Fresno Pacific University
Encyclopedia
Fresno Pacific University (originally Pacific Bible Institute) also known as FPU is an accredited Christian university located in Fresno, California
, United States
. It was founded in 1944 by the Pacific District Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. The university awarded its first bachelor of arts
degree in 1965. The first master's degree program was introduced in 1975.
Fresno Pacific offers Bachelors degrees in 28 fields (and minors in an additional 10) with 45 areas of study.
It also offers advanced degrees or credential
s in four areas: Education
, Individualized Master of Arts
, Leadership & Organizational Studies and Peacemaking & Conflict Studies. The university is organized into four schools: The School of Business; the School of Education; the School of Humanities, Religion and Social Sciences; and the School of Natural Sciences. In the most recent U.S. News & World Report college rankings, Fresno Pacific's peer assessment score tied it for 26th in the Western United States in the Universities-Master's category.
Fresno Pacific is accredited through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
.
The university will guarantee graduation within four years to qualified students entering the traditional undergraduate program. The guarantee is limited to basic graduation requirements for a single major with no minor. Transfer, degree completion and graduate students are not part of the guarantee.
Student responsibilities include:
building at the corner of Tuolumne and L streets (originally designed by Julia Morgan
) had been purchased, and the next school year began in this building.
By 1958, land was purchased for the construction of the current campus near the corner of Butler and Chestnut, along with the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary
and the new Butler Avenue Mennonite Brethren Church. Construction began on a new classroom building that year, and two dormitory buildings one year later. The classroom building was ready for use in the fall of 1959, but the dorm buildings were not completed until 1961 due to financial difficulties.
The Bible Institute became an accredited junior college in 1961, and decided to develop a four-year program two years later, in 1963. In 1964, Pacific Bible Institute changed its name to Pacific College, and became accredited with the WASC
the next year. By 1967, the decision was made to add graduate courses, and the accreditation for the first master of arts program was received from WASC in 1975. The college changed its name to Fresno Pacific College in 1976 and to Fresno Pacific University in 1997.
of the NAIA
. The university has announced that it is currently transitioning to NCAA Division II as a future member of the Pacific West Conference
.
The university sponsors 16 intercollegiate sports, eight each for men and women:
Men's sports
Women's sports
The Sunbirds boast one of the top programs in the NAIA, finishing in the top five of the NACDA Directors' Cup in each of the last four years. FPU has won a total of 44 conference titles and nine national titles, including three during the 2009-10 season (volleyball, men’s swimming, women’s tennis). Within the last five years, FPU has won national titles in Volleyball, Men’s Swimming & Diving, Men’s Tennis and Women’s Tennis. They’ve also taken home GSAC titles in Men’s Basketball and Men’s Soccer, and garnered national attention in Women’s Swimming, Men’s Water Polo, Women’s Soccer, Baseball and Men’s & Women’s Track & Field.The university has hosted a number of NAIA special events, including the Track & Field National Championships, Men’s Soccer Nationals and most recently a round of the NAIA World Series.
The Women’s Volleyball program is currently the top program in the country at the NAIA level, having won four consecutive national titles including an undefeated 38-0 season in 2009. FPU won the 2010 title without dropping a single set in the entire national tournament. The Sunbirds have consistently defeated crosstown institution NCAA Division I rival Fresno State
of the Western Athletic Conference
, with a 6-0 all-time record against the Bulldogs.
in NCAA Division II competition, joining fellow GSAC members Azusa Pacific University
, Point Loma Nazarene University
, and CalPac member Holy Names University
as part of the conference's expansion from 10-14 members. While the majority of sports will compete in the PacWest, water polo will join the Western Water Polo Association
(WWPA). The Sunbirds will compete in conference play beginning in the 2012-2013 academic year. They will be eligible for conference championships and awards immediately but ineligible for NCAA postseason play during the three year transition process.
On July 11, 2011, Fresno Pacific along with fellow conference mates, Azusa Pacific and Point Loma Nazarene, learned that their application for NCAA membership had been approved. The 2011-2012 athletic season will be the final one in GSAC competition for the Sunbirds. The 2012-2013 season will mark the beginning of Pacific West Conference
play for FPU.
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was founded in 1944 by the Pacific District Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. The university awarded its first bachelor of arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1965. The first master's degree program was introduced in 1975.
Mission and Academics
According to its mission statement, "Fresno Pacific University develops students for leadership and service through excellence in Christian higher education."Fresno Pacific offers Bachelors degrees in 28 fields (and minors in an additional 10) with 45 areas of study.
