Westmont Magazine The Campaign for Westmont
A nationally recognized liberal arts college founded in 1937, Westmont has made remarkable progress in developing a distinctive academic program, attracting exceptional faculty members and students, and creating a superb learning environment. Still, we are a relatively young college and have yet to complete our campus or solidify our financial base. In the course of this campaign, “Embracing the Past, Ensuring the Future,” the college seeks to raise $47 million to complete the campus, build the endowment, and enhance programs. Meanwhile, The Westmont Fund will continue to support ongoing programs and operations of the college.
As President David Winter notes, “Westmont’s program is strong and distinctive: We enable young men and women to develop a lifelong passion for learning, for seeking the truth. We want our students to be competent and effective people with a deep and examined faith in Jesus Christ, able to make commitments worthy of their lives.
“This next stage in our history may be our most rewarding and challenging. Although we are nationally recognized for the rigor of our program and the quality of our graduates, Westmont is still a young college with an incomplete campus and an inadequate endowment. This capital campaign will help us ensure a solid future for the college.”
In recent years, Westmont’s fine liberal arts program has broadened in scope, particularly in the sciences and the visual arts. Yet the facilities that support these efforts have remained largely unchanged. Through the campaign, the college will ensure that our physical environment keeps pace with the demands of our challenging curriculum. Westmont plans to construct two new buildings: a building for the sciences and an art center commensurate with the growing needs of our first-rate faculty and students. In addition, the college will complete additional faculty housing, a new track and soccer field, and several renovation projects.
The truest measure of Westmont’s strength lies in the quality of our outstanding faculty and students. Increasing the endowment to provide them with the learning environment and financial support they deserve, now and in the future, is a major priority of the campaign. Substantial growth of the endowment will benefit students and faculty by preserving our distinctive heritage as a Christian liberal arts college, and by securing our future excellence.
The quality and depth of Westmont’s programs create a unique educational experience. Each is integrated into a comprehensive approach to learning designed to develop young men and women of integrity who will contribute responsibly to a complex world. Providing funds for technology, library acquisitions, and science equipment will enrich college offerings both on and off campus.
Cliff Lundberg, a 1965 alumnus, trustee and chair of the Campaign Cabinet, believes Westmont is a “special place that combines the personal touch of a small college with a first-rate faculty, a beautiful campus, and the immeasurable benefits of a Christian education that focuses on developing leadership and character.
“The success of this campaign is critical in protecting the college’s unique qualities and ensuring its financial stability. My wife and I strongly support this effort to preserve and enhance what Westmont provides: a framework of learning and Christian character development that lasts a lifetime.”