Envisioning the Future
Professor Peggy Cain reflects on her time at Westminster to imagine what lies ahead for the university
by Peggy Cain, PhD
I teach futures thinking as a key leadership skill. One of the first things we do when writing future scenarios is to look back. When I look back at my 27 years at Westminster, I see a strong community of faculty, staff, and students who collaborate and bring tremendous energy and passion to the institution. We value the place where we are located, and we know how to help students learn from the land, from other people, and especially from listening to the voices of those whose life experience is different from our own. We value equity and take seriously our responsibility to address pressing societal and institutional challenges.
With this reflection in mind, I look to the future, and this is the scenario I imagine.
The energy on campus is palpable, as everyone hurries to the opening session of Student Showcase 2035. Ten years ago, the forward-thinking faculty decided to redefine higher education: what it means to know something, and how to prepare students for life in a rapidly changing world. They revamped the core curriculum, so students are exploring real-world issues in interdisciplinary teams with community-partner organizations
Today, students, faculty, staff, and community partners are gathering to celebrate students’ learning and the progress made in addressing big problems. Some people are going to hear about the work of the team focused on environmental issues and the role Westminster has had in keeping Great Salt Lake alive. Another has been expanding the boundaries of performance, art, and creativity and the role the arts play in helping people envision positive futures.
Another showcase session will share students’ work with community partners who serve the growing numbers of migrants who are being forced to move by extreme weather events. They have also collaborated with Indigenous nations that are sharing regenerative agricultural practices in an effort to keep the region livable.
Another session will showcase multidisciplinary efforts that have improved mental health among youth in the state and brought joy to many young people. And one session will celebrate progress in making workplaces more inclusive and equitable, as Westminster has continued to lead the way in promoting equity and inclusion in all its work.
All the sessions include global connections because of Westminster’s many international partnerships and study-away opportunities. And all demonstrate students’ skillful integration of many technological tools that support the students’ creative and substantive intellectual work. It’s truly a great day to celebrate learning.
Moving back into the present moment, I begin to think about nearly three decades of teaching and mentoring students at Westminster. My experience, intertwined with the history of this institution, allows me to look forward and see a positive future in which we come together to re-envision higher education. We do this so that Westminster can continue its legacy of being a strong learning community where people prepare for lives of service and leadership in a rapidly changing world.
It’s a future filled with promise, and I look forward to watching it unfold.
About the Westminster Review
The Westminster Review is Westminster University’s bi-annual alumni magazine that is distributed to alumni and community members. Each issue aims to keep alumni updated on campus current events and highlights the accomplishments of current students, professors, and Westminster alum.
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