Whitworth University President's Report: 2017-18

President’s REP OR T

2017-18

WHITWORTH’S

e c n e i r e p d u e t n x t e s e th

UNWAVERING

to

COMMITMENT

A message from President Beck A. Taylor, Ph.D.

One of the strong foundational pillars we depended upon as

When we launched Whitworth 2021, the university’s ambitious 10-year vision and strategic plan, we knew that we had a strong foundation from which to build. The institution had experienced unprecedented success in the previous decade, and the proverbial wind was in our sails. That allowed us to think in big and bold terms as we set the course for the next decade and beyond.

we articulated the university’s future was the historic strength of Whitworth’s undergraduate teaching. No matter which era of alums we survey, the universal experience Whitworthians mention throughout the years is the quality of instruction and the mentorship, and, indeed, friendship, Whitworth’s faculty members offer. So it was no surprise, but still appreciated, when U.S. News & World Report ranked Whitworth the best private regional university in the West for the quality of our

The plan, which is now entering its final three years, envisions even greater academic success for our students, more experiential learning to complement traditional classroom experiences, expansions in graduate education, and an emphasis on growing intercultural competencies, among other objectives.

The goal is simple: to elevate Whitworth’s standing as one of the finest Christian universities in the world.

undergraduate teaching for 2018.

Although the campus and curriculum have changed over the decades, Whitworth’s unwavering commitment to the student experience hasn’t changed. I’m so grateful to all of Whitworth’s faculty and staff members who embody that commitment as they live and work faithfully into Whitworth’s mission to equip graduates to honor God, follow Christ and serve humanity.

To view the full Whitworth 2021 plan, including goals, objectives and key performance indicators, please visit whitworth.edu/whitworth2021.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2017-18 |3|

Whitworthians continue to excel in the classroom, succeed on the playing field and make a difference in the world. Here’s a look at some of the many accomplishments and distinctions Whitworth celebrated this past year.

2017-18 UNIVERSITY HIGHLIGHTS

The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities reaffirms Whitworth University’s accreditation.

The Whitworth Office of Church Engagement is awarded nearly $2 million in grants from Lilly Endowment Inc. to support outreach to congregations and Christian leaders.

The Campaign for Whitworth surpasses its original goal of $100 million, making it the largest fundraising effort in the university’s history.

Whitworth is named Recycler of the Year in the higher education category by the Washington State Recycling Association, following the implementation of a food waste reduction program that led to a 70 percent reduction in waste.

Whitworth ranks No. 4 among small schools on the Peace Corps’ 2018 Top VolunteerProducing Colleges and Universities list.

For the 11th year in a row, the Pirates win the McIlroy-Lewis All-Sports Trophy for the best overall athletics program in the Northwest Conference.

Two Whitworth alumnae are selected as Fulbright Scholarship finalists: Katie Williams ’11 and Rachel Martin ’07.

Whitworth receives the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2017-18 |4|

2018 U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT RANKINGS (REGIONAL UNIVERSITIES WEST)

#2

#5

#5

#8

Best Undergraduate Teaching

Best Value Schools

Best Colleges for Veterans

Best Regional Universities

OTHER RANKINGS

#47

#2

#1

#16

Top Colleges in the West 2018

Best Colleges in Washington 2018

Best Christian Colleges in Washington 2018

Top 25 Best Colleges in the Northwest 2018

Forbes

College Consensus

Niche

College Raptor

DISTINCTIONS

UNIVERSITY FACTS*

2,565

376

UNDERGRADUATE ENROLLMENT

GRADUATE ENROLLMENT

152

11:1

FULL-TIME FACULTY

STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO

89%

99%

CLASSES WITH FEWER THAN 30 STUDENTS

INCOMING FRESHMEN RECEIVING FINANCIAL AID

100+

26 states, 42 countries

“Best Christian Workplace”

UNDERGRADUATE GEOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION

Best Christian Workplaces Institute

MAJORS AND PROGRAMS OFFERED

“300 Best College Values for 2018” Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

“2019 Best Colleges: Region by Region” The Princeton Review

“Military Friendly® School” 2018 Victory Media

*As of fall 2017

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2017-18 |5|

By Associate Professor of Theology Jonathan Moo I spend every other January in the Cascade Mountains with 20 or so students participating in the Ecology and the Bible course I teach. We stay in cabins

1

ADVANCE WHITWORTH’S DISTINCTIVE APPROACH TO INTEGRATING CHRISTIAN FAITH AND LEARNING

The Whitworth community engages challenging contemporary issues with intellectual rigor through the lens of

at Tall Timber Ranch at the edge of Glacier Peak Wilderness. We give up phones, computers, televisions and nearly all contact with the outside world.

