New facilities prove priority for arts, sciences faculty

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While students attending classes today will not be attending classes in 10 years, many of the faculty and staff will still be on campus in 2020.

When asked what they would like to see change on the Pacific campus by the year 2020, Arts and Science faculty had suggestions ranging from new art facilities to moving all of the professional schools off the Forest Grove campus.

One of the suggestions offered by faculty members was the idea of new facilities for the Forest Grove campus.

In fact, according to photography professor Jim Flory, one of the things that he would like to see in the next decade would be a new art building that would allow room for a gallery, studios and classrooms.

Flory said that the Tabitha Brown art building, which is home to the jewelry-making department in the basement of the building, often floods when there is a large amount of rain.

“Buildings are old, they’re cold. Sometimes the lights work and sometimes they don’t,” said Flory.

Another issue for Flory is that there is not enough room for new courses to be offered because the space available is constantly utilized in the current facilities.

Professor Nancy Christoph of the Foreign Language Department made a similar suggestion. She too, would like to see new art facilities.

“One of the things that’s high on my list actually … has to do with art … I have been here for 15 years and the art facilities here are dismal in my opinion.  I would like to see by 2020 new art facilities,” said Christoph.

History professor Martha Rampton would like to see a fine  arts center.

“I would like to see us put some serious money and effort and time into developing the arts,” said Rampton.

Her ideas for Pacific in 2020 went further than an art center, however.  By 2020, Rampton hopes that all professional schools will be moved off the Forest Grove campus so that Arts and Sciences can expand.

However, Rampton said she would like to see a change in what she believes to be the focus within the College of Arts and Sciences.

“We are really getting top heavy on the sciences, said Rampton.  “My goal and what I think the university’s goal should be is to give the same kind of effort to other part of the school.”

Deke Gunderson, a faculty member in the Science Department, said that the art facilities were “horrific,” but said that science department is also in need of more facilities.

“We are bulging at the seams, we have the same resources we had when I got here, which was 10 years ago.  So more students, more faculty, more research requirements, same building, with a few little mini renovations and so that increases the pressure,” said Gunderson.

According to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences John Hayes, a new science building is expected to be built between Murdock and the library, across from Price and Strain in the next three to five years.

The university has started fundraising for the new building through an administrative effort to raise money for capital projects at both the Forest Grove and Hillsboro campus.

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