PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Titan strength proved
“T
itans Together” read the script on the cloth face covering I wore to our delayed Commencement on August 1. It is a slogan that captures the achievements and challenges of the 2019-2020 year. From the excitement of the groundbreaking for the new wing on the Hoyt Science Center in September to the dedication of the expanded men’s locker room and the Ron Galbreath Court in the Buzz Ridl Gymnasium to the inspiration of the Christmas Vesper service and the joy of the PAC volleyball, women’s golf, and women’s indoor track and field championships, the highlights of the year brought students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends together for moments of joy and celebration. The busyness of the spring term was interrupted by the suspension of in-person teaching and campus residency during Spring Break, but even during the weeks of a closed campus, students gathered virtually with faculty for classes and with other students for recreation led by the Student Government and Campus Programming Council. Faculty continued to offer outstanding teaching, despite the change in delivery method. Caring staff and faculty reached out to students to provide support and advice, and they gathered virtually for meetings and town halls and to continue their work in support of our students. Despite the physical distance, we remained together as Titans. Similarly, our alumni, friends and staff stood as Titans Together, as the stories and information in this 2019-2020 Honor Roll of Giving illustrate. Despite one of the most challenging economic years in recent history, the number of Titans who gave to the College rose significantly as together they supported student financial aid, athletics and the marching band, academic programs, the Student Emergency Fund, the Career Closet and Food Pantry, campus recreation, Wherever Needed Most Fund, and the Westminster Fund. A generous $1 million matching gift from the May Emma Hoyt Foundation prompted so many members of our Board of Trustees and Board of Distinguished Visitors, Alumni Council, College leadership, alumni, staff, friends and other foundations to provide more than $1.8 million to the Bring Back the Titans campaign, providing additional aid for students whose families had experienced financial setbacks during the pandemic. Together, significant progress was made on a number of initiatives of the 2018-2027 Strategic Plan. In support of Goal One: Recruit and Retain Students, Students recruitment of new students for fall 2020 remains about 7 percent higher than the previous fall, and retention of current students is on track to exceed the previous year—despite the challenges of the pandemic. Faculty revised transfer requirements to increase the College’s appeal to those students who wish to join the Titan community, but without sacrificing what it means to graduate with a Westminster degree. Recruitment was aided by an expansion of the College’s digital communication efforts, including initiation of Facebook Live and Zoom campus open houses and orientation events. The invitation to “Be a Part of Something Real” highlighted the power of the Titan collaborative and experiential education. Goal Two: Revitalize Campus Environment initiatives moved quickly, with Phase III of the Hoyt Science Center expansion, the UPMC Sports Complex, with its new soccer/lacrosse field,
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