A study of West Texas A&M University’s economic impact in 2017-2018 was carried out by Emsi, a labor market analytics firm that has in the last 20 years conducted 2,000 economic impact studies. They are national leaders. WT’s contribution to…
In 1976, at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, a young man came into my office with significant concerns. He was from a small town on Bayou Lafourche in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana. It was not far from Houma and Thibodaux,…
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,…
On Feb. 2, Bill Cofer, a retired Pampa business leader, committed a $1.5 million endowment to create a scholarship that will be given to students from White Deer and Pampa high schools in alternating years to attend West Texas A&M…
The challenges facing universities as we approach the mid-21st century are growing. Despite those challenges, United States institutions frequently top international rankings. And that perch reveals other nations aggressively mimicking our nation’s leaders. Competition is positive, and this is why…
To label West Texas A&M University, or any university, as a manifestation of American Enlightenment thinking might be seen as hyperbole or plain old bragging. However, it is worth reflecting on enlightenment principles to serve our region well. For nearly…
The season of decision-making for many college students is upon us. Applications have been prepared and sent to universities. Discussions with family and friends have been pursued. Assessments of costs, financial aid and scholarships are being deliberated. A major factor…
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…
Originally penned in 2014, but some things just won’t go away. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. No bureaucracy in public service or private enterprise ever starts out as anything but a step toward fairness and excellence,…
Tenth and final in a series regarding Panhandle values and quality of life. Palo Duro Canyon and the challenging, unforgivingly stingy, unceasingly crusty regional geography drive people to band together into groups. It’s the Panhandle’s nature. In contrast to the…
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 many distinguished leaders. One of those…
Eighth in a series regarding Panhandle values and quality of life. In his 1893 essay, “The Significance of the Frontier in American History,” Frederick J. Turner recognizes the importance of faith and revivalism in America’s westward expansion in the 19th-century.…
Seventh in a series regarding Panhandle values and quality of life. From a reflection almost two years ago, the following was noted: The Carson County Courthouse is the hub of Carson County in Panhandle, Texas, representative of many Panhandle courthouses.…
Sixth in a series regarding Panhandle values and quality of life. This reflection is modified but was initially posted in February 2021. The concept of patriotism is recognized as love or devotion to one’s country. I believe patriotism is cultivated from…
Fourth in a series regarding Panhandle values and quality of life. All universities have an economic impact on the regions and communities in which they are located. University education is a combined public and private good, benefiting everyone in the…
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%…
Second in a series of reflections on student life at West Texas A&M University. For students to engage in a rewarding and complete campus experience, little is more important than the foundation laid in the first year. Many universities have…
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…
This reflection was originally posted on March 26, 2013. It is worth another look. Real leadership liberates, never limits: it unleashes people to work with passion. Effective universities recognize that strength in academic programs exists on the ground, with engaged…
In the following reflection, historical quotes use the word “man.” I understand the utilization of “man” as indicative of all human beings. Racism is a sin against God. It’s abhorrent. On April 6, West Texas A&M University held its annual…
Fourth in a series on philanthropy in higher education Philanthropy is essential to all universities, especially public regional research universities. Donor giving demonstrates commitment and allows the joining of hands with institutional leaders, faculty, staff and students to pursue ideas,…
Third in a series on philanthropy in higher education In 2020, according to the Council for Advancement and Support of Higher Education, nearly $50 billion flowed into University coffers. Over half of all giving, 55.5%, came from foundations (43% were…
First in a series on philanthropy in higher education Higher educational giving is exceeded only by giving to faith-based organizations in our nation. Americans gave $471.44 billion to charitable causes in 2020. Religious giving topped the list with 28% of…
Sixth and final in a series on Intercollegiate Athletics. Texas is home to 25 Division I athletics programs ranging in size from Texas A&M University (big) to Houston Baptist University (small). Nine football teams compete at the Football Championship Subdivision…
Fifth in a series on Intercollegiate Athletics. Texas has 53 colleges and universities competing in three National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) divisions. These institutions belong to 11 different conferences comprised of many out-of-state members from coast to coast and…
Fourth in a series on Intercollegiate Athletics. Jerry Kill was Southern Illinois University’s (SIU) football coach from 2001 until 2007, during the same time President Wendler was SIU’s Chancellor. Recruiting student-athletes was one of Coach Kill’s greatest strengths. He told…
Third in a series on Intercollegiate Athletics. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is big (720 full-time employees and $1.06 billion in annual revenue). For decades the weight of dense bureaucracy and its impact on millions of intercollegiate athletes and…
The fourth and final piece from November 2017. A thriving campus is of vital importance at WT, a vision I had when I first arrived and one that is still at the forefront. Every spring, countless families from across the…
This is the third piece, published in November 2017, after I arrived in Canyon. Relationships with communities is as important now, as it was then. Communities and the universities they host are married to each other. When one partner grows…
In continuation of sharing the first four reflections published in November 2017, this is the second piece I wrote after my arrival at WT. In 1769, Charles Thompson received financial aid from John Hobbs’s widow to study the ministry at…
