Memory Lane
Professor Nancy Panos Schmitt reflects on 45 years at Westminster
by Nancy Panos Schmitt (MS, MBA)
It was August 1980 when I began my teaching career at Westminster. Since then, I have witnessed tremendous change at this place I love. I have worked for nine campus presidents, numerous provosts and academic vice presidents, 10 Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business (BVGSB) deans—and two business program chairs before BVGSB was established. I also witnessed Westminster go through two name changes before becoming the university it is today. Throughout all of these changes, I have always worked toward one goal: ensuring the success of my students.
When I started teaching at Westminster, the business program was located in Foster Hall. The program consisted of me and five male colleagues. It would be nine years before another female faculty member joined the roster in the school of business.
Those early days at Westminster were challenging. There were only 600 students; a handful of old, neglected buildings; and a small, dedicated faculty. When I was hired, I was unaware
that the college had declared financial exigency in 1979. In 1983, the Board of Trustees called an emergency faculty meeting where we were told that Westminster College had closed and was reopening immediately as Westminster College of Salt Lake City. That reorganization resulted in the elimination of tenure and of several academic programs, and faculty needed to apply for their jobs to be rehired.
The entire business program was rehired, and we continued the work of building programs.
As part of this initiative, I began to develop a marketing major to be housed in business. In 1982, the marketing major was approved by the curriculum committee, and I was the first program chair. I developed and taught every undergraduate and graduate class in marketing. By 1984, the first student with a degree in marketing—a transfer student from Salt Lake Community College—graduated. In 1988, the Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business was built through a generous gift from the Gore family. I had the immense pleasure of knowing and working with the Gores: both Bill and Vieve would make visits to my Principles of Marketing class to discuss the Gore philosophy. Read more about the Gore family legacy.[WM1]
By the early 2000s, the BVGSB needed more space, as we had growing undergraduate programs and 400 MBA students. In September 2002, the newly expanded BVGSB was rededicated with Vieve Gore and her daughter Ginger Gore Giovale in attendance. I was honored to speak at the ceremony.
In 2022, I was asked to become chair of the sports management program. My directive was to revise and develop curriculum that would add more academic rigor to the program. I did so,
and the new sports management major was implemented in Fall 2023.
Throughout my 45 years at Westminster, I have served as a faculty chair, chair of BVGSB faculty, program chair, and co-associate dean of advising in the BVGSB. I have headed numerous search committees and have been on almost every faculty committee. The highlight, however, has been that I have remained a teacher. I have taken that responsibility very seriously and have been rewarded for my role by winning the Gore Excellence in Teaching Award. My true success has been derived from the success of the hundreds of undergraduate marketing alumni.
As Westminster University enters its 150th year, my hope is that it will continue to transform the lives of students. In a shifting educational environment, Westminster will continue to be an institution that values diversity, inclusion, and equality in serving future generations. When I have been asked over the years what I do for a living, my response has proudly been that I teach at Westminster. Thank you to everyone for that privilege.
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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