2 minute read
From the President
Keep the William Woods University family strong. Please consider giving to your alma mater by visiting
williamwoods.edu/giving
After 49 yeArs on the WilliAm Woods University cAmpUs, and thirty-one years as President, it is hard to imagine that this is my last greeting for the alumni magazine. William Woods University has been my life’s work. It has not always been easy, but it has always been rewarding. No other occupation gives us such a strong connection from the past to the future. And as we enter a new era, the future of William Woods looks promising.
Since I last wrote a greeting for the alumni magazine in the fall of 2020, we have searched for the next President of William Woods, learned to live with COVID in our world, received a recent record donation of $2 million, established a Diversity and Inclusion scholarship, moved towards completion of the Center for Equine Medicine, instituted a new strategic plan, and received a high rating from the Higher Learning Commission. We have welcomed incoming freshmen and returning students from all over the world, including Spain, Brazil, Germany, and the Ukraine, just to name a few locations.
Our world has changed greatly in the past couple of years, and we must change with it. I have never been fearful of change; in fact, I close most every campus address with the reminder that “the greatest risk we take is if we take no risk at all.” I think Albert Einstein would agree with that philosophy as he said, “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”
It has always been my vision to lead William Woods through change and growth, but growth simply for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell. Our growth is directed, strategic to meet the evolving needs of education in a changing world. During my tenure, we transformed from William Woods College to William Woods University. We welcomed the first men on campus. We launched graduate and adult learning. We expanded into online education, branched into new athletics, opened our doors to Show Me GOLD, and built the Center for Equine Medicine, Kemper Arts Center, and Butler Family Sorority Circle. All of these achievements represent measured and calculated growth, and none of it would have been possible without your support- the alumni and friends of the University. We have achieved so much together, and now, it is time to achieve more as we welcome new leadership.
As we move into a new era with new leadership, we must remember that we already have what we seek. We have demonstrated time and again the ability to adapt and grow with the demands of higher education. We possess the skills necessary to navigate the needs of students for generations to come. We are poised for new leadership; for true leaders do not create followers, they create more leaders. Our faculty, staff, alumni, and friends are the foundation that the University needs to continue strong into the future.
It is often said that the more things change, the more they remain the same. While it is true that we will change to a new President, I am confident the generous support of our alumni and friends of William Woods University will remain the same.
Sincerely,
