UPS Hatchet

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Appendix C
Puget Sound Watershed/ estuary

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Appendix D
The Pac Rim Experience

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