View From the Bayou

College Learning and Democracy's Future

2012-01-31T18:10:00.000-06:00

The National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement and the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) have just issued a new report, "A Crucible Moment: College Learning and Democracy's Future." The report urges colleges and universities to integrate civic learning and civic literacy into the fabric of university life. As the report states, "A socially cohesive and economically vibrant U.S. democracy...require[s] informed, engaged, open-minded, and socially responsible people committed to the common good and practiced in 'doing' democracy....".

Universities have been criticized for graduating students without the broad, general education that they will need for 21st Century Skills. For example, the recent book, Academic Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses, argues that seniors taking on assessment instrument, the College Learning Assessment, demonstrate very little learning over their four years of colleges. Colleges and universities have a responsibility of preparing an educated workforce. This is particularly true in the case of community colleges who often develop curricula specific to new industries and training programs for new employers. Even four-year colleges and universities must do a better job of providing the broad skill sets for a rapidly changing work force and a global economy. After all, we graduate teachers, nurses, engineers, social workers, and in professional schools, develop the next generation of physicians, lawyers, and other professionals.

Even so, we cannot forget that colleges and universities also prepare America's future leaders and educate a significant portion of its citizenry. We contribute to the education of an informed electorate, which is vital to the survival and strengthening our our democracy and our society. As the AAC&U full report makes clear, "Today's education for democracy needs to be informed by deep engagement with the values of liberty, equality, individual worth, open mindedness, and the willingness to collaborate with people of differing views and backgrounds towards common solutions for the public good."

The AAC&U report provides brief examples of some of the work of colleges and universities throughout the country. It recommends that all American universities foster a civic ethos across all parts of campus and educational culture, require civic literacy as a core expectation for all students in general education programs, practice civic inquiry across all fields, and advance civic action through transformative partnerships at home and abroad.

As a president of the University of Houston-Downtown I have shared this report with the administrative and academic leadership of the university. I encourage our faculty to tie civic learning into our core curriculum and to expand service learning courses and internships. UHD is recognized on the President's Honor Roll for Civic Engagement, it is earned the Carnegie-classification as an 'engaged university,' and has well-established partnerships with neighborhoods, agencies, schools, and nonprofits. But, all of us can do more. I welcome the report and the challenge it presents. America can only be stronger for it.

It's Never to Late to Go Back to College

2011-09-22T16:49:00.001-05:00

The following appeared in the Houston Chronicle on September 22, 2011 and can be found here.

The United States is losing its advantage in the global talent pool as the number of adults gaining college degrees in countries such as China and South Korea increases rapidly, according to a new study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Two years ago, the U.S. ranked 12th in young adults 25 to 34 years of age with degrees or certificates. Now OECD reports that the U.S. has dropped to 15th.

Meanwhile, in Houston one-of-four adults do not have a high school diploma, while 40% of Hispanics lack a high school diploma. The number of families living in poverty has increased dramatically, while unemployment rates for those with less than a high school degree are roughly three times the rate of adults with college degrees (15% compared to 4.3% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report of July 2011). (More information can be found here.) According to the 2009 American Community Survey, the Greater Houston Metropolitan area has more than 823,000 adults who have some college credits, but have never earned a college degree.

Amid this disturbing news, the University of Houston-Downtown is one of eight universities invited to participate in Grad TX, a statewide initiative to encourage more than 40,000 Texans with more than 90 hours of college credits and no degree to return to school and earn their bachelor's degree. Moreover, this is an area where UHD excels, as the university has a long history of helping adults earn their bachelor's degree.

In early August, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board launched Grad TX with funding from a federal College Access Challenge Grant. The Grad TX program targets adults who "stopped out" of college with 90-plus hours of college credit to return to one of eight participating public universities in Texas and earn their bachelor's degree.

Of particular help at www.GradTX.org is an online transfer tool that allows candidates for re-admission to college to enter their completed coursework and assess how their credits would count toward a bachelor's degree at a participating university. Advisers at UHD and the other universities specialize in meeting the unique needs of returning students and evaluating how previous college work, military credits or credit by exam can provide credit toward a bachelor's degree and helping returning students graduate faster. Grad TX also offers information and guidance related to paying for college tuition, obtaining financial aid and addressing the needs of U.S. military veterans.

Only five weeks after Grad TX was announced, more than 10,000 visitors to www.GradTX.org have checked into what the program has to offer, with the most interest coming from the greater Houston area.
University of Houston-Downtown is well suited to be among the Grad TX universities. For many years, we have enjoyed a solid reputation for helping returning adult students complete their baccalaureate degrees while balancing work, family and school.

The accessibility and flexibility that we offer through our campus in the heart of downtown Houston situated near many major employers, coupled with our satellite suburban campuses and online course offerings, have made it easier for adults to pursue and complete a degree.

UHD is one of the most ethnically diverse universities in the nation, ranking 37th nationally for graduating both Hispanic and African-American students with bachelor's degrees. Our demographics match those of the city of Houston and its surrounding communities, with under-represented students making up the majority of our student population. UHD students range from age 16 to 76, and the average age of an undergraduate is 27. UHD is the second-largest university in Houston, with a current enrollment of more than 12,500 students.

Although returning students may choose to pursue any of UHD's 40 undergraduate degree programs, two programs have particular appeal to returning adult students. Our Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Applied Administration (BAAS-AA) offers students the opportunity to develop competencies and skills that prepare them for promotion to upper-level administrative and supervisory positions. Students who have completed an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in technical and occupational fields are strong candidates for the BAAS.

Our bachelor of science degree with a major in interdisciplinary studies allows returning students to select classes that complement coursework already completed. It is often a suitable alternative for returning students who have multiple interests or who have changed their career objectives over time, making a traditional major less fitting.

Earning a bachelor's degree makes a considerable difference for individuals, their family members and the economy as a whole. College graduates earn 84 percent more than people with only a high school diploma, according to The College Payoff Report recently released by Georgetown University's Center on Education and The Workforce. Those who hold a bachelor's degree currently can expect median lifetime earnings near $2.3 million while those with only a high school diploma average roughly $1.3 million or slightly more than $15 per hour.

Moreover, the Center for Houston's Future projects that simply increasing college attainment levels by 1% would result in a $4.2 billion annual increase to revenues in the Houston Region. UHD is part of the Center's Talent Dividend initiative to raise college attainment levels.

Clearly, Grad TX is an excellent reminder that it is never too late to return to college and that investing in higher education pays dividends for life - and for Texas.

Flores is president of the University of Houston -Downtown.

Lessons of My First Year and Our Next Steps at UHD

2010-09-21T16:33:00.010-05:00

Over the past year, I've shared some of the key lessons we've learned at the University of Houston-Downtown that might be shared with other universities. I started the blog when I began as president at UHD. For new followers, I encourage you to read some of the earlier posts.

In my last post, I mentioned efforts by President Obama, Lumina Foundation, and others to increase the percentage of adults with college degrees. The University of Houston-Downtown is the 13th largest public institution in Texas and the second largest university in Houston. Over 80% of our students work 30 hours or more and about a quarter of all students work more than 40 hours or per week, often in two jobs. The average age of our students is 28 years. So, our students are predominantly working adults, many of them have children and families to support.

UHD has been nationally recognized as a Top 100 university in producing minority baccalaureate students. We rank 33rd in the country in awarding baccalaureate degrees to Hispanics and 47th for awarding baccalaureate degrees to African Americans. This past year we graduated over 2,400 students with bachelor's and graduate degrees. We are determined to increase these numbers.

Followers of this blog have asked me to briefly summarize some of what occurred in my first year as president at UHD. When I arrived in Houston and at UHD, I began my presidency by walking around and listening. I visited with students, faculty, alumni, regents, members of the President's Advisory Board, and elected officials. I spoke before most colleges at UHD and several departments. I held focus groups and distributed a survey online and via email asking five very simple questions: 1) What does UHD do very well and where could we excel? 2) In what areas does UHD pretty good and with a different emphasis could be very good? 3) What areas should UHD stop doing? 4) What resources does UHD leave on the table (grants, foundations, corporations, partnerships, etc.) and, lastly, 5) If you were UHD president for one day and could make one change, what would it be?

We put together a team of faculty and staff to summarize the survey results. We then held several leadership retreats, built around the Good to Great model, and used the survey results as a starting point. We revised our mission, established goals, and this summer decided upon a single big goal (BHAG in the Good to Great vernacular): UHD will be known as a premier city university engaging every student in high impact experiences.

We also agreed on preliminary goals and metrics for 2020. For example, we want to dramatically grow graduate programs and expand our research. We project that UHD will have over 22,000 students by 2020 with roughly 8-10 per cent of total student enrollment coming from graduate programs. We will greatly expand the number of online degrees with roughly a quarter of all enrollment online by 2020. We have already launched discussions among the faculty on steps we can take to implement these ambitious goals.

But key to our focus is building strong undergraduate degrees developed around a culture of high-impact experiences. What are high-impact experiences and why do we want all UHD students to receive these experiences? They include learning communities, undergraduate research, peer mentoring, first-year experience programs, service learning, internships, work teams, capstone courses, etc. These activities engage students in experiential learning and provide them opportunities to work closely with faculty. Research nationally and our own experience show that students who participate in high-impact experiences are more likely to graduate than those students who don't receive such experiences. They are also more likely to graduate on-time.

UHD has a long history of such programs, including the Scholars Academy which has been recognized by the NSF and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for their success in graduating students from underrepresented ethnic and racial groups in STEM fields. UHD also has a long history of providing high-quality internships with corporations, non profits, and public agencies, as well as service learning courses that address issues affecting the Houston area. In the course of the planning retreats, we decided to build off this strength, expand it, and make it a cohesive part of the UHD learning experience.

But, we also want to ensure our students are prepared for 21st Century jobs. Technology is changing rapidly and industries are developing new jobs and requiring new skills. Most of the top 10 jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004 and many companies in the Fortune 500 did not exist in 1990. One of the nation's largest public agencies did not exist in 2000. So, we must not only prepare students for jobs that exist today, we must provide them with skill sets they can use to solve problems that don't yet exist with technologies that haven't been developed for industries that now seem only distant dreams.

I have asked our faculty and the provost to work together to decide on what every UHD graduate should know in the 21st Century. They will be using as starting points the work of national higher education organizations, such as AAC&U, AASCU, ACE, and others, along with recommendations of the U.S. Chamber and American Association of Manufacturer's. These groups recommend that all college students graduate with critical thinking skills, analytical and problem-solving skills, global understanding, team work, and excellent communication skills, among others. Our faculty will decide on appropriate competencies. We will then integrate these competencies into every major UHD offers and assess learning to those competencies.

We are also working hard to retain and graduate students. This year we launched a common reading program with 800 freshmen students receiving the book Outliers by Malcom Gladwell. Nearly 60 faculty and over 600 students participated in a special session a week before classes to discuss the book.We made a pledge to the students: if they agree to work hard, take the required courses, and regularly meet with an adviser, we will mentor them and help them to graduate on time. Faculty are now following up with those students to ensure their success.

Finally, we are meeting with community colleges throughout Houston to re-affirm and re-sign joint admission and reverse transfer programs so that students from community colleges will earn full credit at UHD. More than three-fourths of our students are transfer students, so it is important that we build strong partnerships and full articulation with the major community college districts that surround UHD.

UHD will do everything it can to increase the number of degrees we award. We want to be part of the national effort to increase the percentage of adults with college degrees. I will keep you informed of our progress.

How the U.S. Can Regain Leadership in Degree Attainment

2010-08-12T17:44:00.009-05:00

My last blog entry dealt with the cost of the educational achievement gap in the United States. But, we also have a college attainment gap when compared to other industrialized countries.

In one generation's time, the U.S. has gone from leading the world in the percentage of adults with college education to 12th in college attainment of young adults 25-34 years of age. Three countries have college attainment rates for young adults above 50%, Canada (55%), Japan (54%) and Korea (53%). Even more troubling is the fact that the U.S. is one of only two industrialized nations that has a higher college attainment rate for older adults (54-64) than for young adults (25-34). So, we're moving in the wrong direction.

President Obama has set the goal of leading the world in adults with college education. At his August 9th speech at U.T. Austin, he reiterated his goal of "producing 8 million more college graduates by 2020 so we can have a higher share of graduates than any other nation on earth,"   Secretary for Education Arne Duncan has called this effort "the North Star" for the Obama administration's education initiatives.

President Obama calls this push to regain international leadership in college attainment "the economic issue of our time." Why? He made that point very clear, "It's an economic issue when nearly eight in ten new jobs will require workforce training or a higher education by the end of the decade."

Several organizations have developed plans to help the United States reach this goal by 2025. The Lumina Foundation for Education has set the 'big goal' of 60 % of Americans to have 'high-quality degrees and credentials' by 2025. Most other national organizations have set 55% as their target. (View the Lumina Foundation's interactive map to see where your state stands here.)

Either way, it is quite a stretch. To reach the goal of 55% of Americans with a college degree, requires the U.S. to produce 64 million new college degrees, with at least 16 million degrees produced above current levels.   So, how might it be done?

Several states have developed strategic plans to reduce the achievement gap and stretch goals for producing more college graduates.   Two states have very specific plans for increasing college attainment. Kentucky has set a goal of 'doubling the numbers' of college graduates by 2020. Texas has developed a plan, Closing the Gaps 2015, with a goal of awarding 210,000 certificates and degrees from public universities by 2015.

What impact would raising college attainment levels have on the U.S. economy? According to CEOs for Cities, simply raising the college attainment rate in the 51 largest cities in America by 1% would yield a 'talent dividend' of $124 billion. Raising it 10% would produce $1.2 trillion!

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board projects that if the state successfully meets its plans, by 2030, it will reap increases in $489 billion in spending, $194 billion in gross state product, and $122 billion in personal income, as well as 1 million new jobs. Similarly, Kentucky projects that if it reaches it goals by 2020, it will increase personal income by $159 billion and and state tax revenue by $9 billion.

Most states have already developed plans to increase high school graduation rates and college completion rates. However, to reach a 55% college attainment rate by 2025 will also require strategies to attract working adults back to college to earn a degrees. According to a report by the Council on Adult and Experiential Learning, 32 states cannot meet the targets by solely relying on the traditional college-age population. Moreover, even if every state reached 'best-case scenarios' in improving high school graduation rates and college completion rates, America would still be a little over 3 million short of the 64 million new degrees required to hit the 55% target.

According to projections by National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, by 2025, two states (Texas and California) would need to produce over a million new degree holders over and above current degree production levels. This is conceivable with a broad strategy that includes both traditional K-16 pathways (such as improved achievement levels, reduced dropout rates, rigorous curricula, improved college readiness, and improvements in college graduation rates) along with plans to addresses the educational needs of working adults.

In Texas, for example, only 29% of all Texas have an associates degree or higher. Over 2 million Texans lack a high school degree (21.6% of all adults). In 2000, more than one million Texans had never completed the 9th grade. Over 2.5 million Texans have some college, but no degree. Clearly, helping adults obtain high school and college degrees must be a part of plans for increasing the percentage of adults with college degrees.

If community colleges and four-year institutions can attract less than half of that 2.5 million to return to college and to earn a degree, that would produce 1 million more Texans with a college degree. Similarly, if Texas was to get 50% of adults with less than a 9th grade education to earn their GED, followed by a college certificate or associate of arts degree, that would yield another half million Texans with some college education.

Several organizations have made recommendations to help the United States increase college attainment. The National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers are working towards a common framework for national standards for high school graduation reflecting college and career readiness. Not all states signed on (Alaska and Texas, for example, have not), but most are joining the effort.

The Educational Trust promotes efforts in K-12 to reduce the achievement gap between whites and nonwhites and has expanded those efforts in higher education. Recently, it has joined force with 24 public university systems to cut the college-going and graduation gaps for low-income and minority students in half by 2015, producing a report to show progress of major public universities.

The College Board has issued a "Completion Agenda," with ten recommendations: 1) provide voluntary preschool education, universally available to children from low-income families; 2) improve middle and high school college counseling; 3) implement the best research-based dropout prevention; 4) align the K-12 education system with international standards and college admission expectations; 5) improve teacher quality and focus on recruitment and retention; 6) clarify and simply the admission process; 7) provide more need-based grant aid, while simplifying financial aid processes; 8) keep college affordable; 9) dramatically increase completion rates; and, finally, 10) provide post-secondary opportunities as an essential element of adult education programs.

Meeting the President's call to regain national leadership in college attainment will not be easy. But, it is essential for the future of America. As President Obama stated, "Countries that out-teach us today will out-compete us tomorrow." Those whom we educate today, may be the innovators of tomorrow. America must invest in its future.

