Pepperdine 10-Year Retrospective

Milestones 2000 to 2010 A Retrospective of the First 10 Years of Andrew K. Benton’s Presidency

MISSION Pepperdine is a Christian university committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership.

Affirmation AS A CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY PEPPERDINE AFFIRMS: that God is that God is revealed uniquely in Christ that the educational process may not, with impunity, be divorced from the divine process that the student, as a person of infinite dignity, is the heart of the educational enterprise that the quality of student life is a valid concern of the University that truth, having nothing to fear from investigation, should be pursued relentlessly in every discipline that spiritual commitment, tolerating no excuse for mediocrity, demands the highest standards of academic excellence that freedom, whether spiritual, intellectual, or economic, is indivisible that knowledge calls, ultimately, for a life of service.

From my vantage point as the former chair of the Building and Grounds Committee of the Board

TOM TRIMBLE Chair, Pepperdine University Board of Regents, 2000-2004 A member of the Pepperdine University Board of Regents since 1981, Trimble has served as secretary of the board, chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, and as a member of the Religious Standards Committee and the Executive Committee.

He was also a longtime member of the Pepperdine University School of Law Board of Visitors. For 27 years Trimble had a private practice in Phoenix, Arizona, before becoming senior vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary of Southwest Gas Corporation, where he served for almost 10 years.

of Regents, the seeds of success of the last 10 years were planted decades ago when Andy Benton, then executive vice president, secured the permits to complete the development of the Malibu campus.

Even then Andy was looking 20 years into the future, envisioning a complete campus with classroom space for graduate programs, recreational space for all students, better student housing, and an arena that would house nationally competitive teams.

D

uring the last 10 years, the Drescher Graduate Campus was delivered on time and under budget. New graduate campuses were opened in West Los Angeles and in Irvine. The Center for Communication and Business was completed and provided a new home for one of our most popular programs and the Mullin Town Square added much needed community space, as well as state-of-the-art classrooms.

Clearly, Andy Benton had come to the presidency prepared to lead immediately. He was a president with a blueprint for the future.

Later, as chair of the Board of Regents, I came to realize that Andy’s vision was much more expansive than simply completing the Malibu campus and improving graduate facilities. As president he was determined to move Pepperdine to national and global prominence. Under Andy’s leadership we identified some of the most prominent universities in the nation as our competitors. We set out to equal their performance in all areas while at the same time strengthening our commitment to our heritage of faith. Andy’s goals are still large and many are still out of reach, but he foresaw the future over 20 years ago that he is forming today.

The last decade has given us a glimpse of what is possible in Pepperdine’s future. By nearly every measurement we have become more competitive. Seaver College, the Graziadio School, the School of Public Policy, and the Graduate School of Education and Psychology are each competing nationally and no law school in the nation is moving to the top-tier as quickly as the School of Law. Over all, our athletic teams are outperforming most schools of our size and many universities that are much larger. Imagine what these programs can do if they are resourced more appropriately.

That, of course, is the great challenge for Pepperdine. Just as we were planning to launch the next major capital campaign in 2008, a campaign that would provide even more facilities and scholarships for our students, the global economic environment took a severe and negative turn and the campaign was put on hold. Like most universities in the U.S., Pepperdine’s endowment suffered a sizable loss. The administration met this economic challenge—the second in a decade—head on, minimized the loss, and prepared for several years of financial instability. Pepperdine was schooled by two major economic storms and is prepared to move forward in the next decade, even in the midst of an unfavorable economic environment. Andy’s team has instilled confidence within the Board of Regents to launch a campaign in the very near future.

During the last decade, we have benefited from the generosity of many friends and alumni who share Pepperdine’s values and have supported Pepperdine’s aspirations. The next decade will require even greater support and sacrifice from all who love Pepperdine and wish to see her grow.

I am especially encouraged by the participation of alumni in building Pepperdine’s future. The University’s relationship with alumni from both George Pepperdine College and the five schools of today has improved tremendously over the last 10 years. The University has listened carefully to the desires and concerns of the alumni and has made efforts to respond. My personal dream is that by the end of the decade we will see 100 percent participation and contribution from our alumni; that 100 percent will be participating in service and chapters, and that there will be 100 percent increased personal pride in Pepperdine University.

ED BIGGERS Chair, Pepperdine University Board of Regents, 2004–present A member of the Pepperdine University Board of Regents since 1983, Biggers has served on several regent committees over the years including the Executive Committee, Buildings and Grounds, Finance and Investments, Membership, and Religious Standards. He retired as president of Hughes Missile Group in 1994, having worked in various capacities with Hughes Aircraft since joining the company in 1960.

