Campus Connections

Issue Date: March 28, 2005

News and Notices

Princeton Review names Lewis & Clark a “college with a conscience”

Lewis & Clark is one of the nation’s best colleges fostering social responsibility and public service, according to The Princeton Review and Campus Compact. Lewis & Clark is one of 81 institutions in 33 states that The Princeton Review commends and features in its forthcoming book, “Colleges With a Conscience: 81 Great Schools with Outstanding Community Involvement” (Random House/Princeton Review Books, 2005), due in bookstores around June 21.

“This recognition affirms the relevance of our mission as a service-oriented liberal arts institution,” says Tom Hochstettler, president. “While our students learn to be wiser and more reflective human beings through exploration, discovery, and working together, they also learn to become citizens dedicated to a life of giving back in the interests of the common good.”

The Princeton Review partnered with Campus Compact, a national organization committed to the civic purposes of higher education, to develop the volume and choose the schools featured in the book. The book’s editors also invited dozens of organizations with expertise in campus community service and student engagement to nominate colleges for inclusion. Criteria included: admissions practices and scholarships rewarding community service; support for service-learning programs, student activism; student voice in school governance; and level of student body social engagement.

Board approves name change for graduate school

The graduate school has a new name: the Graduate School of Education and Counseling. The change, approved by the College’s Board of Trustees, is effective immediately and will be reflected on diplomas beginning in June 2005.

“We’re delighted to have a name that more accurately reflects the scope our school and enhances our standing and recognition in the community,” says Dean Peter Cookson. “At the heart of it, we wanted to acknowledge that counseling is one of our key programs.”

According to Cookson, the name change is part of an overall school strategy to be daring, innovative, and successful and “to realize our dreams to provide the highest quality programs, to attract a quality and diverse student body, and to reach out to communities with our expertise.”

The new name also captures the school’s origin and history. In 1984, Lewis & Clark consolidated its postgraduate programs in education, counseling psychology, and public administration to form the Graduate School of Professional Studies, renamed the Graduate School of Education in 2001. In 1996, the program in public administration was transferred to Portland State University.

Accreditation team visits campus

National accreditation is a key component to help the Graduate School of Education and Counseling remain competitive among its peers.

Over the past year, the graduate school has been preparing for reaccreditation by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, known as NCATE. Between April 2 and April 6, NCATE representatives will visit Lewis & Clark to evaluate the institution by six standards: candidate knowledge, skills and dispositions; assessment system and unit evaluation; field experiences and clinical practice; diversity; faculty qualifications, performance and development; and unit governance and resources.

The evaluators will visit the school, interview alumni, meet with the College’s leadership, including Tom Hochstettler, and conduct site visits to several schools that receive Lewis & Clark teachers. More than 700 documents have been prepared for the reaccreditation process.

“Faculty and staff have done a superb job in gathering data, writing reports, and helping to plan for this visit,” says Peter Cookson, dean. “Everyone’s willingness to engage in this activity is testimony to the strength of our community.”

A team from the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission will join NCATE evaluators for the onsite visit.

An initial report should be available within four weeks, and final accreditation status will be determined in October by NCATE’s board.

Pioneer debaters take top honors in national competition

The College’s forensics teams took first and third place in a national competition sponsored by the National Parliamentary Debate Association. The tournament took place March 17-20 at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. The competition brought together 220 teams from 80 colleges and universities.

First place honors went to Lewis & Clark’s Paul Bingham ’05, international affairs, from Ashland, and Meredith Price ’07, international affairs, from Eugene. Bingham and Price defeated a team from Whitman College for the top prize. Third place honors went to the College’s Landon Mascarenaz ’05, international affairs, Littleton, Colorado, and Mitch Stromberg ’05, international affairs, Stateline, Nevada. In parliamentary debate, students are given a different topic in every round and have 15 to 20 minutes to prepare their case. The tournament topics are drawn from international affairs, philosophy, and politics.

“I am extremely pleased with the consistent quality of our forensics team students,” says Steven Hunt, professor of communication and director of forensics.