All over the country, organizations and universities are engaged in discussions of how we can rise to the challenge. In my next blog post I will give examples of what we are doing at the University of Houston-Downtown.

America's Future Depends on Eliminating the Education Achievement Gap

2010-08-09T21:31:00.005-05:00

A severe crisis looms in the horizon. I'm not talking about the federal deficit. Rather, I refer to a pending shortfall in workers with the skill-sets and degrees that America needs for innovation and global competitiveness.

America is falling behind in educating its citizenry. We have two very serious problems: an achievement gap (how well students learn, perform on standardized tests, and progress through high school and college) and an attainment gap (the percent of young adults who earn high school degrees, certificates, and college degrees). Neither is easily fixed.

Middle class and upper-middle class white students outperform their working class peers. Similarly, white students as a whole outperform minorities, particularly African Americans and Latinos. The gap is severest in poor, urban, and predominantly minority communities. Urban schools are more likely to be dilapidated, deteriorating, overcrowded, and more likely to have new and often non-certified teachers. See data here.

It is not uncommon for minority children in urban schools to enter the 6th grade one or two years behind their grade level. This is especially true for limited-English students who must learn English as well as subject matter. Minority and low income students are more likely to drop out of high school and are less likely to attend college. They are more likely to require adult basic education, ESL, and secondary adult education, and more likely to require remediation when they do attend college.

Latinos represent the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population, accounting for roughly half of all new births. Latinos, most of whom are native born U.S. citizens, already represent a majority of the K-12 population in many of this country's largest school district and are becoming a larger share of the U.S. high school and traditional college-age population. By 2020, nearly 10 million Latinos will be 15-24 years of age, accounting for nearly one-fourth of the U.S. total U.S. traditional college age population.

Unfortunately, Latinos are among the least likely to graduate from high school, among the least prepared for college, are more likely to require remediation, and less likely to graduate from college within six years of graduation from high school. In fact, only about 30% of Latino young adults (25-34) have attained an associates degree or higher, compared to 43% of African Americans and 81% of whites.

According to a report of the Alliance for Excellence in Education, a single dropout in 2008 cost the U.S. economy $260,000 in lost earnings, taxes, and productivity. If all those students who dropped out of high school in the class of 2008, had instead graduated, it is estimated that the U.S. would gain $319 billion in wages, taxes, and productivity.

The achievement gap of Latinos, African Americans and poor whites costs America billions of dollars in remediation, lost incomes, revenues and GDP. The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education projects that if the U.S. doesn't eliminate the achievement gap, U.S. productivity could decline by 50%, with a total loss of personal income of roughly $400 billion.

According to a recent report by the McKinsey Quarterly entitled "Economic Cost of the U.S. Education Gap," the educational achievement gap cost the U.S. nearly $2 trillion just in 2008. The McKinsey report found that the effect of the academic achievement gap on U.S. GDP was worse than the last three recessions combined, including the current recession! So, eliminating the achievement gap is essential to America's future.

How about the attainment gap? The U.S. is tenth internationally in college attainment (the number of adults with an associates arts degree or higher). Canada leads the world in the percentage of adults with some college education (with 55% of Canadian adults with some college). Similarly, the U.S. is 23rd in high school graduation rates. The U.S. ranks 17th in the world in production of scientists and engineers, which are key to creation of knowledge and technology jobs. Only about 35% of U.S. young adults (25-34) hold a college degree compared to roughly 50% of the same age cohort in Japan and Korea.

Worse, the U.S. is one of only two industrialized nations where older adults (45-54 years of age) are more likely to have attained a college degree than young adults (25-34 years of age). By 2020, the percentage of adults with college degrees will be less than it was in 2000. The only category to increase in percentage will be high school dropouts.

Ironically, U.S. students trail their European and Asian counterparts in achievement on international tests. So, we also have an international achievement gap. According to an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), when compared with students in 30 OECD countries, 15 year-old American students ranked 18th in science, 24th in math and problem solving, and fifteenth in reading.

President Obama has set a target that "America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates..." The National Governors Association, the Education Trust, Lumina Foundation, the College Board have all joined efforts to help reach that target by 2025. However, if we do not close the achievement gap, America cannot regain its leadership position in the proportion of adults with college education and degrees.

China already leads the United States in the number of college graduates it produces (as does India). But, we are also falling behind economic growth rates and in some other measures of economic performance. By June 2011, China is projected to pass the U.S. in manufacturing output and value. By 2050, unless we do something about it, China will pass the U.S. in total GDP.

America clearly faces a crisis. We must make it a priority to improve the quality and performance of schools and students and to increase the number of young adults who earn college certificates and degrees. To ignore the looming crisis risks America's economic and social well-being. It also diminishes our ability to compete internationally. While it may cost us to address this problem, it will cost us more to ignore it.

View my entire PowerPoint presentation with slides and references here.

Does Having a College Degree Pay Off During the Recession? You Bet It Does!

2010-07-16T17:59:00.006-05:00

Does college matter anymore? Should parents encourage their children to seek a college degree? If you have a college degree, should you obtain an advanced degree? With rising costs of education and increasing student indebtedness, does having a college degree make a difference?

The recession has made it difficult for anyone to find a job. College graduates, even those with master's degrees are having trouble finding jobs, although they have been less likely to lose jobs during the recession and more likely to find jobs if they did lose their job than high school dropouts or those with only a high school degree.

According to the June BLS data, Americans without a high school diploma experienced 21 straight months of unemployment above 10 percent with a high of 15.6 percent in February. The rate declined to 14.1 percent in June, the lowest level since March 2009. High school graduates fared slightly better with unemployment hitting a high of 11.2 percent in October 2009, and dropping to a 10.8 percent level in June.

By contrast, those with bachelor's degrees have not seen unemployment rates higher than 5 percent since the recession began, dropping to 4.4 percent in June of this year. So, those with a college degree were much more likely to have a job than those without one. View graphs of the data here.

But, how about those with advanced degrees? According to one report, those with advanced and professional degrees did better in retaining jobs and income than even those with undergraduate degrees. Moreover, college grads with advanced degrees saw real wages increase by 3.7% since 2007, while those with just a B.A. or less actually saw a decline in real wages of 0.7%!

So, education clearly matters, even in tough times. But just because you have a degree doesn't mean you get hired. You have to have the type of degree and skill sets needed by employers. Still, there is some evidence that those who re-tool or who obtain certificates and degrees are more likely to find jobs, particularly if their degrees and skill sets match market needs.

And America is hiring. While the most recent Jobs Report showed that America lost 125,000 jobs in June, 2010, the economy created 85,000 new jobs. Even so, because of globalization (particularly outsourcing) and restructuring, more than a million jobs lost during the recession will never return. There is also a mismatch between the skill sets needed for new jobs, particularly for knowledge jobs, and skills possessed by the existing workforce.

A recent study of the Institute of Manufacturing entitled People and Profitability: a Time for Change found in their survey of nearly 800 U.S. manufacturers that even during the worst part of the recession roughly one-third of all manufacturers could not find skilled workers to fill jobs within their industry.

The percentage of unfilled jobs varied by sector. Two-thirds of manufacturers in the life sciences, two-thirds in aerospace and defense, and almost half of those in energy-related fields were unable to find workers with the skills or degrees necessary to fill the available jobs. This mismatch is greatest for blue collar jobs, where manufacturers are seeking workers to operate computers and skilled in robotics, particularly those who can read and follow blue-prints, understand and solve complex problems, and possess high-order mathematical and computational skills. So, re-tool and get a certificate or degree.

While there is no guarantee that a college education will protect you from losing your job, clearly those with degrees, particularly advanced degrees, were more likely to keep their jobs in the recession and those who seek new degrees or certificates were more likely to get or keep a job than those who don't have a degree.

So, yes, getting a college degree does matter. If you don't have a college degree, get one--or at least get a certificate and re-tool!

How People Voted on Name Change

2010-06-20T20:31:00.001-05:00

As I wrote in the last blog, we held a straw poll on campus. We sent out email ballots to all students through their GatorMail addresses and provided a link that students saw when they checked grades from Spring semester. We sent email links to all faculty, staff, and to all alumni for whom we have emails. The Straw Poll took place from April 30th to May 28th. Voters could select "City University," "Houston City University," or could choose neither name. A comment section allowed participants to give feedback and some used the space to suggest other names for UHD.

More than 2,500 people voted, including more than 1,600 students, more than 350 staff and faculty, and nearly 500 alumni. The overwhelming choice in UHD's Name Change Straw Poll was Houston City University with 1,702 votes. City University received 401 votes, and 404 selected either "neither" or wrote in other names. Surprisingly, each group voted in roughly the same percentages with the overwhelming favorite being Houston City University. You can view the complete poll results here

Everyone was able to write in their comments on the name selection. Some strongly support a new name. Others hate the idea. Even so, the vast majority of those who voted recommended that the new name be Houston City University. Why? As one individual commented. "When I go to other cities, they won't know where City University, but they will know Houston City University." A member of the award-winning Powerlifting Team, noted: "When we win and beat teams like UT San Antonio, we want them to know we're from Houston!"

Some people feel that the name will be confused with a community college. Some staff worry that any name change will hurt recruitment. Some alumni worry that their diploma might be devalued. We have assured alumni and students that the university remains a part of the UH System and that the diploma will still be signed by the Chancellor and the President of the Board of Regents, as well as the president of the university.

But, at the end of the day, most of those who voted feel that a new name will help the university build its reputation and develop into a very new and distinct university. They realize that UHD has to grow, add more graduate programs, raise funds, and develop distinction as university that students select because of its offerings, faculty, and achievements.

So, what are the next steps? We're holding meetings with legislators and local elected officials. We will be having sessions with alumni (not just on name change, but giving them an update on everything happening at UHD). Click here for the schedule of alumni meetings. And, during the fall semester, will talk about the results with incoming freshmen and transfer students, as well, as with new faculty and staff.

The results of the straw poll, including comments received, will be shared with the University of Houston System Board of Regents. Regents will vote on the name change. If they select a name, it then must go to the legislature for approval. We will keep you posted on developments as they take place.

More on the Name Change: Responding to Your Questions and Concerns

2010-04-22T17:34:00.007-05:00

During the past few weeks, we have had several open meetings to discuss the proposed name change and recommended names. The discussions have been lively and vigorous.

Several students and alumni support the name change and like the proposed names. Others have commented that they are upset or disappointed that UHD is changing its name. The issue of whether or not we will change the name was addressed and voted on by the University of Houston System’s Board of Regents more than a year ago. The Regents voted to change the name in December 2008. For more information, please see the UHD Web site FAQs here.

There are two names under consideration: City University and Houston City University. Either way, the University will remain a part of the University of Houston System, and official publications and letterhead will carry a tag-line that says something like, 'A Member of the University of Houston System' or 'A UH System University.'

Students, faculty, staff and alumni have raised several questions in the open meetings. Here are a few:

1. Are any other UH System Universities in the process of changing their names? There are some preliminary discussions underway with students and faculty at the University of Houston-Victoria. Both at UHD and UH-Victoria, the original desire to change the name emerged from within the University itself. At UHD, discussions have taken place at various times over the past decade. A formal request to change UHD’s name was initiated by former president Max Castillo, about two years ago after considerable discussion on campus.

2. Why is the University only considering these two names? Several of you have proposed other names, some of which focus on location. When the consultants were first hired, they met with Chancellor Khator and with chairman of the Board of Regents, Welcome Wilson. As you may know, last year more than 90 names were proposed and several were formally presented to the Regents, but rejected. Many of those referenced specific locations (such as South Texas or Houston Bayou University). In this round of discussions, the consultants reviewed the many names previously proposed and eventually ruled out names with locations other than Houston. In addition, they held focus groups and open-ended discussions. Repeatedly, they heard references to Houston and to the city. They felt that Houston is an international city, has considerable name recognition, and made a strong case that if any location was to be referenced in the proposed university name, it should be Houston.

3. I don't like the names; they sound like a community college and don't sound prestigious to me; why did they select these two names? Recently, while at a national conference in Washington, D.C., I shared the proposed names at a small round table discussion with other University presidents. They were surprised to learn that UHD is the 2nd largest university in Houston and is the13th largest public university in Texas and felt either name would help the university build a unique and distinctive identity. One told me, “Wow! Those are great names. They remind me of City University of New York and City University of London, which are known all over the world.” Another commented, "Houston is a huge city. It needs a university like that.” The consensus of those presidents with whom I spoke is that either name would bring prestige to the University.

4. Why don't we name the university after a prominent individual, such as a former legislator, mayor or past president? The system has guidelines for naming universities after individuals. Universities, auditoriums, conference rooms, buildings, schools and departments are often named after an individual or a family. Naming rights require a gift of considerable size, usually many millions of dollars, which goes into the university endowment. Interest drawn from the gift supports specific activities, which are often defined by the donor (such as scholarships, professorships, research or specialized equipment). So, to name the university after a specific individual or family would require a multi-million dollar gift.

5. How much is the name change costing the university? The contract with STAMATS and on-going work is in the range of approximately $60,000. Naturally, more will be spent over the coming year. If the University does change its name, there will be costs associated with marketing, new letterhead, new signs, etc. Other than signage, most of the cost would have been incurred anyway. As business cards and letterhead run out, we will order new ones, but with the new name and logo, once they are adopted. Moreover, even if the University does not change its name, UHD must better market and brand itself. To meet these needs we have already planned to set aside allocations for branding, including billboards, newspaper, radio and television ads and internet advertising.

6. Will the name change hurt my chances of getting a job or admitted into graduate school? Once a name is selected by the Regents, a transition period will begin. The new name will be associated with the University of Houston System on official letterhead and on diplomas. We have spoken with other University presidents about their experiences with name changes. All of them explained that once they began marketing the university with its new name, visibility increased, as did applications and funds raised. Several campuses experience improved campus cohesion and pride among students and alumni. Most grew in enrollment and fund raising. Several commented that they also experienced a growth in international student enrollment, and they attracted more students from other cities and states. We expect the same thing to occur at our University.

7. As an alumnus, I'm worried that the university is turning its back on our history. How will the history be retained? We are proud of UHD's history and will promote it and continue to build on that history. We have many great alumni who began their careers at UHD or passed through our campus at some point in their academic experience. We want their stories, and will proudly promote the history and accomplishments of our students, staff, faculty and alumni. UHD is still a relatively young University. I was surprised to learn when I arrived, that we don't have year books (which, of course, are now becoming obsolete anyway.) Even so, they are an important source of history. Unlike Texas Tech or Texas A & M, UHD has very few traditions. Over time, our students will develop traditions and they will become an important part of campus life.

8. Even though I graduated many years ago, can I get a diploma with the new name, and can I order a new class ring? Yes. We will work that out with the Regents and with ring vendors. Naturally, there will be charges for a new ring and probably minimal charges for a new diploma.

9. What are the next steps? We are holding public discussions, focus groups, and will soon launch a straw poll for current students. We will poll other stakeholders including alumni who have given us their email addresses, faculty and staff in the months ahead. We want to hear your comments. We will summarize those comments as part of our presentation to the Regents. The Regents will vote on the suggested names sometime in early Fall 2010. If a name is adopted by the Regents, it will then be submitted to the legislature for approval. That process will specify an effective date for the new name. Thereafter, we will transition to a new name for the University.

Keep in touch. Check out the UHD Web site under Name Selection. I look forward to hearing from you.

Note: Since this blog appeared, students, faculty, staff, and alumni will now be able to vote in a straw poll at a secure website. Cast your vote here.

Changing the Name of a University 2.0

2010-04-15T11:25:00.007-05:00

When I started at UHD, other presidents told me that I was walking into a mine field. We'd have to make cuts, raise tuition, raise admission standards, and change the university's name--oh, and by the way, you have to do all of that in your first year. One friend told me, it's like walking into a Tsunami knowing its going to hit real soon.

Well, I came anyway. And, I'm glad I did. The University of Houston-Downtown is a great place. It has dedicated faculty and staff, devoted alumni, good support from the business community and local legislators, and has really dedicated students. Still, changing the name of a university is a very hard thing to do.

The last time it was tried there was a great deal of frustration on everybody's part. But, name change was already under way. The Board of Regents made a decision to change the name of UHD nearly two years ago, so now, it's time to decide what that new name will be.

When I arrived, work on an RFP was under way and soon a firm, STAMATS, was identified to work with us on the name change. I found them to be knowledgeable and experienced, as their focus is higher education. The firm held focus groups with students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Together, we met with key legislators, the UH system chancellor, and the chairman of the Board of regents. Then, they conducted online surveys of prospective students, current students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

On April 14th, they presented their results to the campus with recommendations for two possible names. We held several public meetings presenting the survey results, allowing everyone to voice their feelings--good, bad, or indifferent. I was truly impressed by excellent presentations, the research findings, the recommendations, and the reaction of the campus--which was basically supportive, but with lots of questions and comments. The Chairman of the Regents, Welcome Wilson, attended four meetings over two days and answered questions.

