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,…
This reflection was originally published on December 15, 2008. It is refreshed and worth another look. Christmas memories are personal, deep and important to me. My family’s New York Christmases, with their strong, first generational influence of Western Europe; Cajun…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
In 1959, when Vince Lombardi had his first team meeting with the Green Bay Packers as their new head coach, he said, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” A culture of excellence is…
Thoughts from a Principled Conservative Outpost—Tenth and last in a series on the aspects of Panhandle conservativism. First, a principled conservative outpost values free thought. Free thought is not an intellectual straight-jacket of conforming to laws, rules, ideas, concepts or traditions without…
Thoughts from a Principled Conservative Outpost—Ninth in a series on the aspects of Panhandle conservativism. Some of what follows is post commentary found in The Hill Institute. Joseph A. Hill advocated for what has been called a “performance culture” within…
Thoughts from a Principled Conservative Outpost—Eighth in a series on the aspects of Panhandle conservativism. The place where people live makes an indelible impact on how and what people think. To borrow a line from Winston Churchill, “We shape our…
Thoughts from a Principled Conservative Outpost—Fifth in a series on the aspects of Panhandle conservativism. “Whiteface, Texas, is a small community located in Cochran County (sharing a border with New Mexico). Its neighbor, Sundown, Texas, is located in Hockley County.…
Thoughts from a Principled Conservative Outpost—Third in a series on the aspects of Panhandle conservativism. “Patton Springs ISD in Afton, Texas, had 96 students for the 2017-2018 school year. It is small. It is old—established in 1910, the same year…
Thoughts from a Principled Conservative Outpost—Second in a series on the aspects of Panhandle conservativism. “Early morning on September 24, 2019, in New Home, Texas, I watched with deep appreciation the order and discipline of students exiting a bus. Most…
Over the next few weeks, I will address aspects of Panhandle conservativism. Simpleminded definitions or broad abstractions fail and are devoid of context. Thought applied to action creates results: life lived with purpose and independence. First in a series on…
Sixth in a series on the culture of engagement. According to Gallup, a work environment that fosters personal responsibility requires a combination of strategies, cultural norms and structural elements. Rewarding and retaining people, a strong sense of personal responsibility, independence…
Fifth in a series on the culture of engagement. Encouraging people in any enterprise, public or private, profit or nonprofit, volunteer or professional, to maintain a healthy balance between their work engagements and personal lives leads to lower stress levels…
Fourth in a series on the culture of engagement. Acknowledging and rewarding the hard work, contributions and achievements of all associated with any enterprise is essential, according to Mike Robbins. Recognition can be in various forms, from verbal praise and…
Third in a series on the culture of engagement. A work environment where people feel respected and valued regardless of who they are, where they come from, their role or their viewpoints is important to create an engaged workplace culture.…
Creating a positive engaged working culture is crucial for the success and well-being of any organization. Trust and transparency should imbue all human interaction and both require open communication, honesty, integrity and a tolerance for risk-taking. People should feel confident…
Any organization that attempts to serve people in any way—A hospital, an automotive service center, a mom-and-pop candy shop or a big box behemoth, a family-owned bank, a public library, a doctor’s office, an automotive manufacturing facility like GM, a…