PILP auction funds 18 summer stipends

The law school’s February PILP auction raised more than $82,000 for the school’s Public Interest Law Project. The proceeds will fund summer stipends for 18 law students to provide legal assistance to public interest organizations. After the stipends are awarded, the remaining funds are allocated to the Loan Repayment Assistance Program, which helps alumni practicing public interest law to repay law school loans after graduation.

“The stipend awards reflect the diversity of the public interest sector, ranging from environmental protection in tsunami-stricken Sri Lanka to advocating for Guantanamo Bay detainees,” says Amy Miller, vice president of stipend relations for PILP. “Everyone involved shares the common belief that justice should be available to all, regardless of resources.”

The stipend-supported projects for summer 2005 are varied. Law school students will work at organizations around the nation and the globe, including the Centre for Environmental Justice in Sri Lanka; Center for Constitutional Rights in New York; International Labor Rights Fund in Washington, D.C.; Legal Aid Services of Oregon in Portland; International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights in Vienna, Austria; Humane Society of the United States in Washington, D.C.; Ecologic Institute for International and European Policy in Berlin; and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in New York.

PLUS students arrive

Lewis & Clark has received a two-year grant that will enable the College to bring up to 10 academically talented undergraduate students from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia to study on campus this fall. The grant, which emphasizes studies in the liberal arts, is funded by the U. S. Department of State under the Partnerships for Learning Undergraduate Studies, known as PLUS, and administered by the Academy for Educational Development.

“In this period of declining international enrollments and of disenchantment with U. S. foreign policy, it is very important that we take seriously the opportunities represented by the PLUS program and that we welcome this underrepresented group of students to our community,” says Tom Hochstettler, president.

The PLUS program is designed to reach a broad spectrum of college-age youth from diverse backgrounds and provide them with a greater understanding of U. S. institutions, society, and culture. PLUS students are currently enrolled in universities in their home countries and will come to Lewis & Clark as junior transfer students. They are expected to earn a bachelor’s degree from the College within a two-year period (four semesters and a summer) in English, political science, international relations, or communication. In addition, the students will have opportunities to engage actively on campus and in the community through cocurricular activities, volunteer work, and speaking opportunities.

Wrapping up the fiscal year

The end of the fiscal year is fast approaching. The Business Office reminds you to plan ahead for any end-of-year purchases. According to Marietta Lawson, director of accounting, Friday, April 15, is the cutoff date to request purchase orders for goods and services over $200. To be included in FY 2004-05 spending, all goods and services must be received by May 31. For more information, contact Lawson at ext. 7821.

Calling all silly socks!

Staffers in the Admissions Office at the College of Arts and Sciences started it four years ago—wearing wild and colorful socks on April Fool’s Day.

Since then, “Silly Sock Day” has become their tradition.

The Admissions Office encourages faculty and staff to wear silly foot fashions on Friday, April 1. “Just be creative in sock choices,” advises Jill Briney, departmental specialist in CAS admissions. “The main idea is to get in touch with your silly side and have fun,” she says.

Aloha means good times

Experience Hawaiian culture at the College’s 14th annual Hawaiian Lu’au, Saturday, April 2, in Pamplin Sports Center. The buffet dinner, which begins at 4:45 p.m., offers a variety of traditional foods, including kalua pork, chicken long rice, lomi salmon, and coconut cake. The group Hawaiian Charm provides music.

Following the dinner, members of the Hawaii Club will perform traditional Polynesian dances from Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, and New Zealand. The event is sponsored and organized by Lewis & Clark’s Hawaii Club.

Tickets are available at the door. The cost is $16 for general admission; $8 for the Lewis & Clark community; $5 for children age five to 10; and free for children under age five. For more information, call ext. 8384.

Making a lyrical sound

Cappella Nova will perform Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Five Mystical Songs” in a concert on Sunday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m. Baritone Jodi Eichelberger B.A. ’93 is the featured soloist. He will also perform a selection from the Broadway show “Avenue Q.” Susan McBerry, instructor in music, directs the free concert in Evans Auditorium.

