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Whitworth's leadership in helping launch the Act Six Leadership & Scholarship Initiative for under-represented ethnic minorities and first-generation college students recently earned national awards for the university and for President Bill Robinson.
Whitworth University and Crichton College were selected to receive the 2008 Robert and Susan Andringa Award for Advancing Racial Harmony from the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities. Whitworth President Bill Robinson and Walt Oliver (at right in photo), '67, incoming chair of Whitworth's board of trustees, received the award during the CCCU's Presidents' Conference in Washington, D.C., in February.
The award recognizes the success of Act Six, which began in 2001 as a partnership between Whitworth and the Northwest Leadership Foundation to encourage urban leadership development, college access and retention, and which has since expanded to Crichton College, George Fox University and Pacific Lutheran University. Act Six has brought five cadres of emerging student leaders to Whitworth from Tacoma and Seattle. As of this fall, 57 of 61 students originally selected for the first six cadres of Act Six scholars will have graduated from Whitworth or will still be enrolled at the university – far exceeding national averages for retention and graduation rates.
"First, we applaud the CCCU for honoring racial and ethnic diversity efforts in Christian higher education," says Robinson. "Second, I can scarcely think of an award that would be more gratifying to Whitworth. This recognition acknowledges the vision, hard work and courage of many people who have contributed to the success of Act Six – not the least of whom are the Act Six scholars themselves, who serve as agents of enlightenment and reconciliation every day on our campus."
Robinson's leadership and commitment to Act Six also were cited in his selection to receive the Charles Foreman Award for Innovation in Private Higher Education. The Foreman Award is presented each year by the Foundation for Independent Higher Education to an individual, institution, or organization for extraordinary and innovative leadership reflecting collaborative effort and endeavor.
"Bill's impact on students can never be overestimated," wrote Violet Boyer, president and CEO of Independent Colleges of Washington, an association of 10 private colleges in the state, in nominating Robinson for the Foreman Award. "He uses every opening to help students think through the difficult questions in life and provides a safe place and ample opportunities for them to explore and understand their values and roles in the world. He teaches and leads these students by example."
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