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Melinda Leavitt, '12 |
"Congratulations, Whitworth Class of
2021!" a future commencement speaker
may say. "You entered the university as
the most academically accomplished,
service-oriented, and racially, ethnically
and geographically diverse class in
Whitworth's history. You raised the bar
in many other areas of the university
and elevated Whitworth's standing as
one of the finest Christian liberal arts
universities in the country.
"As Whitworth stabilized traditional
undergraduate enrollment at 2,300
students and focused on enhancing
the depth and quality of the student
learning experience, you were
challenged to discern and respond to
God's call on your lives; to develop
intercultural competencies to live, learn
and work effectively across multiple
dimensions of human diversity; and
to explore intellectual frontiers in the
context of a liberal arts curriculum
that empowers graduates for lifelong
learning, professional development and
community service.
"During your time at Whitworth,
100 percent of you engaged in service learning, 75
percent completed internships, 70 percent studied
abroad, and a record number engaged in research or
other forms of experiential learning. You benefited
from Whitworth's strong commitment to relationshipcentered
learning as the student-faculty
ratio dropped to 13-to-1, the rate of
students living in university housing
climbed to 70 percent, and the rates
for freshman-sophomore retention and
six-year graduation reached record highs
of 90-plus percent and 80-plus percent
respectively. And members of your class
were among the first to pursue majors in
the new College of Arts and Sciences
and to participate in business programs
with specialized accreditation from the
demanding Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business.
"In the decade leading up to
your graduation, a robust culture of
philanthropy attracted $150 million in
donations to the university, with annual
alumni giving climbing 7 percent, to top
the 25 percent mark. Gifts for endowed
scholarships, professorships, chairs and
other initiatives doubled Whitworth's
endowment to $180 million. And
thanks to a combination of donated
and borrowed funds, you enjoyed an
expanded HUB dining hall, a new
residence hall, and a student intramural/
recreation facility; new performance, rehearsal and
instruction space for performing arts; additional space
and equipment for science majors; and an indoor
athletics facility that provides a multipurpose center for
university events."
This far-reaching vision for
Whitworth, along with a strategic
plan to support it, was approved
unanimously by trustees at their
April board meeting.
Whitworth President Beck Taylor |
"Trustees have joined with
other members of the Whitworth
community to chart an exciting
course for the institution's future,"
says Board Chair Walt Oliver,
'67. "Whitworth has been on a very positive trajectory, and
we are ready to build on that success. I am confident that
the Whitworth 2021: Courage at the Crossroads vision and
strategic plan positions the university to provide an excellent
education for our next generation of students."
At the outset of a 10-year vision and strategic plan,
Whitworth finds itself at a defining moment in its history when
internal and external forces present significant opportunities
and challenges that call for courageous decision-making. And
in many ways, Whitworth has always lived out its mission at a
nexus uniting the deep resources of its Christian mission with a
broad spectrum of ideas, voices and perspectives.
President Beck Taylor says the university sought to engage
all of its constituents in creating a vision that is ambitious yet
achievable, and that is flexible yet clear in its direction for the
future. Hundreds of alumni, parents, supporters, community
partners, faculty, staff and students provided input on the
Whitworth 2021 plan through an online survey and through a
number of community and town hall meetings.
"There is a clear consensus among our constituents that gives
energy and purpose to the work ahead," Taylor says. "Whitworth
is at a crossroads that calls the university to engage its distinctive
mission, its educational enterprise, and its external environment
in courageous ways. We must stay true to the immutable values
that have guided Whitworth for 120 years while we tackle the
challenges and opportunities before us. And we will."
After a decade of steady enrollment growth that contributed
to an expansion in programs, faculty and facilities, the
Whitworth 2021 vision and strategic plan focuses on enhancing
the depth and quality of the student
learning experience rather than the
size and scope of the university.
"Everything in the plan is geared
toward making the Whitworth
experience better for students," says
Melinda Leavitt, '12, executive vice
president-elect for the Associated
Students of Whitworth University
and a student representative
on University Council, Whitworth's chief planning group.
"Students are mostly concerned with enrollment, the overall
feel of the campus, and the upcoming facilities projects.
The plan has given answers to students' questions regarding
stabilizing enrollment and the building of much-needed and
desired facilities."
Whitworth 2021 also calls for continuing strategic growth
in programs for graduate and non-traditional adult learners,
investing in new professional development and enrichment
resources for faculty and staff, and expanding the university's
network of constituents and supporters as Whitworth elevates
its role as a resource to the church and society by engaging
challenging contemporary issues with intellectual rigor through
the lens of Christian faith.
"The plan is not about simply 'staying the course,' but about
envisioning directions and initiatives that will invigorate the
academic and intellectual life of the campus community over
the next decade," says Richard Strauch, professor of music and
president of the faculty for 2009-2011. "Without compromising
our commitment to academic excellence, the plan proposes
that we broaden our thinking and imagination with respect
to reaching beyond the confines of our physical campus. The
increased emphasis on, and support for, service-learning,
international study opportunities, faculty scholarly production,
adult learners, and graduate programs will require that we
engage the community and the world in a more consistent and
sustained fashion."
The Whitworth 2021 vision and strategic plan can be viewed online at
www.whitworth.edu/whitworth2021.
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