What we gain is clarity of focus; space for thinking, conversation, reading, journaling and adventure; and the ability to be fully present to each other and our place. These months are some of the best of my life, and they are transformative for many students.

The course draws students from many majors. Like other courses in Whitworth’s thriving environmental studies program, it is interdisciplinary, and it includes formal study in natural history, ecology, environmental ethics, theology and biblical studies. Students also contribute their particular expertise to our consideration of the nature of our home on Earth and what difference a Christian vision might make. This means the course takes on a different character depending on the range of interests represented. But at its heart is always the exploration of how the two primary areas of study – ecology and theology – can inform how we see and experience the world and live in it well.

Christian faith. In a world fractured by

This happens not merely through daily reading and discussion, but also

sin and transformed by Christ’s grace

through immersion in the beauty of nature and the cultivation of Christian

and truth, Whitworth will equip and

community. To ski through snowy forests and meadows, following the

inspire students to cultivate character,

interwoven tracks of a bobcat and a snowshoe hare, is to learn something

seek justice and proclaim salvation.

about winter ecology that books alone cannot teach. To gather around a

Students, faculty and staff will pursue

fire, sing together, hear the reading of ancient prayers, and share our hopes

opportunities to lead and participate

and fears without judgment is to learn something about the possibilities of

in national and international initiatives

Christian love and fellowship that studying the Bible alone cannot teach.

that reflect Whitworth’s commitment to faith-learning integration

At the end, all I’m able to assess are such things as whether students

by upholding open, intellectual inquiry

have learned the contours of a biblical theology of creation, the essential

and deep Christian conviction as

insights of the science of ecology, some details of natural history, and the

complementary rather than

particularities of environmental and ethical issues. But equally important is

competing values.

that many students find new directions for their lives, discern more clearly their vocations, or simply discover the joyful possibilities of life lived in closer connection with each other, with the beautiful and broken world around us, and with the God who in Christ is renewing all things.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2017-18 |6|

FOLLOWING THE INTERWOVEN TRACKS

TO SKI THROUGH SNOWY FORESTS AND MEADOWS,

OF A

AND A

WINTER ECOLOGY

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2016-17 |7|

THE MORE I CAN GET THE STUDENTS OUT INTO THE

THE MORE THEY CAN TAKE

WHITWORTH’S MESSAGE AND MAKE IT A

Jacqueline van Wormer is a highly sought-after expert in the field of criminal justice and has secured millions of dollars in grants for criminal justice systems improvements throughout Washington state. She is also now an assistant professor of sociology at Whitworth who is teaching many of the classes for the university’s new major, criminology & criminal justice.

Often referred to as a “pracademic” due to her extensive practitioner experience, van Wormer inspires her students through her commitment to providing opportunities to learn outside the classroom.

“I took students from Whitworth to the jail last semester,” van Wormer says.

“I teach theory in the classroom and connect it to practice and policy, but until you step foot into agencies, you have no idea. That’s why I’m such a big proponent for service-learning and practicum placement.”

Students are not only seeing how the criminal justice system works, but also are actively participating in it. Van Wormer recently secured a two-year $102,000 grant that allows two of her students to evaluate the adult, family and juvenile drug courts in Snohomish County.

2

STRENGTHEN INTELLECTUAL VITALITY ACROSS ALL CONTEXTS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

Whitworth seeks to equip its Senior Silas Patterson ’19 is one of those students. He’s taken numerous classes

students to be inquisitive, creative

from van Wormer and says he’s not only changed his career path because of

and discerning thinkers who address

her, but his entire outlook on life.

effectively the complex issues they

“She brings a faith perspective into her role as a professor and as a practicing researcher and sociologist,” Patterson says. “She gives everyone she meets the utmost respect and she treats them with kindness. That’s been huge for me.”

face in the world. The university will cultivate an intellectually vital and inclusive campus culture in which faculty and students engage

Van Wormer is helping Natalie Mayse ’20 produce a picture booklet for Spokane

regularly in rigorous, open and civil

Neighborhood Action Partners that will teach formerly homeless individuals

discourse on challenging ideas.

basic life skills like cooking and cleaning. Mayse, a nursing major who is minoring in sociology, says she aspires to be just like her professor. “I’ve been going through my whole life having this idea of what I wanted to be, but I never saw it embodied in someone until now.”

Van Wormer says Whitworth’s smaller class sizes allow her to really get to know her students, and she’s excited about the contributions they’ll make to society.

“The more I can get the students out into the community, the more they can take Whitworth’s message and make it a practice,” she says. “Not only do they live it on campus, but they live it within the community to help improve those communities. That is why I’m here; that is why I’m in academia.”

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2017-18 |9|

Utsal Shrestha ’19 knew little about American customs his freshman year at Whitworth.