The presentations are online at this page. STAMAT's findings underscored reasons why UHD should change its name. First, there is a lot of confusion about UHD. Students, employers, and donors confuse the University of Houston-Downtown with the University of Houston. Students apply to one university and show up at the other. They start classes at one university only to find out the major they want is at the other. Donors will tell deans or even the president of UHD, "We gave already this year," (meaning they gave to UH, not UHD). Employers say my assistant is a student at UH, when they actually are a student at UHD. This week a UHD faculty was quoted on a local television station, but identified as a faculty member at the University of Houston. Earlier a UHD student spoke at the White House and several times corrected the television interviewer, who repeatedly introduced her as a student from the University of Houston.

The confusion is natural. Unlike most systems that have universities in different cities, the University of Houston System has four campuses within a forty-mile radius. UH and UHD are just a few miles away from each other and adjuncts often teach at both universities. So, changing our name will help both institutions.

Second, a surprising number of people in Houston do not know of UHD and many think UHD is a branch campus of UH. They don't realize that it is a separately-accredited university. A survey of Houston residents conducted two years ago found that only a very small portion of respondents listed UHD, when asked to name four-year universities that serve Houston. Those that did name UHD thought it was a branch campus of UH. STAMATS found that just under 50% of prospective students surveyed thought UHD is a branch of UH. More surprisingly, nearly one-third of alumni and currently enrolled UHD students who participated in the survey thought UHD is a branch of UH. Worse, even some UHD faculty and staff made that same mistake, although these were mainly part-time faculty and staff.

Third, UHD is located downtown and serves Houston, but the majority of its students come from outside downtown. In fact, only 15% of students live within the inner loop (inside the 610 loop) and nearly half live out of the 8 Beltway. Moreover, we have learning centers in other parts of Houston and are opening a learning center in the Northwest up off 249 at the old HP Center (now Lone Star College's University Park).

Focus groups and survey results emphasized several important qualities of UHD: small classes, its location to the downtown and nearby employers, its diversity, and the fact it is interconnected to the city. These are important elements of what makes UHD distinct and starting point for branding, as we begin to brand the university.

Given all these reasons a name change makes sense, but one that retains a clear identification with Houston and the University of Houston System. STAMATS recommended two names, which are actually variants of each other: City University and Houston City University. Whichever name is ultimately selected, the name would include a tag, "A UH System University" or "Part of the University of Houston System."

There are very good reasons for either name. Clearly, UHD serves the city and surrounding environments and we get most of our students from Houston and the surrounding area. As one alumnus observed during the focus groups, "The school is in the city, but more importantly, the city is in the school."

The proposed names permit the university to tie itself to Houston even more clearly. After all, as Houston grows so will our university. The dialog and interaction was very good. Everyone had a chance to react and voice their opinion. So, what are the next steps? We will hold more focus groups, hold a straw poll to see support for one name or the other, and report our findings to the Board of Regents.

The Regents will then vote on the names and select a new name for the university. Finally, the legislature must approve the new name, which will only occur if the campus community rallies behind the new name.

So, there's much work to be done. But, we took an important step forward. Now, the discussions begin.

Mentoring Students in STEM--Key is Changing Organizational Culture

2010-03-25T11:33:00.011-05:00

There is no doubt that America must dramatically increase the number of scientists, engineers, technicians, and mathematicians that we produce each year in order to remain competitive internationally. Yet, how do we proceed?

Several states have increased math and science requirements in high school. Unfortunately, most states are having difficulty finding enough qualified and credentialed teachers to cover the required courses. This is especially true in low income schools. There is also a problem in attracting science and math majors to pursue careers in teaching at the high school level.

Additionally, the talent pool is more diverse, with more women and minorities majoring in sciences and math. Even so, very few minorities and women enter the ranks of the academy as professors. A variety of institutional and cultural barriers still exist, sometimes discouraging women and minorities from obtaining tenure track appointments in their fields or for obtaining tenure and promotion.

The American Association of University Women recently issued a report that found women continue to face barriers in STEM fields from attitudes and practices that persist in education and industry. This limits the number of young women who seek careers in STEM fields, as well as those who advance in the ranks of science, industry, and the professoriate.

To promote the discussion, I am sharing the thoughts of a friend, Patty Lopez, who is an Hispanic woman engineer with several patents under her belt. She currently works as a Component Design Engineer for Intel. I met Patty Lopez almost ten years ago, while serving as Provost of New Mexico State University. At the time, Patty worked for HP and was an alum of NMSU. She serves on the Electrical Engineering Advisory Board and their Electrical and Computer Engineering Academy. Patty has consistently worked to recruit women and minorities into STEM fields. She has also mentored many students and engineering professionals.

The following is written by Dr. Patty Lopez:

I wanted your insight on what I believe is the key to changing organizational culture in technology, which starts with changing the culture of higher education. Through my many board roles (at NMSU and elsewhere) and mentorship, I have found that many engineering colleges are inhospitable to women and minorities.

To be truly competitive, our tech workforce needs to be diverse. There are three gatekeepers for under-represented minorities (URM’s) in STEM that exist in K-12, higher education, and professionally.

The first gatekeeper is pedigree, and by this I mean where you were educated. In K-12, the pedigree of your high school determines which colleges you will be accepted into, in higher education, the institution from which you received your BS, MS, or PhD determines where you can go next, and how much you will inevitably earn. ACT and SAT scores will cull those high school graduates without adequate preparation and success in math and science, but many who would succeed lack adequate financial resources to enter the better colleges and universities. Many departmental graduate school selection committees use pedigree as their first “cut” at culling the list of applicants.

The assumption is two-fold: having a pedigree is an accurate predictor of future success, and the lack of one is an accurate predictor future failure. We know from many successful entrepreneurs that this is not the case. Unfortunately, many times pedigree is used as a selection criterion without thought to the fact that it is selecting out some very talented candidates who may not have the mentorship and sponsorship to make their case. Yes, they can write a letter that details their accomplishments and their “distance traveled”, if they know enough to do so. But many unfortunately do not.

The second gatekeeper is organizational culture – the mechanisms at work that generate glass or concrete ceilings. We see it at work in technology, where it also affects women, not just URM’s. Where does this culture come from? Our K-12 teachers have mandatory multicultural education training in their degree programs that prepare them for how to avoid bias and prejudice in the classroom. Higher education does not have any such requirements.

The key to changing organizational culture in industry, government, and research institutions begins with multicultural education and micro-inequities awareness training at all levels of academia – and must be supported at the highest levels of administration. Once we have experienced our own biases and how we use them in our daily lives, we can start to see how they permeate everything we do, how we make judgments based upon them, and how we exclude. Graduates will hopefully take their new awareness with them to their employers, wherever that may be, and thus the organization culture within technology companies would change.

The third gatekeeper is environment – and by this, I mean the environment in our colleges and workplaces. No doubt you have read the physorg.com article “Of Girls and Geeks: Environment may be why women don’t like computer science”. If you look inside most tech companies, you will see aisles and aisles of cubicles, and standard layouts for cubicle desks and equipment. If you walk down the halls of many engineering departments, many lack art of any kind, much less art that is culturally inclusive.

I took my 14-year-old daughter, 14-year-old nephew, and 18-year-old niece to UCSD last week to visit the engineering department there. Though the external campus was beautiful, we walked through the Jacobs School of Engineering and the majority of walls were bare, aside from some highly technical posters on various subjects. In the new Computer Science and Engineering building, again, very little art to entice shy, young, aspiring computer scientists and engineers into the building. We walked down the halls of the second floor, and while the interior offices might be highly personalized, the exterior halls were not, save for one post-doc with a cartoon on the door labeling himself “indentured servant”.

To the prospective student who has had mentors and sponsors in STEM, that experience alone would not deter them from entering. To the URM who has experienced many “closed doors”, it increases the sense of not belonging, not feeling welcomed, and that this is not a place where they can be successful. Never mind that they may be more resourceful, resilient, and just as talented as their pedigreed peers, but perhaps not as polished.

All three gatekeepers can be addressed through awareness. I have had the unique opportunity to experience all of them (in particular, barriers to academic positions upon receipt of my PhD), which is why I am so passionate on these issues. Perhaps you’ve had a chance to read Dr. Richard Tapia’s article on hiring and developing minority faculty at research universities (link is below).

Richard’s article strikes a chord when he shares the story of his talk "Why the Berkeley Math Department Would Never Hire Me." I could give several variants on that talk, from my own experiences. The irony is that I’m just the sort of person that industry and academia need – the sort of person who can be the diverse voice, the person who offers inclusiveness, sponsorship, and mentorship, the change agent that is needed to move women and minorities forward, if only the gatekeepers would let me pass through.

To implement a multicultural education program within a university, it must be supported at the highest levels, and training must happen at these levels on down the chain of command to the lowest level. How feasible is such a program? What are the advantages a university with such a program can demonstrate? How can they market themselves to compete for the best and brightest students? What if funding agencies would give priority to funding universities with this designation? What if accreditation organizations used this as a factor in accreditation decisions? I think this would certainly accelerate the adoption of such programs, leveling the playing field across the board.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Patty Lopez

Lessons from the Investiture

2010-03-15T11:19:00.003-05:00

When I first came to the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD), several faculty and a couple of deans asked me if we would be having a 'big' celebration, what some termed an 'inauguration.' After all, UHD had never had an investiture. I explained that I wasn't fully comfortable with making such a decision and that it should be up to the campus. I was adamant that if we did organize an investiture, I wanted to be sure that we would keep costs low and use the event for fund raising, especially for student scholarships. I also felt we should use the investiture to further build the reputation of the university and its ties to the community.

Well, we certainly did that. With sponsorships throughout the week, in-kind contributions, pledges and actual cash donations, we are figure the campus raised a little more than $450,000, with about $350,000 going to scholarships! That's pretty exciting, especially since we put the scholarship dinner together in less than four months.

We learned a lot through the activities, which everyone enjoyed. So, here are some lessons:

1) Make Sure the Campus Leadership Buys Into the Decision. The Faculty Senate, Staff Council, and Student Government leadership all were directly involved in organizing our events. A vice president and a faculty member co-chaired the Investiture Committee and involved scores of faculty, staff and students in the committee and many more organizing the events.

2) Showcase the Work of Students, Staff, and Faculty. Musical and dance performances by students and faculty were interspersed throughout the week. We set up a permanent faculty publications display in the library and held several well-attended faculty panels. The cheer squad led chants at different events and we introduced the National Championship Powerlifting Team. Students and staff held auditions to see who would sing the Star-Spangled Banner at the event. Student scholastic work was showcased in poster session, alongside displays of faculty art work.

3) Link the Investiture to Existing Campus and Community Events. We were able to connect with the Buffalo Bayou Partnership's Bayou Regatta, a citywide canoe and kayak race that ends near the campus. Also, the Bayou Partnership provided boat ride tours of the Bayou on Friday during Investiture week, where docents explained the history of the Bayou and buildings along the Bayou, including the old Merchant and Mercantile building where UHD now sits.

We also linked with the citywide FotoFest which launched Friday night, which held its opening reception next to the UHD College of Business building. We began the week with the citywide annual Fulbright Arts Festival, which was held at UHD that first Saturday and ended with the Regatta and the 51st Science and Engineering Fair of Houston, which is organized and sponsored in part by UHD. And, we moved a lecture by former Lt. Governor Bill Hobby to Investiture Week, who gave a wonderful lecture, 'A Political Atlas of Texas.' All of this was done without extra cost.

4. Raise Money! When we first began organizing the investiture there was considerable skepticism about our ability to raise any funds during a recession. But, we used the opportunity to meet with alumni, past donors, advisory boards, and several local companies, some of which do business with the university. Everyone was happy to give whatever they could. Sometimes it was a pledge, other times, it was a steep reduction in price, or a donation to the events. Keep track of every penny raised and thank every donor!

5. Keep Perspective: The Investiture is About the University, Not the President. We used the opportunity to strengthen relations with our alumni, our donors, our regents, with the system, with elected officials, and with the community-at-large. Several presidents and delegates came from Texas and from colleges and universities in other states, and from Mexico. Rather than renting a hotel, we held the Scholarship Dinner on campus at our University Events Center. And, we held the Investiture Ceremony at the city-owned Wortham Center. Throughout the week, we used the ceremonies and week-long activities to raise the public profile of the campus. We received wonderful coverage in the press and had good attendance for most of the events.

6. Have Fun. Everyone enjoyed themselves and we ended the Friday events with a staff roundup and Chili Cook-Off. The event was organized by the UHD Staff Council We had live music and lots of booths. Everyone had a great time.

I did my best to attend as many Investiture events as possible. Some I spoke at, some I simply attended and enjoyed. And, I found time to spend with family and friends, many of whom came to Houston for the celebration. Family and friends came from California, New Mexico, Texas and other states. I incorporated them into the activities, but also found time to spend only with family.

All-in-all the UHD Investiture Week was a great success! The campus is much closer now. There is a wonderful spirit among the faculty, staff, and students. As a university, we are moving forward. Yes, at UHD we truly are 'Making a Name for Ourselves.' And, we are 'Changing Lives, Building Futures!'

The Investiture speech can be viewed here.

Changing Lives, Building Futures

2010-03-12T08:58:00.011-06:00

The following is the text of my Investiture Speech (or view the video here):

Chancellor Renu Khator, Regent Welcome Wilson, President Jay Gogue and the many other presidents, including the UHD past presidents, and delegates, elected officials, faculty and alumni, friends and those of you who traveled far, I want to thank each of you for joining us today.

I am very pleased to have several family members here with me today and I would like to introduce, my wife, Celina; my father, Bill, who I am named after; my brother, Glenn; and my wife’s mother, Emma. Unfortunately, my Mother is no longer with us, but I am certain she is looking down from heaven and smiling with pride.

This is truly a very special day and occasion that brings new history to the University Of Houston-Downtown, UHD. I am deeply moved by all of the contributions we have received to fully fund this investiture and to create or expand several endowed scholarships for our students. I especially thank our sponsors and our donors. We are extremely grateful for your generosity and commitment to UHD! Your support truly is “Changing Lives, Building Futures.”

I also want to thank the regents, the past presidents, the faculty and staff of UHD, and the legislators. Your vision in establishing the University Of Houston-Downtown has given Houston an amazing university. UHD sits in the heart of the city, connected by freeway, rail and bayou. You had the foresight to build the university downtown and we receive students from every corner of Houston. Thank you.

As I stand here today, looking at my father, who has always been an inspiration to me, I cannot help but think of the theme of the investiture, “Changing Lives, Building Futures,” which resonates with my own life.

Education provided me with an immense opportunity for a very different life than I would have had without a college degree. After all, I never dreamt of being a university president.

In fact, growing up I didn’t think about going to college, at least not in the beginning. I was the only one in my family, including many cousins, to go to college and earn a degree directly out of high school.

Why was this the case? I am convinced it was because of my family. I grew up with parents committed to education. When I was in the third grade, my Dad went back to school. He had left high school to fight in World War II. He took classes at night while working full time. He would study at breakfast and dinner. And, sometimes I studied with him and with my Mom. I learned to love reading and to value education.

I remember when we got our first encyclopedia, buying a volume every week at the local store for 49 cents when we bought a bag of groceries. We traveled that summer for vacation and we missed one of the volumes, the letter “S.” It always seemed I needed something from that missing volume. Later, my Mom bought a complete set of the world book encyclopedia. I remember sitting down, grabbing each volume with excitement, looking at the pictures, and reading the articles.

My Mother often said, “Books open up the world. You can see places you could never visit and read about things you will never experience.”

Like many young boys, I thought I would be a firefighter or maybe a jet pilot. Most of my family had been in the armed forces or worked in aerospace. My Dad worked for the Department of Defense, my Mom had worked on airplanes during World War II, painting the dials on the control panels of the planes. Several aunts and cousins worked in the defense plants. In high school, I worked one summer as a machinist, grinding and polishing ailerons for the wings of the C5A transport carrier.

When I was in elementary school, my Dad took the family to the natural history museum in San Diego’s Balboa Park and I was awed by a display of dinosaurs. I wanted to dig up dinosaur bones. So, I got a little claw hammer and started digging up the backyard with our dog digging alongside me. We didn’t find any bones, but that didn’t stop me. I think we did some serious damage to a fruit tree. Later, I longed to be an astronaut and walk on the moon. When I started college, I wanted to be a doctor and save lives.

