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…
Let me begin with a simple but unsettling question: Is a university amoral? Some would say yes. They would say the university is a neutral space, a marketplace of ideas, where every opinion has its price and no truth is…
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…
Some excerpts have been modified from a 2016 WT 125 White Paper by Walter Wendler, Angela Spaulding and Eddie Henderson. West Texas A&M University (WTAMU, WT) prioritizes its role as a regional research university (RRU) by intentionally directing its…
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…
Sixth in a series on rural universities. Flexible learning models in universities are evolving to accommodate various student needs, work-life balance and advancements in technology, reports University Business. These models are transforming higher education to be more accessible and…
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…