That changed when LeRoy “Mac” McCall, director of security services, invited Shrestha and other international students to his home for Thanksgiving dinner.

3

PREPARE WHITWORTH STUDENTS TO BE GLOBAL CITIZENS

Our students live in an increasingly interdependent world. They must

“Mac has a huge family and they were so welcoming,” Shrestha says. “We had amazing conversations. We talked about different cultures and why we do things the way we do.”

Mac, a U.S. military veteran, has traveled the world. Utsal is a computer science major from Nepal. Through that mealtime conversation they explored their differences and discovered their similarities.

“We all have similarities,” Shrestha says of the Whitworth community. “We want to help our families. We love and want to serve the community.”

Shrestha’s focus shifted from serving himself to serving his community at Whitworth, where he is the cultural events coordinator and president of the International Club for 2018-19. His encounters here with people from across the globe – from the U.S. and Mongolia to Hong Kong and Pakistan – have altered his perspective by exposing him to new ideas, insights and viewpoints.

be able to cross international

Shrestha has grown, too, through Whitworth’s supportive Intercultural Student

boundaries and navigate politics,

Center and its staff, whom he calls mentors and friends. “They gave me opportunities

cultures, economics, religions

I didn’t deserve,” he says, “and saw potential in me that I didn’t see in myself.”

and languages with skill and understanding if they are to serve

As cultural events coordinator, Shrestha aims to raise awareness on campus about

and lead in an ever-evolving

international and national social-justice issues, as well as about the experiences of

global community. Whitworth

Whitworth’s minority and underrepresented students. He also wants to strengthen the

will equip its students with the

community through discovering similarities and working together toward shared goals.

knowledge, skills and insight they need to thrive as global citizens.

Shrestha is working to build long-term collaboration between cultural clubs and clubs that support underrepresented causes. “There are obvious differences between the clubs,” he says, “but our understanding of injustice and discrimination bind us together. How can we work with that common purpose?”

He is also hoping to create partnerships with university departments that bring guest speakers to campus and that offer training and awareness events, especially Green Dot and Take Back the Night. And he plans to expand the annual International Festival performance by moving it to Cowles Auditorium. Shrestha intends to open the festival to the Spokane community and involve area colleges and universities.

“It’s all about collaboration,” Shrestha says. “Only when we understand that everyone has different perspectives but that we can all learn to grow together is when we prosper.”

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2017-18 | 10 |

ONLY WHEN WE UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYONE HAS

different perspectives BUT THAT WE CAN ALL LEARN TO

grow together IS WHEN WE

PROSPER.

R OU

F O SE

U

P U O R G R INTE

DIALOGUE

C

hristians

N O I T S M A I HO W L R I FO C N O N C O I S RE U L C INIS FOUNDATIONAL TO OUR G N I K E E

faith.

By Lorna Hernandez Jarvis, Chief Diversity Officer & Associate Vice President Many of us today simply don’t know how to engage others and promote understanding about cultural, social and political issues upon which we disagree. Through intergroup dialogue training, Whitworth is preparing faculty, staff and students to engage in courageous conversations with honesty, integrity, knowledge, empathy and understanding. Our use of intergroup dialogue is anchored in our identity as Christians for whom seeking reconciliation and inclusion is foundational to our faith.

Last summer, Associate Professor of Sociology Stacy Keogh George and I led 22 faculty and staff members in a three-day intensive workshop on intergroup dialogue. We taught the participants the five stages of intergroup dialogue: creating an environment conducive to dialogue; developing communication skills; increasing knowledge of social identities and their impact on dialogue and conflict; learning to lean into conflict rather than avoid it; and building allies for social justice.

We equipped the participants with tools to address areas such as developing

4

DEMONSTRATE COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP IN A DIVERSE WORLD

Whitworth aspires to achieve and

trust and openness, asking questions that lead to deeper understanding

sustain a level of excellence that values

of perspectives, listening to and observing verbal and nonverbal cues, and

the role a welcoming and diverse

learning to validate others, including those with whom we disagree. Participants

community plays in realizing its

also developed skills to identify emotional triggers and to manage the strong

mission to honor God, follow Christ and

feelings that may arise during difficult conversations. They learned about social

serve humanity. Grounded in a biblical

identities, the power of language, the impact of unconscious biases, privilege,

understanding of God’s character,

oppression and stereotype threat, and they addressed the impact these can

justice and wholeness, the university

have in the lives of Whitworth’s community members.

will cultivate in students, faculty, staff

Participants also practiced dialogue and facilitation skills as they engaged in conversations on challenging topics that often arise in the classroom or during campus activities: What is the Christian response to the immigration crisis? Are conservative voices being silenced in our community? Are other voices being silenced? How do we embrace free speech and academic freedom on college campuses while supporting marginalized and/or underrepresented members of our community?

