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:…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Originally posted June 13, 2021, but worth a second look. The Core Curriculum at universities (not to be confused with “Common Core“), sometimes called general education requirement, is determined by faculty and legislative leadership. Unfortunately, some students, parents, and even…
The relevance of any curriculum at any university in the context of rapid technical and cultural changes is a pressing concern for all: educators, students, parents and employers alike. A traditional curriculum typically refers to a structured and prescribed course…
The following reflection is one of six focusing on the importance of university research initially posted a decade ago. The following, modified modestly here, appeared on January 8, 2012. Sixth in a Series on Research Escalating financial exigency increasingly encourages…
The following reflection is one of six focusing on the importance of university research initially posted a decade ago. The following, modified modestly here, appeared on December 18, 2012. Fifth in a Series on Research Research and scholarly work at…
The following reflection is one of six focusing on the importance of university research initially posted a decade ago. The following, modified modestly here, appeared on December 11, 2012. Fourth in a Series on Research Research creates interest and value…
The following reflection is the second of six pieces focusing on the importance of university research. This series was initially posted a decade ago. The following, modified modestly here, appeared on November 27, 2012. Second in a Series on Research…
The worth of post-secondary education is increasingly questioned, according to Forbes. The return on investment of bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and doctoral degrees are all the subject of much discussion. Many corporations no longer require a bachelor’s degree: Apple, Google,…
Third in a series of reflections on student life at West Texas A&M University. Of all the issues challenging students in pursuit of undergraduate degrees in universities across the nation, the most important is retention. Retention measures the number of…
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…
Fourth in a series of how universities can help build character. University innovation is often, and appropriately, viewed as the work of faculty and students fueling discovery through individual scholarship, research, and creative activity. Universities must innovate corporately, too. Resource…
Core Value One Second in a series of how universities can help build character. Academic freedom is a defining core value at WT. Last week the U.S. Department of Education tried to clarify a burgeoning cadre of rules and regulations…
Ninth in a series on the reopening of West Texas A&M University in the midst of COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified college cost discussions as unemployment has increased, family financial security decreased and college costs with accumulated debt have…
When the economy heads south, the time may be right for completing an unfinished undergraduate degree or working on a graduate degree either online or on campus. There are a number of reasons that such action makes sense. For recent…
Twelfth in a series on what to look for in college. Pampa, Texas, is the county seat of Gray County in the heart of the Texas Panhandle. Its population of just under 18,000 people is supported by agriculture, ranching, some…
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…
Fifth in a series on what to look for in college. According to The History of the Jews from the Babylonian Captivity to the Present Time, Rabbi Judah said, “He who teacheth not his son a trade, does as if he taught him to be a thief.” This proverbial…
Universities, like all human organizations, need a passion for purpose coupled to a plan for the future. Without such a commitment, reactionary leadership and management follows. Such passion for purpose and a future grows from an institution’s people, its purpose…
As the cost of college attendance continues to escalate, private support through both need- and merit-based scholarships is more important than ever. The sources for private giving available to students continue to multiply. Last year, in federal grant money alone,…
image from The Market of Ideas www.college.columbia.edu. The center of every university experience worth its salt is a grounding in the fundamentals of the human condition. For full and lasting impact on students, it should also be rigorous and challenging.…
Seventh in a series on why U.S. Universities are great American universities attract internationally excellent scholars. The strength of our universities is one factor, but the overarching concept of a free society, and the egalitarian nature of individuals succeeding…
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…
American universities are struggling. Rethinking purpose, attention to mission, and refreshed understanding of value are required. Ten forces at work on higher education will be addressed in the coming months. One – A foolish man builds his house on a…
Universities impact regional economies. In rural areas where economic diversity is scant, the impact is greatest. Economic growth follows four forces. A Labor Force Universities require workers of every stripe, and the jobs needed are one aspect of economic development.…
In many rural areas, even those with a university, there is a pervasive sense that economic vitality is impossible, the challenges too great, rewards too limited and regional poverty too persistent. This is a costly misconception. “Nobody made a greater…
The fundamentals of a free thinking society, communication and ciphering ability, are not do-dads, or throw-aways but essentials for a university to meet its public responsibilities and have durable economic impact. “So what does business need from our educational system? …
Higher education in China is changing rapidly. When China’s higher education complex matures, it may look like the Golden State’s in 1960. “China maintains a highly specialized approach to university studies that has its roots in the Soviet model, but…
The beauty of American higher education is the coupling of thought and action: Thinking people putting ideas to work make a university strong. It’s the foundation of a free society to boot. But is it a disappearing reality? “You see,…