It also offers advanced degrees or credential
Credential
A credential is an attestation of qualification, competence, or authority issued to an individual by a third party with a relevant or de facto authority or assumed competence to do so....
s in four areas: Education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, Individualized Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
, Leadership & Organizational Studies and Peacemaking & Conflict Studies. The university is organized into four schools: The School of Business; the School of Education; the School of Humanities, Religion and Social Sciences; and the School of Natural Sciences. In the most recent U.S. News & World Report college rankings, Fresno Pacific's peer assessment score tied it for 26th in the Western United States in the Universities-Master's category.
Fresno Pacific is accredited through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...
.
- The School of Business
- The School of Education
- The School of Humanities, Religion & Social Sciences
- The School of Natural Sciences
- The Biblical Seminary
Graduation Guarantee
In February 2009 Fresno Pacific University began offering a "Four Year Graduation Guarantee." FPU already has the highest four-year graduation rate in the Central Valley, with 51 percent of traditional undergraduate students already graduating in four years,compared to 12-15 percent in the CSU system.The university will guarantee graduation within four years to qualified students entering the traditional undergraduate program. The guarantee is limited to basic graduation requirements for a single major with no minor. Transfer, degree completion and graduate students are not part of the guarantee.
Student responsibilities include:
- Sign up for the guarantee during the freshman year, choose a major by the second semester of the freshman year and keep that major until graduation.
- Make course plans with their advisor, follow those plans and meet all advising, registration and financial aid deadlines.
- Complete at least 32 units per year with passing grades in each course and remain in good standing behaviorally.
History
At the time of its founding, Pacific Bible Institute was located in a large home at 1095 N. Van Ness Ave. There were five staff members and twenty-eight students. By the time the first school year was finished, a former YWCAYWCA
The YWCA USA is the United States branch of a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision—to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded in...
building at the corner of Tuolumne and L streets (originally designed by Julia Morgan
Julia Morgan
Julia Morgan was an American architect. The architect of over 700 buildings in California, she is best known for her work on Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California...
) had been purchased, and the next school year began in this building.
By 1958, land was purchased for the construction of the current campus near the corner of Butler and Chestnut, along with the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary
Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary
Fresno Pacific University Biblical Seminary, formerly the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, is the denominational seminary of the United States and Canadian Mennonite Brethren Churches. It was founded in 1955 in Fresno, California...
and the new Butler Avenue Mennonite Brethren Church. Construction began on a new classroom building that year, and two dormitory buildings one year later. The classroom building was ready for use in the fall of 1959, but the dorm buildings were not completed until 1961 due to financial difficulties.
The Bible Institute became an accredited junior college in 1961, and decided to develop a four-year program two years later, in 1963. In 1964, Pacific Bible Institute changed its name to Pacific College, and became accredited with the WASC
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...
the next year. By 1967, the decision was made to add graduate courses, and the accreditation for the first master of arts program was received from WASC in 1975. The college changed its name to Fresno Pacific College in 1976 and to Fresno Pacific University in 1997.
Building Construction
| Completed | Name | Information |
|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Sattler Hall | Named for early Anabaptist Anabaptist Anabaptists are Protestant Christians of the Radical Reformation of 16th-century Europe, and their direct descendants, particularly the Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites.... leader Michael Sattler Michael Sattler Michael Sattler was a monk who left the Roman Catholic Church during the Protestant Reformation to become one of the early leaders of the Anabaptist movement. He was particularly influential for his role in developing the Schleitheim Confession.Born in approximately 1490 in Staufen, Germany.... in 1973. |
| 1961 | Krause Hall | Named for Arthur and Lydia Krause in 1990. Further units added to in 1962. |
| 1961 | Nachtigall Hall | Named for Ben W. and Anna Marie Nachtigall in 1989. Further units added in 1962. |
| 1961 | Schlichting Hall | Named for Marvin and Loree Schlichting in 1994. Further units added in 1962. |
| 1961 | Warkentine Hall | Named for Al and Dotty Warkentine in 1989. Further units added in 1962. |
| 1962 | Hiebert Library | Named for Cornelius and Elizabeth Hiebert, the primary contributors. |
| 1964 | Alumni Hall | Building costs were mostly covered by alumni (renovated 2005). |
| 1966 | Marpeck Center | Named for early Anabaptist leader Pilgram Marpeck Pilgram Marpeck Pilgram Marpeck , also Pilgram Marbeck or Pilgrim Marpeck, was an important South German Anabaptist leader in the 16th century.-Biography:... in 1973. |
| 1968 | Kriegbaum Hall | Part of Witmarsum Quad, renamed for former college president Richard Kriegbaum. |
