Retired faculty and staff of Pitt State were hosted at breakfast Sept. 30. This was held at the Wilkinson Alumni Center and gave the community the opportunity to hear what is going on at the university, speak with Pitt State President, Dr. Thomas Newsom, and reconnect with past faculty and staff.
“It’s to celebrate our retired faculty and staff,” Newsom said. “It’s important that we have connections with those folks, because they’re the ones that have the institutional knowledge and history that keeps our legacies alive. They also keep our culture alive, our history, and our tradition. It’s just great to see that we’re as honored to have them on campus as we are those not retired. The retired faculty and staff members are always welcome back.”
For past professor Dr. Duane Whitbeck, many opportunities that gave him professional growth and memories and people are why he enjoys Pitt State. He was a former faculty member and chairperson of the Family and Consumer Sciences department. He was at Pitt State from 1997 until 2021.
“It’s always good to kind of see a lot of old friends,” Whitbeck said. “Another part is that after spending so much time at this university, you kind of develop a lifelong commitment to the whole area, to maintaining and encouraging the continued growth of our own individual departments as well as the university. It is also fun to see the new leadership that comes in and their new vision of where they want to take the university.”
For Dr. Kenneth Bateman, past director of alumni relations, this event is what he looks forward to every year. He worked here for 39 years and enjoys talking to past colleagues.
“I always enjoy an opportunity to get back and see and meet the people I knew and worked with,” said Bateman. “This is a great opportunity to do that. So, I look forward to this every year.”
Faculty and staff, both current and past, have made Pitt State special according to Newsom.
“I think what makes them so special is that they have a genuine care for the success of our students and for the success of each other and our institution,” Newsom said. “The stories I hear about how faculty and staff go out of their way to help students feel at home and comfortable and find ways to achieve success on our campus are just fantastic. They are understanding that students are all different, they have different needs, they come from different backgrounds, and they come from different perspectives.”
One thing about Whitbeck’s story is that he did not plan to stay at Pitt State. It was going to be a short stop on his way elsewhere.
“I did not intend to stay when I came,” Whitbeck said. “I intended to be here for a few years. At the time I came, I was over all the early childhood program and was planning to go someplace to become a chairperson. Then the opportunity arose here. Every time I looked at or was offered other jobs, I compared it to what I had here and decided that this is where I wanted to stay. So, I finished my career here.”
Bateman expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the alumni of Pitt State.
“One thing I think is overlooked are the alumni of the university,” Bateman said. “At Pitt State, we have really great alumni, and you can see that on campus by the facilities that we have. This building is a good example of a private donation, and we have so many other buildings on campus that make the university special that are because of alumni donors.”