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…
Colleges and universities will face many challenges in 2023. Some are the same-old–same-old. Others are brand-new based on changing aspirations and perceptions of students, families, elected and appointed leaders and the world of employers. Institutions should increase niche market offerings.…
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 written a decade ago (October 2013) but worth a second look, as the updated advice still has value. Many high school seniors are currently making important decisions about where to study next year. It’s the season when many soon-to-be…
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…
Ninth in a series regarding Panhandle values and quality of life. This reflection is modified but was initially posted on March 6, 2021. In traveling the Texas Panhandle, I sensed in many communities a genuine, thoughtful loyalty to people and…
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.…
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…
Third in a series regarding Panhandle values and quality of life. Social groups, from two people to two million, are joined together by earnestly regarding others. As old as humanity, this natural law is infused in the hearts of Panhandle…
Second in a series regarding Panhandle values and quality of life. Hard work is a well-understood value in many places. West Texas A&M University appreciates its’ import. In the Texas Panhandle, it’s a fact of life. Diane Meyer claims hard…
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…
Oxford Reference defines mental toughness: A quality of mind or intellect characterized by, among other things, a refusal to be intimidated, a determination to finish a contest even when things are going badly, and an ability to control emotions and…
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 November 2, 2011. I think our faculty, staff, students and administration at WT are making great strides towards a performance culture. I am proud to be associated with this institution. We aspire to the…
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…
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…
Second in a series on philanthropy in higher education Scholarships have always been central in higher education philanthropy. As costs for higher education, both public and private, increase, the impact and importance of student financial support have escalated. Over the…
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…
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…
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…
Fifth in a series on student educational debt. There is something powerful about coming from behind—being an underdog. Students who are first-in-family to attend college, single parents, the offspring of immigrants or students of diverse backgrounds whose parents may have…
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…
Fourth in a series on student educational debt. Upon completing baccalaureate and professional degrees, student indebtedness varies markedly across various races, ethnic groups, family income levels, whether or not students are first-in-family to attend college and the geographic region or…
Third in a series on student educational debt. While indebtedness for a college education can be debilitating for many, it can be especially crippling to single parents. For instance, one 48-year-old single mom has a cumulative debt of $430,000 for…
Second in a series on student educational debt. Nearly everyone looks at student debt as a national problem. “True ‘dat,” as they say in South Louisiana, but it must be viewed from the state, institutional and personal level simultaneously. Here…
Expect several changes in higher education to intensify in 2022. Families and students should look for universities that willingly respond to a changing world: a triangle of triage is at work. Enrollment at regional universities has been a challenge this…
First in a series on student educational debt. Over the past decade, I have routinely reflected on the dilemma of student debt. Topics such as the educational indebtedness of Social Security recipients, the role of personal responsibility in accrued debt,…
The anthem of the Rolling Stones and the genesis of the British invasion, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” moaned in depressingly plain language that “satisfaction” was impossible. The students of the 1960s loved it. Millennials and post-millennials question a new…
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…
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…
Originally published December 11, 2011, in the Chicago Tribune—slight modifications have been made. As we start the school year, amid a storm of moral relativism, fear and doubt, this may be as appropriate for the autumn and the start 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…
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.…
In the coming weeks, I will share a few pieces from the past with slight modifications. This piece was originally posted March 30, 2015. Overwhelmingly, the more than 7,000 state lawmakers nationwide attended and graduated from public universities. Again overwhelmingly, these elected…
In the coming weeks, I will share a few pieces from the past with slight modifications. This piece was originally posted August 19, 2010. Some things change little in a decade. The purpose of any university is to help people…
Self-reliance, free will, critical thinking and control over one’s destiny are the essence of human purpose—a nearly valiant purpose—in achieving satisfaction following accomplishment. This is not to be confused with selfishness. Universities should help students mobilize these resources powered by…
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…
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 faculty and university leaders see these courses as what a…
Walter Wendler, West Texas A&M University President and John Sharp, The Texas A&M University System Chancellor Sixth in a series on Regional Universities Some university leaders have had a transformative impact on their institutions and, in turn, the larger community.…
Walter Wendler, West Texas A&M University President and John Sharp, The Texas A&M University System Chancellor Fifth in a series on Regional Universities. Universities have significant economic impacts on the cities and regions in which they are located. The size…