The program also includes Johann Sebastian Bach’s Motet No.1, “Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied” (BWV 225), with the Chancel Choir from Portland’s Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Cappella Nova is the College’s 40-member choir. Members are both music majors and non-music majors. The ensemble performed in March as part of the inauguration ceremony for Tom Hochstettler, Lewis & Clark’s new president.

A new way to meet Lewis & Clark alumni

The Lewis & Clark experience doesn’t end at commencement; alumni hold key positions of leadership and engage in other activities around the world, where they serve as ambassadors for the College’s liberal arts education.

“College alumni are making an impact on local, national, and international communities,” says Julia Duncan, senior communications officer for new media. “We've created a Web site to highlight the interesting and exciting things that alumni are doing.”

Alumni profiled on the site include Hideo Nagura ’88, an investment banker in the corporate advisory division of the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, one of the world’s largest banks, and Randy Massengale ’74, founder and chief executive officer of Spinoza Technology, a Seattle-based company that provides wireless handheld devices and communication software.

The features are the result of extensive planning and collaboration among the offices of Alumni and Parent Programs, Development, Admissions, and Public Affairs and Communications.

IT offers spring classes

Information Technology offers ongoing computer training courses. During the next two weeks, these classes are available: FileMaker Scripts and FileMaker Calculations. For more information, contact IT at ext. 7020.

Historical snapshot

In 1946, enrollment increases as veterans return from World War II. To accommodate the growing student body, Lewis & Clark begins importing military buildings to serve as classrooms, offices, a theatre, and dining commons. That same year, students adopt the name “Pioneers.”

View more College milestones online.

People News

Akers tapped for institutional advancement vice president post

Philip J. Akers has been named vice president for institutional advancement. His appointment followed a national search. Akers is currently vice president for university development at Eastern Washington and president of that institution’s university foundation.

“The selection of Phil Akers for this important position is the result of a national search that generated an impressive pool of well-qualified candidates,” says Tom Hochstettler, president. “To that extent, Lewis & Clark has proven itself to be a magnet for talent, which is a tribute to the individual and collective dedication, energy, and enthusiasm of everyone at the College. With Phil’s arrival, we will redouble our efforts to tell the story of Lewis & Clark and of our academic distinction to an ever-widening audience.”

Akers will join the College on May 2. At that time, the college relations division will take its new name, Division of Institutional Advancement.

“Lewis & Clark is already a well-regarded institution and I’m pleased to be a part of it,” says Akers. “I’m excited by the aspirations that Tom Hochstettler has to lead the College’s three schools to new levels of national prominence and renown.”

Akers, 47, joined Eastern Washington University in 1997 as associate vice president for university advancement and became vice president in 2002. Eastern Washington is a regional comprehensive university with 9,500 students and 70,000 alumni. He led the university’s integrated advancement unit, which includes fund-raising, alumni relations, and university communications. Under his management, Eastern Washington’s fund-raising program grew 400 percent and the number of annual donors more than doubled. For each of the past five years, the university set new records for annual giving. During Akers’ tenure, Eastern Washington’s enrollment grew nearly 30 percent, making the institution the fastest-growing public university in the state.

Prior to Eastern Washington University, Akers worked as regional director for the Washington State University Foundation at Spokane during the university’s $275-million campaign. He began his career in higher education as director of annual giving at Gonzaga University.

Akers and his wife, Cathy, have two children: Sean, 17, and Hannah, 15. He has been active in the Spokane community, serving on the boards of the St. Joseph’s Family Center, Gonzaga Preparatory School, and Spokane Youth Sports Association. Akers earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Portland and his master’s degree from Gonzaga University.

Other new faces around campus

Andy Wheeler is a development services gifts technician in Institutional Advancement. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Carleton College and most recently worked as a claims processor at Providence Health Plans. He also worked for Camp Fire USA, Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, Mayo Foundation, and AmeriCorps VISTA. Reach Wheeler at ext. 7927 or awheeler@lclark.edu.

Abigail Bruns and Julie Locke are assistant volleyball coaches in Physical Education and Athletics. Bruns, a four-year collegiate player at the University of Illinois, has coaching experience in the club rank and took a team to national competition while she worked on her master’s degree at the University of Iowa. She lives in Newberg and also works at the Willamette Valley Medical Center as a Cancer Program Coordinator.

Locke will graduate in May from Pacific Lutheran University, where she has been a four-year starter. She was named All-Conference all four years of her playing career—once as an honorable mention, once to the second team, and twice to the All-Northwest Conference first team. This season, Locke was named Northwest Conference Player of the Year, and earned a West region honorable mention. Reach Locke and Brun at vball@lclark.edu.

Another new face on campus is Anna Garnica, administrative coordinator for special projects at the graduate school. Reach her at ext. 6164 or aeg@lclark.edu.

Published, presented, honors and achievements

Faculty and staff serve as ambassadors for the College through their publications, presentations, awards, grants, and other accomplishments. Recent highlights include:

Mark Dahl, assistant director for systems and access for Watzek Library, was interviewed by Primary Research Group for a study titled “Best Practices of Academic Library Information Technology Directors.” The study, published in February, covers a wide range of topics including electronic reserves, virtual reference services, technology investment, library and instructional technology centers, and other issues of concern to library information technology staff directors.

“The Closer You Were, the Less You Knew,” by Annie Dawid, professor of English, won second prize in the Glimmer Train Fiction Open. Dawid’s prize: $1,000 and the opportunity to have the story published in 2006 in “Glimmer Train Stories,” a national fiction journal.

Melissa Dudek, sports information director, has published her second novel, “Catchers, Cows, & Nachos” (iUniverse, 2005). The book, a sequel to “Wildfire Summer” (Writers Club Press, 2001), follows the story of Mark Gentry, a 31-year-old former professional baseball player.

Greg Hermann, assistant professor of biology, received a $26,000 award from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust for its College Research Program for Life Sciences. Hermann’s project is titled “Investigating a Monoclonal Antibody that Recognizes Late-Stage Apoptotic Cells in Caenorhabditis elegans.”

More listings of faculty and staff achievements can be found in our online pressroom.

L&C in the news

College faculty and staff are in the news on a regular basis. Recent mentions include:

The New Zealand Herald/Reuters: Art LaFrance, professor of law, comments on Congress’ special legislation that enabled the Terry Schiavo case to move to federal court. March 24, 2005.

KPAM Radio (Portland, Ore.): Robert Eisinger, associate professor and chair of political science, comments on Portland Mayor Tom Potter’s request for security clearance to view classified FBI information, which is now shared only with Portland police who work on a joint terrorism task force. March 23, 2005.

Statesman-Journal (Salem, Ore.): Peter Cookson, dean of the graduate school, and Tom Ruhl, professor of education, comment on a national study of educational administration programs. Cookson and Ruhl contend that the Columbia University study, which found that leadership programs are generally shallow, did not take into account Lewis & Clark’s approach to leadership. March 22, 2005.

The Oregonian: In a commentary piece, Paul R. Powers, assistant professor of religious studies, writes that Portland’s current lack of rainfall may signal a larger, global problem. “Rain, oh, rain: when the sky isn’t falling.” March 19. 2005.

The Oregonian: In a commentary piece, Greg Smith, professor of education, writes about problems caused by attempts to regulate high school achievement. “Making our high schools tougher remains misguided.” March 17, 2005.

Indian Country Today: Robert Miller, associate professor of law, discusses challenges facing tribal court judges. March 10, 2005.

Vancouver Sun (Vancouver, British Columbia): Article about how Canadians view Portland, “the most Canadian city in the United States.” The article says Portland is “more than a place, it’s a state of mind … with a highly educated, politically liberal, environmentally conscious population, home to young idealists from … Lewis & Clark College [who are] carving out a dynamic, creative, urban vision along the shores of the Willamette River.” March 12, 2005.

