B
roadening horizons is a common metaphor for higher education – and one that I appreciate. While physical horizons are the places in our vision where earth meets sky, I prefer to think about them not as boundaries but as beacons to what might be. Horizons lie beyond our current grasp. They suggest potential and possibility and provide inspiration for creative thinking. Because they speak to possibilities, horizons also are points of hope. We all need hope as well as the vision and imagination to make that for which we hope into a reality. We are enjoying a time of new, broader horizons at Avila: our physical landscape is changing, creating a different view of campus life. New horizons are also created inside our learning environment every day by the community and connections that develop among students, faculty and staff. Students come to Avila to learn not only how to think but also how to live, and the experiences our alumni carry from classrooms and residence halls remain vivid over a lifetime.
We are enjoying a time of new, broader horizons at Avila: our physical landscape is changing, creating a different view of campus life.
Come to campus, and you’ll see the signs of growth for yourself. Our new monument sign, provided by a generous gift from Jeanne Hamilton Olofson, ’92, ’94, ‘11 makes a strong statement to the community about our solid educational experience and invites visitors to enter campus and engage as life-long learners. Our new Athletic Pavilion, made possible by last year’s challenge grant from the Mabee Foundation, will provide much needed space for formal, informal, collegiate and community athletic activities. The new Whitfield Student Commons, also funded by the Mabee challenge grant campaign, will create an environment that fosters the kinds of connections that remain strong throughout entire careers – and provide a warm welcome to the graduate, part-time students and community organizations who use our space for meetings and educational forums. All three of these projects are underway as I write, and will be completed and in use this summer. It’s an exciting time in our life. Over the next two years, we will experience more new construction than we have undertaken since Avila moved to our current location and built a university from the ground up. I hope you will visit campus and share in our excitement. Your support has made these improvements in facilities and learning environment possible, and I am most grateful.
Ron Slepitza, Ph.D., CSJA President