News

By Mercer Stauch and Hannah Lee The University is examining potential sustainability solutions to reach its standing goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. Facilities Services is working with consulting group McKinstry to determine the potential efficacy of geothermal heating and cooling systems in campus buildings. Currently, only Weyerhaeuser Hall is heated and cooled using geothermal energy; all other campus buildings burn natural gas, which contributes to global warming and creates health hazards that disproportionately harm communities of color. Facilities data from October 2021 to March 2022 —...

By Hannah Lee The University of Puget Sound, like all private schools, is more expensive to attend than a state school. So how can students justify the cost of going to an expensive private university? One way to offset the cost is through scholarships. Joan Potter, the scholarship coordinator for Student Financial Services, provides insight into the financial aid the University provides. She explained the difference between a grant and a scholarship, stating that “they’re both free money,” but that they “come from different sources.” Scholarships can be awarded by...

By Emma Loenicker In the fall of 2014, the University of Puget Sound launched a new scholarship program for Tacoma Public School (TPS) students. This initiative is part of Puget Sound’s Access Programs which has offered enrichment opportunities in partnership with TPS for grades 7 to 12 since 1995. The Access Programs provide various opportunities for pre-college programming, including weekly tutoring, college-specific skill workshops, and the summer academic challenge program (SAC). Recipients of the Access Scholarship are typically students from low-income families, communities of color, or first-generation college students. Access...

By Albert Chang-Yoo The 424 full-time staff members employed at the University of Puget Sound are the lifeblood of the campus. Anytime you go to the bathroom, eat a meal, or connect to the Wi-Fi, it’s probably because of a staff member’s work. Yet, for the past decade, staff have experienced sparse increases in compensation, causing financial turbulence, stress, and high turnover rates. Recently, the Staff Senate Compensation Committee renewed their request for a 10% increase in the salary pool (the accumulation of all staff salaries). For the past six...