| 1968 | Witmarsum Quad | Named for the city of Witmarsum, birthplace of Menno Simons Menno Simons Menno Simons was an Anabaptist religious leader from the Friesland region of the Low Countries. Simons was a contemporary of the Protestant Reformers and his followers became known as Mennonites... , in 1973. |
| 1971 | Strasbourg Hall | Named for the city of Strasbourg Strasbourg Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,... , where early Anabaptists often sought refuge, in 1973. |
| 1981 | Special Events Center | |
| 1986 | Bartsch Hall | Named for Silas Bartsch Silas Bartsch Silas Bartsch was the first superintendent of the Kings Canyon Unified School District in Reedley, California. He remained superintendent for five years, leaving to begin a career at then Fresno Pacific College. He moved to Reedley with his family when he was 14. He graduated from Reedley High... and his wife Nadine Bartsch. Silas was an administrator and former interim president. The building was an existing residence which was purchased and remodeled. |
| 1990 | Wiebe Education Center | Named for Arthur and Evelyn Wiebe. Arthur was a former president and member of the faculty, as well as the president of the AIMS Foundation, which provided a large portion of the funding. |
| 1992 | McDonald Hall | Named for Arthur and Barbara McDonald, contributors and co-chairs of the fundraising campaign. |
| 1998 | East Hall | |
| 2002 | AIMS Hall | Named for The AIMS Foundation, which provided a large portion of the funding by means of a grant. |
| 2003 | Steinert Campus Center | Named for Marvin and Nadine Steinert, primary contributors. |
Athletics
The Fresno Pacific Sunbirds compete in the Golden State Athletic ConferenceGolden State Athletic Conference
The Golden State Athletic Conference is a college athletics conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics . The conference commissioner is Cliff Hamlow of Azusa Pacific University. Conference leadership is shared among the member institutions. The conference was formed in...
of the NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
. The university has announced that it is currently transitioning to NCAA Division II as a future member of the Pacific West Conference
Pacific West Conference
The Pacific West Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division II...
.
The university sponsors 16 intercollegiate sports, eight each for men and women:
Men's sports
- BaseballCollege baseballCollege baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
- BasketballCollege basketballCollege basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
- Cross countryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- SoccerCollege soccerCollege soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
- SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
- TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
- Track and fieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
- Water PoloWater poloWater polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
Women's sports
- BasketballCollege basketballCollege basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
- Cross countryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- SoccerCollege soccerCollege soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
- SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
- TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
- Track and fieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
- VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
- Water PoloWater poloWater polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
The Sunbirds boast one of the top programs in the NAIA, finishing in the top five of the NACDA Directors' Cup in each of the last four years. FPU has won a total of 44 conference titles and nine national titles, including three during the 2009-10 season (volleyball, men’s swimming, women’s tennis). Within the last five years, FPU has won national titles in Volleyball, Men’s Swimming & Diving, Men’s Tennis and Women’s Tennis. They’ve also taken home GSAC titles in Men’s Basketball and Men’s Soccer, and garnered national attention in Women’s Swimming, Men’s Water Polo, Women’s Soccer, Baseball and Men’s & Women’s Track & Field.The university has hosted a number of NAIA special events, including the Track & Field National Championships, Men’s Soccer Nationals and most recently a round of the NAIA World Series.
The Women’s Volleyball program is currently the top program in the country at the NAIA level, having won four consecutive national titles including an undefeated 38-0 season in 2009. FPU won the 2010 title without dropping a single set in the entire national tournament. The Sunbirds have consistently defeated crosstown institution NCAA Division I rival Fresno State
Fresno State Bulldogs
The Fresno State Bulldogs represent California State University, Fresno in 19 NCAA Division I sports. The teams have been members of the Western Athletic Conference since 1992. Before that, it had been a member of the Big West Conference since 1969...
of the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
, with a 6-0 all-time record against the Bulldogs.
Transition to NCAA
In June 1, 2011, the university announced that it had accepted an invitation to join the Pacific West ConferencePacific West Conference
The Pacific West Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division II...
in NCAA Division II competition, joining fellow GSAC members Azusa Pacific University
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa Pacific University is a private, inter-denominational, evangelical Christian university located near Los Angeles in suburban Azusa, California. It was founded in 1899, with classes opening on March 3, 1900 in Whittier, California. It began offering degrees in 1939...
, Point Loma Nazarene University
Point Loma Nazarene University
Point Loma Nazarene University is a Christian liberal arts college. Its main campus is located on the Point Loma oceanfront in San Diego, California. It was founded in 1902 as a Bible college by the Church of the Nazarene.-History:...
