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Q&A with Beck Taylor on his Appointment as 18th President
of Whitworth University

Q. What drew you to pursue the presidency at Whitworth?

A. (Taylor) Whitworth has a wonderful reputation in the world of Christian higher education. What makes Whitworth really stand out is its distinctive and compelling mission. Few universities have chosen to walk the narrow ridge that bridges a rigorous and open academic culture with active institutional and personal commitments to the centrality of Jesus Christ and the authority of scripture. In so many ways, Whitworth is a leader among universities that profess to honor Christ precisely because it is courageous in its quest to nurture the life of the mind and to engage society's important issues. I am excited and humbled to lead Whitworth because the university's values and identity align so closely with my own.

Q. What is your initial impression of the Whitworth community?

A. Once I became more familiar with Whitworth's unique mission and the ways that mission is expressed through the life of the university, the most compelling and attractive aspect that drew my attention to Whitworth was its sense of community. My extensive interactions with the members of the presidential search committee convinced me that Whitworth was a place that values relationship, community and grace. The representatives on the committee exhibited those virtues throughout our conversations, and their winsome personalities and contagious passion for Whitworth were very evident. I am honored and excited to join such a community.

Q. How would you evaluate Whitworth's current position as you begin your presidency?

A. So many universities, whether secular or religiously affiliated, are in a state of real identity crisis. These institutions and their multiple constituencies are unsure of their purposes, missions and broader roles and responsibilities to society. What excites me most about Whitworth's current position is that it is a position of security and strength. The university has spent many years articulating and refining its mission, and, most importantly, living that shared mission with integrity and boldness. I perceive that there is no crisis of identity within the Whitworth community. In fact, there is a unity that is palpable. By God's grace, students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees and friends of the university understand and deeply connect with Whitworth's important place in the landscape of higher education.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the strengths of Whitworth's academic programs and its students. Whitworth lives out its commitments to academic life through the great quality of its faculty and its attention to innovative and engaging academic programs. Whitworth's students are bright, engaged, and eager to learn – when these qualities are combined with Whitworth's superior academic programs, the university is fulfilling its mission in incredibly exciting ways.

Q. What excites you about Whitworth's trajectory?

A. It is precisely because Whitworth operates from a position of strength and humility that the university can chart exciting and bold aspirations. I am looking forward to engaging in many conversations in the coming months with all of Whitworth's communities to develop that shared vision, one that seeks to honor God and prepare Whitworth's students for leadership and service to a world in great need.

Q. Can you reflect on Whitworth's longstanding affirmation of Christian conviction and intellectual curiosity as complementary rather than competing values?

A. Whitworth navigates the world of academic inquiry and faith with real integrity. What I mean is that the university recognizes that the road it has chosen, which I believe to be the most exciting and inspiring way, is also fraught with complexity and difficulty. Nor does the university set those two ideals -- conviction and curiosity -- as two mutually exclusive concepts. The Whitworth community doesn't articulate a mission of grace and truth ignorantly, pretending not to know of the challenges that lie ahead in navigating a sometimes precarious and daunting position in the higher-education landscape. But if in all things we treat one another with grace and humility, and if we work in unity to prepare Whitworth's graduates to honor God, follow Christ and serve humanity, then by God's grace, his truth will be revealed and we, his servants, will be better prepared to make a positive impact in the world for his kingdom.

Q. How does Whitworth's mission stand out in the higher-education landscape?

A. Too many institutions of higher learning have ceded the notion that one of the noblest goals of the academy is to contribute to the moral formation of its students. Whitworth responds by courageously embracing that challenge and by asking itself how it can best contribute to the intellectual, spiritual and moral development of its students.

Q. Can you tell us a bit about your family?

A. My family and I are eager to connect with and know the members of the Whitworth community. As we prepare for our move to Spokane, Julie, Zach, Lauren, Chloe and I will keep our new community in our prayers.