-Buff courts under construction, looking north- In the coming weeks, I will publish the first four reflections posted in November 2017 after arriving at WT. I started this process to share thoughts about WT, our purpose and our passions. I…
First in a series on Intercollegiate Athletics. The impact of intercollegiate athletics on universities and colleges around our nation is undeniable. More than 460,000 students compete in intercollegiate athletics, the vast majority using their athletic ability to help fund, in…
Fourth in a series on student educational debt. This column was penned in August 2008—it is slightly modified here. It was a reasonable observation then. It has more weight a decade and a half later as the increasing debt burdens…
From their earliest inception, universities in the United States have burned bright with fires fueled, thoughtful opportunity fanned into flames, creating a stronger, more robust, free society. These fires were built to recognize that individuals, a collection of self’s, would…
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…
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.…
Regions breed individuals with some common traits that generally represent all. People generate an identity, where—subject to environmental conditions, personal predilections, and aspirations of heart and soul, they have a shared experience and perspective. Regions in a state or nation…
Texas’ Most Conservative 21st-Century Public University The Texas Panhandle owns a value system that serves as a benchmark for many of its citizens, even in its imperfection. And this region is WT’s home. Former University President Joseph A. Hill illuminated…
Texas SB1295 recognizes the need for financial support and incentives for comprehensive regional universities that meet performance targets. It’s on the way to Governor Abbott’s desk. In all its forms, post-secondary education is a powerful force in improving job opportunities,…
Previously published but updated here. What a year. Old council sometimes retains its value. 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…
Walter Wendler, West Texas A&M University President and John Sharp, The Texas A&M University System Chancellor Fourth in a series on Regional Universities. The location of any University, its place, is important for every institution. For a comprehensive regional university…
Walter Wendler, West Texas A&M University President and John Sharp, The Texas A&M University System Chancellor Third in a series on Regional Universities. Comprehensive Regional Universities (CRU) are the quiet centerpiece of the Texas higher education constellation. Often founded as…
Walter Wendler, West Texas A&M University President and John Sharp, The Texas A&M University System Chancellor Second in a series on Regional Universities. Borrowing from a working paper, “A Regional Research University” West Texas A&M University’s commitment is to serve…
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…
Eighth and final in a series on the Heart and Soul of the Texas Panhandle Over the past seven weeks, various intersecting aspects of the Texas Panhandle and West Texas A&M University have been communicated in the ‘Heart and Soul…
Seventh in a series on the Heart and Soul of the Texas Panhandle West Texas A&M University is focused on big ideas. Communities of the Texas Panhandle sharpen this focus. The Panhandle is a big place, with challenges and opportunities…
Sixth in a series on the Heart and Soul of the Texas Panhandle In traveling the Texas Panhandle, I sensed in many communities a genuine, thoughtful loyalty to people and place. I am not naïve and know that in towns,…
Fifth in a series on the Heart and Soul of the Texas Panhandle It is difficult to separate the faith of people in the Texas Panhandle from daily life, the way of American frontiers for centuries. The lives of early…
Fourth in a series on the Heart and Soul of the Texas Panhandle When people think about public space in and around cities and towns, notable parks in metropolises come to mind. Some examples include Griffith Park in Los Angeles,…
Reading the Chronicle of Higher Education on January 6, 2021, I came across an advertising banner that gave me pause. It read, “A College Lifeline: Higher Education for incarcerated and rural students – and why it matters.” I downloaded this…
Sixth in a series on COVID-19 and studying in Spring 2021 Originally published on September 29, 2018, slightly modified here The roots of higher education in the United States are knotted into purpose and place. From a functional standpoint, almost all…
Fourth in a series on COVID-19 and studying in spring 2021 Originally published on December 15, 2008, and a few times since then—it may have value as we look forward to the spring of 2021, a spring like no other…
West Texas A&M University will host a virtual graduation in December — a decision reached only after much discussion and heartfelt deliberations. Details regarding the event will be released soon. I know that many faculty, staff, students and families will…
Third in a series of how universities can help build character. WT values the practical framing of intellectual work. Being pragmatic does not mean big ideas or the big picture are avoided. When carried out faithfully, being pragmatic is a…
Second core value in a series regarding character Service presents itself in many ways at public universities. Members of university communities understand the three-legged stool of responsible teaching, scholarly work and service. I recently reflected on the power of customer…
First in a series of how universities can help build character. Critical thinking skills, long held to be the nucleus of a strong liberal arts curriculum, are essential. A number of institutions receive acclaim for their ability to teach critical…
Tenth and final in a series on the reopening of West Texas A&M University in the midst of COVID-19. Universities propel students, families and communities toward economic prosperity and intellectual liberty. WT has pursued this mission since 1910; training teachers…
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…
Seventh in a series on the reopening of West Texas A&M University in the midst of COVID-19 Written a number of years ago and updated for its value as we return to campus. A culture is created and sustained by…
Second in a series on the reopening of West Texas A&M University in the midst of COVID-19. A valuable part of attending a university for many college students, particularly those in their late teens or early 20s, is the experience…
First in a series on the reopening of West Texas A&M University in the midst of COVID-19. In the coming weeks, I will address a number of issues regarding our return to campus—things such as residential life, classroom and community…
