News

Oracle PeopleSoft is a software upgrade meant to optimize the heavy traffic and growth of Puget Sound’s modern needs. The program, however, has had negative feedback from students, especially when registering for classes for the upcoming semester. “Conversion to PeopleSoft is an enormous undertaking, and it is definitely valid to ask why we are doing this,” said the Technology Services page that discussed the transfer. The page had been following the course of PeopleSoft’s integration since it became part of campus in the spring of 2013. Prior to this upgrade,...

Campus is closing from Dec. 21 to Jan. 18 for winter break. Every year the campus closes at the end of fall semester to prepare for the start of the new semester in the spring. During this time students get to take an extended break from studies, faculty and staff get time away from work and the campus can make necessary improvements before re-opening. There are many reasons that the campus closes for Winter Break outside of the transition from fall to spring semester. For a few weeks the campus...

The Tacoma Entrepreneur Network (TEN) hosted a business plan competition on the Puget Sound campus on Thursday, Nov. 13. Eighteen teams competed for the chance to receive funding to move forward with business plans pitched at the event. Individuals and teams worked throughout the semester to put together proposals for the November competition. Some of the businesses proposed were DIY cake kits, handmade masks, healthy meal delivery and an indoor skiing terrain park. The business competition was one of many events hosted by TEN: College this year. TEN: College was...

The Diversity Advisory Council (DAC) has been presenting the findings of the 2012 Campus Climate Survey to Puget Sound faculty, staff and students since last year, sparking campus wide conversations about the topics related to the survey. The Campus Climate Survey was distributed to members of Puget Sound in 2006 and 2012. It collected statistical data and written responses from members of Puget Sound who participated, which later generated information for the DAC to begin deconstructing. The survey was organized on the subject of social diversity, defined as “characteristics that...

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine lists Puget Sound among the top 100 liberal arts colleges for affordability and education in 2014. A rough economy has left thousands of students across the country in debt, and new students depend on this kind of information to determine the best value for their education. “Though none of these lists really ever captures the full story of what you get out of any particular college education, this is one attempt to identify colleges balancing a quality education with affordability,” media relations manager Shirley Skeel said....

Property crime in Tacoma saw an increase in reports from 12,113 in 2011 to 12,889 in 2012. The three areas of Tacoma with the most reported property theft are South Ninth Street and Tacoma Avenue South, Pine Street and South 45th Street, and 72nd Street East and East M Street. Despite the increase in property crime in the city of Tacoma from 2011 to 2012, the incidence of property theft on campus is lower this year than it was last year. Although Tacoma residents reported 153 car thefts in Tacoma...

The Peer Allies program is a new club on campus with the purpose of supporting victims of sexual violence. Sexual violence is a pervasive issue on college campuses throughout the United States, and Puget Sound is no exception; according to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 19 percent of undergraduate women will experience attempted or completed sexual assault at some point in their college careers. In 2012 there were three reported cases of forcible sexual offense on campus, up from one reported case in 2010 and two in...

A complete redesign of the University’s website is currently underway. The new website aims to include new interactive features such as an Instagram photo wall where students can add their stories to the combined history of Puget Sound. “About every four years, we refresh the Puget Sound website, which allows us to take advantage of current trends in communications and technology in order to best convey what Puget Sound is all about to our primary site visitors—prospective students and their families,” Assistant Director of Communications Sarah Stall said. The page’s...

This week on campus was International Education Week, a chance for students to learn about various cultures all around the world. By learning about each other’s cultures, students learn to foster the kind of tolerance and understanding between people that can strengthen a community. Many students were excited about learning more about International Education Week and what it represents. “I am always interested in learning about other cultures,” freshman Lydia Bauer said. “I think it’s a good opportunity for people to learn about other nations as well as people from...