One of the most important events of the last decade actually took place six months before it even began. David Davenport, in his final major act as Pepperdine’s sixth president, presented the Board of Regents with a recommendation to adopt the Mission of Pepperdine University.

On March 26, 1999, the Regents approved the statement.

With this foundation, Pepperdine entered the decade with a real sense of optimism.

W

hen Andrew K. Benton was inaugurated the seventh president of Pepperdine University in 2000, the world seemed to be at peace and the promise of prosperity provided a backdrop of hope for Pepperdine’s future. Then the decade began with a U.S. presidential election that came down to a few hanging chads in Florida and a Supreme Court decision that triggered a decade of harsh polarization. Just over a year into the new decade, the attacks of 9/11 presented new harsh realities and generated fear around the world. We spent most of the decade at war and the fallout from two global economic disasters was swift and severe. In hindsight, this has been a decade of adversity that no one fully anticipated—hardly the favorable environment for which we had hoped.

Even with this dim global backdrop, Pepperdine surged ahead with measured confidence. When faced with harsh external pressures, President Benton reacted with cool-headed, steady, conservative management of our resources and set about the business of building the University around the newly established mission statement.

Prior to the adoption of the mission statement, Pepperdine was more of a conglomerate. Since that time the mission statement has helped transition Pepperdine from five somewhat independent schools into a more unified institution—a true university. Construction of the graduate campus was a major factor in this unifying process. The fact that it was completed on time and under budget is reflective of Benton’s astute fiscal management and leadership.

Having participated in the development of the mission statement, President Benton was quick to build upon its foundation. He immediately established five priorites in his inaugural address that were rooted to this set of values. Since then he has created a culture of accountability around the mission, and an alignment across all schools has been achieved to a degree greater than at any time in our history.

Under President Benton’s leadership Pepperdine has been very intentional in selection of faculty that reflect and enhance

the mission of the University. The careful selection of a provost and a slate of deans who understand the power of the mission and have committed themselves to implementing it has been critical to Pepperdine’s success over the last decade.

We have seen that our mission to achieve the highest standards of academic excellence in the context of a Christian worldview fits Pepperdine nicely. We have further to go before we can claim victory, but for the first time in Pepperdine’s history, this value system has become part of our DNA. Very few universities have the capacity and will to lead in this distinctive approach to integrating faith and reason.

As we look ahead, we see significant challenges looming on the horizon. The dismal economic conditions show no signs of improving anytime soon, placing our graduate programs at some risk. The need for scholarships and financial aid at each of our schools has never been greater. Meanwhile, to remain competitive Pepperdine must continue to improve its distinctive offering without incurring significant debt or significantly raising tuition. In the near term, the new capital campaign will give us the support to reach our goals. In the long term, Pepperdine will need to rely more heavily upon its alumni base to strengthen and secure the future. Given what I see coming from our alumni, I would say that Pepperdine’s future looks promising.

Indeed the future has already started. Many of our programs have become national leaders in their fields over the last decade. We continue to be recognized nationally as a top-tier institution and our global presence is growing. Since 2000, we have been able to attract highly qualified scholars and students who share a passion for our mission. Our global presence has expanded significantly with the addition of facilities in Buenos Aires, Lausanne, and Shanghai. Today’s Pepperdine graduate is more spiritual, more thankful, more committed to service, and better prepared to face a competitive world than in any time in our history. Nothing excites me more about Pepperdine than the continued improvement in the quality of our graduates.

introduction When Andrew K. Benton assumed the role of Pepperdine University’s seventh president on June 16, 2000, he began a new chapter in the history of an institution set on a path to excellence. Sensing that Pepperdine was positioned to ascend to new heights, President Benton dedicated himself in his inaugural paper, “Envisioning a Bold Future,� to the challenge of emphasizing scholarship and culture, expanding resources, creating a sense of community, enhancing diversity, and connecting to heritage. The pages that follow provide a glimpse of the progress made toward these promises given to Pepperdine faculty, students, alumni, and friends.

Scholarship The commitment to scholarship pervades the Pepperdine experience, with the primacy of learning, and teaching, the importance of research, and the search for truth consistently elevated among the University’s highest values.

and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, while biolo-

Mentorship, collaboration, and support between remarkable professors and gifted students result in great achievements at Pepperdine; just one source of evidence is the proliferation of Pepperdine students awarded one of the world’s most prestigious academic accolades, the Fulbright Scholarship. In 2005 Pepperdine graduate student Kari Filerman was named a Fulbright Scholar to study the Mexican banking system. The number for 2006 rose to two; five in 2008; five in 2009; and seven in 2010. In 2004 Seaver College launched its robust Cross-Disciplinary/ Interdisciplinary Research Program, and in 2009 Andrew Forcehimes became Pepperdine’s first student finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship.

