This past year was truly historic for Westminster University as we celebrated the 150th anniversary of our institution. Our Sesquicentennial year gave us many opportunities to reflect on our enduring legacy while boldly stepping into the future.

Throughout the year, our campus was energized by events that honored the past and invited them to help chart our future. From the Sesquicentennial Presidential Lecture Series, to our overwhelmingly successful fundraising gala, to the dedication of a time capsule to the students of 2075, we welcomed alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends to join us in imagining Westminster’s next 150 years.  

Celebrating Westminster’s past, present, and future has inspired a renewed commitment to our foundational values. Since 1875, we have understood the promise and power of education that is personalized, progressive, and inclusive. We have become indispensable not only to our students, but to the communities, workplaces, and civic organizations that they come to serve and lead in the Intermountain West and beyond. We remain decidedly different, small by design, and perhaps still audacious: proudly independent, enduring in value, and bringing people together to respond compassionately and effectively to the challenges and opportunities of our times. Our sesquicentennial reaffirmed our identity as a community where curiosity is encouraged, conversation is constant, and every voice matters.

Westminster has always been shaped by our ability to imagine what is possible and move meaningfully toward it.  

Moving into the future, Westminster University will be renowned for fostering inclusive and compassionate leaders who invite constructive dialogue, excel in generating and applying knowledge, embrace the natural environment as an integral part of learning and human connection, and incorporate wellness into their personal and professional journeys.

We are creating stronger pathways for access to and success in higher education, deepening community partnerships and impact, and reinforcing our position as an inclusive, student-centered institution.

We are reimagining our campus, renovating beloved historic spaces, and designing new ones that foster discovery and engagement. We are investing in faculty and student research, advancing the arts, championing social justice, and prioritizing environmental stewardship. Our renewed partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard reflects our dedication to supporting student-athletes as they pursue excellence in sport and scholarship.

Westminster students graduate with more than a degree. They leave with a deep sense of purpose, critical thinking skills, and the confidence to lead in an ever-changing world. They know they will always be part of a lifelong community that believes in them.

This year also brought a personal milestone: on September 4, 2025, I announced my retirement as president at the conclusion of the 2025–2026 academic year. For more than four decades, I have been privileged to work in service to higher education; serving as Westminster’s 19th president has been the greatest honor of my career. I will be returning to California to spend more time with family, but Westminster will always hold a special place in my heart.

I want to thank the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters who have made these years so rich with purpose and possibility. I am proud of what we have accomplished together and confident in what lies ahead. The intelligence, creativity, and commitment of this community will continue to shape a future worthy of our extraordinary past.

As you explore this year’s annual report, I hope you will share in the pride of all we have achieved together and feel the energy and promise of Westminster’s next steps.

With gratitude and optimism,

Bethami Dobkin
President, Westminster University

President Bethami Dobkin