and trustees the capacity to relate effectively across multiple dimensions of human diversity in learning, working and living environments. During the next decade, Whitworth will focus on issues of intercultural competency and equity related to gender, race and ethnicity, and also remain attentive and

The workshop participants each developed a plan to apply what they learned

responsive to additional identities and

to their respective areas of work. Several faculty members, for example,

the intersection of identities.

modified their syllabi and are including intergroup dialogue methods in their courses. The 22 workshop participants will meet monthly through this academic year to continue honing their new knowledge and skills. We plan to offer this workshop every year, with the goal of developing an inclusive community that engages in civil discourse, challenges its members, and supports their learning and flourishing.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2017-18 | 13 |

When Tia Kohs ’19 attended her first meeting of the Whitworth Student Investment Group as a sophomore, not only was it a test of avoiding the “snooze” button – the group meets at 6:15 a.m. each Thursday – it was a crash course

5

in investment terminology. Kohs was interested in business, but her academic pursuits led her to double major in chemistry and biology on a pre-med track, with plans to one day enter the medical field. For Kohs, WSIG bridged the worlds of business and STEM (science, technology, math and engineering) and provided a unique opportunity to gain valuable skills and knowledge.

Members of the WSIG and their faculty advisor, Duff Bergquist, will be quick to tell you this group isn’t just about trading on the stock market, nor is it exclusively for business students. As students discern where to invest a portion of Whitworth’s endowment, they become creative researchers, critical thinkers, and analysts who can communicate what they have learned clearly and objectively. They train for six weeks to become analysts and take the

ELEVATE A LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION AS ESSENTIAL AND RELEVANT TO ALL MAJORS AND CAREERS

opportunity seriously.

Whitworth is committed

her training to become an analyst, Kohs talked with her biology and chemistry

to providing an education,

professors about what would be big in science in the next few years and

grounded in the liberal arts,

pitched a stock for a gene editing therapy company. The process helped her

that empowers individuals for

understand how research is driven by profitability, and how to explain complex

lifelong learning, professional

medical concepts to a general audience.

development, and meaningful citizenship and service.

Whitworth will deepen its connections to the liberal arts across the curriculum, equipping students to think critically, reason coherently and communicate clearly.

Students’ interests often guide their research into various market sectors as they select stocks to pitch to the group and report on those sectors. As part of

WSIG President Derek Ramage ’20 never imagined he’d stand in front of a group of peers, give a presentation without notecards and answer tough questions, let alone lead that group as its president. “When you’re up there presenting, you have to be able to defend your position with facts and not opinions, and think on your feet,” he says. Both Kohs and Ramage value the mentoring relationships that have grown among their peers and with Bergquist, and Bergquist’s willingness to unpack unfamiliar terms and processes to bring students like Kohs up to speed.

Bergquist says he’s had the vantage point of watching these students develop into savvy, passionate analysts who are ready to pursue meaningful careers.

“You don’t have to go to business school to do business things,” he says.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2017-18 | 14 |

YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO TO

BUSINESS SCHOOL TO DO

BUSINESS

th i n g s

successful WHITWORTH HAS REALLY SET ME UP TO BE

IN THIS

FIELD.

One morning last spring, 13 students, ages 5 to 9, took turns presenting on the solar system. One by one, they stood in front of classmates and visitors and shared facts about the planets and the colorful papier-mâché replicas they had created. This may sound like a typical classroom scene, but it was a big deal for these special-education students and their teacher, Jessica Thomas, who knew how far they had come since the fall.

“Their presentations were really neat because they each were showing their strengths,” says Thomas ’15, M.A. ’17.

The students’ accomplishments occurred because Thomas had spent the academic year helping them improve their behavior skills. As a graduate of Whitworth’s master’s in applied behavior analysis program, Thomas is equipped to help students develop essential skills – like sitting and attending to a project – that they need to be able to focus on academics.

“If students are having behaviors that interfere with their learning environment,” Thomas says, “and we can get a handle on the behaviors, then they’re able to learn.”

6

ENHANCE WHITWORTH’S STRENGTHS IN GRADUATE AND CONTINUING STUDIES

Whitworth aspires to be the Known as ABA, applied behavior analysis is a systematic, scientific approach

university of choice in the Inland

to changing behavior. Whitworth began offering an applied behavior analysis

Northwest for adults pursuing

graduate program in 2015 and is currently growing its capacity.

selected graduate or nontraditional

Graduates in the emerging field are in high demand and have a wide range of career paths available to them. There is a large need, especially in Spokane, for trained ABA professionals to help children with autism spectrum disorder or behavioral challenges. But Thomas says the same principles can be applied to a variety of fields, such as sports training, weight loss, workplace management and even animal training. In fact, Thomas is using ABA at home to train her puppy.

