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…
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…
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…
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 penned on February 27, 2009. It is, by contemporary definition, old hat. It’s worth another look and appears here slightly modified. The most powerful stimulus ever invented, used for good and evil since the beginning of time,…
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…
Over the past decade, several concerns have caused people to question the value of a college education. A New America study in 2022 revealed there are “lots of well-paying, stable jobs that people can find with only a high school…
A general, misbegotten perception that all universities are, or should be, alike pervades society. Nothing could be further from the truth. Such treatment diminishes the purpose of many universities. Rather, it is critically important to recognize different institutions have different…
Above, speaking to students at Randall High School. I will resume the reflections on university research next week. University leaders are required to make bold and innovative decisions. Never has innovation in higher education been needed more. However, ideas are…
Rural folks produce the food, fuel and fiber that powers our state and nation. Texas dwarfs all other states in the nation in the number of beef cows produced, with over 4.6 million. Texas ranks fourth nationally in milk production,…
Fewer expressions bring greater disappointment, trepidation and remorse than “I quit.” Vince Lombardi helped create the anxiety of “I quit.” You know the quips: “Winners never quit, and quitters never win.” Or, how about this one “It’s not whether you…
The enrollment challenges that universities face in the coming decade will be assigned to the enduring impact of COVID-19. While part of emerging trends, it’s not the complete ledger. Birthrates are down nationally, as is college readiness. In Texas, 90%…
The following is comprised of quotes from previously published reflections regarding student debt. For 15 years, I have written about the consequences students face when over borrowing. There are no silver bullets. What will reduce indebtedness? Personal and corporate responsibility—exercised…
First in a series of reflections on student life at West Texas A&M University. The core function of any University is to satisfy student aspirations for a rewarding professional and personal life. As University leaders, we recognize there is no…
West Texas A&M University has recently deepened its partnership with our region’s community colleges and is committed to engaging rural areas with smaller populations. In addition, we are working with business and industry leaders to create more commerce that attracts…
Sixth in a series on student educational debt. The decision to borrow in pursuit of a college education is personal, but 45 million borrowers eventually impact the U.S. economy and therefore every American. The after-effects are persistent and pervasive, and…
As seniors in high school contemplate graduation at the end of the school year, their possibilities are nearly endless—no matter a student’s class rank or personal opportunities and challenges faced, are facing or will soon face. Configuring the post-high school…
Higher education is changing remarkably in response to digitization, demographics, and increasingly diverse market forces. Smaller public and private regional universities that educate half the nation’s students will likely be challenged in the future. Those that don’t adapt will falter…
This reflection represents a collaborative effort with the Executive Vice President and Provost, Dr. Neil Terry, and myself to communicate cost and quality differentials for on-campus and online study at West Texas A&M University. It was first published on August…
Originally published December 4, 2017. While some specifics have changed and some data has been updated, the general ideas are more important than they were in 2017 as students prepare to enter college in 2021, a time unlike any other.…
Walter Wendler, West Texas A&M University President and John Sharp, The Texas A&M University System Chancellor First in a Series on Regional Universities Regional universities in the U.S. educate 70% of the nearly 17 million students pursuing an undergraduate degree…
Fifth in a series on COVID-19 and studying in spring 2021 Originally published on December 31, 2013, and slightly modified here As the effects of COVID-19 impact nearly every decision made regarding long-term investments, a college education is no exception.…
People working in higher education, whether in the classroom, research lab, dance studio, library, and various business support offices or even maintaining buildings and grounds, are all involved in customer service. Many resist seeing students as customers; however, students pay…
Eleventh in a series on what to look for in college. Looking for a college? Gruver, Texas, can teach us something. A small but remarkable community in Hansford County, Gruver is home to about 1,200 souls. The community wanted to…
In January 2019 the median household income in the United States was $63,688, a 0.3% increase over the December 2018 estimate. The growth rate of the median household income is substantial; however, according to Seeking Alpha, purchasing power for certain…
Corporations, public and private; bureaucracies, large and small; and families, whether two or 100 members, rise and fall based on mission acuity. A few things irrevocably impede mission attainment, and fear of change tops the list. Unwillingness to change –…
[Third in a series written about WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.] Trust is confidence—the reliance on the integrity, strength, ability and security of a person or thing. It enables and creates expectations and hope. Universities that don’t…
The majority of college recruiting in the United States is focused on urban and suburban high schools. On the surface, given that approximately 80% of the U.S. population resides in metropolitan regions, it seems a plausible approach. However, the 20%…
The Texas Panhandle appreciates hard work, persistence and commitment to family and community. This value system should never be taken for granted. It oozes from the ground and sprinkles from the sky. Those who inhabit the space between live it.…
When Clark Kerr unveiled A Master Plan for Higher Education in California in 1960, it was heralded as a stroke of genius. And it was. Kerr went to the capitol in Sacramento requesting unparalleled financial support to build scientific prowess.…
When colleges are confronted regarding low six-year graduation rates (52% in Texas) and low persistence rates—the rate at which freshman continue into the second year of college (about 73% nationally), the immediate response of too many in leadership positions is…
This reflection was originally published on December 15, 2008. It is worth a second look. Christmas memories are personal, deep and important for me. My family’s New York Christmases with the strong, first generational, influence of Western Europe; Cajun Christmases…
Free community college, whether completely free or only low-cost, is a powerful way for students to reduce the price of a bachelor’s degree or expedite entry into the workforce. Governor Bill Haslam’s Tennessee Promise has created an enrollment surge…
Seventh in a series on public/private higher education Illinois Sen. Bill Brady’s SB 1565 proposes creating nonprofit boards to guide public universities. It will impact transfer students. The 21 million students enrolled in post-secondary education in the United States are…
This was originally posted on February 18, 2011. The importance of effective 2+2 transfer agreements grows. This is a worthwhile reflection although 4 years old. Sixth in a series on who our students are and how they perform. Quality transfer…
Distance Education (DE) offerings by community colleges and universities increase in spite of reports indicating an end to a period of unsustainable U.S. growth. In Australia, India, China, Eastern Europe, Russia, Africa and Latin American growth rates range from 14%…
Universities serve many purposes each defined by varied constituents and always based on individual desires and perceptions. This complexity requires that students and families and institutional leaders all appreciate how critical a sharp focus is. Without it no one is…
Tradition and business-as-usual are flywheels that dampen irregularity and reduce “vibration” in decision-making and organizational action. However, too much of a good thing can smother innovation, risk taking, responsiveness, and agility. “Progress is a nice word. But change is its…
The absence of transparency and forthrightness can destroy organizations built on trust – churches, universities and the like. Lacking these, educational institutions become like Wal-Mart. Now, I am a Wal-Mart fan, but I find myself on guard every time I…
Increasing costs, lavish loans, low performance standards, the absence of merit, and a lost sense of mission contribute to the diminishment of the effectiveness of public higher education. But most loathsome and detrimental is an organization hell-bent on deflecting every…
