On March 13, Point Loma Nazarene College’s board of trustees voted unanimously to adopt university status. This decision occurred during the board’s regular meeting and followed a one-year study by a college/university commission comprised of trustees, faculty, administrators, students and resource personnel appointed to address the status issue.
This is the third commission in 10 years designed to consider the change, each using the Carnegie Commission’s Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education in the evaluation process.
“In the past studies,” said Dr. Tom Goble, board chairman, “the Carnegie definition of university did not fit us. We were better described by the definition of a teaching college. But the name change now reflects what the institution has become.”
College President, Dr. Bob Brower, added, “There has emerged in the last few years a comprehensive teaching university that is unlike the research university where classes are taught by teaching assistants. All of our classes are taught by senior faculty and will continue to be.”
The change becomes official at the close of the 1998 Commencement ceremonies on May 17. All alumni, including the class of 1998, will be able to request a diploma with the university name at a later date.
