Envisioning a Bold Future

Building on the extraordinary growth of our endowment in the past ten years, by the year 2012 the University will place and maintain its endowment among the top seventy-five leading college and university endowments in this country. The ongoing commitment and generosity of our many friends and strategic partners is fundamental to the realization of this goal. An extensive fund-raising campaign, now in the planning stages, will be completed by Pepperdine's 75th anniversary in 2012.

Enrollments in some schools will increase, but for the most part Pepperdine University's growth will be qualitative and will be enabled by fund-raising and prudent endowment management.

The quality of this University would be irrelevant if students were not given access and could not afford to attend. Tuition rates and the availability of financial aid will continue to be subjects of close annual scrutiny. Students, parents, and family members, sponsoring businesses, and alumni will conclude that the value of a Pepperdine education exceeds their expectations.

In addition to adding to the University's physical plant, both domestically and abroad, construction will continue on the Malibu campus through 2012, when the primary buildings will be completed and attention will turn to refurbishment activity. Attention will be given to the presentation and maintenance of all University facilities, from international locations and education centers to the Malibu campus. The University's pride in its entire physical plant will be apparent.

Pepperdine's commitment to diversity stems from a Christian heritage that compels us to love justice and to treat every individual equally with respect and compassion. Our faith also confirms that we are finite and therefore our knowledge is incomplete. It is through the inclusion and experience of others from diverse points of view that we often begin to see dimensions of truth previously unseen by us. Diversity not only enriches the educational endeavor, it is critical to it.

Pepperdine views diversity as one facet of the prism of values formed by our mission. Diversity will not be merely a means to an end or a way to enrich the experience of the majority. It will be characterized by a relentless aspiration on the part of the entire University community, including boards, administration, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends, to insure full engagement of the issues, and to become a clear reflection of the communities we serve.

A discussion of the University's heritage begins with George Pepperdine's founding vision--that of a school rooted in its relationship with the Churches of Christ. That relationship provides anchor and stability and gives form to our mission. Mr. Pepperdine also endowed the University with an entrepreneurial spirit that has given the institution wings to fly a long distance in a short time. This spirit of innovation will continue to be encouraged.

Returning to the metaphor of the "restless and endless sea," Pepperdine University will be challenged to be wise and careful in setting both anchor and direction. The University values and honors its roots, and it does so understanding the difference between authentic intellectual inquiry and indoctrination. Throughout the University, a climate of intellectual engagement and a search for deeper awareness and understanding will exist.

We will deliver a clear and strong message both on and off the campuses to promote understanding of our heritage. While strengthening our relationship with the Churches of Christ, we will foster connections with other colleges and universities that have held fast to their spiritual roots. Also, we will honor the religious diversity that exists in our community by providing service and building relationships with those from other communities of faith.

Pepperdine's people and resources are drawn into community by virtue of the University's singular goal, "strengthening lives for purpose, service, and leadership." The Pepperdine University community, composed of students, faculty, staff, administration, alumni, and friends, will experience an increasing sense of connectedness, working together toward common University goals.

All of the University's schools and departments will seek national and international affiliations and strategic alliances to establish an identity of international scope.

The University aspires to be a recognized leader in service and service learning. The Christian mission, when combined with our service orientation, the nature of our faculty, and the degree programs we offer, suggests that Pepperdine University will lead in the development of civic and social capital for this country and the world.

Students will be held to high expectations of citizenship and service. In turn, the whole of the University community will hold itself to high standards of citizenship and service, and also of program assessment and employee evaluation. The University community will be exemplary in its commitment to service, personal responsibility, and accountability.

Both in the classroom and in co-curricular endeavors, the University will anticipate the changing characteristics of students. Student learners of all ages in this postmodern age are likely to seek a mentor and guide as often as they are to seek a professor of knowledge. Critical to the next decade will be a comprehensive response to the greater expectations of students, both undergraduate and graduate.

Student life on the Malibu campus and at the educational centers and international houses will be lively, intellectually stimulating, inclusive, diverse in content and experience, and meaningful. University athletic programs will add value to the student experience and will be conducted in a manner to bring credit to the whole of the University community.

The University will reenergize its outreach to alumni, a most vital part of our campus family. The accomplishments and challenges of our alumni are reflective of their alma mater and serve as instruction to us. We will rely on their support of the University in every way. Our alumni are our product, and they are our future.

The University will be known as a center for vibrant, intellectual life. Scholarship, in all its forms, including the scholarship of discovery, integration, application, and teaching, will be supported and celebrated. Pepperdine will be known on our campuses and throughout the world as a place where the liberal arts are cherished, and where professional and graduate education programs are known for intellectual rigor as well as practical relevance.

Pepperdine professors will be recognized as superior teachers and practitioners of their respective disciplines. Pepperdine will also be home to accomplished scholars: scientists, researchers, performers, artists, and writers. The learning environment will be supported by appropriate technologies for enhancing creativity and inquiry both inside and outside the classroom. Each school's curriculum will be rigorous and relevant to the changing needs of our student populations.