Sixth in a Series on Research Seeking to know is the foundation of education. How an engine works and how souls are nurtured are separated as ways of knowing only by the slightest degree. Both are vitally important to learning. …
Fourth in a Series on Research Research creates interest and value for a university and its locale. “This atmosphere of excitement, arising from imaginative consideration, transforms knowledge. A fact is no longer a bare fact: it is invested with all…
Third in a Series on Research J.E. Lawrence, in The Nebraska State Journal in 1949 regarding pioneer life and character, wrote: “New land is harsh, and vigorous, and sturdy. It scorns evidence of weakness. There is nothing of sham or…
Second in a Series on Research To find excellence in a university, find the intent of the organization. What do the people who work there, and the students who study there, think the place is about? What do they want…
First in a Series on Research Learning creates ideas grounded in the past but hopeful for the future. History is the basis for discovery, and it relentlessly repeats itself absent new ideas and insight: Forward focused investigation and research. When…
Sixth in the series, Follow the money Research produces knowledge that changes the world. Its value, for the often slow result of careful investigation, is both difficult to forecast and impossible to calibrate. For, behind the scenes, halfway around the…
Universities have lost their mission. Education and academic performance take a back seat to reinforcing the inflated self-concept of students and their families. We have reduced admission standards, reduced standards to progress through courses, and reduced standards of performance required…
We tend to find what we look for. You know the old expression, if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Those students who look for an intellectual challenge find it… most universities willingly oblige them.…
Well-meaning faculty members, university leaders, and groups of students and parents have always found that the most navigable and widely paved path to address increasing costs leads straight to the state house. That mindless “hair-of-the-dog” economic thinking is antiquated. And,…
The best ideas confront common sense with a baseball bat. They defy logic because we cannot see beyond overly simplistic views of how things work. If you give something away it must have little or no value. Right? Wake the…
Universities must change dramatically to meet the evolving needs of their students and the workplace. But, in the process, they must not abandon their roots as places that develop the human capacity for thinking and taking action for the betterment…
Universities must change if we are to continue serving our students. Evermore frequently, universities will be called to meet the specific needs of each student in a unique fashion. If it is properly integrated into the curriculum, distance education gives…
Universities, one hopes inadvertently, are training generations to avoid responsibility for their actions. This is shameful. Such training breeds an expectation of entitlement that undermines initiative, industry, courage, self-reliance, community, and discourages students from exercising one of the greatest benefits…
There is a shameful trend in higher education and other quarters of society that treats success as something to be considered with suspicion. Some accuse The Occupy Wall Street crowd of holding this position, but achievement and greed are not…
Sixth in a series on state funding for higher education If we measure the value of an educational institution solely by the number students enrolled, the number of degrees produced, the research dollars garnered, the books written, the paintings or…
Fourth in a series on state funding for higher education The human drive to create profit, the Internet and other technologies, are endeavoring to transform higher education. And in part, they have. But digital interaction alone will never be a…
Stanley Fish, writing in the New York Times Opinionator online July 11, 2011, comments extensively on the relationship of tenure, academic freedom, and current university life in response to a book by Naomi Schaefer Riley entitled, “The Faculty Lounges: And…
Clark Kerr, the former chancellor of the University of California, had a good idea. He wanted to make college more affordable for more people, and simultaneously build excellence in higher education for California. He did both. He proposed a three-tiered…
Fifth in a series on Integrity Free inquiry is the basis for university excellence. When a faculty member produces research findings in contrast, at odds, or inconsistent with a position of the university, the board, or a donor, academic integrity…
Nothing is more important to the lifeblood of a university than fresh ideas. These valuable nuggets, like gold, come from panning and searching. They are the results of diligent effort on the part of faculty and students. You can’t buy…
At this time of the year, it is hard not to reflect on graduate education and its rising importance to many students in colleges and universities. We send students to some of the best graduate schools in the United States:…
I recently had the opportunity to attend a reception in Chicago at the Museum of Contemporary Arts. It was an alumni event to celebrate the life and work of R. Buckminster Fuller. Fuller was a remarkable man by any…
Reach is the ability of an institution; a family, a university, a seat of commerce, a government to generate impact beyond its home or geographic boundaries. Reach comes from quality. Quality comes from knowledge and insight. Knowledge and insight are…
The most powerful stimulus ever invented, used for good and evil since the beginning of time, and producing both astoundingly positive results and the greatest tragedies in human history, creating vast wealth and pervasive poverty, leading to fulfillment or failure,…
In this season of thanksgiving and refreshment, of looking ahead and looking back, little is more central to our university than new ideas and new knowledge that build on the past and shape the future. Looking back and looking…
The greatest challenge of any university is building a community. This probably could be said for any enterprise, including towns in Southern Illinois that so many of us call home. Individuals sometimes get things done, communities almost always get things…
Wanting our university to grow in stature and importance, because it will be a better friend to our region, is an appropriate and powerful aspiration. There is only one way to do it. Seeking quality, defined and heralded as academic…