Faculty President's Message

In the fall of 2023, many of us had the privilege of hearing Bryan Stevenson speak at a Whitworth-sponsored event. Bryan is a lawyer, activist and the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, who has spent the last four decades defending people facing the death penalty and life in prison, including those who were wrongly convicted.

Bryan had four key takeaways for the audience: first, get proximate to the people; second, push against narratives rooted in fear and injustice; third, remain hopeful; and fourth, be willing to do uncomfortable and inconvenient things. While Bryan was addressing how we treat those who have been convicted of crimes, his lessons transcend any specific population.

In many ways, these four calls to action have influenced how I view the current world we live in – including my interactions with fellow faculty and staff at Whitworth. It encouraged me to listen more and sparked a desire to continue to unify our community. And what better way to bring us all together than our faculty retreat? I am hopeful it will be a time to meet new people and reconnect as we bond over shared hobbies.

The theme for this year’s retreat: connection

We will hold the faculty retreat, at least in part, on campus this year to allow our graduate faculty, who are already back in session, to join us for lunch, afternoon activities, and to spend some wonderful time connecting with undergraduate faculty. Following lunch and worship, faculty will break into groups of their own selection to connect over shared hobbies and interests. Such as sporty activities (kayaking/paddleboarding, mountain biking, frisbee, soccer and golf), artistic endeavors (press prints and chemistry in art) and creative collectives (board games, Lego building and jigsaw puzzle exchange), to name a few.

I am beyond grateful to the faculty who are willing to lead an activity group. Their willingness has inspired continued hope for our community, students and mission. "I am equally impressed by our faculty's talents. I hope this day will serve to connect us with each other (i.e., get proximate to people, encourage us to remain hopeful and to do something that might be slightly uncomfortable as we shift away from the style of retreat that we have utilized for the last couple of years).

Our next academic year will kick off on Wednesday, Sept. 2, with a staff and faculty chapel service. This will be followed by President McQuilkin’s State of the University Address and lunch. Thursday, Sept. 3, is our retreat, which begins in the HUB MPR at 11:30 a.m. Following lunch and worship, faculty will attend various activities mentioned above before returning to campus to officially welcome and install the newest faculty members into the Whitworth community. The day will conclude with a catered picnic for faculty and staff. Departmental retreats are scheduled for Friday.

I hope you all have a wonderful summer, and I look forward to seeing you in the fall.

Mary