PLAINVIEW, TX — Introducing her “Better Together” theme during Professional Development Day, Dr. Donna Hedgepath stressed transparency Wednesday as she spoke to Wayland Baptist University’s faculty and staff.
“I want to give you an idea of where we stand today,” said the university’s 14th president. “We do things better when we work together. It’s an ‘All hands on deck’ mentality right now, but that’s not going to be a problem here.”
Dr. Hedgepath touched on enrollment, facilities, community, alumni, and growth.
“It’s no secret that over time our enrollment has declined. It’s a goal and a concern — something I want to attack quickly,” she said, noting Dr. Daniel Brown, Vice President for Enrollment Management, and his team have been “moving mountains this summer”.
“We will have more in our residence halls than we have had in a long time,” Dr. Hedgepath said. “If you balance it with extension campuses and online and Plainview campus, it kind of levels out, but we are up in credit hours. It’s exciting to see the nursing program almost double their numbers for the fall. We have started global initiatives with our graduate business programs, so we are looking at more than 70 starting the program.”
Regarding facilities, the president said, “On our Plainview campus, we have upgrades to complete, and we are tackling it. We are rallying to meet these needs, but we want to be transparent with you on how that is going.”
“The bottom line is that our students, first and foremost, deserve the best space to live, learn, thrive, and learn about Jesus,” she said. “We want to give them a place to be proud of. I want you to know this is a priority of mine.” She praised the work of Mike Hammack, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, and his team for securing donations to fund improvements.
Acknowledging Plainview and Wayland are better together, the president said she is getting to know the community. “You name it, and I’m visiting it. Wayland will not be successful without Plainview.” She also called for “that sense of ‘Better Together’ to come from alumni” as she asked, “What can we do to increase our alumni giving, not just financial but in time, efforts and resources?”
Dr. Hedgepath said she is interested in increasing the reach of Wayland’s online programs. “I’m talking about national branding,” she said.
“We are working together for the good of Wayland,” the president said. “Remember where our strength comes from, and that God will provide. Blessings lie ahead for us.”
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