The concept of “new normal” is wearisome. Enterprises of every kind falter assuming there was an old normal. Normalcy is an innovation-robbing concept. In February, I reflected on demographics and their impact on shaping a regional research university like West…
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…
West Texas A&M University is becoming a regional research university. Defined in WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World, it means in part, ”Our focus will be on community life, schools in rural settings, enriched enterprise, beef, rural health…
This draws from a series of reflections on excellent teaching published a decade ago. The COVID-19 crisis has created unimaginable hardships for individuals, families, small businesses and international behemoths. Crisis knows no boundaries in how it impacts people and their…
The 24-hour news circuitry is alive with concerns about COVID-19, its impact on people and the economic crater left in its wake. No segment of the American economy or enterprise, the faith life of Americans, or any other aspect of…
Sixteenth in a series on what to look for in college. On February 2, 2017, I visited Canyon High School. A group of 600 students attended. Canyon ISD covers over 700 square miles of ground. With the onslaught of the…
Fifteenth in a series on what to look for in college. Charles Spurgeon, the great nineteenth-century preacher and orator rightly observed, “Skillful mariners sail by all winds, and we ought to make progress through all circumstances.” Like so many communities…
Fourteenth in a series on what to look for in college. During the ‘Your Community, Your University’ Tours, visits to high schools in the Panhandle and South Plains—daytime visits while school was in session—had a larger number of students present.…
Thirteenth in a series on what to look for in college. At 37 degrees 27 minutes 12 seconds north latitude, Booker is the northernmost municipality in Texas. Booker used to be in La Kemp, Oklahoma, but in 1917 moved south…
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…
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…
The U.S. birth rate is at its lowest recorded level. Since the 2008 economic recession, fertility rates have decreased by nearly 20%. The population of students for universities to draw from is shrinking. At the same time, the age of…
I will not pretend to know the answer to this question for every individual; however, two ideas are repeatedly reinforced to me. First, students are interested in getting a job. A university that neglects this will falter. Second, students are…
Organizations flourish or perish based on big ideas that address issues of importance. Enterprises thrive through big ideas alone: their lack is toxic. Sony, Kodak, Apple, Disney, Walmart, and universities respond to big ideas shaping organizational culture. Snuffing out ideation…
Eighth in a series on what to look for in college. Borden County School District in Gail, Texas, on the edge of the Caprock Escarpment, is cut in two by the Colorado River. Borden County is the fourth-least populous county…
The Nifty Fifty/Fifty Enrollments at universities around the United States are shrinking—down 1.7 and 1.8 percent this year and last. Master’s and comprehensive universities, private liberal arts colleges, rural universities and a multitude of others that are not state flagships,…
Seventh in a series on what to look for in college. 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 West Texas A&M University…
Fourth in a series on what to look for in college. Cotton Center, one of the smallest independent school districts in the Texas Panhandle or the South Plains, has a total enrollment from pre-k through grade 12 of 100 students.…
Second in a series on what to look for in college. Tahoka, Texas, the county seat of Lynn County, is a small town of 3,000 souls. In spirit, it is bigger than the South Plains skies that crown it. Maybe…
Regional Universities are the core of educational opportunity for many students who choose lower-cost, locally-focused study opportunities. These same universities provide regional economies with a shot in the arm. They not only promote new businesses serving campus students, faculty and…
“Johnny, have you seen my backpack?” “Mom, I told you to keep track of your school stuff.” My junior year in college, there were approximately one hundred students studying architecture in my class. I remember two of those students were…
There are more than 4,000 postsecondary institutions of higher education in the United States. Of those, more than 400 are regional universities. Regional universities, West Texas A&M University for example, contribute to local economies, cultural and civic life in…
[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…
In the coming months, means to develop healthier, stronger organizations will be examined. While West Texas A&M University and WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World are the basis for these reflections, the thoughts may have value in many…
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%…
Raymund Paredes, the Commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), recently announced his resignation, effective August 31, 2019. This announcement caused me to reflect on the complexity of the enterprise and the importance of the coordination among the…
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…
In 1783, New York Governor George Clinton, proposed that in every state at least one public college should train people for entry into military service. In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Morrill Act that said in part…
All universities have economic impact on the regions and communities in which they are located. Changing views of higher education have affected the role of the university as an economic development engine. A university education is a combined public and…
One of the challenges for students and parents trying to select a place of study is that no two postsecondary institutions are the same. If for no other reason, the laws of physics assert that two things cannot occupy the…
This series of six reflections on corporate culture was originally published in October and November 2013. I am on summer break but I think these still have some value. WVW. Sixth and final reflection on corporate culture… Nurturing a strong…
This series of six reflections on corporate culture was originally published in October and November 2013. I am on summer break but I think these still have some value. WVW. Fourth in a series on Corporate Culture… Rules without relationships guide…
America’s universities are the best in the world. This is so for many reasons, but primary among them is that we live in a free and open society. Two and one-half centuries of freedom and individual independence have allowed and…