With direction from provost Darryl Tippens, the University retained teachers, administrators, and practitioners at the top of their fields in this decade known as Pepperdine’s “golden age of faculty hiring.”

Additions included new deans Linda Livingstone, Rick Marrs, Ken Starr, and Margaret Weber, as well as noted faculty Edward Larson, James Q. Wilson, Christopher Parkening, Angela Hawken, Rodney Honeycutt, and Tom Stipanowich. School of Public Policy professor James Q. Wilson was awarded the Bradley Prize

the Coif in 2008, has been especially active with the

gist Stephen Davis received the Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching.

Faculty members hone their areas of expertise and students gain practical, learning experience through Pepperdine’s many research centers and institutes. The School of Law, which was welcomed into the Order of creation of the Palmer Center for Entrepreneurship and the Law; the Nootbaar Institute on Law, Religion, and Ethics; the Wm. Byrne, Jr., Judicial Clerkship Institute; in addition to the ongoing national dominance of the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, which has claimed the No. 1 ranking in the country for six years and counting. The Pat Lucas Center for Teacher Preparation, the Center for Applied Research, the Center for Teaching Excellence, and the Center for Entertainment, Media, and Culture, all recently formed, are also sources of cocurricular education for student and faculty.

The University also connects students with leading scholars and thinkers through the many visiting professorships and distinguished lectures series that were funded toward the latter half of the decade, including the Dean’s Executive Leadership Series at the Graziadio School, the W. David Baird Distinguished Lecture Series at Seaver College, and the William French Smith Memorial Lectures at the School of Law, which hosted four U.S. Supreme Court justices in its first four years.

Clockwise from left: ANGELA HAWKEN ED LARSON STEVE DAVIS

Resources Recognizing the vital importance of facilities that simultaneously support academic rigor and the formation of community, Pepperdine entered the new decade with a steadfast commitment to expanding its unique campuses and challenging educational offerings.

Construction of the Drescher Graduate Campus was completed ahead of schedule and on budget; classes opened on-site in August 2003, providing a home base for the School of Public Policy and containing the full-time, residential programs of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology, and the Graziadio School of Business and Management. Significant completions on the lower campus included the state-of-the-art Keck Science Center and the Center for Communication and Business, while renovations transformed Smothers Theatre, Elkins Auditorium, and Stauffer Chapel. A full-service hotel and conference center, known as the Villa Graziadio, and the Heroes Garden, a 9/11 memorial site, opened on the Drescher Graduate Campus.

Outside of Malibu, the headquarters of the Graziadio School and GSEP relocated westward from Pepperdine Plaza in Culver City to new facilities in the Howard Hughes Center in West Los Angeles. The new Irvine Graduate Campus at Lakeshore Towers and the Silicon Valley Graduate Center in San Jose both opened as well.

The international emphasis in the Pepperdine curriculum has continued to grow, offering students invaluable opportunities to expand their minds and hearts through a new global perspective. Permanent facilities opened in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2002; in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 2007; and in Shanghai, China, in 2008. Numerous study abroad opportunities have been added, including programs in East Africa and Fiji.

Closer to home, in 2009 Pepperdine opened a brand new facility in Washington, D.C., just four blocks west of the White House.

Pepperdine also has committed resources to developing the University’s technological infrastructure, including the successful implementation of the PeopleSoft Enterprise Platform, expansion of wireless connectivity and broadband, and doubling of print and electronic library holdings since 2000.

Clockwise from left: MULLIN TOWN SQUARE HOWARD HUGHES CENTER DRESCHER CAMPUS

Community Pepperdine University prioritizes the development of the whole student in the context of community and fellowship. Faculty, staff, and administrators dedicate themselves to caring for each individual during every transformational moment of the Pepperdine experience and beyond.

Student community life is inclusive, intellectually stimulating, and personally meaningful. New, annual traditions begun during President Benton’s tenure—such as Rock the Brock, the Malibu campus Christmas tree lighting, Waves of Flags, CultureFest, and Reel Stories—celebrate community spirit and enhance the student experience.

Improved faculty/student ratios facilitate personal interaction, while improvements to the libraries and the Mullin Town Square have provided space for the coming together of the Pepperdine community.

Continuing a tradition from its earliest days, Pepperdine University fosters “Waves pride” and school spirit among its community members. Exceptional student-athletes of the last decade have led the school to distinction, including 107 All-American honors by 61 Waves players and 52 conference championships. Rising to national prominence, the men’s volleyball team won the NCAA Championships in 2005, and men’s tennis captured its first-ever national championship in 2006.

