President Saunders' Viewpoints, Op-Eds and Podcast Interviews

UWF’s 1,600-acre campus welcomes us every day to immerse ourselves in Florida’s natural beauty. We’ve been designated a Tree Campus Higher Education by the Arbor Day Foundation and our gorgeous camellia garden on campus has been listed on the National Camellia Trail.

Florida has much to offer in the area of higher education. For three consecutive years, the State University System of Florida has earned the No. 1 ranking from U.S. News & World Report.

Increased flexibility and better technology allow universities to be more accessible than ever before.

When I look back on this most extraordinary year, I can’t help but marvel at all we achieved at The University of West Florida.

As college educators step up to our responsibilities for civic learning and engagement in a democracy, I offer the following two-word title for every lesson: Elections Matter!

I am especially proud of the 2020 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine as it marks the third consecutive year and fifth time overall that UWF has earned this prestigious recognition.

There is no question in my mind that the University of West Florida is a great place to work, but it’s reassuring to have it confirmed by my fellow Argos. Once again this year, UWF is on the "Great Colleges to Work For" list, marking our eighth appearance.

On this episode of The EdUp Experience, Dr. Martha Saunders talks to us about how UWF has handled the higher education year of disruption, and she discusses how her team considered their reopening plan.

We often say that a great community deserves a great university. That is true, and the University of West Florida has proven its value to the Pensacola area in myriad ways over the past half-century.

To be sure, there have been plenty of teachable moments over the past few months. Ironically, the coronavirus is the teacher and we are the students. At UWF, we are learning a lot.

The University of West Florida’s long history with quality online programming served us well when the COVID-19 pandemic forced a switch from face-to-face classes. Online learning is not new to UWF. We’ve been at it since 1998; and, as early adopters of remote learning, we have learned a lot about excellence in online course delivery.

For the record, none of us is having the year we planned. As each day brings unimaginable challenges to our resources, we find ourselves scampering to rewrite the year’s strategic plan with one absolute mandate — stay alive!