A flyover photo of the Forest Grove Campus

Thrive

Teaching, learning, living, and personal growth at Pacific University take place in a vibrant, diverse community. Under the pillar of Thrive in our strategic plan, we are committing to directing our resources where they matter most — creating an agile, equitable, and data-driven institution where connected systems and sustainable campus spaces empower everyone to thrive.  

Moonshot

A Pacific Built For The Future

By 2028, Pacific University will become a modern, equitable, and data-driven institution that directs resources to mission and student success. Through integrated systems, streamlined operations, and a shift to an instructional-cost budget model, we will increase efficiency across the university and redirect up to 20% of current spending toward affordability, innovation, and student support — building the agility needed to thrive in a rapidly changing future. Pacific will know this transformation is achieved when systems connect, real-time data strengthens decision-making, processes are streamlined, administrative savings are realized and reinvested in students, instructional costs align with national benchmarks, and students receive faster, clearer, and more coordinated support.

An EarClinic staffer holds her hand to her hear while communicating with a patient.

A Culture of Collaboration, Communication & Change

At Pacific University, our people are our greatest strength. Our ability to thrive depends on a culture where every voice is valued, ideas are shared freely, and communication fosters both vision alignment and inspiration. By investing in the tools, structures and processes that break down silos, build trust, elevate shared purpose, and unleash innovation, we will become a more agile, inclusive, and future-ready institution — one where employees feel heard, connected and empowered to lead change. We will cultivate a culture of collaboration that not only improves communication but also helps employees adapt, innovate, and lead confidently through transformation.

Key Initiatives & Priorities

  • Internal Communications Ecosystem: Launching a comprehensive internal communications platform and intranet technology as the go-to source for updates, events, and collaboration tools, complemented by regular campus forums and town halls.  
  • Progress Tracking & Norms: Standardizing collaboration norms across working groups and deploying a digital dashboard to visualize progress and enable seamless cross-functional coordination.  
  • Innovation Microgrants & Hub: Establishing a cross-divisional idea and innovation hub alongside microgrants to crowdsource grassroots solutions to institutional challenges.  
  • Change Management Frameworks: Integrating change management frameworks and professional development into all major initiatives, equipping leaders and staff with shared tools to navigate transitions successfully.  
  • Collaboration Tech Toolkit: Providing training and access to shared platforms, digital whiteboards, and project management systems to foster modern teamwork.
     

A student talks with a recruiter at a career advising event

Operational Efficiency and Innovative Systems

By aligning financial resources with our mission, streamlining administrative structures, and modernizing outdated systems, we will become a more agile, data-informed, and future-ready institution. Eliminating inefficiencies and reducing duplication will free resources to invest in student success. Through thoughtful restructuring, centralized services, and strategic budgeting, we will build a stronger operational foundation that advances Pacific’s mission for generations to come.

Key Initiatives & Priorities

  • Modernized Budgeting & Multi-Year Forecasting: Overhauling manual, labor-intensive budgeting processes by investing in integrated planning tools, establishing multi-year forecasting models, and holding regular divisional spending reviews.  
  • Centralized Shared Services: Standardizing core functions—including HR, marketing, finance, IT, procurement, and event support—into shared service centers with clearly defined accountability measures to reduce fragmentation.  
  • Restructuring & Reinvestment: Redesigning administrative and academic structures to eliminate layers of duplication, directly reinvesting operational savings into student scholarships, advising, and workforce readiness.  
  • Modern Business Systems & Analytics: Upgrading core financial, HR, and student information systems to improve transparency and build integrated performance dashboards for data-driven decision-making.  

Students bump fists during an orientation activity

An Environment Where All Can Access Opportunity and Thrive

By reimagining our systems, support structures, and learning pathways, we will remove barriers, amplify student success, and build a more inclusive university for all. Through modernized recruitment and admissions systems, strengthened financial aid, coordinated advising, innovative academic models, and integrated support services, we aim to create a Pacific where opportunity is not just available — it is guaranteed.

Key Initiatives & Priorities

  • Slate Enrollment & Student Engagement: Implementing Slate software to streamline recruitment, admissions, student support, and early intervention strategies. 
  • Affordability & Financial Aid Acceleration: Expanding scholarship management software and staffing to deliver faster, clearer award notifications, simplifying administrative processes, and lowering the net cost of attendance.  
  • Data-Informed Growth: Utilizing enrollment analytics to guide outreach, optimize financial aid, align growth with retention, and communicate a strong "Value of Pacific" narrative to prospective families.  
  • Digital-First Student Support: Expanding data governance to track persistence indicators while redesigning student-facing services into flexible, cross-trained, and digital-first formats. 
     

Exterior of Creighton Hall on the Pacific University Hillsboro Campus

Accessible, Safe, Sustainable and Operationally Sound Spaces

Through intentional planning and investment, we will ensure that all campus spaces — be they indoor or outdoor, physical or digital — are welcoming, accessible, and equipped to support 21st Century teaching, learning and collaboration. Anchored by signature projects like the Stoller Center renovation and the Native American Longhouse, Pacific’s capital improvements will serve as community-wide enhancements, promoting cultural connection, belonging, wellness, academic opportunity, and shared engagement.

Key Initiatives & Priorities

  • Comprehensive Campus Master Plan: Completing a long-term master plan and space utilization strategy to optimize facility use across all Pacific campuses.  
  • Universal Accessibility Commitment: Developing and executing a university-wide accessibility plan across both physical campus grounds and digital environments.  
  • Capital Improvements & Deferred Maintenance: Finalizing a sustainable financial strategy for capital improvements and long-term facility stewardship.  
  • Signature Campus Projects: Launching and completing landmark community enhancements, anchored by the Stoller Center renovation and the construction of the Native American Longhouse.  
  • Sustainability & Wellbeing Alignment: Prioritizing energy and water sustainability in all renovations while aligning facility investments with student and employee wellbeing priorities.