Thomas was the first student in Whitworth’s program to graduate and pass the national test to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has taught as an adjunct faculty member at Whitworth, and she loves serving as a resource for teachers who haven’t had specialized ABA training. She enjoys the broader impact she can make by helping teachers, who in turn can better help their students.

Thomas is now pursuing a doctorate in special education at Washington State University Spokane and is open to career possibilities.

“ABA is a great field to work in because you can do so much with it,” Thomas says. “Whitworth has really set me up to be successful in this field.”

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2017-18 | 17 |

undergraduate degrees. Whitworth will build on its strong reputation for student-centered faculty, small class sizes and innovative delivery models to offer education programs that advance its graduates’ careers and extend the university’s mission and influence in the market.

Whitworth’s faculty and staff have spoken. Last year, 77 percent of our employees participated in a national survey administered by the Best Christian Workplaces Institute, and their feedback led Whitworth, for

7

INVEST IN WHITWORTH’S EMPLOYEES AND SUPPORT A CULTURE OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Whitworth is a learning organization that values its employees and strives to equip them to advance the university’s distinctive mission.

Whitworth will recruit and retain highly qualified and diverse Christian staff and faculty members and will offer

the fifth time in as many surveys, to be certified as a “Best Christian Workplace.” Whitworth uses the results of each survey to identify areas to strengthen, as part of the university’s commitment to investing in and improving the well-being of employees.

SO WHY IS

WHITWORTH A GREAT PLACE TO

WORK? FIND OUT FROM OUR

FACULTY AND STAFF MEMBERS THROUGH A SAMPLING OF THEIR SURVEY COMMENTS

competitive compensation and professional development that help employees pursue excellence in their vocations.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2017-18 | 18 |

SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT ENCOURAGES INNOVATION AND IMPROVEMENT • COMMITTED FACULTY THAT SHARES AND IMPLEMENTS A COMMON MISSION TO CHRIST-CENTERED EDUCATION • CLEAR AND FOCUSED MISSION • COMMITMENT TO INTELLECTUALLY HONEST CHRISTIANITY • FREEDOM TO INNOVATE AND TRY NEW THINGS • THE INTEGRITY, FOCUS AND HUMILITY THAT ARE MODELED BY OUR LEADERSHIP • CARING COWORKERS • COLLEGIALITY ACROSS DISCIPLINES • COMMITMENT TO SERVING STUDENTS WHO ARE MOST AT THE MARGINS • CHRIST-CENTERED LOVE THAT IS INCLUSIVE OF ALL PEOPLE • CO-WORKERS AND COLLEAGUES ACROSS CAMPUS TREAT ONE ANOTHER WITH RESPECT AND GRACE BEYOND ANY OTHER PLACE I’VE WORKED • WILLINGNESS TO BE FLEXIBLE WITH WORK SCHEDULES AND ALLOW TELECOMMUTING • TUITION REMISSION BENEFITS • PRAYER BEFORE STAFF MEETINGS • FREEDOM TO EXPRESS OUR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS • FAMILY-LIKE ATMOSPHERE • GENEROUS VACATION TIME AND RETIREMENT PLAN CONTRIBUTION • GREAT MISSION THAT MOTIVATES WORKERS • OPEN AND CARING LEADERS • OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION • FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME IN COMMITTEES THAT MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THE INSTITUTION • I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITIES I HAVE ON CAMPUS TO LEARN AND GROW • BEING ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND CHAPEL HAS BEEN HELPFUL TO MY SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT • MANAGEMENT IS HIGHLY CAPABLE AND SINCERELY WORKS TO SERVE STUDENTS AND TAKE CARE OF EMPLOYEES • THE CAMPUS IS BEAUTIFUL • THE LEVEL OF AUTONOMY I HAVE TO DETERMINE SOLUTIONS FOR MY PROJECTS AND TO BE INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE • THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS • THE UNIVERSITY IS PROACTIVE IN BUDGETING FOR COST-OF-LIVING INCREASES • MY SUPERVISORS CARE ABOUT MY GROWTH AND SUCCESS, BOTH IN THE WORKPLACE AND PERSONALLY • THE FLEXIBILITY TO DO MY JOB THE BEST WAY I SEE FIT • OPPORTUNITY TO VOLUNTEER OUTSIDE THE WORKPLACE PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2017-18 | 19 |

IT’S GREAT TO HAVE

SPACES WHERE I CAN

experience

GOD,

IT’S BEEN WON D N A DER

M G N I FUL WATCH

Y

faith grow.