Now, I am a president and don’t do any of those things. Even so, college opened the door of opportunity and created pathways for my future. A college education meant that I could have more than just a job. It has allowed me several exciting careers. I’ve run a health center, worked in non-profits and for private industry. Later, I earned a doctoral degree and taught at various universities. And, of course, it led me here to Houston and onto this stage for this celebratory occasion.

And, I’m proud to be UHD’S President. Why? UHD is the thirteenth largest public university in Texas. It is also one of the most ethnically diverse universities in the country. We have truly great faculty and staff who are committed to this institution, to its mission, and to our students.

UHD opens the doors of opportunity for our students, who are often the first generation in their family to attend college. Most work at least 30 hours per week while attending classes and many of our students work full time.

At the same time, we understand higher education must be affordable and of the highest quality. UHD remains committed to opportunity, access and affordability. And, we are committed to excellence.

UHD is truly an opportunity university in Houston--the City of Opportunity. It is where working students and professionals can earn their degrees. And as you walk through the halls, you will see, UHD looks like Houston, just as Houston looks like the future of America!

Universities play a special role in society. But, there is always tension around change. Universities bridge yesterday with tomorrow. Universities are relics of time and thresholds to the future. They are bulwarks of tradition and engines of innovation. We wear these fancy robes and funny hats that go all the way back to the middle ages. An investiture was when the pope invested a bishop, or a king invested a lord with land and title. Of course, presidents don't have the power or authority of kings or lords. But, we oversee great universities, which study the past and make discoveries that can open up new and exciting worlds, and provide understanding of the past and present.

As Albert Einstein said, “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is to not stop questioning.” That is what we help students do, to understand the present, to think critically, and to build bright futures.

We cannot linger in the past, lest we fail to grasp the future. Henry Kissinger once said, “It is far easier to change the course of history, than to change a history course.”

After all, it takes a professor years of research to earn a Ph.D. and, it can take even longer for disciplines to accept new ideas or new ways of doing things. But universities must change to better serve our students. The world is changing rapidly and we must change with it.

There is an old Hebrew proverb: “Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time.”

That was never more true than today. After all, as faculty, many of us were trained decades ago, in what is now a previous century. We are completing the first decade of not only a new century, but, indeed, a new millennium.

Today, students confront a turbulent, global economy with rising powers, such as China and India. In fact, this morning’s news had a story on the richest person in the world. It is no longer Bill Gates or Warren Buffett. It is communications giant Carlos Slim from Mexico. In fact, India, Brazil and Mexico accounted for four of the ten richest people in the world. So the world is changing. And, as we saw with the worldwide recession, every country’s economy is interdependent. We cannot predict what the future will bring. Yet, we must prepare our students for this very complex and changing world.

We also have entered a digital, interactive, connected and convergent world. The high school graduating class of 2020 enters the third grade next fall. They were born in the 21st century. They are growing up in a digital world—-where, for them, cell phones have always taken photographs, where their brothers and sisters have always sent each other text messages, and where the first place they go when they have a question is to Google or Wikipedia.

These students of the new millennium will need a very different education than what we received. It is our responsibility to provide it to them. We must to build a university that meets the needs of the 21st century.

Since I arrived, I have engaged the university in a broad and inclusive planning process. We are thinking about how teaching and learning must change to better prepare our students. In the next few years, you will see profound changes at UHD. I am excited by the enthusiasm and the willingness of our faculty and staff to try new things and to re-envision and remake the university. In fact, many UHD faculty are leaders in applying technology to their research and their teaching.

Universities are America’s best source of innovation, imagination, discovery, invention and creativity. Our students will become tomorrow’s teachers, social workers, doctors, entrepreneurs, artists and scientists. They will build tomorrow’s world and we must give them the tools today to make their world a better place. Who knows? One day one of our students may discover a cure for cancer—or at least, perhaps, the common cold.

Great universities are essential to America’s future. To maintain its leadership position internationally, more Americans must receive a college education. And they must be prepared for this world of growing complexity and rapid technological change.

We are working on plans to ensure that every student receives a deep and memorable experience at UHD, be it internships, undergraduate research, civic engagement or capstone projects. We will improve student success at UHD; we will increase the number of students who graduate each year.

At UHD, we care about Houston and Texas and we want to help create a city of the future, just as we are working to build a university of the future. We address social problems confronting Houston and urge our students to address these problems through research and community service. Over the next few years, we will develop new undergraduate and graduate degrees and will add more online courses and degrees to meet the needs of Houston’s and America’s changing global economy. And, we will build a strong, leading metropolitan comprehensive university, one that will make Houston proud. And, we will work hard to become a leader nationally in educating first generation students, especially Hispanics and African Americans.

A great city is more than skyscrapers. It is more than steel, concrete and highways. A great city such as Houston must have a spirit that transcends the present and captivates the imagination. Universities help create that spirit and raise the aspirations and imaginations of the citizenry.

Houston must have an educated citizenry and UHD helps do just that. But, we do more than simply train, educate and provide degrees. We elevate aspirations and thinking. We help our students achieve their dreams. We change lives and build futures.

In 1914, philosopher John Dewey who believed that education is life itself, wrote, “Universities are public, not just because they receive public funds, but because they serve the public good and prepare citizens for the good of society.” That’s what we do.

UHD provides students with opportunities for life-long learning. Of course, students work hard to earn degrees, but we also provide them with the tools to build a future: critical thinking skills, the ability to communicate, the ability to relate to others and work in teams, an appreciation for right and wrong, for ethics, diversity and the ability to work with individuals from all cultures and walks of life.

Our students gain lessons in leadership and the ability to look beyond themselves. They will have the skills to address the problems our country will face and make discoveries that our society will need as the world changes. We prepare students to be engaged citizens in today’s global society, which, in turn, strengthens the fabric of our democracy.

I am reminded of Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1930s. The country had just come out of a terrible depression and war loomed on the horizon. Yet, she was hopeful. For her America could not wait for tomorrow to construct a new world today. She said, “It is today we must create the world of the future.”

Yes! Today! We must create the future!

And, as the fifth President of the University of Houston-Downtown, I am very proud to be here and together we change lives and build futures.

And like that Black Eyed Peas’ song, "Let’s Get It Started!"

Thank you.

The Balancing Act Between Cuts and Quality

2010-03-02T19:42:00.002-06:00

A friend of mine, who has been a president for a long time once told me, "It's easy to be a president when you have lots of money to give out."

Obviously, that's not the case for most university presidents today, especially presidents of public universities. States have sharply reduced appropriations. Endowments plummeted. And, tax revenues are still falling. The next biennium will make things worse, as states that shored up budgets with stimulus dollars will see those monies disappear, leaving a huge hole in base appropriations. Higher education will be hit hard in most states.

Most public universities, including the University of Houston-Downtown, have instituted some form of hiring freeze. Many have instituted furloughs and have reduced or eliminated non-essential travel. Others are undergoing drastic cuts, eliminating programs or even departments. Some state universities have already been forced to layoff staff and adjuncts. Now, some are laying off tenured faculty.

At UHD we are still going through our budget process. Believe it or not, this past month we actually made a very tough decision, but one that I think will strengthen the university. We will be hiring additional tenure track faculty because of our rapid growth. But, we also decided to reduce the faculty teaching load during a time of budget reductions. In doing so, we are investing in our future.

Two years ago the Academic Senate voted to reduce the teaching load from 4-4 to 4-3, with the desire to eventually move to a 3-3 teaching load, as we grow graduate programs and research. A 4/4 teaching load means that faculty teach 4 courses in the fall semester and four courses in the spring semester. A 4/3 means that in one semester the faculty member teaches 4 courses, in the next he or she teaches 3. Most of UHD's peer institutions in the region are already on a 3/3 or 4/3 teaching load.

When I arrived as president, I was surprised to learn of the new policy and its pending implementation. A few people urged me to postpone the move for an additional year or, at least, to consider phasing it in. Instead, we decided to authorize faculty hires to prepare for the transition to 4/3. We were making plans to fully implement the policy when the Governor notified us of a 5% rescission for this current fiscal year and for next.

After meeting with the Faculty Senate and talking with faculty, I realized that the policy was very important to them. Workload is not the same thing as teaching load. Faculty may teach 4 classes, each of which meets 3 hours per week, but that doesn't mean that they only work 12 hours per week. In fact, according to several workload studies, faculty throughout the country tend to work between 60 and 70 hours per week.

Faculty advise students on their major, career paths, and graduate school. They serve on committees (such as budget, personnel, curriculum, and assessment). They conduct research, develop service-learning and civic engagements projects, develop new courses and new degrees, apply for grants (which are complicated, cumbersome, and often rejected despite all the work), publish articles and books, attend professional conferences where they present their research, and, of course, prepare and update their courses. New technologies also pose challenges, as faculty must learn new software or tools.

By moving from a 4-4 teaching load to a 4-3 teaching load, we affirmed that our faculty need to have time to pursue their research and other professional activities. Moreover, we recognize that faculty do not fit in one mold. Some, because of their disciplines or professional interests, are involved in creative activities, such as developing a jazz or dance performance or writing a play. Others are interested in exploring new applications of their research. Still others are working with schools or nonprofits, applying their research to help improve student achievement in K-12 or to address social problems within Houston.

So, despite a 5% reduction for this year and next, we are moving forward with a reduction in teaching load. Even so, faculty are making adjustments. We will hire new faculty, but probably not as many full-time tenure track positions as we would like. We are reducing the number of low-enrolled courses, increasing class sizes (where appropriate and consistent with learning outcomes), and faculty will be asked to teach more online courses and to develop online and graduate degrees.

As I explained in a previous post, I have appointed an Efficiencies and Budget Reduction Task Force to review our budget and procedures. The Task Force will make recommendations on cost savings and revenue generation. As an institution, UHD will make additional adjustments in the next few years to find efficiencies and to reduce base budget costs, while freeing up monies for strategic initiatives.

We will also move forward to implement programs that will better recruit, retain, and graduate our students. So, we will hire new staff, particularly advisers, recruiters, and other staff working in programs dedicated to student success. We will invest in areas that grow resources, such as research and development. We will expand distance education with a new learning center and with online courses and degrees.

As we further develop our vision and strategic plan with our planning process, we will invest in key areas that will bring distinction to the university. I am confident that even tough times, together we will make smart decisions--decisions that will make us stronger, more efficient, and better at our prime mission, helping students to succeed. As the budget process continues, I will describe our decisions. I believe we are on the right path and will grow stronger through the process.

A Problem for America: The Soaring Cost of Higher Education

2010-02-20T06:01:00.014-06:00

Almost every day, we hear horror stories of students who have dropped out of college because they could no longer afford the cost. In mid-February of this year, students at the University of Colorado dressed in black and held a mock funeral for higher education. Several held signs with how much they owed in bright red. One student interviewed on television owed $50,000.

It is not uncommon for private universities to cost $50,000 or more, most of it just for tuition. Many public universities cost $40,000 for out-of-state students and $30,000 or more for in-state, most of this too represents tuition and fees. Add in books and the cost of living on campus and public higher education is becoming unaffordable to a growing number of Americans.

Six-of-ten students who graduate from public four-year colleges in the U.S. leave college with a combined debt (loans and credit cards) of $20,000 or more. If they go to graduate school, it is common to leave with debts of $50,000-75,000 or more.

And, the recession has made it worse. As the budget crunch has forced states to cut funding to public universities, resulting in higher tuition rates. States can't afford to continue to fund higher education institutions at the rate they did a few years ago, let alone a few decades ago.

In the University of Houston system state support has gone from 60% of total revenues 20 years ago to barely 25% today. Monies from tuition and fees now account for 60% of those revenues!

While financial aid has grown in absolute numbers, most financial aid (approximately 70% nationally) is in the form of loans. So, student indebtedness has grown and is compounded by the growing use of credit cards, as college students increasingly rely on credit cards to pay for books, food, clothing, and other expenses.

A recent report by Public Agenda and the National Institute for Public Policy and Higher Education, Squeeze Play 2010, found a drop in public trust of higher education. In 2007, 43% of those interviewed felt that colleges care about education and providing a quality educational experience for students. In 2010, that number had dropped to only 32% of respondents. Equally bad, in 2007, 52% of respondents felt that colleges were more like businesses and mainly care about the bottom line, today that number has grown to 60% of those surveyed.

Perhaps even worse, the report discusses what they term a 'misery index.' In 2000, 45% of those surveyed felt that the vast majority of qualified and motivated students have the opportunity to attend college. Today, that number has dropped to 28% of those surveyed. In the same ten year period, the number of people who felt that a college education is necessary for success in today's work world rose from 31% to 55%.

So, more people believe college is essential, but a huge portion feel that college is no longer affordable and that many qualified student will be unable to attend college. There is good reason to be concerned. According to a 2009 report by the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO), from 1970 to 2005, CPI-adjusted tuition and fees at 4-year public universities rose 177% (although net revenue rose only 140%).

Between 2005 and 2010, tuition and fees at public universities grew by twice the rate of inflation. According to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, between 1982 and 2007, family income only rose by 147%, the CPI rose by 106%, yet tuition shot-up by 439%. In the same period, the percentage of household income needed to send a child to college rose from 20% to 28%.

Meanwhile, the amount of total college costs covered by scholarships and grants declined. Pell Grants covered 52% of the cost of college (tuition, fees, book, and room and board) for qualifying freshmen in 1987-88, but only 32% in 2009. During the same period, the percentage represented by student loans doubled. State aid also declined relative to the rising cost of tuition. Between 2001-02 and 2006-07, average state financial aid grew by 28% from $480 to $613, but average state tuition rose from just over $3700 to nearly $6,000 (a rise of 54%).

Moreover, states are reducing need-based aid, while increasing the portion of merit-based aid or, as in Texas, pairing need with merit. In 1987-88 only 17% of state-aid was merit-based, today that percentage has increased to 28% of all state-based financial aid. Financial aid is diminishing relative to cost precisely at a time when more Americans need college degrees and more students are Hispanic, first-generation, and from poor and working class families.

There are no easy answers. State appropriations are being drastically cut. Most states survived the recession with deep cuts and by using stimulus dollars to fill big holes in the budget. The picture will get worse in 2012 when stimulus dollars disappear. So, universities raise tuition, and students are forced to work more hours and take more loans to obtain a college degree.

Even so, America must confront the reality that higher education is becoming unaffordable to a large portion of Americans. We cannot turn our backs on working class and middle class Americans. America grew strong after World War II because of the GI Bill. Many veterans, including my father, earned their high school diploma and many went to college, because of the GI Bill. To keep America strong, we must have more Americans obtain college degrees and we must make the path to college affordable.

Similarly, universities must commit to keeping down the costs of higher education and to increasing need-based scholarships. States and the federal government must find ways to increase Pell Grants, and other need-based financial aid.

Next year, tuition and fees at the University of Houston-Downtown will increase by $113 for students taking 12 hours. The tuition and fee increases will be used to promote student success, so that we can increase need-based scholarships, hire more faculty and staff (particularly those in student services), and maintain or expand programs that support students (such as supplemental instruction and mentoring programs).

No one wants to raise tuition, particularly at UHD, where we serve mainly working class and first-generation college students. Nearly 90% of our students are eligible for some form of financial aid. Our student body is 37% Hispanic and 28% African American and the vast majority come from households earning less than $40,000.

Like every public university in Texas, UHD also had to make state-mandated cuts of 5% for both FY2010 and FY2011. Still, we are committed to keeping UHD affordable and to promoting student success. UHD remains one of the most affordable four-year public universities in Texas. UHD is one of the best values in higher education. It provides a high-quality education at a low cost. And, we intend to keep it that way. But, even more importantly, we pledge to make it an institution known for both opportunity and student success.

Our Faculty and Staff Do Great Things

2010-02-16T21:52:00.003-06:00

In my last post I gave examples of some of the amazing accomplishments of the students at the University of Houston-Downtown. I’m also very impressed by our faculty and staff. There are too many to list here, so I will provide only a few examples.

I begin with a faculty member whose research may one day protect wine crops in Texas. Lisa Morano, an associate professor of Natural Sciences, along with her team of undergraduate students has been tracking the genetic footprint of Pierce disease as it makes its way from the Gulf of Mexico to central Texas. Pierce disease is caused by the xylella bacteria and is spread by the glassy-winged sharpshooter (homalodisca vitripennis).

Morano's students, most of whom are part of UHD’s Scholars Academy, perform DNA extractions to help create genetic fingerprints in the laboratory. The students present their research at national conferences and most plan to pursue graduate degrees. Says Dr. Morano, “We’re bringing science to life and giving undergraduate students the opportunity to do something they wouldn’t normally be able to do until graduate school.”

UHD faculty members are involved in research in many subjects and their research often provides research opportunities for our undergraduates. For example, associate professor Jeff Flosi’s expertise on mosquitoes and the diseases they carry has led a number of students to conduct research projects on the West Nile virus. Like Morano, Dr. Flosi’s work has stimulated many students to pursue graduate degrees and several have gone on to medical school or doctoral programs.

