President's View Engaging the Culture, Changing the World

The Provost’s Initiatives

As part of Seattle Pacific University’s strategic plan, Provost Jeff Van Duzer has identified five focus areas to help shape the SPU education of the future. For each of these five initiatives, faculty, and in most cases, staff members have been formed into a task force charged with crafting a plan to improve curriculum and other cocurricular programs that affect these areas.

“These initiatives were designed to address major challenges or opportunities facing the University,” Van Duzer says.

Expect to hear more as these initiatives progress. Here’s a brief overview of the goal of each initiative:

Global Initiative

This initiative will help students engage the world’s complexity and interdependence through academic study, global interaction, and thoughtful service.

Reconciliation Initiative

This initiative aims to ensure that every student at Seattle Pacific encounters the call of the gospel to enter into the work of reconciliation and begins to develop the cross-cultural competencies necessary for this work.

Vocational Preparation Initiative

SPU is committed to preparing students for life after graduation. This initiative will further help each student recognize his or her unique calling and to take the next steps in a life-long journey of pursuing that call.

Academic Innovation Initiative

With rapid changes in technology and in the landscape of higher education, this initiative invites faculty to seek new approaches to teaching and learning that are effective, efficient, and contribute to the essentials of a Seattle Pacific education.

Character Formation Initiative

One of SPU’s signature commitments is to “value the centrality of character formation in the life of the individual.” This initiative will examine and enhance the contribution Seattle Pacific makes to students’ character.