Last spring Whitworth received a $3 million gift from alumna and trustee Anne Storm ’74 and her husband, Kim ’74, to endow the university’s dean of spiritual life. The gift is believed to be the first of its kind among the nation’s Christian colleges and universities.

Storm Family Dean of Spiritual Life Forrest Buckner calls the endowment a significant expression of support for Whitworth’s students and their spiritual formation, and for the expansion of Whitworth’s campus ministry programs.

“I look forward with eager anticipation to the ways that God is going to use this gift to help students here come to know Jesus, be formed by God’s Spirit, and be sent out to participate in God’s redemptive work in the world,” Buckner says.

Whitworth Campus Ministry’s mission is to cultivate opportunities for every student to take steps closer to Jesus. Its programs include biweekly chapel services; weekly Hosanna, AWAKE and Life Group gatherings; and pastoral counseling and ministry care.

Theology major Lydia Tombarelli ’20 has participated in campus ministry programs since her freshman year. She says experiencing God in the classroom as well as through campus ministry has helped her faith to flourish.

“Being with my professors and friends in places of worshipping God has shown me a lot about how faith can come in many different shapes and forms,” she says. “It’s great to have (a variety of) spaces where I can experience God, and it’s been wonderful watching my faith grow.”

8

EXERCISE DILIGENT STEWARDSHIP IN GROWING WHITWORTH’S FINANCIAL AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Whitworth aspires to expand its constituent and resource bases to advance the university’s mission with comprehensive and sustainable excellence.

Significantly increased giving and

Initial endowment funds will become available for use in July 2019 and will

sound stewardship of all university

increase over subsequent years as the endowment becomes fully funded. The

resources will enable Whitworth

campus ministry team is exploring how to best use the funds, including adding

to invest in strategic initiatives and

additional campus ministry staff to help focus on diversity, equity and inclusion

make improvements to the quality

ministry, international student ministry, and ministry efforts in STEM (science,

of the student experience.

technology, engineering and mathematics) and athletics.

Campus ministry now has a new home as well. The Beeksma Family Theology Center opened this fall, thanks to a $1.5 million gift from Barney and Joyce Beeksma, both ’54, that allowed for an addition to Seeley G. Mudd Chapel.

The center now houses campus ministry, the theology department and the Office of Church Engagement.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2017-18 | 21 |

The Numbers Whitworth’s financial health is sound, thanks to steady enrollment figures, generous donors and consistent management of existing institutional resources. The strong financial position documented in this report is possible due to your generosity and your steadfast commitment to our mission. On behalf of the entire Whitworth community, thank you.

WHITWORTH ENDOWMENT

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

current: $151.17 million (total endowment) baseline: $99 million (total endowment) current/past performance (as of 6/30/2018)

150 M

100 M

50 M

0M

Total net assets & liabilities

$312,917,598

$322,559,344

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2017-18 | 22 |

214.9 M

$19,921,832 $18,502,138 $10,286,195 $9,820,643 $81,177,861 $79,336,421 $111,385,888 $107,659,202 $201,531,710 $214,900,141

$100M

$20M 2018

Accruals, other liabilities Annuities Long-term debt Total liabilities Total net assets

$200M

2015

$4,951,883 $4,172,963 $12,450,897 $13,784,452 $188,524,368 $198,298,690 $2,726,480 $2,726,440 $104,263,970 $103,576,799 $312,917,598 $322,559,344

2010

LIABILITIES

Cash and cash equivalents Receivable Investments Plant assets held for sale Net plant Total assets

TOTAL NET ASSETS

2005

ASSETS

2017 2018

2000

NET ASSETS

Investment Return Disbursements

1995

Outside Trust Internally Managed New Additions to Corpus

Statement of Activities OPERATING REVENUES

OPERATING EXPENSES

Net investment income for operations

Gifts and grants for operations

Student services

8%

8%

18%

Instructional

50%

Auxiliary revenue

Institutional

17%

18%

67%

13%

Tuition and fees less financial aid

Auxiliary

Tuition and fees less financial aid $52,340,520

Instructional $38,727,063

Auxiliary revenue (e.g., room and board) $13,619,843

Auxiliary $10,315,631

Gifts and grants for operations $5,892,089

Institutional $14,233,328

Net investment income for operations $5,988,902

Student services $14,186,477

Total operating revenue $77,841,354

Total operating expense $77,462,498 Net assets from operating activities $378,855

NON-OPERATING REVENUES Net long-term investment income/gains (losses)

$5,672,466

Contributions for endowment and capital projects

$7,412,067

Actuarial adjustment to retiree health benefits

($105,334)

Net assets from non-operating activities

$12,979,199

Change in net assets

$13,358,055

Net assets, beginning of year

$201,542,086

Net assets, end of year

$214,900,141

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2017-18 | 23 |

The Campaign for Whitworth 2017-18 marked the eighth year of The Campaign for Whitworth, and milestones were achieved, including surpassing our original goal of $100 million committed to furthering the university.