Dr. David Ryden, associate professor of history, learned that his book, “West Indian Slavery and British Abolition, 1783-1807,” has been selected as one of the Outstanding Academic Titles of 2009. This is a prestigious honor that virtually guarantees that his book, already out of print, will appear in libraries across the country. The book will go into a second printing and is a great success. Dr. Ryden credits the UHD Faculty Development Leave Program as instrumental in helping him complete his book, as it enabled him to step away from class and focus on his research and writing.

Dr. Ermelinda DeLaVina, associate professor of mathematical sciences, has been featured in a publication of Sally Ride Science aimed at middle school and high school students. Sally Ride, you will remember, was the first woman to successfully fly into space back in 1983. The publication gives students a first-hand look at women who have established successful careers in math and science, providing role models that provide guidance and inspiration. Dr. DeLaVina’s work and strong reputation for mentoring students interested in STEM fields has won her national recognition, which is why she was included in the project.

UHD has a renowned jazz musician and conductor, Robert Wilson. Wilson and one of the jazz group he leads, the Young Sounds of Houston, have been invited to perform at a New Orleans Jazz Festival. He has also been asked by the U.S. Park Service to assist their efforts to reclaim jazz heritage in New Orleans by helping to build interest in jazz among young people in New Orleans. For his work, UHD has created a new role and title. Wilson has been appointed as our university’s first Musician Artist-in-Residence. According to Wilson, “This is a great honor that will help me attract more students and build greater support for our jazz program.”

There’s also great staff at UHD. For example, Po-Chu “Anges” Leung, the director of testing services at UHD, won the “Cathy Erwin Humanitarian Award” from the Texas Education Agency for her outstanding work in administering GED exams to thousands of Houston and nearby residents. By her work, she has helped these students to pursue college work at UHD and community colleges. Ms. Leung began her career by first passing a GED herself. She told me, “I love opening the doors of opportunity for our students.”

The UHD IT department has also been recognized for its Strategic Plan for Information Technology. Under the leadership of Hossein Shahrohki, associate vice president for IT, the department has made UHD one of the most modern and up-to-date campuses in the country. Their Strategic Plan was highlight as outstanding example for government agencies in the online publication, Texas Ahead, published by the Texas Controller of Public Accounts.

I wish I had room to list so many other UHD faculty and staff who give their time and expertise to our student and to the community. They serve on school boards, volunteer in homeless shelters, tutor children in middle schools, and gather coats for kids to keep them warm in the winter. They work without public accolades or recognition. But, they help make Houston a better place to live. Hearing their stories makes be proud and I will provide more examples of their work in future posts. Stay tuned, because our faculty and staff are doing new and exciting things every day.

Faces of the Future: Amazing Accomplishments of UHD Students

2010-02-08T07:32:00.000-06:00

One of the true joys of being the president of the University of Houston-Downtown is having an opportunity to meet some of our outstanding students. They are the faces of America's future.

I have previously mentioned the work of our Powerlifting Team that has won two national championships and our Model UN team that has gone on to win recognition in New York, Madrid, Paris, Mexico City, and Milan. But, our students just keep winning. We even have one student who is an Olympic medalist and has written a book about her experiences!

On Saturday, February 6th, the UHD Powerlifting Team successfully defended its WABDL National Collegiate Team Championship--its third consecutive national championship! The team achieved its victory over a particularly difficult opponent, UT San Antonio. The team's coach, John Hudson, who is an assistant professor of English and who requires all team members to maintain a 2.5 GPA in order to compete, exclaimed, "UTSA is a great team and they bring out the best in our lifters."

The UHD team received a perfect score! The Team Co-captain, Ilian Rojas, scored 165 points and 1st Place in the Bench Press, 1st Place in the Deadlift, and 1st Place Total! He was one of four students who joined me a few days prior to the tournament, when I spoke to the Kiwanis Club of Houston.

Rojas wore two national championship medals to the luncheon. A sophomore majoring in applied mathematics, he serves as a UHD Ambassador and works as personal trainer in the UHD Sports and Fitness Department. Ilian graduated from the Yes College Prep academy in Houston in 2008. He had never tried powerlifting until he came to UHD. Now he is a national champion with three team medals!

Another amazing student who joined us for the luncheon is Melissa Chan, a UHD Chemistry major. She already has an undergraduate degree, having graduated from CUNY's Hunter College with a triple major in German, Russian and Political Science. Ms. Chan works as an animal behavioral specialist at the SPCA in Houston.

Melissa has earned recognition for her undergraduate research in electro-chemical analysis and will present her work at the National Conference of Undergraduate Research in Montana later this year. Next year, she will earn dual degrees from UHD and the Technical University of Lodz in Poland. She plans to pursue a PhD in neuropharmacology in Germany.

Also joining us at the Kiwanis luncheon was Gaspar Gonzales, a full-time student in the Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts program with an emphasis in music. He serves as an intern to the administration of the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, where he will learn the business and marketing side of running a chamber orchestra. Gonzales works part-time as a music teacher at Stevenson Elementary School in the Heights.

Finally, there was Claudio Saenz, a junior in international business, who is a Microsoft Student Partner. He teaches students and staff on UH System universities about software and technology. The job allows him to connect with other students who are passionate about technology, marketing, and learning. Saenz works full-time at DI Central a business-to-business software company. With all of this, Saenz is a full-time student.

But, these are only a few of our Stars at UHD. Let me mention a few other amazing UHD students:

Diana Lopez won the bronze medal in the Korean martial art of Tae Kwon Do at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Lopez and her brothers made history that year by being the first set of four siblings to represent the U.S. on the same Olympic Team, and for having three siblings win medals in the same sport. Ms. Lopez is a junior majoring in interdisciplinary studies.

Her book, “Family Power,” was co-authored with her brothers. It was released in late 2009 by Penguin Press and chronicles the hard work of the Lopez trio as they became 'America’s First Family of Tae Kwon Do.' She explains, “We do everything together. It made sense to write a book together.”

UHD also has world class salsa dancer. A business major at UHD, Vanessa Pinon, and her partner danced nearly flawlessly in Japan at the international salsa championships in Japan. They finished 11th, but qualified to dance in the World Championships in Miami later this year. Ms. Pinon will be dancing at UHD on Tuesday March 9th as part of the festivities of Investiture Week.

Abdul Jangda is a junior majoring in industrial chemistry at the University of Houston-Downtown. A student in the UHD Scholars Academy, Jangda's chemistry research centered on detecting metal particles in liquid by using special plastics capable of conducting electricity. He developed a special plastic polymer while working with UHD assistant professor of Chemistry, Mian Jiang.

Jangda presented his work at a recent Sigma Xi science research conference and received a superior rating. The judges commented that his work has many potential medical uses and appears to be relatively affordable. They believe a polymer with the right qualities could lower the cost of testing blood for sodium, potassium, glucose and other elements that doctors use to diagnose and treat patients.

That would be great wouldn't it? Reducing the price of medical tests could reduce the costs of medical care. Who knows, maybe one of these days a UHD student will tackle lowering the cost of health care insurance!

Each of these students are helping UHD to Make a Name for Itself. That's been our mantra this past year. We want everyone to know just how wonderful the University of Houston-Downtown really is. We want every to know the great things our students achieve.

I am truly impressed by the accomplishments of our UHD Gators. And, I am proud to be the president of their university.

Our Approach to Cutbacks: Tough Choices, Hopefully to Make Us Stronger

2010-02-02T12:15:00.000-06:00

Making cuts are difficult for anyone, especially for a new president. They are particularly hard when you had hoped to recommend pay raises. In fact, that's just what we were prepared to do here at the University of Houston-Downtown. We had planned on giving a mid-year raise conditional on increased enrollments and growth in the economy. And, enrollments have gone up.

So, we were in the process of preparing our budget submissions for the UH System and to the UH System Board of Regents with a 2% merit increase, when we received notice from the Governor, Lt. Governor, and the Speaker of the House requiring all Texas public universities to prepare for a 5% rescission for each of the two years of the budget cycle. The budget reductions are necessary because of declining state revenues from sales tax and declining revenues from oil and natural gas (prices dropped dramatically, but are heading upwards again).

UHD must now prepare for budgets cuts of nearly $1.4 million for each of the two years in the biennium (a total of roughly $2.8 million). Add in the amount of money that came from stimulus funds, about $1.2 million (which will disappear in 2012), and we must prepare for various cuts which total about $4 million. That may not sound like a lot, but we depend on state appropriations to fund our basic operations.

Nor do we have much turnaround time. As a system, we have to submit our plans by February 15th. Campuses have to submit their plans to the UH System office even earlier. So, we are already putting together plans for the first round of cuts.

At this past Friday's Convocation with faculty and staff, I assured everyone that we will pursue and an open and inclusive process in making these decisions. While we will not be able to give pay raises this year, it is important that we undertake the reductions in a careful, reflective, and planned way, securing jobs as much as possible, and expanding services to our students so that we can continue our growth. UHD currently has just under 13,000 students and we are growing every year.

The new base period begins this summer. Enrollments achieved during the base period will drive funding for the upcoming FY 2012/2013 biennium. So, UHD will continue to grow its enrollments and we will qualify for more funding through state appropriations. We will hire new faculty and we will hire the staff we require to support student success. UHD is known for its small classes, for the attention students receive from faculty and staff, and for our focus on helping students succeed. That won't change. If anything, we intend to do an even better job of retaining and graduating students.

Also, we will do everything we can to provide pay raises next year. Going two years without pay increases damages faculty and staff morale. It would undercut our efforts to recruit top talent and hurt our ability to retain our highly committed and high-performing faculty and staff, who are the heart of UHD and who are critical to our success.

Our situation reminds me of comments by John F. Kennedy made in a speech in Indianapolis on April 12, 1959. JFK pointed out, that the Chinese character for the word 'crisis' (wei ji) contains two concepts. One represents 'danger,' while the other represents 'opportunity.' In times of great difficulty, whether severe crisis or simply difficult challenges, some recoil from fear of danger, while others prosper by pursuing opportunity.

At UHD, we will grow stronger, for we have a strong foundation to build upon. We have already begun a planning process to decide on areas of strength we want to expand. These discussions will guide us as we begin to make the tough decisions ahead.

We are not going to take across-the-board cuts. Rather, we will pin-point reductions. While cuts for the current year (FY2010) won't be easy, they should be relatively straight forward. We will use savings from lapsed or vacant positions, unallocated funds that would have been distributed later this year, along with the monies that would have gone to pay increases. That just about gets us to $1.4 million.

Reductions for FY2011 will be more challenging. This year enrollments are projected to grow over last year by about 4%, so we need to provide sufficient class sections, advisers, transcript evaluators, and support staff. Also, we are initiating classes in a new educational facility at the HP campus near Hwy. 249 northwest of Houston. The University Park, owned by Lone Star College System will house several universities, including UHD. We will begin classes there this summer and expand classes in the fall and spring.

Moreover, it is very important that we begin some of the initiatives identified through the planning process, particularly those that will help retain and graduate more students, ensuring that they receive the high-quality education for which UHD is known.

So, we actually need more money and more positions at the same time we will have less. This is a conundrum confronting many higher education institutions throughout the country. How you do provide more with less?

Clearly, we can't do it the same way we've done it in the past. We have to change our processes, find efficiencies, reduce low-enrolled courses, expand enrollments for some classes without affecting quality, provide more classes in the evenings and weekends, offer more online and hybrid courses, institute cost savings, etc. And, we will accomplish these reductions while also improving the quality of student learning.

We have decided to institute two approaches to help us decide on the budget reductions. First, I will appoint an Efficiencies and Budget Reductions Task Force composed of representatives from faculty, staff, and some students. I have already asked constituent groups to submit nominees. The Task Force won't have enough time to draft the Feb. 15th response to the Governor and the LLB. That will be developed by the vice presidents with me and shared broadly throughout the campus.   Rather, the Task Force will review the budget, examine data on space and staff utilization, cost centers, expenditures per area relative to peers, etc. The Task Force will recommend short and long-term solutions that we can take as a university to reduce costs while also expanding services and pursuing new initiatives and priorities.

Secondly, we will ask employees to submit their suggestions for cost savings. We hope to receive many helpful recommendations. We will implement all those that reduce costs and strengthen the institution. The faculty or staff member who submits the idea which results in the most savings will be honored next year.

The U.S. economy will pick up and the state budget will improve. On Friday (Jan. 29), we learned that nationally the economy grew by 5.7% in the fourth quarter. This is the second quarter in a row that we have had some growth. The previous quarter the economy grew by 2.2%. So, we are seeing good signs.

The Dallas Fed predicts that by the end of 2010 Texas will have a net increase of 100,000 new jobs (over and above those lost during the recession).   According to projections by the Greater Houston Partnership, Houston should complete the year with a net increase of 10,000 new jobs.

Houston is doing well and so is UHD. We may be making reductions, but we will use them to grow stronger. As we embark on the cuts, I suggested to our faculty and staff that we consider a basic principle from Jim Collin's book, Good to Great, which is that you must focus your resources for success. As anyone who has ever grown roses knows, you can't just let them grow unattended. To produce strong, healthy roses, you must prune the bushes from time-to-time.

That's what we will do. We will trim the bushes. And, I assure you, we will produce beautiful roses here at UHD.   It is an opportunity to examine the institution and make improvements. And, we will grow stronger and better in the process.

21st Century Learning: What Employers Expect of College Graduates

2010-01-24T18:59:00.015-06:00

At this past week's American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) conference held in Washington, D.C. we learned about the changing world and the changing needs of higher education graduates. Presenters emphasized the need for high-skilled professionals in the coming years with a growing gap of as many as 25 million by 2025, especially in high tech, bio-tech, health care and other fields.

High Targets for 2025:

Speakers urged college and universities to emphasize both access and completion of college. Clearly, this will not be easy. It will mean that K-12 will have to dramatically increase the number of high school graduates who complete high school ready for college, precisely at the time that schools are becoming more minority, particularly Hispanic, and facing sharper class divides (with a growing number of very poor and under-resourced schools and districts). Addressing these inequities and ensuring that more Americans graduate from high school college-ready are essential for the future of this great country and for its democracy.

President Obama has set a high goal. By 2020, the president wants the U.S. to regain its leadership internationally in the percentage of the adult population with some college. That goal would require the U.S. to increase the number of adults with some college from its current rate (39%) and by-pass Canada (currently with 55% of its adult population with some college). The Lumina Foundation for Education, the Gates Foundation, the National Governors Association, State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO), and others hope to raise the percentage to 60% by 2025. The federal government and foundations are investing billions of dollars to help the nation meet these goals.

Still, it will be a real stretch. Paul Lingengelter, President of SHEEO, said that to hit the 60% target by 2025 would require an increase of 16 million new certificate and degree holders over and above current rates. Jamie Merisotis, president and CEO of Lumina, told us that to reach this goal means that colleges must work together with K-12, community colleges, and private industry to ensure multiple pathways for students to enter college and upgrade their skills to match a dramatically changing economy. But, speakers also emphasized that the quality of student learning must improve, with greater depth and breath.

Martha Kanter, Higher Education Under-Secretary for the U.S. Dept. of Education noted that "we must move adults through the system faster and with high quality" so that adult learners without a high school degree can earn their GED, those with a GED can earn a certificate or an associate of arts degree, and those with AA or AAS can earn a BA.

Kantor stressed that industry is rapidly changing. She noted that by 2016 the 30 fastest growing fields will require at least a bachelor's degree. Kantor challenged colleges and universities "to do a better job of helping students who enter college to actually earn a degree." She also urged colleges and high schools to work together to expand dual credit and Early College experiences so that high school students can earn a college certificate or even an AA, while still in high school.

Preparing Students for a Global Economy:

We received two very important new reports: The Quality Imperative and at the President's meeting, "Raising the Bar: Employer's Views On College Learning in the Wake of the Economic Downturn." AAC&U's Quality Imperative report urges presidents and universities to undertake "a far-reaching and unprecedented effort to ensure that all the nation's college students--whatever their age and whatever their backgrounds--receive the finest possible preparation for the demands and challenges of this global economy." The report views narrow or overly-specific curricula as a "barrier to opportunity," as all college students "need to develop broad knowledge--of science, society and global developments."

"Raising the Bar" presented a survey of employers conducted on behalf of AAC&U. According to the report, "only one-in-four employers thinks that two-year and four-year colleges are doing a good job in preparing students for the challenges of the global economy." One-fifth of employers surveyed feel "significant change" is required in higher education. When it comes to future hiring, employers indicate that they see a growing need for those with some college, but "their greatest increase in emphasis will be in hiring graduates from a four-year college."