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 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…
Modified from a column published on October 25, 2015 Organizations train leaders, for better or worse. Various enterprises are hotbeds for positive leadership training: manufacturing, public service, retail, professional services and universities provide examples. Effective leadership causes people to change their perspective, be…
As the impact of COVID-19 grows with corresponding actions that limited or halted face-to-face instruction in public schools across the nation and world, many parents opted into homeschooling. Homeschooling is not a new phenomenon in America, but the trend accelerated…
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…
Seventh in a series on COVID-19 and studying in spring 2021 In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, graduate students previously enrolled or contemplating spring 2021 enrollment should be aware of significant trends. Nationally, students wrestle with costs and benefits…
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…
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.…
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…
Third in a series on COVID-19 and studying in Spring 2021 Provisions are being made for students, faculty, and staff to return to West Texas A&M University this spring. Beginning last summer, to meet diverse needs of faculty and students,…
Second in a series on COVID-19 and studying in Spring 2021 The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was instituted to provide assistance to individuals and families suffering through the economic trials of COVID-19. I will not rehearse…
Originally published April 13, 2015, and modified for another look. Universities and the people and organizations that support them require the exercise of free will that promotes personal and shared responsibility. Responsibility is the nucleus of Adam Smith’s Theory of…
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…
Seventh and final in a series of how universities can help build character. The character of a university, or any organization, comes from vision and mission cemented by distinguishing core values. West Texas A&M University has identified six core values: …
Sixth in a series of how universities can help build character. The idea of engagement carries with it a number of meanings. At a state-supported institution, we have a responsibility to promote effective citizenship. A citizen belongs to something larger…
Fifth in a series of how universities can help build character. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. If you hummed that along in your head, you probably know where this is going. Respect is a commodity. It is traded like baseball cards. It’s a give…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Excellent staff are important at any time in the life of any enterprise. In a crisis, purposeful people, excellent people, allow organizations to thrive. I didn’t say survive because many organizations will whimper out of the COVID-19 doghouse and simply…
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…
This was originally released in September 2014. Given the challenges that universities are facing with the COVID-19 pandemic that may extend well into the future, the times are a barometer of purpose. I walked into a room full of…
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…
No matter the size of the university or college, its mission, its status as public or private, flagship or regional, intercollegiate athletics plays an important role in how the institution is perceived. For almost 150 years, intercollegiate athletics has created…
Universities face issues spawned during the past half-century that will cripple effectiveness if unaddressed. The standing and ranking perception of campuses will always be important. The best campuses will attend to excellence in teaching and scholarly work, affordability and rigorous…
Ninth in a series on what to look for in college. Seventy percent of college students graduated with debt last year—on average $30,000. Some will repay that debt with Social Security checks voluntarily or through garnishment. Of Americans over 60,…
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,…
Pictured: Sundown’s rich history in the oil and gas industry is represented through a donated energy exhibit that has been a fixture of Sundown High School since the late 70s. Pictured from left: Bill Craddock, WTAMU Alumnus, Graduate of Sundown…
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…
Posted last year on the occasion of summer graduation. The advice is still sound. West Texas A&M University had its summer graduation last week, as did many universities around the nation. People are always willing to give advice to recent…
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 –…
[Fourth in a series about WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.] Universities desire to keep alumni close by. Graduates are a testimony to an institution’s progress and effectiveness—or not. More Harvard graduates live in Boston than any other…
[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…
This has been published a number of times at spring break over the past decade. It is updated here and refreshed in its importance for the honesty and transparency required to make a good university great for a region. The…
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.…
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 we begin 2019 anyone involved in higher education, student or family member, spouse or friend, high school principal or daycare worker, instructor or president, knows things are changing at universities. Whether a public or private, for-profit or not-for-profit, online…
Photo: Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences WTAMU This reflection was originally published on April 10, 2016. I believe it is worth a second look, and it appears here with only a few modest updates. WVW American universities are the…
Originally published on November 30, 2015. As we begin this season of reflection, “Teaching First” is worthy of another look as we focus on the first purpose of the university and the importance of staying true to our roots. Forward…
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,…
