President William Downs' Blog

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#BulldogStrong: Rallying Together After Hurricane Helene

Gardner-Webb University

Last Friday seems like a lifetime ago. When the infamous Helene tore through the Carolinas, our beloved campus sustained real damage. Scores of trees were felled, roads washed out, roofs leaked, fences were decimated, and we lost power. It was worse, much worse, for many of our friends, neighbors, and colleagues throughout the western part of the state. For them, and for any in our Gardner-Webb community with ties to those devastated communities, we are in sustained prayer.
D-Day Plus 80…A Moment in History the World Cannot Forget

Gardner-Webb University

By now you have probably heard that the Gardner-Webb University Concert Choir is traveling to France to perform as part of the 80 Anniversary of D-Day. Like you, I am so proud that GWU students and faculty have the solemn opportunity to be present at a place where history was made, where the tide of a momentous war turned, and where so many Americans sacrificed their lives for something they saw as greater than themselves.
Family Weekend: Making New Memories at GWU

Gardner-Webb University

This past weekend Gardner-Webb University hosted its twice-annual Family Weekend. What a joy it was to see so many parents, grandparents and siblings reconnect with their GWU students for fun, food, and fellowship. Granted, our students had only just returned to campus from the Christmas break a few short weeks earlier; nevertheless, the reunions were full of emotion and energy. Despite the intermittent rain, we had strong turnouts for all the many activities that spanned the three-day winter tradition. There was family Bingo, family trivia competitions, an indoor tailgate feast, and lots and lots of Runnin’ Bulldog sports. Hugs, cheers, laughter, and maybe even a few tears at the end on Sunday marked a weekend well spent. Thank you for attending, Bulldog Families!
September 2023: The Importance of Family

Gardner-Webb University

Here at Gardner-Webb University, we are eager and ready to host Family Weekend this September 8- 10. Our campus will come alive with numerous activities, including a huge GWU vs. Elon football game at Spangler Stadium, lots of music (a concert as well as some open mic and karaoke fun), food everywhere (including the grand opening of Bo’s Smokehouse), the massively popular GWU-style BINGO gathering, and a worship service for all. On behalf of the entire GWU family, I invite you to attend, relax, and enjoy!
2022 Fall Academic Convocation

Gardner-Webb University

Good morning, everyone. It is really, really good to see you all.

I’m excited that we are here.

I’m grateful that we are together. I hope you had a good first week of classes, and I hope you’re ready for a strong and successful semester. Ladies and gentlemen, I am eager to see all that we can accomplish during the academic year ahead, and I just want to spend a few minutes this morning encouraging you to make the most of the opportunities that await you.
August 2022: Love and Marriage

Gardner-Webb University

August brings with it the start of a new academic year and a wonderful sense of renewal at our University. Indulge me for a moment, however, as August also has an additional special meaning in the Downs household. On August 5, Kim and I celebrate our 33 wedding anniversary. This year, we also celebrate that our two children, Rachel and Bradley, have each found their own special someone and gotten engaged over the summer. That means detailed plans are well underway for two weddings in 2023…pray for us!
January 2022: The Unfolding Work of Destiny

Gardner-Webb University

Gardner-Webb University joins the nation in celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day 2022. This is a day of reflection, and it is a day of rededication. As a society, we are all on a journey together…and there are still miles to go before we sleep.
March 2022: …In Like a Lion

Gardner-Webb University

We all know the old saying, “If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb.” This bit of folklore from the world of weather has long predicted that the month’s early roar will ultimately yield to something kinder and gentler as April approaches. The adage seems apt again this year, but alas it has little to do with the wind, snow or rain.
2021 Fall Academic Convocation

Gardner-Webb University

Faculty and Students of Gardner-Webb University, you really are a wonderful sight for sore eyes!

