Viewpoints

The mission statement of the University of West Florida charges us to serve the needs of the professions and society. With that in mind, UWF stands ready, willing and able to produce the health care and health industry experts our communities need.

The mission statement of the University of West Florida charges us to serve the needs of the professions and society. With that in mind, UWF stands ready, willing and able to produce the health care and health industry experts our communities need.

When UWF students are asked to tackle tough problems, they deliver. Earlier this month, our Board of Trustees approved a bold change to our Student Code of Conduct, thanks largely to dialogue and feedback from student leadership. The change applies common sense in addressing a serious issue. By including a failure to render aid clause, we are reinforcing the values that we believe live at the core of the UWF culture.

There’s a buzz in higher education, a hot topic that we’re all talking about: active learning in higher education.

At UWF, the highlight of the month is graduation day when we confer hard-earned bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees to our students and send them off to change the world.

You may have heard me describe the University of West Florida as a spirited community of learners, launching the next generation of big thinkers who will change the world. Our annual Student Scholars Symposium and Faculty Research Showcase demonstrates that vision. Thanks to the Office of Undergraduate Research that organizes this event, we have seen a vast growth in the number of people who participate in the symposium.

Under the leadership of professor Scott Keller, UWF’s Center for Supply Chain Management Excellence and the Department of Marketing, Supply Chain Logistics and Economics provide students with the skills and training required to earn success in the industry. UWF’s undergraduate program is the only one in our area, and has earned a reputation as a leading logistics program in the country.

If you noticed UWF folks nodding vigorously when CivicCon speaker, Tom Murphy, spoke recently, there’s a good reason for that. The former mayor of Pittsburgh discussed public-private partnerships and the keen role universities play in moving communities forward. We agree! UWF is squarely in the game with our community and region, and our plans for moving forward are already in motion.

As we say farewell to 2017, I think it’s safe to say it has been a very good year for UWF. From scoring high on the State University System Performance Based Funding metrics to scoring big in football, we made our mark on the past year and continue to build momentum for good things to come.

Today, the University of West Florida pumps $1.1 billion into Northwest Florida’s economy each year. UWF is a critical economic engine in Northwest Florida. Our institution diversifies the local economy by providing a talented workforce and contributing to the growth of existing and newly created businesses.

Twice this year, UWF has closed the campus for hurricanes. We were spared the wrath of Hurricane Irma and caught only a glancing blow from Hurricane Nate, but we seized the opportunity to use our resources to help our state and our community.

In my State of the University address this year, I reminded my fellow Argonauts that we have traveled a similar journey over the past 50 years. We have built solid programs with true academic quality. Our graduates thrive in the workplace and our current students benefit from high-impact experiences designed to boost professional readiness.