Greetings from Arkansas!
“Transition” is the operative word for our family as we continue to ramp down from our lives in Arkansas and ramp up to prepare for the experiences that await us in Birmingham. Jeanna, Riley and I remain grateful for the strong support that we have received from the Samford community.
A quick summary of the activities of recent weeks, arranged by members of the presidential transition committee:
- I had the privilege of meeting with representatives from many of Samford’s constituent groups, including the Faculty Senate, the Staff Advisory Council, the Student Government Association, the Parents Association, the Alumni Association and the Board of Trustees.
- Each member of the Quality Council (the direct reporting lines to the President) set aside time for me during the months of February and March.
- I hosted the academic deans for a wide-ranging discussion and a very nice breakfast in late March.
- I had the joy of meeting for two and one-half hours with Dr. Corts, receiving a wealth of information. He was gracious to meet with me on the morning after he returned from a trip to China. That’s service above and beyond the call of duty.
- Student representatives from the graduate and professional programs met with me to provide their unique insights into life at Samford. I asked for this meeting because graduate students weren’t included in the student reference panel last December.
- I met with members of the staff in the areas of finance and human resources.
- Jeanna has made many new friends on campus and throughout the community through a series of meetings, luncheons, and dinners.
- I’ve received and read dozens of responses to the “I want to hear from you” portion of the presidential transition website.
- Through the miracle of e-mail, I’ve exchanged hundreds of messages with Samford students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees and other friends.
- My nightly reading list has been dominated by scintillating Samford reports.
Jeanna and I will visit Birmingham again in early May for our third and final transition visit, and that trip will include opportunities for additional interaction with pastors and other community leaders. The moving van will arrive in the metropolis of Arkadelphia in mid-May (Ouachita’s Commencement ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 13), so we’ll be back in Birmingham at that time to set up the house. My last day at Ouachita will be May 31, but I may take a couple of vacation days near the end of the month so that I’ll be rested and ready to go to work for Samford on June 1.
Speaking of the house, we’ll be living in a wonderful home in Greystone that was generously donated to Samford a few months ago. Jeanna, Riley and I appreciate this extraordinary courtesy, and our plan is to open our home on a regular basis to students, faculty, staff and other Samford friends. Of course, I’m not oblivious to the fact that I’ll encounter “the world’s largest parking lot” as I embark on the 280 commute each day. I intend to invest heavily in audio books.
We’ve had many questions about Riley’s plans as she moves into her junior year in high school. She will be attending Spain Park High School in Hoover, and the staff there has been especially helpful as she prepares to transfer. In fact, we’ve been impressed with all of the educational institutions in Birmingham—public and private.
Thanks for your prayers. I’ll see you soon.
Andrew Westmoreland
[Posted 4/28/06]