The Pepperdine community extends far beyond graduation. In 2006 President Benton set forth a University-wide initiative to transform alumni engagement with Pepperdine and with one another. He reorganized Alumni Affairs, established the Alumni Leadership Council, encouraged “Waves Hiring Waves,” and in 2009 launched Waves of Service, the movement to celebrate, support, and connect Pepperdine alumni committed to volunteerism and careers of service worldwide.

DIVERSITY Pepperdine continues to attract, welcome, and support a diverse population. Within the last 10 years, the University has developed diversity initiatives to improve overall recruitment, retention, education, and access in order to increase understanding of different perspectives, cultures, and beliefs.

Diversity councils at Seaver College, the Graduate School of Education and Psychology, and at the University level collaborate to create strategic plans and goals for diversity in alignment with Pepperdine’s Christian mission and vision. This involves implementing programs that increase and enhance student, faculty, and staff diversity at all levels of the University, including speaker series for individuals to address the community on issues like ethnic diversity, vocation, and faith.

At the undergraduate level, Seaver College established the Office of Intercultural Affairs and created academic minors in the area of women’s studies, ethnic studies, African American studies, and courses in environmental justice and social justice. Seaver’s 2010 newly enrolled domestic first year and transfer students rose to 48 percent of students of color, an 18 percent increase since 2005.

At the graduate schools, the School of Public Policy participates in various diversity programs as a member of the Public Policy and International Affairs Program,

sponsors an International Scholars Exchange, and supports a Women in Public Policy student group. The School of Law initiated the Global Justice program and sponsors numerous educational opportunities on diversity, law, and ethics, including the National Black Law Students Mock Trial Team Competition. The Graduate School of Education and Psychology has successfully developed cultural competencies throughout its curriculum, provided effective multicultural and leadership psychology training labs, and increased qualified psychology tenured/tenure-track faculty of color from 25 percent to 50 percent within the last five years. The Graziadio School of Business and Management partners with the National Society of Hispanic MBAs, National Black MBA Association, and National Association of Women MBAs to better serve its student community.

Other new additions to Pepperdine’s diverse landscape include the Cultural Heritage and Faith Series from the University Chaplain’s Office and the Glazer Institute for Jewish Studies, which engages the community to promote dialogue and understanding among Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Under President Benton’s leadership Pepperdine has continued to attract influential leaders and impactful public figures with wideranging perspectives. Nobel Prize-winner Muhammad Yunus, First Lady Laura Bush, civil liberties attorney Alan Derschowitz, and scholar Cornel West are just some of the noted speakers to have visited Pepperdine in recent years.

Heritage Throughout its history, Pepperdine has embraced the unique balance between the claims of the academy and the call to Christian discipleship. Offerings like the JD/MDiv degree and the Global Justice Program support the blend of scholarship and faith that is essential to the Pepperdine experience.

In the earliest days of President Benton’s presidency, Pepperdine launched the Center for Faith and Learning to offer support for faculty University-wide as they seek to enhance the connections between classroom teaching, scholarship, and Christian faith and practice. The center focuses on student programs, curricular enrichment, faculty development, ministry, as well as service and social action, to strengthen University’s ties to its Christian mission. During the 2000s the Lilly Endowment supported an impactful five-year program known as the Pepperdine Voyage for the theological exploration of vocation as central to the goal of living for others. Today many of the Voyage programs continue under the robust Center for Faith and Learning, particularly the annual spiritual retreat for new faculty, hosted at one of the University’s international campuses.

In 2010 Pepperdine dedicated the new Churches of Christ Heritage Center, a repository of books, documents, photographs, Christian periodicals, congregational histories, biographical studies, archival materials, and artifacts of Churches of Christ and the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement. The center, established with support from the Pepperdine Libraries, is committed to the acquisition and preservation of these materials and to the promotion of research of this important religious movement and its affiliation with the University.

In 2007 Pepperdine launched “The Ascending Voice,” an international symposium of sacred a cappella music. Other annual traditions continued to thrive at Pepperdine in the first decade of the 21st century, including the University’s renowned Bible Lectures, the Frank Pack Distinguished Christian Scholar Lecture Program, and the William M. Green Distinguished Christian Scholar Lecture Program.