So what do employers feel colleges should stress as learning outcomes? According to the report, 89% of respondents want increased emphasis on 'written and oral communication,' 81% expect greater emphasis on 'critical thinking and analytic reasoning,' 79% want greater 'applied knowledge in real world-settings,' 75% want greater 'complex problem solving' abilities, 75% desire increased 'ethical decision making' skills, and 71% want greater 'teamwork skills in diverse groups.'

Scott Brown of CISCO spoke from an industry perspective, emphasizing that students learn more about globalization, team-work and real-world internships. He noted, "The world and industry is changing so rapidly that we can't even predict what the world will look like in 20 years." Even so, it is likely that by 2030 China, India, Korea, and Brazil will account for half of the world's GDP. Brown urges colleges to prepare students for the global world with language, history, culture, and geography skills for that changing world.

He pleads, "teach your students how to think critically, work in interdisciplinary teams, solve problems together in real world settings, and with tight time-lines." Brown says, students need to be able to argue for their positions and to communicate--not just verbally and in writing, but in multimedia presentations. Brown also stressed that all students should receive "meaningful internships," where they are expected to "apply what they have learned to solve real world problems."

It's a big task. It will require significant change in K-12 and higher education. The task is made harder by state cuts in higher education funding. Still, if the U.S. doesn't dramatically increase the quantity and quality of college graduates we produce, American will lose its competitive edge. So, we must get better at what we do, even in these challenging and turbulent times. I'll keep you informed on our progress.

What Will the New Decade Mean for Higher Education?

2010-01-12T08:41:00.027-06:00

As the clock struck midnight and the ball dropped in Times Square, I realized that we had passed an important decade and were entering an even more important one. The ten years from 2000-2009 brought immense change to the world: the 9/11 attack on the world trade center, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the global meltdown, and an era of massive borrowing and foreclosures.

Bush gave way to Obama. China and India rose as major players on the world scene. The household phone gave way to cellular. In technology, we had social networks bloom with Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and many more. The iPhone, Google Maps, MP3 players, the Wii player, Bluetooth, BlueRay, GPS units on phones and in cars, the Kindle, and eBooks. And, of course, we had Avatar demonstrating the 3-D and simulation technology that will be commonplace in future films.

But how has education changed in the past decade? For the most part, very little. Most teaching still takes place in a classroom with a chalkboard or whiteboard. Teachers and faculty augment lectures with multimedia in their classroom, with PowerPoint presentations and some video. Software for instruction and labs has grown in many fields. Increasingly, faculty are using hybrid and online formats as a regular part of teaching. Expect this to grow even more in the coming decade.

In the next decade, more books (including textbooks) will be read online than on your lap. HD televisions will give way to 3-D TVs. Holographic displays will be used in science and simulation. Most cell phones will have HD projectors and two-way video conferencing. Cars and phones will read your email to you. And, by 2020, new developments in technology, expansion of high speed networks, and dropping prices will make video conferencing available in most K-12 and higher education classrooms.

What will be the Major Trends by 2020 in Higher Education:

1. A Massive Growth in Online Education: The Sloan Foundation projects that online learning will pass face-to-face classroom instruction by 2015. The Chronicle for Higher Education projects that by 2020 as much as 60% of all college credit hours earned will be online. The learner will be able to pick from a variety of courses online to select the most convenient time or format and as needed.

**By 2015, expect to see most classes and most degrees available 24/7 online to laptops, phones, and TVs.

**Several universities already offer free lectures and conferences online. Expect this to grow, with more people watching and learning.

2. Integration of Life and Learning: Education will take place less and less in the classroom. Businesses will encourage employees to take courses to upgrade skills on an as-needed basis, with many courses being received on-site. Education will become more learner-centered and learner-initiated. Life-long learning will increasingly become a reality. Students will be encouraged to use the tools of the internet, social networking, and new technologies to explore learning and to find new sources of data. But, they will also be encouraged to log-off and get engaged in the communities they live in or to visit other countries.

**Just-in-time learning will become common place with learners seeking out knowledge, courses, certificates, and degrees as needed.

**Expect internships, co-ops, and service learning to grow and increasingly to be required for graduation.

3. Transferability and Transportability: Students and their parents are frustrated that they can't transfer courses from one institution to another. There will be increased pressures from states and the federal government to ensure institutions work together on transfer agreements. Europe has already begun this process in more than a dozen majors. The U.S. has been slow to move on this, but will do so over the next decade.

**Expect accreditation bodies and federal regulators to pressure institutions to accept more transfer credits.

**Expect students to shop online for the most affordable, quality courses and take as many as possible, aggregating their courses until they pick one institution that will accept those credits and help them graduate.

4. Growing Crisis of Affordability: Higher Education is pricing itself out of business. Students and parents are tired of paying outrageous tuition to private universities, where tuition, fees and ancillary costs have already topped $40,000. Scholarships are not keeping up with costs. Many flagship public universities are increasing merit-based scholarships at the expense of needs-based aid.

**Enrollments at community colleges and comprehensive universities will grow as students are unable to afford high-priced tuition and are unwilling to assume huge debt to go to more expensive institutions.

**Expect public and private universities to offer some courses for free, or at highly-discounted prices particularly for teachers and high school students.

**Expect most colleges to "give" each student a laptop when they arrive (the price of which is wrapped in tuition and fees) or at least have laptops for check-out.

**In addition, expect more states to adopt legislation to limit tuition increases by public universities.

5. Stack-able Credits: Several community colleges and continuing education programs have already started this on limited basis, but expect this trend to grow. Instead of a 3 hour (3-unit) course taught over 15 weeks, courses in some fields will be divided into modules of 1 hour (1 unit) each or even less (.5 unit). When all modules are completed the learner earns 3-units credit (usually requiring completion of a project, paper, or final).

**Expect institutions to design stack-able courses, certificates and degrees.

6. Compressed Semesters: Universities already offer courses in compressed mode during summer or winter sessions. These courses are usually taught 3 hours per day for 3 weeks. Sometimes, they are taught two nights a week plus two full weekends.

**As more students work full-time, expect more students to demand and more institutions to offer compressed courses and schedules.

7. More Adjunct Faculty: It is a sad fact that the number of tenure-track positions are disappearing rapidly. Nationally, tenure-track faculty represent less than 50% of all faculty positions. Unfortunately, this will continue, as universities are pressed to serve more students with less public funding.

**But, expect universities to increase benefits and pay for adjuncts and to offer more regular contracts.

8. Compressed Degrees and New Incentives: Europe has already moved to three year bachelors degrees and the U.K. is exploring 2 year degrees. Expect pressure to reduce time to degree completion. In the U.S., a little more than a quarter of students in "four-year" universities graduate in four years and a little more than half graduate in six years.

**Expect states to adopt incentives to fund universities based on the number of degrees awarded rather than simply funding universities based on the student credit hours produced.

**Expect expansion of dual-credit courses with more high school students taking college courses and earning certificates and even associate arts degrees before graduating high school.

9. More American Students Studying Abroad American students learn about other countries in their classrooms. Now, they will talk with students from other countries in the class through video conferencing, social networks and Skype.

**Expect more U.S. students to visit other countries, study there, do research and get involved in service projects.

10. The Continuing Crisis for Funding: While the global economic crisis is slowly ending, the crisis in public funding of higher education will intensify. To continue its economic growth and leadership, America will have to confront funding for public higher education. Failure to find proper funding for the growing higher education needs of its population is not an option, unless Americans accept a decline in this country's prestige, power, economic growth, and standard of living.

**Expect institutions to make major cuts in areas ancillary to their main mission. Some will reduce building expansion, particularly as online enrollments grow, but also as some academic programs are merged or eliminated.

**Universities will likely adjust schedules to make more use of existing space (such as offering more classes at night and on weekends).

**Expect to see some institutions with Division I sports (particularly those which are deeply in the red) to move to Division II. Others will jettison certain high-cost sports, such as football. Also, expect national policy discussions to heat up on the BCS and the sky-rocketing cost of collegiate sports--with likely congressional hearings.

**Expect policy discussions over the next decade on a 21st Century Master Plan for American Higher Education--to keep this country strong, to provide real pathways for life-long learning, to invigorate learning with rapid innovations in technologies and software, and to develop the science, technology, and innovation that is heart of this nation's economic engine.

**Finally, expect America to find ways to make it possible for more students to earn their college degrees at an affordable price. We must work together to find mechanisms to keep higher education accessible and affordable. We can't afford not to!

Commencement--A Magnificent Experience

2009-12-20T20:19:00.006-06:00

Graduation ceremonies at any university are so much fun. But December graduation ceremony at the University of Houston-Downtown was especially impressive. Nearly 1,250 students, the largest single graduating class in the university's history, shook hands and crossed the stage to receive their diplomas.

So many parents and loved ones show up each semester that the university has to hold its graduation ceremonies at Minute Maid Park--where the Houston Astros play their games. The place was packed with between 15,000-20,000 parents, spouses, family, and friends in attendance. And, the flash from cameras filled the air.

The crowds began early Sunday morning with parents taking pictures, and students in cap and gown running from the parking the lot to line up. Parents hugged their students and students hugged their children or loved ones--parents, boyfriends, girlfriends, wives, husbands, brother and sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, neighbors and co-workers--all celebrating.

Any graduation is colorful and exciting: the multi-colored regalia, the march of the faculty and students to "Pomp and Circumstance," the shouts and joy of the students, and the happiness of the parents and loved ones fill the air. For students, it marks the end of courses, finals, and late-night study sessions. For parents and students alike, it means the end of those checks for tuition, fees, and books (at least, until the loans are due).

Because UHD's graduation ceremony takes place at Minute Maid Park, the parents can watch the students cross the stage on the large screens throughout the park. Some come with banners, noise-makers, and cheering sections. They scream when the name of the student is called or when the student crosses the stage.

Because these are first generation students and mainly working students, it is a big deal when they graduate. It is not uncommon to see extended families of 25 or more sit together--they come early, mark off seats, and fill the stands.

At this graduation ceremony the youngest student to receive their bachelor's diploma was 20 years old and the oldest was 63! The average age of the graduates was just over 30. There were students from nearly 30 countries--from Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. But, most were born and raised in the Houston area or in nearby cities in Texas. And, most were the first in their family to earn a college degree.

Like the name itself, "Commencement," the ceremony marks a new beginning--as students move to a new phase of life, entering the job market and seeking new careers. The stories of the students are quite impressive with many who overcame tremendous sacrifices and personal or family difficulties to make it through college.

UHD graduate Norvia Read gave the student address. She has earned a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies, with an emphasis in teaching. She spoke about the impact UHD has made in her community and the potential that every graduate holds. Despite a learning disability, Ms. Read persisted in education, ultimately succeeding.

Novia Read was among the first to enroll in the UHD/Lone Star College-Kingwood joint-admissions program for future teachers, which allows community college students to complete an associate degree from LSC-Kingwood and a bachelor's degree from UHD at the Kingwood campus. She completed her graduation requirements in August and is already working as a third grade teacher in the New Caney Independent School District.

Like Read, the vast majority of UHD students already have some job and are seeking a bachelor's or master's degree for a better job or a more secure career. When I asked, "how many the graduates worked 30 hours or more while going to college?", nearly the entire graduating class stood up.

But, a lot of students and quite a few parents are worried about the prospects for jobs in the future. As one graduating student told me, "It's a bit terrifying, to be graduating in this economy. There are so few jobs for students to take. I just hope I can find a job."

This is a natural concern, after all, they are entering an economy that is showing signs of life--but still losing jobs. Nationally, many students will postpone the search for new jobs by entering graduate school or by taking a year off to travel, volunteer with a community organization, or work as low-paid (or even unpaid) interns to build up their resume.

Houston, at least, is better off than most cities in the country and Texas is better off than the majority of states. Even so, Houston's economy is flat. According to projections by the Greater Houston Partnership, job losses in Houston will continue into 2010, with slight gains by the summer and a net gain for 2010 of only 1200 new jobs. So, the economy will be tight for a while.

But, there is great hope from these students. Some will move into graduate programs. Many will become teachers or social workers or doctors. Others will use their diploma to move up the career ladder with companies where they are currently employed.

There was also optimism at the ceremony. As one new graduate told me, "The economy will turn around. I plan to start my own business. Who knows, maybe I'll hire some of these graduates one day."

Good luck to all of you and congratulations!

"Don't Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste"--Building an Entrepreneurial University

2009-12-09T07:38:00.010-06:00

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel likes to say, “You don’t ever want a crisis to go to waste; it’s an opportunity to do important things that you would otherwise avoid.” This outlook has become the mantra of the Obama Administration. But, it is also good advice for universities.

Michael Maddock and Raphael Louis Vitón wrote in Business Week that while big business hunkered down during the recession by hoarding cash, canceling projects, and laying off staff, by contrast, entrepreneurs began new ventures with new business models--and several paid off. They urge us to learn from entrepreneurs, scrap our old business plan, and develop new business models for a very different economic reality.

The advice is good for colleges and universities, as well. But, how does a public university become entrepreneurial? After all, we have to deal with state regs, system rules, coordinating boards, accreditation, legislators, alumni and, of course, you have to build broad participation and support from faculty and staff.

John Walda, president and CEO of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), noted that the 'new normal' is likely to mean reduced levels of state support for higher education institutions in coming years. Wanda noted that several economists now view the recession as a 'square root sign,' where it dips sharply and moves upwards but then is flat below the old normal. Others view it as a very slowly rise U with a long flat-line.

Several economists feel that it may be 5 to 10 years before state revenues are back to where they were prior to the recession. Wanda points to data showing net declines in state revenue for the past two years of roughly $350 billion. He noted that several public universities received less state funding in 2009 than they received a decade earlier.

Like Rahm Emanuel, Wanda suggests that universities take advantage of the crisis to radically change their business model, reduce costs, find new efficiencies, strengthen the organization, and develop new strategies for the 'new reality.'

Barbara Mackoff (author of Leadership as a Habit of Mind) urged university presidents to understand the chaos we face today is an opportunity for a 'productive disequilibrium,' one that changes the way universities look at reality, alter their organizational culture, and radically change their organizational behavior. She urged presidents to 'come out of hell with something'--that is, not only surviving, but growing stronger.

Universities that move quickly to an entrepreneurial model and are proactive may avoid many of the deep cuts faced by universities in other states. Entrepreneurial universities must first focus on who they are, and be clear on their mission and vision. Together with faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders they need to develop strategic priorities with clear plans and metrics to evaluate progress. And, they must be willing to find efficiencies and make cuts within their organization, re-adjusting to the 'new reality.'

Here are some of the other characteristics which I think are important for entrepreneurial universities. They need to be:

1) nimble and strategic--developing new degree programs and certificates based on changing needs of the market and with close advice from and consultation with industry--and, yet, strategic by aligning their budget to strategic priorities;

2) responsive to student needs--changing how they offer courses, including when, where, and how students receive those courses--whether that be at night, on weekends, at distant learning sites, on shortened schedules (one night a week or concentrated over a three-week period including weekends), or through hybrid, online, etc.;

3) future-oriented--developing and teaching courses based on competencies students will need now and in the future and by developing new degrees and majors geared to future industries and the global economy;

4) engaged--they address the problems of the society and of their university service area, build strong partnerships, engage students and faculty in learning and research that contributes to addressing societal needs, and build strong ties with and seek support from donors, alumni, industry, legislators, city and states government, federal agencies, and other friends;

5) aggressive and cooperative they identify and expand into new new markets, find distinctive niches, seek out new revenue streams, and build their university's brand--yet, they also, build partnerships, work in consortia, and leverage resources with other institutions.

UHD is still in the process of developing our goals and our vision for the future. But, we are becoming more entrepreneurial. We are reviewing our programs, reviewing how we conduct our business, and we are identifying areas where we can be more efficient. The process will take time, as we engage more of the faculty and staff in these discussions. But, our path is clear, we will grow stronger and be a better university.

Surviving Turbulent Times and the 'New Normal'

2009-12-05T10:25:00.013-06:00

These are frustrating times for public universities. We've all seen the headlines of the fiscal problems confronting California and several other states. The Pew Center for the States recently released a report listing ten states that are in crisis. Joining California on this list are Florida, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Oregon, Rhode Island, and New Jersey--mostly states devastated by the real estate crisis and the decline of industries critical to their state or region.

But the truth is that every state is facing large budget deficits--many public universities have already taken large percentage cuts in state funding, resulting in higher tuition, furloughs, layoffs, and reduced access to higher education for many students. And, it is not likely to get better soon.

