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In response to a recent post by a website accusing a Pacific Union College biology professor of teaching ideas contrary to Adventist beliefs, President Heather J. Knight affirmed PUC’s commitment to the Bible as the inspired word of God and the belief of God as our Creator. “The biology department’s mission is to provide an excellent education in the life sciences, based upon the latest scientific discoveries and our belief in God as the Creator of life,” said Dr. Knight. “As a devoted Adventist and beloved educator who has taught at PUC for more than 21 years, Dr. Bryan Ness affirms this mission—along with his colleagues, and our students will attest to this as well. Our biology professors are scientists, so they must be dedicated to understanding contemporary issues surrounding science that sometimes conflict with specific theology. However, our professors are also Seventh-day Adventist Christians, and each is at PUC because of his or her commitment to this Christ-centered community of faith and learning.” On November 1, a website accused Dr. Ness and PUC of undermining the Bible after video of a class presentation surfaced on the Internet. The video in question, taken and posted by a student without the...

Pacific Union College will welcome noted historians David J.B. Trim and Eric Anderson for “Celebrating Adventist History,” a two-day event honoring the memory of Seventh-day Adventist historian Walter C. Utt. The event will begin at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 10, with an unveiling of the Walter Charles Utt Collection in the Nelson Memorial Library. The collection features Dr. Utt’s papers, correspondence, and personal collection of old and rare books, as well as a collection of publications by dissident Adventist groups. In the future, the center will serve as a resource and research facility for scholars and students, housing papers of prominent Adventists and other important historical materials. At 7:30 p.m. in Scales Chapel, David J.B. Trim will give a special lecture titled “America’s Forgotten Tribe: The Huguenots in the Popular Imagination—on Stage, on Screen, and in Literature.” At 10 a.m. the next morning, Eric Anderson, president of Southwestern Adventist University, will speak for Campus Colloquy in the PUC Church Sanctuary. His topic is “What has Berkeley to do with Angwin? The Paradoxical Achievements of Walter C. Utt.” Trim currently serves as the archivist for the Seventh-day Adventist World Church. He is a senior research fellow in the history department...

Enrollment is up once more at Pacific Union College as the Fall 2010 quarter sees 1,436 students on campus and 1,527 total enrolled in both on and off campus programs. PUC saw a substantial jump in new students—which includes freshmen and transfer students—this fall with a 15% increase from last year as of the first day of school, making one-third of the student population new to campus. “PUC is once again a top choice for a record number of new students, and we are delighted with this news,” says President Heather J. Knight. “This is truly a reflection of the outstanding academic and spiritual environment on our campus, as well as our recent recognition by U.S. News and World Report as a best value in our region. We are committed to continuing to meet the needs of our constituents and providing them with an Ivy League quality educational product that represents a solid investment for the families that we serve.” As enrollment grew, several departments on campus experienced increases in certain programs. Although nursing continues to be the largest program on campus, the biology department came in a close second with 141 students—a 32% increase from 2009-2010. The largest increase...

The accolade for Pacific Union College’s outstanding academic program continues as Washington Monthly magazine gave the college high marks for scholarship. In its 2010 College Guide, PUC was ranked in the top ten in the Research Category for Baccalaureate Colleges. According to the publication’s website, the research category considers the dollars spent in research expenditures and the number of bachelor’s degree recipients who go on to receive doctorates, relative to school size. Comprehensive rankings for colleges and universities in the College Guide assess the institution’s success in the following areas: social mobility, which looks at socioeconomic diversity and low-income student graduation rates; research, which examines academic standards; and service, which focuses on a campus’s culture of service. The Washington Monthly, established in 1969, is a publication based in Washington, D.C.; this is their fifth annual College Guide. Earlier this year, U.S. News and World Report ranked PUC in the overall top ten for Baccalaureate Colleges, western region, in their Best Colleges issue--arguably the most well-known college ranking guide in the United States. ...

More than 150 Pacific Union College students gathered in the campus mall on Thursday evening, October 21, for the highly anticipated ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand re-opening of the Campus Center. The opening revealed upgrades funded by the Student Association, PUC administration and Bon Appétit Management Company, the college’s food service provider. College President Heather J. Knight introduced the “wonderful renovation” and declared the center open for use. The opening attracted an elbow-to-elbow crowd for much of the night. Students enjoyed free snacks and live music performed by the PUC jazz band as they excitedly greeted each other and marveled at the differences made by the renovation. One of these changes included the debut of an on-campus convenience store, known as the “C-Store.” Senior Chelsea Hanson commented, “I like how the C-Store has healthy snack options. There are a lot of people on campus with gluten intolerances and other health issues; now they have some great options.” The night also unveiled the Pacific Café, which will serve a variety of beverages. Last year, a similar service operated from a rolling cart in a small corner of the center. The Pacific Café is now located prominently in the center of the building...