Linda Livingstone appointed dean of the Graziadio School of Business and Management

timeline

New Center for Communication and Business opens Pepperdine Voyage project kicks off with support from the Lily Endowment June 16—Andrew K. Benton takes office as president of Pepperdine University

2000

Darryl Tippens appointed provost of Pepperdine University President Benton announces the creation of the position of University chaplain, to be occupied by D’Esta Love effective August 2002 Graziadio School receives charter for Beta Gamma Sigma, the international business honor society

Casa Holden dedicated as Pepperdine’s new permanent facility in Buenos Aires

2001

2002

Margaret Weber appointed dean of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology September 11—Alumnus Thomas Burnett becomes a hero aboard United Airlines Flight 93 Dedication of new Keck Science Center on the Malibu campus

U.S. Supreme Court justice John Roberts meets with Pepperdine students in his first public appearance since his installation on the court Graduate School of Education and Psychology launches its Diversity Speaker Series November 2004 through March 2005—Chihuly: Los Angeles exhibit brings record numbers to the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art Mark Roosa appointed dean of Pepperdine libraries

2003

2004

March 11—Heroes Garden dedicated on the Drescher Graduate Campus May 11—Water polo coach Terry Schroeder inducted into International Swimming Hall of Fame Pepperdine dedicates the George L. Graziadio Executive Center and the Henry and Virginia Braun Center of the School of Public Policy Former U.S. president Gerald Ford visits the Drescher Graduate Campus November 17—School of Law dedicates Henry J. and Gloria Caruso Auditorium

Alumni Leadership Council established Geoffrey H. Palmer Center for Entrepreneurship and the Law endowed at the School of Law School of Law professor Colleen Graffy joins the U.S. State Department as deputy assistant secretary of state for public diplomacy

Pepperdine celebrates the 100th anniversary of Moore Haus in Heidelberg, Germany, and the 10th anniversary of Villa Di Loreto in Florence, Italy Pulitzer Prize-winner Ed Larson joins the Pepperdine faculty May 30 through June 2, 2006— Inaugural Parkening International Guitar Competition May 23—Waves men’s tennis wins its first-ever NCAA Championship

2005

Pepperdine teams win five West Coast Conference Championships in baseball, men’s golf, women’s golf, men’s tennis, and women’s tennis.

May 5—Men’s volleyball team wins NCAA Championship Pepperdine dedicates the M. Norvel and Helen Young Center

2006

Inaugural semester of Pepperdine’s international program in Lausanne, Switzerland March 31—Dedication of Pierre’s Place, the first Pepperdine University Habitat for Humanity house Pat and Shirley Boone Center for the Family endowed at the Graduate School of Education and Psychology

April 28—First lady Laura Bush delivers Seaver College commencement address Supreme Court justice Samuel Alito headlines inaugural William French Smith Memorial Lecture, followed by justice Clarence Thomas in 2008, retired justice Sandra Day O’Connor in 2009, and justice Anthony Kennedy in 2010

2007

Ken Canfield named executive director of the Boone Center for the Family Duane and Kelly Roberts endow the University’s first dean’s chair President Benton named chair of the board of directors of the American Council on Education, the major coordinating body for the nation’s higher education institutions

Stephen Davis, Distinguished Professor of Biology, named the 2008 recipient of the Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching Herbert and Elinor Nootbaar endow Institute on Law, Religion, and Ethics at the School of Law Order of the Coif welcomes Pepperdine Law School

September 18—Democratic presidential nominee Senator John Kerry shared his perspective on the role of faith in public life as part of the Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series at Seaver College.

September 27—California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger visits Pepperdine to sign historic environmental legislation in a special ceremony overlooking the Pacific

2008

Associated Women for Pepperdine celebrates 50 years of support for Pepperdine students Inaugural gathering for “The Ascending Voice,” an international symposium of sacred a cappella music Renowned legal scholar Grant Nelson joins the School of Law faculty

Glazer Institute for Jewish Studies established Center for Sustainability launches at Pepperdine Pepperdine launches iTunesU

Professors Ed Larson and Rodney Honeycutt receive the title of University Professor, Pepperdine’s highest academic distinction

Lady Margaret Thatcher visits renovated Pepperdine London House for historic reopening

October 22—Graduate School of Education and Psychology dedicates Pat Lucas Center for Teacher Preparation

May 14—Pepperdine dedicates new program facility in the heart of Washington, D.C.

Center for Entertainment, Media, and Culture launches at Pepperdine

2009

Rick Marrs named dean of Seaver College School of Public Policy celebrates 10th anniversary with keynote address by former Florida governor Jeb Bush Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus addresses Pepperdine audience

2010

Graziadio School of Business and Management welcomes John Shearer as its first Entrepreneurin-Residence Churches of Christ Heritage Center opens School of Public Policy unveils the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership