Message from the President

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

From gilded shovels to large earthmovers, Titans have had ample opportunities this fall to watch groundbreaking as we have celebrated the beginning of construction on a new wing for the Hoyt Science Center. The wing, which is rising on the southeast corner of the Center, will contain new and modernized chemistry labs, additional classrooms and offices. The ceremonial groundbreaking saluted donors to the project and the students, faculty and staff who will benefit from the expanded and updated facilities. Held on a stunning autumn afternoon on Sept. 20, the joyful ceremony has been followed by days of hard work to prepare for laying the wing’s steel foundation.

While this type of physical groundbreaking is obvious to anyone who drives or walks by, other types of groundbreaking at Westminster may be harder to observe. The founding of the College in 1852 itself was quietly groundbreaking. The founding presbyteries launched an academy open not only to men, which was the norm, but one open also to women and persons of color, without regard to creed. Westminster was certainly among the first—if not the first—college in the nation to break ground in such a visionary, inclusive fashion. The founders’ wisdom guides our work today as the growing numbers of firstgeneration Titans mark a groundbreaking for their families and themselves. At Westminster, we walk with them as they travel the unfamiliar pathways of college education. U.S. News & World Report recently listed Westminster as #19 on its new social mobility ranking of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges, recognizing the College’s strong four-year graduation rate of Pell-eligible students. This recognition reinforces a groundbreaking achievement for these students and the College.

The deeply experiential opportunities found within a Westminster education offer multiple groundbreaking experiences for all students—whether it is working with a faculty mentor, studying in an international setting, performing on a stage, presenting research at a regional or national conference, completing a service project or winning an athletic championship. Some groundbreakings like Commencements or trophy ceremonies are celebrated publicly. Others are private moments of personal achievement, noted through a text to parents or a visit to a mentor’s office to share a grad school acceptance letter or an email extending a job offer. Public or private, however, these events reflect the hard work necessary to break new ground. Hours of study, weeks of practice, years of sacrifice. Work completed by students, faculty, staff, donors, mentors and family members. Weeks and months of planning and effort culminating in a long hoped-for achievement. Few groundbreakings occur spontaneously or without the support and encouragement of those around us.

At Westminster, we’ve been celebrating groundbreakings since 1852, and we’ll never tire of those critical moments in the College’s present and future. Each one is special; each one is worth remembering; each one reminds us that getting some dirt on our hands while working hard signifies progress toward a worthwhile goal. From the achievements of our hard-working students to the construction of a 21 st century science center, Titans have much to celebrate. It’s a great time to be a Titan!

Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson President