Public Universities, Public Trust—and Bastiat’s Warning About “Legal Plunder” Second in a series on Public Higher Education. Frederic Bastiat’s The Law is a slim book with a heavy message: when the law is used to take from some to benefit others,…
Adopted from May 2026 Commencement Speech. America turns 250 this year. That should mean celebration. But if all we do is throw fireworks and post flag photos, we’ll miss the point. Two hundred and fifty years doesn’t prove we’re perfect.…
Entrepreneurship is, inescapably, a human moral act to build, risk, serve, compete, employ, invent and persist. Done well, entrepreneurship expresses the best of American life: freedom, choice, agency, responsibility and dignity. Done poorly, it degenerates into something corrosive: manipulation, monopoly, rent-seeking and…
Dual credit, taking college courses while still in high school to count toward high school and college graduation, can be good for universities and students, but only when courses are rigorous, transferable and matched to a student’s readiness. Originally, dual credit…
Public, and I Mean Public, Higher Education: A Values-Driven Case for Mission, Trust and Renewal Public higher education is one of America’s greatest civic inventions, and it is at a crossroads. Costs climb, skepticism hardens and more citizens wonder whether…
West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, a community of roughly 16,000 souls, is about 17 miles from Amarillo, with a population of roughly 200,000. Within 150 miles of campus, the per‑capita income is about $29,000. Because the place WT serves is a…
As high school graduation approaches, many students and families continue to consider college attendance and the costs and benefits. Forbes says too many borrow too much with too little thought. The plain truth is that universities have allowed uninformed borrowing,…
For more than half a century, public universities have drifted toward a quiet fiction: that intellectual seriousness requires separating spiritual conviction from academic inquiry. No policy announces it. No president endorses it. No faculty group would condone it. Yet, the…
My erstwhile associate, compatriot and thoughtful friend, Bob Harvey, reminded me about the power of Henry P. Tappan’s 1858 declaration, which still rings with bracing clarity. Governments cannot make universities by enactments of laws: Nor corporations by erections of edifices:…
Higher education has developed a dangerous fixation: scale without substance, prestige without purpose, reach without roots. Universities celebrate global rankings, digital expansion and abstract notions of “impact” while quietly drifting away from the very places that justify their existence. This…
Public universities reflect the state in which they exist. The state of Virginia just sent the governor a revised perspective on collective bargaining. Having worked in right-to-work states and collective bargaining states, my experiences indicate that faculty should avoid collective bargaining. This is an op-ed I…
Editor’s note: Grand Canyon University was a for-profit institution up until 2018, when it became a not-for-profit organization. University leadership does not have the luxury, or the option, of being anti-government. Public universities are part of the government. The shared…
American higher education is facing a crisis more serious than declining enrollment or rising costs. It is a crisis of confidence. Public trust earned over generations is eroding in a season of shortsightedness. Families question the value of degrees. Legislators…
I have repeatedly said that if a regional university neglects its locale, it will serve nowhere well. A university’s legitimacy depends on where it is located, whom it serves and the moral educational purpose of shaping free, responsible, grounded citizens.…
Fourth in a series on the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. The closure of the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum (PPHM) has sparked grief, anger and finger-pointing among some. Many want to know how one of the largest history museums in the nation, and…
Third in a series on the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. In the 21st century, mission-driven collaboration will require that universities return to their core mission of serving the public good, fostering civic engagement and providing transformative educational opportunities. WTAMU’s strategic…
Second in a series on the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. The following is a direct quote from the letter addressed to me on March 18, 2025, by the State Fire Marshall’s Office (SFMO) regarding the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. “The SFMO…
First in a series on the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. The future of the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum is at the forefront of the minds of Texas Panhandle residents and, indeed, anyone who values the history of this remarkable region. This week,…
Seventh in a series. In our fast-paced, technocratic age, the university is under siege, but not from without, from within. The university’s deepest purposes risk being reduced to transactional exchanges and utilitarian calculations. If the modern university is to…
Sixth in a series. In an era marked by polarization and rapid-fire opinion in sound bites, we would do well to remember a tradition that is the foundation of much of Western higher education: the practice of reasoned argument. This…
Fifth in a series. One of the most profound gifts of the Judeo-Christian tradition to Western civilization is its steady skepticism toward concentrated power. That suspicion is not a historical ornament; it remains essential to the health of humanity and…
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, higher education stands at a crossroads. Our colleges and universities face a convergence of challenges, public expectations, financial uncertainty, political and public scrutiny and rapid technological change. These are not isolated crises…
Each December, as lights trace rooftops and familiar carols fill public spaces, we are invited to celebrate and reflect. Christmas, rooted in the birth of Jesus Christ, carries a message deeper than custom or nostalgia. At its center, the season…
Fourth in a series. Universities do not exist to produce intellectual unanimity; they exist to cultivate free minds capable of wrestling with complex truths. But freedom of thought is impossible without freedom of conscience. The ability of every person…
Third in a series. In American higher education, freedom is often a flag flown high; freedom of inquiry, thought and speech are indispensable to the life of the mind. Yet, as I have seen across decades in the academy, freedom…
Second in a series. The origins of the university, whether in the cloisters of medieval Europe or the colonial colleges of early America, are inseparable from the religions’ insistence on an ordered universe that can be known and studied.…
First in a Series. American higher education once rested on a shared moral vision shaped by Judeo-Christian traditions, affirming the dignity of every person. These moral responsibilities accompany freedom and the pursuit of truth as a sacred calling. George Marsden…
Our nation approaches its 250th year in 2026. We should reflect, not only on what America has achieved, but on what sustains a nation. The endurance of our constitutional republic has never depended solely on wealth or power. It has…
While teaching geometry, mechanics and astronomy at the University of Padua, Galileo studied the movements of the Sun and the stars, and through his personal observations, proposed that our universe was heliocentric. His ideas and findings supported Copernicus’s repudiation of…
The American higher education industry is in decline. Enrollment has decreased by nearly three million students over the past decade, public confidence is waning and costs keep rising faster than inflation. But beneath these trends lies a quieter, deeper, more…
Written February 9, 2015, not published and slightly modified here. In loco parentis, meaning “in the place of a parent,” indicates that an organization or institution can act in a child’s best interest in the absence of the child’s parents.…
Originally published in the Dallas Morning News on October 11, 2025. Universities once were built as places to pursue truth in its fullness. The medieval universitas joined science, philosophy and theology in one great search. Today, the vision of pursuing…
Many factors cause elitism in higher education. Prestige is rewarded by exclusivity. National rankings of universities favor high admissions rejection rates, high spending per student and high percentages of alumni giving. These perspectives cause some schools to manage admissions “yield,”…
Americans are losing faith in higher education, and the data backs it up. A recent Gallup analysis shows the nation is now split, with just as many people expressing low confidence in colleges and universities as those who still believe…
A knowledgeable friend told me, “Texas is defined by its edges.” Even though the then State Representative Four Price’s comment referred to election results, it has resonated with me. The perimeter of Texas is 4,137 miles long, and the total…
West Texas A&M University’s Educator’s Excellence Initiative (EEI) serves primary and secondary educators in the Texas Panhandle. We believe our state’s future largely rests on the quality of educational opportunities available to all students. Anything WT can do to help…
The history of shared governance in universities is long and layered, rooted in medieval traditions and evolving through American higher education. The earliest universities, such as Bologna and Paris, were communities where professors and students formed guilds, electing directors and…
Modified from a reflection written in January 2009. Entitlement is believing you are owed what you have not earned. Social Security is not an entitlement, but an earned benefit based on years of employment and contributions: A contract between citizens…
As schools open nationwide, it is worth reflecting on the impact of a college education. The Free Academy of New York, eventually City College of New York (CCNY) and City University of New York (CUNY) were created to provide a…
As a new academic year kicks off, maybe your first in college, I want to share some advice, whether at a community college, a four-year university or a public or private institution. It is about something which does not always…
Properly understood, conservatism is not an ideology, but a disposition oriented towards preserving cultural memory, moral order and society’s inherited institutions. At its core lies the principle of continuity: the belief that present generations are not self-originating but heirs to…
A university education is clearly a private benefit. The lifetime value of a college degree in increased earnings is inarguable. However, there are extended public benefits to locals with increased educational attainment. Higher levels of educational attainment are strongly…
Regional public campuses support arts and culture, enriching the lives of students and the surrounding community. These institutions often serve as cultural hubs, hosting galleries, theaters, concerts, lectures and festivals. These events expose students and residents to artistic and cultural…
Civic engagement, individual and collective actions aimed at addressing public opportunities and challenges, is fundamental to constitutional republics in healthy societies and is a key driver of personal, institutional and community growth. Within regional universities, civic engagement becomes a transformative…
All public universities, including regional institutions, play a vital role in workforce development by educating and training millions of professionals who are essential to the economy and the well-being of society. Regional public universities train millions of professionals—teachers, nurses, engineers…
Public colleges and universities often have lower tuition rates for in-state residents, making higher education more accessible and affordable. From an accessibility perspective, 60% of university students study less than 100 miles from their hometown and 72% of the students…
Most elected officials in the United States, especially at the federal level (e.g., Congress and the Presidency), tend to graduate from a relatively small group of prestigious colleges and universities. Many top elected officials attended Ivy League institutions or other…
Regional universities are vital to our nation for several reasons, particularly in promoting localized economic development, enhancing social mobility and fostering community engagement. Regional universities matter. They provide a connection to higher education with greater geographical accessibility, serving students who…
People tend to be increasingly cynical about higher education. Tuition and fees have increased markedly in the last 40 years, more than doubled, according to Bankrate. Equally troubling, many students leave college without a diploma and still have substantial debt.…
Originally published over a decade ago in the Chicago Tribune (May 17, 2012), but updated here. Dear Graduating Senior, I am begging your pardon for a somber reflection amidst the joy of the near completion of high school, not to be a…
Tenth and final in a series on the Texas Triangles. Rural contributions significantly affect a state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), though the impact varies depending on the state’s economic structure and level of urbanization. Rural areas are often the backbone…
Ninth in a series on the Texas Triangles. Texas is two states. The Megaregion Triangle is defined by the area between DFW, Houston and San Antonio, which supports 66% of the population and is home to 53 Fortune 500 companies.…
Eighth in a series on the Texas Triangles. “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money,” said Margaret Thatcher, according to the American Enterprise Institute. With great caution, I would add that a problem…
Seventh in a series on the Texas Triangles. More than a campus, a catalyst. Location plays a significant role in college attendance. Post-secondary educational attainment levels are higher in Tom Green (Angelo State University), Lubbock (Texas Tech University), El Paso…
Sixth in a series on the Texas Triangles. Drawing lines from Dallas to San Antonio to Houston forms the Megaregion Triangle while connecting Amarillo to San Angelo to El Paso creates the Food, Fuel and Fiber Triangle. The two Texas…
Fifth in a series on the Texas Triangles (Co-Authored by Mark Bivins and Walter V. Wendler). Museums are important to all regions of our state, both densely and sparsely populated. They record our past, couple it to our present and,…
The Power of One Triangle Fourth in a series on the Texas Triangles. The Texas Panhandle is rich and complex, shaped by Native American cultures, Spanish explorers, frontier settlers, ranchers and the development of railroads and the oil industry. It…
Third in a series on the Texas Triangles. Texas faces significant healthcare access disparities between its rural and urban communities. According to Health Care that Works for All Americans, rural Texans (roughly 16% of the state’s population) experience difficulty obtaining…
Second in a series on the Texas Triangles. Water has been crucial in shaping U.S. culture, history and economic progress. Before European colonization, Native Americans relied on rivers, lakes and coastal waters for food, transportation and spiritual practices. Many settlements…
Originally published in the Dallas Morning News on March 18, 2025. Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law Texas SB17 in 2023, closing DEI offices at Texas universities. As colleges continue to adjust, we’ll see a rediscovery of our true calling.…
First in a series on the food, fuel and fiber triangle of Texas. My thoughts in the coming weeks will consider two important triangles in Texas: The “Food, Fuel and Fiber Triangle” defined by Amarillo, San Angelo and El Paso,…
This reflection was originally published on July 8, 2023. It is refreshed and worth another look. Large organizations can exploit size to create an economy of scale. It is, singularly, the best argument for bigness. This may be true when making…
Written on August 13, 2013, slightly revised here. Bureaucracies create and sustain a moral perspective. “If you are going to sin, sin against God, not the bureaucracy. God will forgive you, but the bureaucracy won’t,” quipped Admiral Hyman Rickover regarding the…
Tenth and final in a series on rural universities. According to New Directions for Higher Education, rural universities face unique challenges and opportunities. In 2025, several trends will shape the landscape of colleges and universities in rural areas, and WT…
Ninth in a series on rural universities. Geography and culture in small communities play essential roles in shaping various traditions, practices and ways of life, according to Spatial Post. While culture seems to exist independently of place in some areas,…
Eighth in a series on rural universities. What follows is not intended to be a gloom and doom forecast. Rather, it is an honest analysis of what smaller, often rural, regional universities will face as the reality for those who…
Seventh in a series on rural universities Rural, regional colleges often cost less than metropolitan universities. Cost differences can be attributed to several factors. Rural regions typically have lower living costs than more densely populated metropolitan areas, and lower operational…
Fifth in a series on rural universities. Universities should be impacted by location. Check any university website identified by the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities, and you will find focus areas, including urban planning and urban sustainability, economic development in…
Fourth in a series on rural universities. Universities often partner with high schools to enhance educational opportunities, bridge gaps between secondary and higher education and prepare students for future academic challenges. Such partnerships are especially important in rural high schools…
Third in a series on rural universities Many states in our nation, particularly those with strong natural resource and agricultural economies, face a “two-state challenge” with two fundamentally different populations to serve in the state. Pew says the challenge exists…
Second in a series on rural universities Rural higher education faces unique challenges and opportunities. In 2025, several trends will shape the landscape of colleges and universities in rural areas, and in every aspect, WT will be responsive. Rural institutions,…
First in a series on Rural Universities. Rural regions of the United States make significant contributions to the economic well-being of the nation. Rural America is the backbone of U.S. agriculture. In 2023, the agriculture, food and related industries contributed…
As we approach the end of the year and the holiday season, I find myself reflecting on both personal challenges and the growth we see on our campus. While the world focuses on larger shifts, what matters is the progress…
WT will be updating the long-range plan WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World. The origins of the plan began in the fall of 2016 upon my arrival with the goal to cast a vision for what West Texas…
Originally posted a few years ago. When confronted with challenging times like ours, it is easy to lose heart, appreciation, gratefulness and admiration—in a word, thanksgiving—for the people and places we call home. Our University has been fortunate to have…
Penned a decade ago, modified slightly here. Too many universities accept unprepared students. Regardless of status — public, private non-profit or for-profit — motivation is suspect and results debilitating. Institutions know it, but bureaucracies need to be fed. Federally insured loans…
This essay was written on June 9, 2014, and is modified here. Universities and lenders must be more transparent regarding costs, opportunities and likelihoods of success for students. John Hutton, of the British Labor Party made this observation: “Greater personal choice,…
Penned a decade ago, still relevant, slightly modified here. Threats to higher education primarily come not from shady lenders, crass bankers and bureaucrats focused on turning government-subsidized, student-borrowed dollars into operating capital, nor from elected officials who seek to use…
Penned over a decade ago, modified slightly here. The number and value of college degrees produced in the U.S. will be a bone of contention for a long time, and the marrow of that bone is that the cost of…
This essay was written a decade ago and is modified here. The thoughts still have value in helping students plot productive futures. The higher education marketplace is special and unique and provides something unlike any other enterprise. But, it…
The excerpt is from a speech I gave on March 26, 2004, at a Naturalization Ceremony on the campus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale recognizing the culmination of years of effort for many to become U.S. citizens. Naturalization is the process…
West Texas A&M University has set a goal to become the most homeschool-friendly University in Texas. Michelle Quirk, writing on the Psychology Today website, shared thoughts regarding the value of homeschooled settings for many students, including her children. She is…
Good leaders act as lightning rods, attracting both criticism and praise otherwise directed toward their organizations or members of their team. Leaders absorb pressure, good and bad, guiding and protecting while exercising responsibility and transparency. Actions and decisions draw scrutiny…
Predatory gambling occurs when corporate gambling interests, sometimes coupled with government, exploit citizens and their communities. Universities are communities, and students are their primary citizens. Universities and the people that populate them recognize the deleterious impact of predatory gambling on…
Originally penned on February 19, 2020, but is possibly more valuable now than it was then. One of the greatest challenges for leadership is to get people, in all parts of any organization, to tell the truth about how things…
Originally published in the Dallas Morning News on August 28, 2024. College debt is suffocating. Students take on lifelong commitments too burdensome for degrees that may not have substantial value. That, in turn, diminishes the integrity and worth of the…
This was originally written nine years ago and was tuned up as a new school year begins. I am reminded of how important these fundamentals are and the value of new students reflecting on them as the school year gets…
A benefit of being involved with universities as a faculty member and administrator for nearly a half-century is the opportunity to work with generations of students. I began teaching baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, characterized by popular…
A predicted “enrollment cliff” is on the horizon for higher education. The national birthrate is the lowest in recorded history. Fewer college-ready high school graduates are being produced, and fewer of those are enrolling. Reality coupled with skepticism regarding the…
Originally posted a decade ago. Worth another look. Leadership in any organization implies and requires transformation. Change in purposeful groups of people, large and small, creates discomfort. Organizational discomfort sometimes matures into a labyrinth of processes that stymie evolution in…
Written almost 15 years ago these points are still relevant. National economic growth requires education beyond high school. College, in the conventional sense, is not always the answer to a stronger economy. Neither the traditional 20th-century view of higher education from the…
Originally penned on July 8, 2015 this reflection reminds us of the impact that universities have on local economies. Little has changed since that time regarding these insights. Universities impact regional economies. In rural areas where economic diversity is scant,…
I frequently challenge public higher education. I am occasionally cynical. Even critical. Not today. The impact of public universities on economic progress varies widely by the specific institution, and the economic sector being considered. But, almost every university contributes to…
What follows is extracted from testimony provided to the 1836 Project Advisory Committee at the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum on July 1, 2024. The 1836 Advisory Committee was established by HB No. 2497 in May 2021 and signed into law by…
Originally posted on December 18, 2009, but given the nature of the times, it’s worth a look. Knife edges are the places where greatness lives in organizations. The sides of a knife don’t cut, but the well-whetted edge of a knife…
This was written on December 4, 2009, as one of a series of thoughts regarding the intersection of faith and reason in university life. I was reminded of the durability of this thought as we recently celebrated the beautifully renovated…