At the recent American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), presidents of public universities shared their situations. Several spoke openly about their fear that their states face huge deficits in 2012, when stimulus dollars disappear. Most states used stimulus dollars to shore up shortfalls in medical care, public education, and higher education. But, those monies end in 2012 and, unless state revenues pick up, huge cuts loom on the horizon.

At AASCU, the President of U.T. San Antonio, Ricardo Romo, underscored the problem for Texas, where the combined effects of declining tax revenue and the budget shortfall offset by stimulus dollars nears $16 billion. But, as he advised, "we have to plan now to address the shortfalls."

At the AASCU Conference, former university presidents, John Moore and David McFarland, spoke of "Leading in Turbulent Times," which they described as the "New Reality." They urged presidents to remain calm and to temper the cuts with long-term planning. Turbulent times, according to Moore, require leaders to "think and act strategically."

McFarland cautioned presidents to avoid across-the-board reductions, but rather to "align" budgets with strategic priorities and to make cuts which improve efficiencies, while growing areas that expand and diversify resources: enrollment management (recruitment and retention of students), fundraising, and sponsored research.

At this week's TIAA-CREF Institute's Higher Leadership Conference, David Gergen (former White House advisor and CNN senior political analyst) calls this situation, "the New Normal," as states are being squeezed to support essential public services with diminishing revenues. He advises higher education leaders to "get used to it" and to "rapidly adjust."

Like many institutions the University of Houston System has held off on pay raises, began to make selective budget cuts, and is considering tuition and fee increases. At UHD, we are being proactive. The planning process is providing focus for our institution. We are still planning a mid-year salary increase, assuming we continue our enrollment growth this next semester, and we are working hard to find efficiencies.

UHD is working on long-term goals and plans for the institution, for example, strengthening strategic partnerships with P-12, community colleges, charter schools, and community-based organizations; increasing our research with joint projects with the UH system and by increasing funded research; developing stronger ties with the business community, including creating new degrees that are tied to the needs of Houston and its economy; and building stronger relationships with our alumni, supporters, and friends--which will help our fundraising.

Critical to our plans is the need to improve student retention and graduation rates. Anything we do must always keep that prime mission in mind. In the budgeting process for this year we have decided to focus on recruiting new students and retaining and graduating the students that we already have.

A committee in Academic Affairs is reviewing the success of several intervention and support programs. Most of these are currently funded by foundation grants, some have been reduced when the grants ended. Based on funding available, we will try to fund several of these programs with base dollars, because they are critical to student success.

Departments and colleges are developing five-year plans for new degree programs and goals for their departments. We will also hire more faculty and staff in critical areas of need to support student success. To meet expanding student demand and to expand access we will work closely with community colleges to increase transfers; we will improve and accelerate the review of transcripts and articulation plans; and we will expand to other areas through distance education with hybrid and online courses, as well as being more effective in developing learning centers (such as the University Center at 249 where we will begin to offer courses this summer).

These are difficult times for higher education, but we must respond. America requires new college graduates in every industry. It needs more teachers, more scientists, more social workers, and future leaders of business and government. And, it needs a highly trained, diverse work force. At UHD we are building our plans and our university to respond to those needs. And, I am confident that we will grow stronger in the process.

Changing Urban Schools is Essential to America's Future

2009-11-17T07:17:00.001-06:00

Closing the educational gap in this country has been rightly called "the civil rights issue of the 21st century." The drop out rate for Latinos and African Americans in many American cities is nearly twice that of whites. Fewer Latinos and African Americans attend college. Fewer still graduate from college. For example, for 100 Latino students who begin 9th grade only 53 will graduate from high school (compared to 75 whites) and only 10 of those will graduate from college in six years (compared to 23 whites). This achievement gap endangers our economy and our future.

According to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, by 2020, the net loss to the U.S., if we don't close the achievement gap, is estimated to be $850 billion in lost income, revenues, and GDP. That number will grow to over $1 trillion by 2030, unless we eliminate the achievement gap.

President Obama's Race to the Top, seeks to simultaneously encourage schools to improve and raise the number of Americans completing some college education. Critical to success in this effort is the transformation of schools in the 50 biggest cities in America.

Houston, like any of the biggest cities in the country, needs to dramatically reduce high school dropout rates. Houston Independent School District and other districts also need to increase the number and percentage of students who graduate from high school ready for college.

We in higher education have an interest in ensuring that public schools are successful. After all, we receive the vast majority of our students from the public schools. And, in our case, the majority of them need remediation. Also, higher education institutions can do something about it, with high quality teacher education programs, K-12 partnerships, and community partnerships. At the University of Houston-Downtown, we take this responsibility seriously.

Urban schools have very distinct problems: crowded schools, little money or resources, and dangerous and deteriorating neighborhoods. Urban schools often lack basic resources that are common in suburban schools. Teachers need special skills to survive and succeed in urban schools.

A week ago, I visited with the faculty of the Urban Education Department at University of Houston-Downtown. The UHD Urban Education Department specializes in the problems of urban schools. UHD faculty research the specific problems and address the needs of schools in Houston.

The department focuses on creating teachers ready for the challenges they will confront in Houston schools. Our student teachers work in classrooms throughout Houston. Faculty help them develop curricula, they also provide on-going professional development for teachers in Houston schools. The department also produces excellent bilingual teachers, a must for Houston. Recently, the Urban Education department re-established the undergraduate high school teacher preparation program to focus on the special needs of urban high school teachers.

UHD Urban Education take a holistic approach. They not only focus on teachers and schools, but also engage the entire family to increase student success. For example, Urban Education faculty and students provide literacy nights and math nights in several schools. In partnership with the Fifth Ward Enrichment Center at Weatley High School, for example, they offer a special literacy program with teen fathers and their families to help them develop self-expression and clear educational goals.

UHD students apply what they learn in the classroom to real life. At Houston's House of Tiny Treasures, UHD faculty and early education students work in service learning projects and literacy programs with homeless toddlers, pre-schoolers, and their families.

UHD seems to be doing a pretty good job. According to HISD staff, teachers trained by UHD are more likely to stay in the profession than those of other several other nearby teacher education programs. They enjoy their profession and are more likely to pursue further education.

Also, UHD students and faculty are involved in service learning and community engagement efforts to improve K-12 performance. UHD partners with Project Grad Houston in five Houston schools. During the summer, middle school and high school students from the Project Grad schools attend special classes at UHD. The summer sessions help prepare students for college. The students attend classes, meet and study under regular UHD faculty, and they begin to realize they can and will succeed in college. UHD students mentor middle school and high school students in the five Project Grad schools.

Once the Project Grad students graduate from high school (having taken college preparatory courses and having achieved at least a 2.5 GPA) they get a scholarship from UHD along with a $4,000 from Project Grad. The result: more students from Project Grad Houston’s partner schools graduate ready for college and more students go on to college. Project Grad schools have reduced dropout rates by 26% and one of them, Jeff Davis High School, had the third lowest dropout rate in Houston this past year.

A large portion of those Project Grad students enter UHD because they’ve already been to our campus, studied with our faculty, and met our students. They know the quality of UHD programs and the close interaction UHD faculty have with their students.

UHD faculty and staff also partner with GEAR UP/Project Grad in offering an annual symposium for approximately 135 teachers from HISD teachers in the GEAR UP schools. This year, on December 5th, the symposium will bring high school teachers to UHD for professional development associated with College Readiness and assessment.

I have been very impressed by how UHD faculty, staff, and students are working to improve Houston's schools and student achievement through a variety of strategies: preparing better teachers with curricula and pedagogy designed for urban schools; encouraging undergraduate students to tutor and mentor high school and middle school through service learning courses and civic engagement projects; and partnering with community-based programs like Project Grad, GEAR UP, and Communities in the Schools.

And, from what I've seen, they are making a real difference. Keep up the great work!

Setting Admissions Standards

2009-11-14T10:39:00.013-06:00

Friday, we held a forum on Automatic Admission Standards at UHD. This is a somewhat controversial issue because UHD has historically been an Open Admission institution. The forum provided the campus community with an opportunity to hear various speakers and proposals on the subject. It offered a broader context to the issues taking place in the state and throughout the nation.

It is important to point out that whatever automatic admissions standards are established, the majority of applicants will still be admitted to UHD, but through a process of review of other factors in their file. The small portion of students who are not admitted would be referred to nearby community colleges under a dual enrollment program, so that they could return to UHD as soon as they soon as they complete any deficiencies or requisites, or after completing an AA degree.

Dr. Steve Murdoch, a demographer, demonstrated convincingly that the Harris County population and Texas population is rapidly becoming majority Hispanic. Hispanics and African Americans are less likely to graduate from high school, and when they do, they are more likely to need remediation. They are also less likely to graduate from college within six years of graduation from high school.

High school graduates and college graduate earn significantly more money than those who do not finish high school or college. They buy homes, raise their families, pay more taxes, and make significant contributions to our society. Dr. Murdoch noted that over their life-times college graduates earn roughly a million dollars more than those who do not graduate from college.

Dr. Murdoch then made the point that without dramatic efforts to close the educational achievement gap, in twenty years or so Texas could face a $300 billion loss in earnings, tax revenue, and GDP. So, it is in everyone's interest to improve Hispanic and African American graduation rates.

Later, Coordinating Board Commissioner Raymund Paredes stated that "access without preparation is not opportunity." He argued that admissions standards are essential to communicate to middle school and high school students that they need to adequately prepare for college by taking the right courses and getting good grades.

Dr. Paredes said that the legislature will likely adopt policies to link higher education funding to graduation rates. In addition, Texas Guarantee scholarships are likely to become Need plus Merit, with requirements for GPA and class rank to qualify. He is also recommending that the incentives for increasing students who graduate, particularly in high need areas like STEM, be built into base. This would help UHD, which graduates a high proportion of STEM students through the Scholars Academy and has been recognized as a Star Performer by the Coordinating Board.

In the afternoon presentations were made by Ed Apodaca, VP for Student Services and Enrollment Management, and William Waller, chair of the Developmental Education Coordinating Council. Both recommended admissions standards. While there were some variation in their recommendations, most participants felt setting standards are essential for several reasons:

First, almost every public four-year university in Texas now has admission standards for entering freshmen. The exceptions are UHD and the University of Texas, Brownsville.

It may have made sense for UHD to be open admissions years ago, because many institutions in Texas were open admission. But, UHD's six-year graduation rate for FTIC (full-time, first-time freshmen)is 15%--or about 21% when you include students who start at UHD, who transfer and graduate from another public university. Most of our peers have graduation rates of twice that of UHD. So, it makes sense to keep pace with our peers.

And, adopting admission standards does have an impact on graduation rates. UTEP which was once open admissions, now has a combined six-year graduation rate of 32%. Prairie View A & M has raised its rates to 41%!

Second, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the federal government, and most reporting systems monitor six-year graduation rates. This hurts UHD, as it gives the impression that UHD does a poor job of graduating students. The fact is that only 25% of all new entering students each year are first-time, full-time freshmen. Most of our students are transfers from community colleges and other four-year institutions.

Third, federal guidelines now tie financial aid to "ability to benefit" and require that institutions pay-back federal financial aid dollars of students who do not make adequate progress, accumulate too many "F's" drops and withdrawals, or dropout of college without graduating.

Fourth, our students tell us that they are embarrassed that UHD has no admission standards. It gives the impression that UHD will admit anyone and doesn't portray UHD as the high-quality institution it has become.

Finally, and most importantly, students that are inadequately prepared have to take too many remedial courses and are likely to dropout. Currently, UHD loses two-thirds of its FTIC students by the end of the second year. Many of the students leave having accumulated students loans on average of about $11,000. They would have been better served at a community college, where they would have paid lower tuition and incurred fewer debts.

As Student Government president, Laura Sanchez explained, "Setting admissions standards is important. Students want to have pride in the institution where they graduate. Sadly, many don't right now--even though it's a great school."

Michelle Moosally, chair of the Faculty Senate, made the point at the close of the forum that setting admissions standards is only a small part of the bigger solution. I underscored that point, stating, "We can't just set admissions standards and think we have solved the problem. We have to implement campus-wide efforts to help retain and graduate students."

Over the next few months the discussions will continue as faculty, staff, and students review the proposals and, particularly, as faculty committees make recommendations as to the final standards to be proposed to the Regents and the Coordinating Board.

The discussion has begun. There is a long road ahead. But, everyone feels confident that UHD will be a stronger institution as we make these changes.

At the HACU Conference--Serving Hispanic Students

2009-11-02T14:05:00.001-06:00

This week I attended the 23rd Annual Conference of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). I've been going to HACU conferences off and on for two decades.

At the Business meeting Sunday afternoon, I was elected to the Governing Board of HACU. This is a great honor, as I was nominated and elected to the position by fellow presidents.

HACU was formed to represent the interests of Hispanic Serving Institutions. At Monday's lunch, HACU recognized Dr. Max Castillo, former president of UHD, for his many years of service to HACU. He was also one of its founding members. HACU has grown to be one of the major higher education organizations in the nation. It now has 225 member universities (to be a member requires that at least 25% of student enrollment is Hispanic), over 100 associate members (colleges and universities with less than 25% Hispanic student enrollment), 49 international member universities, 57 corporate and agency partners, and 23 Hispanic Serving School Districts.

The U.S. Dept. of Education (USDE) provides special federal funding to eligible HSIs, and most federal agencies (such as USDA, DOI, DOE, and DOD) provide paid internship opportunities, co-ops, and specially-designated grants for HSIs. HACU has the largest internship program in the country. This year 680 interns will be placed with government agencies and corporate partners. HACU helped obtain funding for special programs, such as, Title V funding to support HSIs, including a new program which helps HSIs fund start-up costs for new graduate degree programs, especially in health care and STEM fields.

UHD is the only HSI in the UHD system. This is important because the University of Houston-Downtown is eligible for designated HSI grants or can be the lead organization in multi-university grants because of its HSI status. We are currently working with the UH System and the Vice Chancellor for Research to develop several multi-institutional grants with UHD as the lead partner.

The HACU annual meeting provides an important opportunity for colleges and universities to learn best practices, share experiences, network, and partner with corporate sponsors. During my trip I quickly reconnected with many old friends from New Mexico, California, New York, and Texas, as well as presidents, provosts, and deans from other institutions. I attended several workshops on recruitment, K-12 partnerships, work with first generation students, and STEM students. I also made contacts with several corporate sponsors that will be helpful to UHD.

In Spring 2010, UHD will host "HACU on the Road," where HACU representatives will come to Houston to showcase its work and programs. UHD will partner with local school districts, community colleges, four-year institutions, and CBOs like Houston Prep and Project Grad Houston, among others to host HACU.

HACU is a great organization and it's wonderful to be a member.

Thinking About a New Name....

2009-10-28T21:44:00.002-05:00

This past week representatives from STAMATS, a higher education consulting group that is assisting the University of Houston-Downtown on its name change, visited the campus and met with students, alumni, faculty, and staff. The discussions were varied, but quite helpful. I had an opportunity to participate in a few of those meetings and would like to share my thoughts and observations.

As a new president, I arrived at a time of considerable change and controversy. A few years ago, the former president of the University of Houston-Downtown, Max Castillo, suggested that UHD change its name. Last year, after considerable discussion, the UH System Board of Regents voted to change the name of UHD. We are now in the process of selecting a new name.

There is a lot of unease and anxiety on campus. Understandably so. Alumni are proud of the institution they attended, as are our current students. Some feel they are being forced to give up a name they love. Others are worried that they will lose connection to UH.

Be assured that whatever name is ultimately selected, this campus will remain a very important part of the UH system. UHD, no matter what the name becomes, will remain Houston's University of access and opportunity. But, we are a long way from choosing a new name. At this point, we are simply renewing the discussion. STAMATS is helping us in that process.

There are a number of very good reasons for changing the name of UHD. First, unlike most systems, where there is usually one university from a university system in a city (such as U.T. El Paso, U.T. San Antonio, etc), Houston is home to four separately accredited universities from the same system, two of which are just a few miles apart from each other, UH, (often called 'main campus' or 'University Park campus') and UHD. UH is bigger and more established. It is a research university, has more alumni, and has a very good football team. So, UH clearly has established name recognition.

Proximity and similarity of names causes some confusion, which is the second problem. Many people do not realize that UH and UHD are two separate universities. Some students apply to one university, but show up at the other. Companies get confused when they are asked to give to UHD. Some respond, "We already gave scholarship money to the main campus." They don't realize that UHD is a separate university and must raise scholarship money for its own students.

Third, UHD lacks a clear identity. Very few people know what UHD does or can describe how it is different from UH. In fact, a survey done last year found that when Houston residents were asked to name four-year universities that serve the city of Houston, only 5 percent included the University of Houston-Downtown in their lists. Of those, a large portion thought UHD was a branch campus of UH, others thought it offers doctoral programs or had a Division I football team.