However, the most exciting campaign news may have been the decision of the campaign steering committee and university leadership to extend the campaign to June 30, 2021, in tandem with the end of the current strategic plan. As the campaign was always intended to fund the goals of the plan, this is an ideal opportunity to connect these two key university initiatives.

More than just a campaign for the here and now, this is also a campaign with an eye toward the future. With more than $113.5 million in gifts and pledges counted in the campaign so far, $26 million of that is in committed future gifts from donors who have notified the university for the first time that Whitworth is a beneficiary of their legacy giving. Thanks to alumnus Walt Oliver ’67, the Legacy Challenge is continuing to celebrate each of these new future gifts by designating a current gift to our highest-priority capital project.

Campaign successes to date have been significant, with three major facility projects completed, and six endowed faculty/staff positions (including the Storm Family Dean of Spiritual Life in 2018, featured on P. 21), the Dornsife Center, and more than 50 new endowed scholarships funded by the generosity of alumni, parents, foundations and friends of the university.

For details on the Legacy Challenge, current and funded campaign initiatives, and how you can continue to be a part of The Campaign for Whitworth as we strive toward the finish line in 2021, visit whitworth.edu/campaign.

FIVE-YEAR GIVING SUMMARY TOTAL*

THE WHITWORTH FUND

OTHER UNRESTRICTED

UNRESTRICTED TOTAL

RESTRICTED TOTAL

2013-14

$8,586,508

2014-15

$10,913,218

$1,185,473 $1,169,881

$2,355,354 $8,557,864

2015-16

$13,101,529

$1,145,363 $852,258

$1,997,621 $11,103,908

2016-17

$10,124,012

$1,102,591 $751,348

$1,853,939 $8,270,073

2017-18

$12,751,858

$1,124,839

$1,802,909 $10,948,949

$1,425,650 $1,118,913 $2,544,563 $6,041,945

$678,070

*Reflects all gifts, including payments received this year on prior-year pledges

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2017-18 | 24 |

The Whitworth Foundation: Define Your Legacy The Whitworth Foundation upholds Whitworth University’s vital mission of educating the minds and hearts of students.

Since 1972, the foundation has helped alumni and friends define their legacy at Whitworth through establishing deferred gifts that benefit the donor today and the university for years to come. The foundation staff, along with an experienced and knowledgeable volunteer board of directors, works with donors to develop gift plans based on their financial objectives, tax considerations and deep desire to support Whitworth.

We at The Whitworth Foundation are grateful to all of you who have included Whitworth University in your estate plans.

Because of your gift, your legacy lives on, both at Whitworth and through Whitworth, as students become equipped to serve, lead and give to a world in need.

TOTAL DEFERRED GIFTS UNDER MANAGEMENT As of June 30, 2018

Trusts $13,093,638

Life insurance cash value

Charitable gift annuities

Other $704,880

$1,899,191

Pooled funds

$3,363,744

Total assets $19,233,715

$172,260

2017-18 life income gift maturities transferred to Whitworth University was $418,401

NEW GIFTS TO THE WHITWORTH FOUNDATION

REALIZED BEQUESTS BY FISCAL YEAR

FIVE-YEAR TOTAL: $681,992

FIVE-YEAR TOTAL: $6,668,544

$500K

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2017-18 | 25 |

$2,347,499

$2,292,588

2017-18

2016-17

2015-16

2013-14

2017-18

2016-17

2015-16

2014-15

0 2013-14

0

$485,990

$1M

$433,619

$72,630

$56,680

$34,084

$200K

$120,577

$1.5M

$778,848

$2M

2014-15

$400K

$2.5M $398,021

$600K

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Rev. Peter B. Barnes, D.Min.

Nicholas F. Fowler

Senior Pastor, First Presbyterian Church Winston-Salem, N.C.

Owner, Orion Ventures LLC, Albany, Ore.

James S. Bennett, Jr. ’89

Parish Associate, National Presbyterian Church Washington, D.C., Bethesda, Md.

President/CEO, Luvo Wealth Advisors, Bellevue, Wash.

Mark J. Benson

Vice President of Public Affairs PotlatchDeltic Corp., Spokane

Charles L. Boppell ’65

Retired President & CEO, Worldwide Restaurant Concepts, Rancho Mirage, Calif.

Jeremiah Case ’01

Senior Director of External Reporting, Nike Inc. Beaverton, Ore.

Scott C. Chandler ’84

Managing Partner, Franklin Court Partners LLC Littleton, Colo.

