PSU Magazine Winter 2000

1 acknowledging Portland State's designation as a "University of Promise" by The Alliance for Youth, a national organization led by retired Gen. Colin Powell, PSU President Dan Bemstine pointed out that the promise of higher education is critical to the future of the region. "Our promise," he says, "is to every prospective student-regardless of where you are throughout this region- if you work hard and prepare yourself, there will be a place for you at PSU in a high-quality program that will help you realize your dream." Bemstine's priority during his first two and one-half years at PSU has been to encourage that promise through an improved campus climate, bol tered academic programs, a higher public profile for PSU, and increased fiscal support from both public and private sources. His concern with campus climate led him to appoint a special Presidential Commission on Campus C limate and Life to consider what students should expect in the way of administrative services, classroom experiences, support for academic learning, and social climate. Three action councils are now at work, turn– ing the Commission 's recommenda– tions into action plans in three areas: diversity, student advising, and assess– ment. Professor Devorah Lieberman, who is coord inating the work of the councils and is the director of the Center for Teaching and Leaming Excellence, says the groups already are making important progress. "The long-term goal of these coun– cils," Lieberman says, "is to institu– tionalize the president's priorities for student-centered learning and to 8 PSU MAGAZINE WINTER 2000 create a climate across campus that supports and encourages a passion among students, faculty, and staff fo r teaching and learning." The campus already has acted to meet a continuing concern of PSU students, affordable child care on campus. Last year, students voted to tax themselves to pay for operation of a child care center and Bemstine ensured the project with $72 ,000 in start-up funding that was critical in making the project possible. More than two dozen student lead– ers, including current student body pres ident Tim Young, who was instru– mental in press ing the care center initiative, sent a letter to Bem stine citing his "enormous impact" on the project. "Your contribution," they said, "has created an excellent opportunity for PSU students ... to help them tum a dream into a reality." This year, with the University fac ing its largest student en rollment in more than a decade, the concern with New opportunities for •twit• and the comm.unity are at die core of President Dan Bemstine's vision for Portland State University. responding to student needs has taken on added importance. To bolster the University's acade– mic offerings, Bemstine has encour– aged the development of new programs des igned to meet specific community needs. In the past two years, more than a dozen new degrees have been added at the graduate level, responding to professional needs in area uch as engineering, environ– mental sciences, writing, and conflict resolution. Additional programs in architecture, engineering, and finan– cial management are under develop– ment. The president has signed cooperative agreements with several community colleges implementing joint programs to make transferring between institutions ea ier for students and , in some cases, providing degree completion programs on community college campuses. Another academic area which Bemstine has pressed is international education. In trips to the Middle East