For a sampling of how and where Lewis & Clark is mentioned by media outlets across the nation and around the globe, visit the online pressroom.

Events

Senior Art Exhibit

Graduating art majors will display their senior projects at the Senior Art Exhibition from March 31 through May 8. The works will be on view in the Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art. An opening reception is scheduled on Thursday, March 31, from 5 to 7 p.m.

“The final exhibition provides the students with the opportunity to view their own work in a professional context,” says Linda Tesner, director of the Hoffman Gallery. “The curatorial process is a valuable experience for a young artist.”

The 2005 show includes the works of 23 student artists. Exhibitors in the show are Jenine Elizabeth, Porter Alexander, Marlis Badalich, William Lake Barker, Abelyn Broughton, Olivia Taylor Christensen, Ariel Cohn, Anne Bladen Courts, Katharine Fuller, Rachel Goldstein, Peter Hickok, Sabrina Michelle Hirsch, Ashley Rose Howell, Rebecca Iverson, Jessica D. Jones, Wesley S. Jones, Sarah R. Kennedy, Julie Kim, Erika Liv Anderson Ray, Jordan Rein, Natalie E. Selinski, Talia Elizabeth Ullmann, Kristin Wille, and Carly Wright.

Global epidemics at the heart of International Affairs Symposium

Scholars and experts will discuss the growing problem of global disease during the 43rd annual International Affairs Symposium. The three-day conference, Monday through Wednesday, April 4-6, is titled “States of Emergency: Exploring the Reality of Global Disease.”

The symposium is conducted in debate format, with speakers squaring off on issues including the international response to large-scale epidemics, America’s global AIDS policy, media coverage of disease and epidemics, and the capability of global health organizations to contain global disease. Each session includes two speakers who will each talk, followed by moderator comments, and extensive time for audience participation.

“The participants in this year’s symposium bring a range of expertise that will generate engaging debates regarding crucial and often controversial issues surrounding disease and epidemics,” says Karly Christ, senior and student symposium cochair.

All symposium events will be held in Templeton Student Center, Council Chamber. Afternoon sessions are from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The evening session on Monday is from 7:30 to 9 p.m., and on Tuesday and Wednesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. For more information, call ext. 7630.

Law conference delves into the rule of capture

Michael Blumm says now may be the time to reexamine a centuries-old law known as the rule of capture, which continues to guide natural resource allocation. According to Blumm, professor of law, the rule has been seriously challenged over the past four decades by, among other things, the rise of environmental law.

The law school will host a symposium titled “The Rule of Capture and Its Consequence: Who Owns Natural Resources?” as part of the College’s commemoration of issues and legacies surround the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The symposium takes place on Thursday and Friday, April 7 and 8, in Templeton Student Center, Council Chamber.

“The rule of capture—inherited from English and Roman law—is an ancient way to divide up resources among competitors on the basis of first capture, creating a private ownership interest,” says Blumm. “The rule was the dominant law at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, an era of apparent abundance in terms of game, minerals, and other valued resources.”

Historically, the biggest users of underground resources, such as water and oil, have historically received the largest share of resources, says Lin Harmon-Walker, assistant director of environmental and natural resources law and conference coordinator. “The rule of capture doesn’t result in an equitable allocation,” she explains. “It’s a timely issue because we apply it to many current issues such as Klamath Basin water rights, grazing rights, oil and natural gas exploration.”

Other nationally recognized natural resource law experts and historians scheduled to present at the conference include: Stephen Dow Beckham, Lewis & Clark College; Lea VanderVelde, University of Iowa College of Law; John Copeland Nagle, University of Notre Dame Law School; Jason Johnston, University of Pennsylvania Law School; James L. Huffman, Lewis & Clark Law School; Debra L. Donahue, University of Wyoming College of Law; James Rasband, Brigham Young University Law School; Bruce Kramer, Texas Tech University Law School; Janet Neuman, Lewis & Clark Law School; and Carol Rose, Yale Law School.

Upcoming

Visit the campus Web calendar for events coming up in March and April.