Randy E. Clark

Chairman of the Board, Farmer Brothers Inc.; Whitworth Volunteer, Spokane

Clark Donnell

President & CEO, Offshore Consulting Oak Harbor, Wash.

Travis Downs III ’85, J.D.

Partner, Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP San Diego, Calif.

Rev. Scott Dudley, Ph.D.

Senior Pastor, Bellevue Presbyterian Church Bellevue, Wash.

Philip Eaton ’65, Ph.D.

President Emeritus, Seattle Pacific University Pasadena, Calif.

Andrew Erickson ’84

Rev. Nancy Trumble Fox, D.Miss.

Alycia A. Gebbers

Gebbers Farms, Brewster, Wash.

Rev. Robyn Hogue ’77

Senior Pastor, Skyline Presbyterian Church Tacoma, Wash.

Gary J. Hopkins ’77

President & CEO, George C. Hopkins Construction Glendale, Calif.

John Kaites, J.D.

Owner, Global Securities Innovative Strategies (GSIS), Phoenix, Ariz.

Brian Kirkpatrick

Retired CFO, T-Mobile USA, Bonney Lake, Wash.

Andrea Lairson ’81, J.D.

Self-Employed Attorney in Private Practice Redmond, Wash.

Octavio J. Morales, Sr.

Senior Vice President of Administration/ Operations, Tierpoint, Liberty Lake, Wash.

David G. Myers ’64, Ph.D.

John Dirk Werkman Professor of Psychology Hope College, Holland, Mich.

David M. Nelson ’71, Ph.D.

L. Denice Randle ’07

Regional Director of College Readiness Summit Public Schools, Seattle

Dr. Jennifer V. Ratcliffe ’86

Physician & Medical Director, Advanced Fertility Associates Medical Group, Santa Rosa, Calif.

Andy Robblee ’95

President, Six Robblees’ Inc., Seattle

Kenneth M. Roberts ’68

Chief Investment Strategist Palouse Capital Management, Spokane

Rev. John Sowers ’88

Senior Pastor, First Presbyterian Church Spokane

Anne McCulloch Storm ’74 Community Volunteer Newport Beach, Calif.

Beck A. Taylor, Ph.D.

President Whitworth University, Spokane

Jason Thackston ’92 (Chair)

Senior Vice President for Energy Resources Avista Corp., Spokane

Kevin Thompson

President & CEO, Solarwinds, Inc., Austin, Texas

Professor of Economics, Western Washington University; Founder and President, Finance & Resource Management Consultants Inc. Bellingham, Wash.

Rev. Mark Toone, Ph.D.

Walter M. Oliver ’67

Retired Vice President of Operations, Spokane Teachers Credit Union, Tucson, Ariz.

Bellevue, Wash.

Retired Senior VP-HR/Administration General Dynamics Corp., Phoenix, Ariz.

Dr. David J. Flesher ’81

Rev. Gayle B. Parker

Surgeon, Orthopedic Associates Oklahoma City

Rev. Eric Peterson ’85, D.Min.

Senior Pastor, Colbert Presbyterian Church Colbert, Wash.

Senior Pastor, Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church, Gig Harbor, Wash.

Terri R. Wilson ’78

Pastor, The Spring, Tempe, Ariz.

WHITWORTH FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS William P. Curry ’73

Richard E. Lewis ’72, J.D.

Chairman of the Board Huntron Instruments Inc.

Attorney at Law Humphries, Patterson & Lewis

W. Peter Enkema ’69

Mark W. Lupton ’99, ’00

Herbert J. Sanders

Scott A. McQuilkin ’84, Ph.D.

L. Jerald Sheffels

Benson A. Nielsen

William A. Sperling, Jr. ’63, ’68

Julie H. Olds, J.D.

Beck A. Taylor, Ph.D.

Lawrence K. Probus

Peter A. Tucker ’91, Ph.D.

Sales Associate Tomlinson Black North Inc.

Mina J. Gokee ’00

Retired Vice President Spokane Regional Convention Center

Deborah J. Harvey Vice President Whitworth Auxiliary

Daniel L. Hulsizer ’89, J.D. Attorney, Warner Angle Hallam Jackson & Formanek PLC

Frank C. Knott ’64

President, Ott-Knott Inc.

Wealth Management Advisor Northwestern Mutual

Vice President for Institutional Advancement Whitworth University Retired Architect Northwest Architectural Co. Self-Employed Attorney Estate Planning & Corporate Taxation Vice President for Finance & Administration Whitworth University

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2017-18 | 26 |

Kenneth M. Roberts ’68 Chief Investment Strategist Palouse Capital Management

Senior Vice President Northwest Farm Credit Services President L. Sheffels and Sons Inc. Retired Vice President The Seattle Foundation President Whitworth University

Professor, Mathematics & Computer Science Whitworth University

whitworth.edu