For more than two decades, Dr. Renard Doneskey has walked the halls of Southwestern Adventist University as both an alumnus and a faculty member, witnessing firsthand the evolution of campus life, programs, and students. His perspective bridges the history of the institution with the present, offering insights shaped by years of teaching, mentoring, and observing the rhythms of university life. From the familiar buildings he first knew as a student to the cultural and academic shifts he’s navigated as a professor, Dr. Doneskey’s reflections capture the unique continuity and change that define SWAU. Through his experiences, we see how the lessons learned over time extend beyond curriculum; how relationships, challenges, and memories form the backbone of an educational community. In the following Q&A, he shares his journey, the moments that shaped him, and the enduring values he hopes to pass on to future generations, providing a window into the legacy of faculty who have helped shape the character and heart of this campus.

When did you start at SWAU, and what brought you here? What were your first impressions of campus?

I came to SWAU in the Fall of 1999. I had been teaching at La Sierra University (for a decade), but was pleased to get an offer to teach English at my alma mater, SWAU. I was a graduate of SWAU in 1981 (though it was Southwestern Union College then). I was struck by how little had changed in the 18 years since I’d been gone. Many professors that taught me classes when I was a student were still here. There was incredible stability in the faculty and staff. The only “new” building constructed after my graduation was the library. All other buildings were as I remembered them from ‘81.

How has the campus changed since you arrived? What changes stand out most to you?

The physical campus has changed quite a bit since ‘99. The old men’s dorm, Hamilton Hall was demolished (SWAU tried to get Walker: Texas Ranger people to come blow it up for the TV show, but it was filled with asbestos, so had to be carefully dismantled rather than go up in a firefly explosion with Chuck Norris in the background). Evans Hall was demolished. Pechero Hall was later built. Moore was constructed on the site where Hamilton Hall had stood. Trees were removed (which my kids had climbed when they were little tots) and new trees planted. Cultural changes have also happened. SWAU now experiences a lot of turnover in faculty, staff, and administration. We have new programs. We have greater emphasis on service and our religious life than in the past.

How have you personally grown or evolved as a professor over your time here?

I’ve tried to become a better and better teacher and some things I’ve tried have been effective, I think. I display my lesson plan every class, so students can see I’ve worked hard on the class before it even begins. I try to talk less and engage the students more, via having students teach part of the class via (presentations or discussions). I’m increasingly committed to the idea of “calling” or avocation. The idea of teaching job skills (which is really a topical issue right now) really galls me. It’s the wave of the future, but since people change careers (not just jobs, but entire career paths) at least three times during their working life, I have to wonder why we focus on teaching them job skills for a job they probably won’t have very long.  Rather, I want to teach them stuff that is applicable to EVERY job they’ll ever have.

What are some of your favorite memories or highlights during your time at SWAU?

Some of my favorite memories come from the days I directed plays. I could tell five or six stories right now that come immediately to mind. I’ll only tell one. Villardy Alce was a great actor, but never knew his lines. He tended to wing them and every performance was unique. Once Andre Doneskey, playing Leonato in Much Ado About Nothing, got shoved by the actor playing the Duke and accidentally stumbled backwards. This was not meant to happen. Villardy caught him on the way down and hurled him forwards, right into the offending Duke. Andre found himself nose to nose with his aggressor, while Villardy delivered some taunts about how they were not weak old men and would gladly thrash the two young and fit offenders. It was perfectly in character and all four characters were angry and sharp and you could feel the tension in the scene, all because the Duke pushed Andre too hard and Villardy did what he shouldn’t have done.

How do you see your work influencing students beyond the classroom?

I hope my work (and teaching) influences students beyond the classroom. I suppose every teacher hopes for this, because we might secretly fear that much of our teaching could be replaced (and might be replaced) by AI someday, which would never start class late, never ramble instead of hit the important points, and always remember each student’s name. I do think I have impacted some students beyond just what I do in the classroom. I know this because I get the occasional former student who stays in touch and lets me know what they are doing now and how they have appreciated some of the advice I gave to them back when they were students. When I think of my own favorite teachers, and those people who greatly influenced me, I remember very little of the actual class instruction. I remember interactions and the rambles and the idiocyncracies. I remember they loved teaching and that rubbed off on me.

What makes SWAU unique as a community, and what do you value most about it?

This unique element has changed over my years here. As a student, and early in my career here, SWAU was unique in being friendly and warm. The community here was inviting. You would never pass someone on the sidewalk who looked away and walked silently past (as was VERY common in other places where I’ve been, like Berrien Springs and La Sierra). People here were friendly. More recently this friendliness has dissipated a bit, though I have experienced recently how affirming and supporting the SWAU community still is, as many people have reached out to me with words and gestures of comfort regarding my mother’s passing.

What are your hopes for the future of your department, students, or SWAU overall?

I hope SWAU is able to endure the declining enrollments of almost all Adventist institutions. I hope Seventh-day Adventists somehow once again come to believe that Adventist education, while expensive, has so much value added that they will make almost any sacrifice to send their young people here to this school. I hope SWAU finds a niche in the AI-dominated world and declares that humanity and human/divine values will never be replaced. I hope we live up to Jesus’ restatement of what’s important, recorded in Mathew 22: 37-40: love God and treat people well!