From Dr. Coyle | Just Keep Coloring!
Happy New Year!
Recently, my grandson was teaching me how to draw a Pokémon character. He must have heard me sign when I made a mistake because, without even looking up from his paper, he said, “It’s OK to mess up, Grandma! Just keep coloring!”
Wise words from a 7-year-old!
I am grateful to everyone who has offered perspectives through more than 100 Conversations About Community during these first six months as president. Many themes surfaced during those listening sessions, and I am excited to enter into university-wide strategic planning this winter and spring as we begin to look at the next five years at Pacific. Here is a snapshot of a few of the things I have heard so far.
What are you all most proud of? Our students and each other. We will retain that sense of community and purpose.
But you also had big dreams, and so do I. I look forward to working together to make them reality.
- I challenge us to have equity as an overarching umbrella for all of our goals and to embrace diversity so that inclusive excellence is at the core of all we do.
- I want to be considered a “best place to work.”
- I dream that we can provide every student an inter-cultural immersion experience that we will be intentional in finding ways to provide more funding for international travel.
- Let’s continue to celebrate being a top private research university in the Pacific Northwest.
- Accessibility to our programs, around our campuses, and within our facilities is a priority, as is well-being.
- Let’s expand our sustainability practices.
- And throughout it all, let’s loudly tell our stories through bold marketing and nurture collaborations with our community partners.
I am so proud of all that we do here, and I can’t wait to see where we got next in the arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, athletics, business, education, and all of our health professions. I hope you will all participate in the next steps of planning for our future as we continue these conversations about cmomunity and "dwell in possibility."
Bringing our dreams to life won’t happen overnight. But I am hopeful for our future, because I heard such dedication, creativity, persistence, and courage in these early conversations.
So as we look ahead to a new year and a new chapter, let’s remember: just keep coloring!
My best,
Jenny Coyle ’90, OD ’93, MS ‘00
President