Pamela Eibeck is moving quickly to fully integrate University of the Pacific into the Stockton community.

The newly installed president has reorganized parts of Pacific with the specific goal of outreach.

How? Sports, one of the most visible aspects of the school. Even those who know little more about Pacific than what they can observe while passing the campus on Pacific Avenue probably know something about its sports teams.

One of Eibeck's biggest moves last week was to name Ted Leland, a 1970 Pacific grad and former athletic director at Stanford University, as director of the newly created division for external affairs. Until Wednesday, Leland was Pacific's vice president for university advancement. While Pacific athletic director Lynn King will report to Leland, Leland will not be involved in day-to-day athletic operations.

Leland's job: overseeing university and community events in an effort to make the university more accessible to the community. He also will continue working with Pacific alumni.

Fittingly, the changes at Pacific were announced the day the new president was introduced at an official reception attended by, among others, astronaut and Pacific grad Jose Hernandez. Taking place the same evening was some of the very kind of community outreach Eibeck wants. The university hosted its family science night, where grade school-age children were exposed to the possibilities of scientific study.

Pacific is one of Stockton's biggest assets. It is a constant reminder of the possible, especially important in a city where only about 15 percent of residents older than 25 have at least a bachelor's degree, well below the state and national rates.

For too long, Stocktonians and the university held each other at arm's length. That started to break down during the successful tenure of Eibeck's predecessor, Donald DeRosa. But DeRosa's most important and time-consuming goal was to right Pacific's financial ship. He did. Endowments grew.

Today the school is on solid financial ground.