We didn’t get to do this last year. But today, thanks to the grace and glory of God, we are together again in this special place, celebrating the start of a new academic year. And, I for one, am extremely grateful.
January 2021: Gardner-Webb University Celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Gardner-Webb University

President Ronald Reagan signed the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day federal holiday into law in 1983, with its first observation occurring in 1986. Now celebrated on the third Monday of January each year, MLK Day encourages all Americans to pause and reflect on a man who gave his life in the promotion of civil and human rights. At Gardner-Webb University we, too, cherish this moment to consider how far we have come—and how much work we have yet to do—in the march to improve our society and realize the dream Dr. King so ably articulated almost six decades ago.
July 2021: Reflection on America at 245

Gardner-Webb University

This July, I was able to get away for a little vacation. With Kim and our daughter, Rachel, I spent Independence Day in Massachusetts…birthplace of the American Revolution. July 4 in the Bay State is all about the Boston Tea Party, battles against the British at Lexington and Concord, and lots of Sam Adams (the Founding Father, not the beer). Even today, 245 years into the great American experiment, folks in Massachusetts still proudly celebrate their history as home to the “shot heard round the world.” And, after all, their Foxborough-based NFL franchise (you may have heard of them) still goes by the name “Patriots.”
November 2021: Saluting Our Veterans

Gardner-Webb University

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. 11:00 am, November 11, 1918. It was at that time and on that date that hostilities ended in what we now know as World War I. WWI was, sadly, also deemed the “Great War” and the “War to End All Wars.” More than 116,000 Americans died in the conflict, and an additional 200,000 were wounded. North Carolina alone sent 86,457 soldiers overseas to fight.
April 2020: GWU’s Healthcare Heroes

Gardner-Webb University

Heroes. In the best of times, that word gets bandied about casually and is far too often overused. Today, as we inch forward toward what we hope is the end of a protracted pandemic, the notion of heroism takes on sharpened clarity. There is no question but that the heroes of 2020 are the frontline workers in our nation’s healthcare system. In this month’s blog, I want to celebrate and salute those who choose a profession in one of the health sciences…and I want to point out to everyone who will listen that Gardner-Webb University is home to signature degree programs that will save lives and serve the region for generations to come.
February 2020: Gardner-Webb University Celebrates Black History Month BY GARDNER-

Gardner-Webb University

Black History Month first gained national traction in 1976, and it has been recognized and celebrated throughout the country ever since. Here at Gardner-Webb University we, too, join in this annual opportunity to recognize the successes (and the struggles) of African-Americans…both locally and across the country.
January 2020: High-Impact Learning Opportunities

Gardner-Webb University

For many years, I had a sign in my office that encouraged students to “Go Away!” My intention was to get young people—many of whom had never left their hometown or their county of birth—to study abroad. Not surprisingly, “Go Away!” was routinely misinterpreted by many who came to my door…so, I removed the sign and tucked it away in a drawer. My message to students, though, remained the same; indeed, it has only strengthened in volume and conviction over the years. 21 century college students cannot flourish simply by plopping down in a classroom and doing reasonably well passing tests for four years. We live in a global economy and interact in an increasingly diverse society. Students need to leave their comfort zones, leave their campus, leave their home state, and maybe even leave the country. To learn—to really learn—you have to immerse yourself in the world that awaits outside the campus gates. At Gardner-Webb University, if we truly want our students to engage God and humanity, then we need to make it increasingly possible for them to, yes, Go Away.
July 2020: Revival of the Social Sciences

Gardner-Webb University

In this month’s blog, I’m not going to mention COVID-19, Coronavirus, pandemics, face coverings, vaccines, or even social distancing. Indulge me…there are other pressing issues.