, and CalPac member Holy Names University
Holy Names University
Holy Names University is a private, coeducational university located in Oakland, California. It is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church and is administered by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.-History:...
as part of the conference's expansion from 10-14 members. While the majority of sports will compete in the PacWest, water polo will join the Western Water Polo Association
Western Water Polo Association
The Western Water Polo Association is a single sport intercollegiate college athletic conference sponsoring men's and women's water polo. The WWPA is affiliated with NCAA...
(WWPA). The Sunbirds will compete in conference play beginning in the 2012-2013 academic year. They will be eligible for conference championships and awards immediately but ineligible for NCAA postseason play during the three year transition process.
On July 11, 2011, Fresno Pacific along with fellow conference mates, Azusa Pacific and Point Loma Nazarene, learned that their application for NCAA membership had been approved. The 2011-2012 athletic season will be the final one in GSAC competition for the Sunbirds. The 2012-2013 season will mark the beginning of Pacific West Conference
Pacific West Conference
The Pacific West Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division II...
play for FPU.
Mascot
The athletics mascot is Sunny the Sunbird. Sunny is a much loved figure in the campus community. Unfortunately he was 'birdnapped' at the beginning of February 2009. The site features videos and potential clues to the whereabouts of the mascot.Traditions
- The Wittenberg Door, a board located in the atrium of Steinert Campus Center, near the entrance to the dining room, is a place for the exchange of ideas. People are free to post expressions of their views, but are asked to write pieces in a charitable spirit and to include the writer's name. It was built in approximately 1983, and the original version was located in Alumni Hall when it still served as the campus cafeteria. A new board was built in 2004, and the old one was dismantled. The Mennonite Brethren Biblical SeminaryMennonite Brethren Biblical SeminaryFresno Pacific University Biblical Seminary, formerly the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, is the denominational seminary of the United States and Canadian Mennonite Brethren Churches. It was founded in 1955 in Fresno, California...
has a board with the same name and purpose outside the B.C. Lounge. - The Mennonite Central CommitteeMennonite Central CommitteeThe Mennonite Central Committee is a relief, service, and peace agency representing 15 Mennonite, Brethren in Christ and Amish bodies in North America. The U.S. headquarters are in Akron, Pennsylvania, the Canadian in Winnipeg, Manitoba.-History:...
holds its annual West Coast Relief Sale and Auction on the campus during the first weekend in April, at approximately 4:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Friday and 7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Saturday. Ethnic foods, used books, antiques, plants, world crafts and quilts are all sold on campus in various booths and auction events. - University Family ThanksgivingThanksgivingThanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
Meal - Winter FormalPromIn the United States and Canada, a prom, short for promenade, is a formal dance, or gathering of high school students. It is typically held near the end of the senior year. It figures greatly in popular culture and is a major event among high school students...
Chief executives
- 1944-1946 Rev. Sam W. Goossen - Acting President/Dean
- 1946-1947 Rev. George B. Huebert - Administrator
- 1947-1953 Dr. George W. Peters - President/Dean
- 1953-1954 Dr. Rueben M. Baerg - Acting President
- 1954-1955 Dr. Rueben M. Baerg - Acting President, one-half year; Administrative Committee last half of year, Dr. George W. Peters, Chmn.
- 1955-1960 Rev. B.J. Braun - President
- 1960-1961 Dr. Arthur J. Wiebe - Director of Pacific Bible Institute; Mr. Joel A. Wiebe - Interim Director
- 1961-1975 Dr. Arthur J. Wiebe - President
- 1975-1976 Rev. Edmund Janzen, Chairman, Presidential Council
- 1976-1982 Rev. Edmund Janzen - President
- 1982-1983 Mr. Silas Bartsch - Interim President; Edmund Janzen on leave
- 1983-1985 Rev. Edmund Janzen - President
- 1985-1997 Dr. Richard Kriegbaum - President
- 1997-2000 Dr. Allen Carden - President
- 2000-2002 Dr. Harold Haak - President
- 2002–present Dr. D. Merrill Ewert - President
Notable alumni
- Chris SchwindenChris SchwindenChristopher Schwinden is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Mets.-Professional career:Schwinden was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 43rd round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft out of Golden West High School in Visalia, California, however he did not sign and attended...
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher for the New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League... - Ron AdamsRon AdamsRon Adams is an American basketball coach.Adams has held coaching positions with Fresno Pacific University, UC Santa Barbara, Fresno State University, UNLV, the San Antonio Spurs, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Chicago Bulls, and the Oklahoma City Thunder...
, Assistant Coach for the Chicago BullsChicago BullsThe Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...