Going 'Good to Great'

Charlie Rose - JIM COLLINS - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

I am attaching an interview of Jim Collins that appeared on Charlie Rose some time back. I purchased a stack of 'Good to Great' and this week distributed the books and other materials to 50 people and various groups on campus to begin a discussion at UHD. The discussion and survey (see "What Do You Think?" below) are part of a broad process to better know the campus and the community.

I am asking UHD students, staff, faculty, alumni, and supporters to help us better understand the areas in which we excel, those where we are doing pretty good, and those areas where we are doing poorly or should stop doing. In the survey and focus groups, I am asking, "If you were president of UHD for one day, what one thing would you do to improve UHD?"

I think the University of Houston-Downtown is a very good university, doing a very good job. Our students, for the most part are the first in their families to go to college. The student body is very diverse. UHD is 31% Hispanic and 26% African American, with a large number of foreign-born students from many countries in the world.

UHD is a commuter campus and a majority of the students work 30 hours or more. Most of our students transfer from community colleges or from other four year institutions. They take courses that fit into their schedules. Many students take years to earn their degrees.

I've been very impressed with the commitment of faculty and staff. They work hard to help our students succeed. And, the faculty and staff do a wonderful job. But, every institutions can improve, every institution can get better.

The book "Good to Great" essentially argues that you have to understand your core values and your mission. It urges organizations to stare in the mirror and examine the "brutal facts"--where you are strong, where you are weak, and where you have serious problems; and, then, decide what you are going to do better than anyone else.

Collins urges organizations to examine the facts, decide where their passions lie, and what they can be the best in the world at doing. In his research, he found that similar companies often proceeded on very different trajectories. Some became great organizations, while others floundered or even withered and died.

The great organizations had strong teams, selected a singular focus, concentrated their energies and resources, and became great at what they did. The others didn't. Even in turbulent times, some universities will flourish and become great, others will not. If you fail to adjust to changing world, students and faculty may pick other institutions. Foundations and donors may decide to put their money elsewhere.

Before I came to Houston, I witnessed a sad event--a very good private Liberal Arts college, the College of Santa Fe, closed its doors. I was part of the Task Force put together by Governor to try to save the college. As a result, the state and city stepped in and are trying to buy the land. The hope is to preserve the facility both as a city-run learning center (with the community college and four-year institutions offering degree programs). The city is negotiating with a private, for-profit which is interested in leasing some of the facility. But, the College of Santa Fe no longer exists.

Public universities face turbulent times. Several states are dramatically cutting back on funding for higher education. Universities have raised tuition, reduced faculty and staff, cut programs, and, in some cases, stopped funding new facilities. Every institution has to take a good look at itself. What we are doing? Where are we headed? How can we do a better job?

Over the next few months at UHD, we will examine what we do and how we can do it better. Listen to the interview, read the book, participate in the survey, and help us as we take the journey to become the very best at what we do.