As the infamous year 2020 lurches forward, we should take note of what’s going on across our nation. There’s hurt, frustration, and anger in the streets of some of our largest cities. There’s widespread reconsideration of the nation’s history and of some of its principal players. There’s a highly polarized national election looming on the near horizon. Superimposed upon all of these strains are economic volatility and uncertainty. We see the economic fallout of 2020’s first six months in the number of local businesses that don’t appear to be reopening after the North Carolina shutdown.
June 2020: Strategic Plan for Growth and Excellence

Gardner-Webb University

Colleagues and Friends of Gardner-Webb University,

I am pleased to report that on June 18 the University’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to endorse GWU 2020-2025: A Strategic Plan for Growth and Excellence. This new Strategic Plan is the product of a thoughtful, systematic process that included more than 500 responses to an online survey, three open town hall meetings, and thorough vetting by multiple committees. I am grateful to the 18-member Strategic Planning Committee (representing students, faculty, staff, and administration) that worked diligently for seven months to prepare the document. This is an exciting roadmap for our shared future, and it is perhaps fitting that this is the twelfth blog entry in my first year as your president. I am eager to work with you to realize the core commitments that will ensure continued academic excellence and a pathway to institutional growth!

William M. Downs

President
March 2020: Thriving, Not Just Surviving, In Turbulent Times

Gardner-Webb University

They say that March “comes in like a lion.” Wow, little did we know a few short weeks ago just how true that old adage would be! This year the lion has chosen to bare unexpectedly sharp teeth, and “March Madness” has taken on a completely new and unpleasant guise. In all fairness, humanity has had its share of tests and trials over the years. Historians will someday be the ones to let us know where the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020 ranks among our travails, but for the moment we are all living through a protracted period of altered circumstances. And, yes, it stinks.
May 2020: Future of Higher Ed, Post-COVID

Gardner-Webb University

These days it seems that everyone in our business is prognosticating about the future of higher education. At the risk of piling on, I am going to use my monthly blog to address this topic in light of what we think we know about COVID-19’s impact on our society.
November 2020: So Much for Which to be Thankful

Gardner-Webb University

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to revive my monthly series of blogs so that I may express some profound gratitude. I want to pivot away from wringing our collective hands about “unprecedented challenges,” “heightened anxieties,” and “unnavigated uncertainties.” Instead, I want to focus squarely on what we have, on what we enjoy, and on what sustains us. At this special place called Gardner-Webb, we actually do have much for which to be thankful. I see it every day.
August 2019: Rolling Up Our Sleeves

Gardner_Webb University

July was an amazing time of transition for me, and I am profoundly grateful to the entire Gardner- Webb family for the warm and sustained welcome. Boiling Springs already has the distinct feel of home. With each new day, Kim and I feel more and more blessed to be here!
2019 Dimensions

Gardner-Webb University

Good morning, everyone. Thank you, Neal, for the kind introduction.

Thanks for letting me join you…this is a large and impressive group. I’m glad to see you all. I hope you’re doing well and that the semester is off to a fast start. I also hope that you’re ready for some football…tonight, Charlotte, Richardson Stadium, 7:30, be there and be loud. If we have any members of the football team here this morning, please stand and let us show our appreciation. Our thoughts and prayers will be with all of our players and coaches as they represent us in competition tonight.
2019 Fall Convocation

Gardner-Webb University

I want to begin my brief remarks by congratulating Professor Moser for his well-deserved recognition as an outstanding teacher. Following an award-winning instructor allows me the opportunity to highlight what I think is one of our greatest points of pride here at Gardner-Webb University…and that’s the fact that we have world-class faculty.
December 2019: Christmas Greetings

Gardner-Webb University

Christmas Greetings to our Gardner-Webb Family and Friends!

For Christians, Advent is a time of great expectation and preparation. We look forward to trumpeting the nativity of Jesus, and in doing so we are filled with renewed hope, peace, joy, and love.

Kim and I feel so happy to be spending our first holiday season with you at GWU. We thank you for the warm welcome that you have extended to us and to our family, and we are grateful for all that each of you does to support this special University and our beloved college town. We have all been called to Gardner-Webb, and our prayers are extended to you as you walk the path that leads us to realize our purpose and to fulfill God’s mission for us.
July 2019: New Beginnings

Gardner-Webb University

Today, I have the privilege of officially starting my service as the Thirteenth President of Gardner- Webb University. I really can’t begin to tell you just how excited I am, but you can bet I’m going to try!