Fourth, UHD is located downtown, but our students come from all over Houston. Thirty years ago, 90 percent of our students resided within the inner loop. Today, that number is down to just 40 percent. UHD serves the entire city of Houston. We have students from as far south as Kemah and as far north as Montgomery County. We have learning centers in several parts of Houston. So, we are more than a downtown university--although we love our location! The current name simply does not reflect our service area.

Fifth, and perhaps most importantly, UHD is now in the process of planning for its future. We have begun discussions on where we can excel. We are developing exciting goals and work plans. We are laying the groundwork to build a very different university over the next few years.

This is a great opportunity to select not only a name, but to build our reputation as a new and very distinct university. You probably have already seen our billboards with the slogan, "At UHD, We are Making a Name for Ourselves!" Those are UHD students on those billboards. Several of the students have won major awards. In the coming months, we will be telling their stories, along with the stories of our great faculty, staff, and alumni. We are doing great things, and we will do a better job of getting the word out all over the city.

During this next year, we will make great strides in building a new university. We will build pride, we will build identity, and we will build reputation. And, Houston will know us by what we do. Help us to build that reputation and help us become a great university.

Going Good to Great II

2009-10-19T19:45:00.003-05:00

On Friday of this past week, UHD held a second retreat. We expanded from 50 to roughly 70 faculty, staff, and students. This retreat applied the concept from "Good to Great" to UHD. Our faculty led the workshop and preparation. Doug TeDuits moderated, Akif Uzman (Natural Sciences) and Rob Jarrett (English) co-chaired.

In preparing for the workshop we had several work groups meet. One reviewed the UHD Mission, a second looked at possible Peers, a third examined Issues identified at the last retreat, and I prepared a few PowerPoint slides summarizing the G2G concept and how we might apply it to the University of Houston-Downtown.

If you know about Jim Collin's book, Good to Great, the Hedgehog concept is key. (See my earlier blogpost on Good to Great) You draw three circles. In the first is the organization's passion (or its mission). The second houses its resources and economic engine, and and the third circle lists where the organization excels and has the potential of being best in class. Where the three circles overlap, you find your potential BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals).

In goal-setting, an organization can't set goals that are easy to attain, even if you have to stretch. You need to set goals so high (like reaching for the stars) that you must transform the organization to attain them. Here is a summary:

In the first circle, "What is UHD Passionate About?" groups came up with: student access, student success, community engagement, engaged citizens, diversity, high quality education, and student-faculty interaction.

In the second circle("What Can UHD Be Best At?") groups listed: having a holistic approach, student engagement, best Hispanic education, experiential learning, top unique academic programs, international education, best at educating non-traditional and diverse students, and student access.

In the final circle, "What Drive's UHD's Resource Engine?" the groups listed: funding (including all money inputs), partnerships, student success, faculty/staff, diversity and location, branding, graduate programming, effective data, technology and community.

In the final session of the day, groups listed possible BHAGs: leading in student success through experiential learning; becoming a 'communiversity' which links learning and engagement in all aspects of what we do; creating engaged citizens; leading in graduating minority students, particularly in the sciences; increasing retention and graduation rates by 3-5% a year through various interventions; creating a university where everyone can graduate; becoming the best darned public undergraduate university in Texas!

The process is not finished. And these are still very rough goals. But the discussions were lively and the groups engaged. So the process has begun for UHD. In the coming months, we will refine the process further, involve more faculty, staff, and students, and sharpen our circles and goals. I will describe what we are doing, as it unfolds, in future posts.

By the way, in our poll, nearly three-fourths of those who responded felt that UHD should focus on helping students to succeed.

Latinos and America's Future

2009-10-09T08:36:00.008-05:00

This past week I spoke on the Julie Stav Show, a nationally syndicated, Spanish, talk-radio program about financial matters; attended a western regional conference focused on STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) with educators and legislators, and hosted and was a panelist at the preview showing of the upcoming CNN special, “Latino in America,” which airs October 21st and 22nd. At these various events, I have raised several key points, some of which are in the book I co-edited, Latino Cultural Citizenship.

First, Latinos have come to America for the same reason that others have-- to create a better life for their families. We are Americans, but we also have the strong desire to retain our ethnic heritage and identity. Most of us speak English as our main language of communication, even so, we want to retain Spanish and encourage our children to learn Spanish.

Latinos are transforming America, just as they are transformed by it. That is the central thesis of Latino Cultural Citizenship, the notion that as Latinos claim space and rights, they also define themselves. How the country as a whole comes to grips with the growing Latino population is vital to the future of America. How so?

Currently, there are 46 million Latinos in the U.S. One out of every two new births in this country is Latino. That number will grow significantly by 2050. But, if Latinos continue to be under educated with high dropout rates and with lower college attendance rates and lower college graduation rates, it will cost this country billions of dollars.

A Pew poll found that 80% of Latino youth feel that college is important but only half feel they will ever attend college. According to U.S. census data, in 2006 of 100 Latino 9th graders, 53 will graduate from high school, 27 will enter college right after high school, and only 10 will graduate from college within six years of entering college. Ten out of 100!

According to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, if the U.S. does not close the achievement gap of Latinos and African Americans, by 2020, it will cost the U.S. about $805 billion in lost revenues, taxes, productivity and income. By 2030, that number could grow to $1 trillion!

A recent study of U.S. workers in the global economy projects that by 2020, the U.S. will lack 15 million skilled workers, most of them in the STEM and high-knowledge areas, but also in health care and education. By 2030, the shortfall could reach 35 million. The Committee for Economic Development projects a decline of .29 percentage points a year, affecting incomes and Gross National Product, unless we increase college graduates, particularly in STEM fields.

The Latino population in this country is younger than the whites, Latinos currently account for 13 percent of the labor force. By 2020, Latinos will represent one-of-every six workers in America and one-fourth of new college applicants. By 2050, Latinos will account for one of every four workers in America and could represent one-of-every three students in college.

The future of America is bound up with the future of Latinos in America. So, we must increase the number of Latinos graduating from high school and going on to receive a college education. We have to address this issue. The future is here.

[By the way, 53% of those responded to our poll felt that the main obstacle to Latino success remains economic barriers and discrimination.]

Challenging Times

2009-10-06T17:38:00.002-05:00

I think all of us are worried about the future, especially if we have kids or grandchildren. Rising national debt, the pending end of Social Security and Medicare, the so-called 'jobless recovery' of the recession, massive unemployment, declining standards of living, low math and science achievement levels of K-12, and a depressing number of Americans who are losing their jobs, homes and their health care benefits. It's enough to make your head spin.

But, Americans are an optimistic and innovative people. We find solutions. We apply our creative energies. Take higher education. Students, whether they be those coming out of high school or adults needing re-training or a degree, realize that college is beneficial. In this economy, the one segment of the population that has been least likely to lose their jobs during this recession have been those with college degrees.

That doesn't mean that having an A.A., a B.A. or an M.A. will protect you, like some magic shield. Banks and Wall Street firms have closed, laying off thousands of accountants. Engineers are losing jobs at GM, as are line workers in assembly plants. But, in the 21st Century economy, college degrees are as essential as a high degree was in the 20th century.

That's why the massive cuts to higher education taking place in many states are both depressing and short-sighted. Students find few seats available in community colleges and public four-year universities.

Tuition, fees, books, and other costs associated with college have skyrocketed at many institutions. Student and parent indebtedness has risen far faster than income. More students are applying for financial aid and maxing out their credit cards. More parents are taking on second or third mortgages--even selling family possessions to pay for college. And students are working more hours.

Meanwhile, public universities compete for the "best" students and for rankings by U.S. News & World Report that emphasize the number of students a university rejects, rather than the number of working class or minority an institution graduates. So universities, rely more and more on test scores and less and less on need, increasing merit-based scholarships over need.

Don't get me wrong, I encourage merit and believe in raising standards in K-12 and higher education. America cannot compete internationally without improving achievement of our students and ensuring better learning by our students. I believe in rigor and excellence.

But, I am also committed to access and opportunity. I chose to be president of a university like UHD (and was excited to be selected as its president) because it is an urban, engaged, comprehensive university. Its students are overwhelmingly minority (31% Hispanic, 27% African American). It is also a New Generation university. UHD's students are commuters, work 30 hours or more, often have their own families, and usually are the first in their families to go to college.

By the way, UHD remains the best value in higher education in the region. It has one of the lowest tuition and fee structure in Texas combined with wonderful academic programs.

UHD is caught in a dilemma though. We have very little space at our campus. We teach night courses and weekend courses, as well as day courses. The campus is rapidly approaching the maximum size for its buildings. We need more buildings. We need to expand our courses to learning centers throughout Houston and expand our hybrid and online offerings.

But, we also confront our past as we embrace our future. UHD has been an Open Admission university--one of the few remaining in the country. Many of our students are not adequately prepared for college. A vast number of our students fail in the first semester or second semester and drop out. By the 21st day of the third semester, we lose 60% of first-time, full-time freshmen.

Many of these student leave the university with heavy debt (often ranging from $9,000 to $11,000). In addition, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, is concerned that UHD duplicates services better provided by community colleges--at a cheaper cost to the state and to the students.

In addition, the federal government has issued instructions to universities to admit students based on their "ability to benefit." It is concerned that several universities admit students, who then receive financial aid, that lack requisite skills for success. Those students then fail and often are unable to re-pay student loans. Meanwhile, accreditation bodies are increasingly tying re-accreditation to student outcomes as demonstrated in both learning outcomes and graduation rates.

So, the university is beginning a conversation on admission standards. Later this month, State Commissioner, Raymond Paredes, will visit UHD and address these changing needs, This is simply one part of an on-going discussion.

UHD is committed to opportunity, student success, and excellence. That will not change. If and when we adopt admission standards we will not set arbitrary standards, but rather we will adopt standards based on the ability of students to benefit and succeed. Our students will continue to be diverse and heavily first-generation, reflecting Houston.

We will expand our efforts to reach out to students in early grades to mentor them and prepare them for college. We will expand training of teachers and the civic engagement of our undergraduate students in HISD schools, as mentors, tutors, recruiters, and guides. We will expand dual credit and work closely with HISD and other high school districts on early college initiatives. We will expand our partnerships with Houston Community College and Lone Star Community College with joint admission programs.

We will recruit and graduate more students. And, we will continue our commitment to Houston's future. We will continue to be the First Choice of students who desire a university where they can learn and where they can succeed.

Health Care Insurance Reform

2009-10-02T07:31:00.005-05:00

On Thursday, September 30th, I was part of a panel of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Second Annual Health Summit. Given the nationwide debate on health care insurance reform, the Summit was particularly timely.

The Health Summit began with a presentation by David Lopez, President and CEO of the Harris County Hospital District, who discussed his observations on Hispanic health disparities. Then, he, I and Randy Giles, CEO of United Healthcare, spoke for a few minutes and answered questions.

You might wonder why a university president is speaking about health care reform. Actually, I ran a small health center with several clinics. Later, I obtained my doctorate at Stanford in public policy with a focus on health care. These are some of the points I made in my presentation.

In 2007, according to the Journal of Health Affairs, total health care spending in the U.S. was $2.4 trillion or $7,900 per person, without addressing health care costs and extending insurance coverage to the uninsured and under-insured, total health care spending in the U.S. could rise to $8 trillion a year by 2025.

Health care and insurance costs are out-of-control. Medical tests and procedures, pharmaceuticals, lack of competition, malpractice insurance, among others, all affect the cost of health care and all are rising at rates faster than inflation. Health care insurance has simply skyrocketed.

In Texas, in the past nine years, average insurance premiums rose from $6,638 to $12,271 a 91.6% increase! By contrast, during the same period, wages rose only 19.7%. Of all states in the U.S., Texas ranks first in the percent of its population who are uninsured and first in the percent of non-elderly who are uninsured. One-fourth of Texans lack medical insurance. Roughly 60% of all uninsured Texans are Hispanic. That’s 3.4 million Texas Hispanics without health insurance.

The U.S. has more than 46 million people without medical insurance and 25 million people who are under insured. The recession exacerbated the problem as 7 million additional Americans have lost health insurance. Of the more than 3 million bankruptcies filed in the past two years, over half resulted from medical bills.

The U.S. spends nearly $100 billion per year to provide health services to the uninsured, often for preventable diseases or for those that physicians could have treated more efficiently with earlier diagnosis. The human cost is great. Last year a research team at Harvard Medical School estimated that roughly 45,000 Americans die each year as a direct result of lack of coverage.

The huge number of uninsured Americans costs all of us. Hospitals provide about $34 billion worth of uncompensated care each year. Another $37 billion is paid by private and public payers to cover the uninsured. According to the Baylor Health Care System estimates, patients with insurance are charged 150% of actual costs to offset costs for the uninsured. The Center for American Studies estimates that families pay about $1,000 of their annual premiums and individuals pay over $400 per year to cover the cost of providing medical care to uninsured patients.

Without health care insurance reforms those numbers will grow. Let’s hope that this time Congress will pass some form of medical insurance reform. It won’t be perfect, but it will be a starting point. We can’t wait another ten years to begin solving the problem.

Jazz Fest at Kemah

2009-09-28T21:22:00.001-05:00

The University of Houston-Downtown held a wonderful alumni event this weekend at the Kemah Boardwalk during the 2009 Kemah Jazz Fest. We had alumni, supporters, faculty, staff, and friends of UHD, along with a few of the jazz musicians who preformed this weekend. I made a lot of new friends and was impressed by the many people who work with the Jazz Fest. I even got to present the 2009 Jazz Performer of the Year Award.

The Kemah Jazz Fest couldn't be held last year because of the aftermath of the hurricane, which damaged quite a bit of the boardwalk. You can still see the damage in other areas near the boardwalk. But, the Boardwalk and the Jazz Fest are back in their full glory.

The Kemah Boardwalk is great place. The event was held at the Kemah Inn owned by one of the UH System newest Regents, Tilman Ferttita, founder of Landry's, and owner of several restaurants in Houston. There are restaurants, a hotel and, of course, lots of rides for the kids. You can watch the sailboats, take a ride from the dock, kick-back and have a soda, or maybe a margarita or a beer, eat great food, and watch some of the best musicians in the country.

All of it is organized by one of the UHD faculty, Robert Wilson, in cooperation with the Houston Professional Musicians Association. Robert teaches English and jazz courses at UHD. He is also an award-winning musician. In fact, in the near future he will be honored in Austin as one of the Texas legends of music (Past award winners include Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughn.) That's pretty amazing company. It says something about Robert and about UHD.

But Robert Wilson is not just a performer or educator, he also organizes two very successful jazz groups affiliated with UHD. Both performed on Sunday. The first group is the Young Sounds of Houston Jazz Orchestra made up of middle school and high school performers, most of the them Black and Latino, but it includes kids from all backgrounds and from all over Houston. They practice at Jeff Davis High School. Several of them became interested in jazz as a result of the Jazz Camps held each summer by Robert Wilson. Some started studying music as a result of their exposure to jazz. Most go on to college because of their participation in the Orchestra.

The quality of the music of the Young Sounds of Houston Jazz Orchestra is amazing. Their performances are tight, well-orchestrated, sophisticated and mature, with great solos. I could easily see these kids performing on a television show, like the Tonight Show. They are that good.

Late Sunday afternoon, the UHD Civic Jazz Orchestra performed with vocalist Julie Wilson, Robert's wife. She's an amazing performer who became interested in jazz as a result of studying Jazz at UHD in Robert's classes. Julie sang Frenesi in Spanish, an arrangement by Quincy Jones.

The UHD Civic Jazz Orchestra brings together adults (many of them professionals from throughout Houston) with high school and college students mixed in. Equally exciting is that the band members are joined by renowned musicians from all over the country who come each year to Kemah for one reason--because UHD educator, Robert Wilson, asked them. They get to play with him, other musicians, and with the young people--and they contribute to the jazz scene in Houston.

Great going Robert, thank you for all you do for UHD. Congratulations on your upcoming award!

Building a Team

2009-09-24T19:50:00.000-05:00

A central tenet of the book Good to Great is "First 'Who' then 'What'." Or put another way, you have to work on the team. Wednesday and Thursday a little more than 50 University of Houston-Downtown leaders (faculty, staff, and students) met to discuss the issues affecting UHD, to discuss their views of leadership, how they might be better leaders, and how all of us might work together for a common purpose--making UHD a better university.

We were fortunate to have a nationally-known higher educational leader serve as our facilitator and guide, Dr. Tom Meredith, who served as president of Western Kentucky University, as president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, as state Commissioner of Higher Education for Mississippi, and was Chancellor of the University System of Georgia. He understands higher education and colleges likes ours.

Tom was energetic and a helpful guide to our discussions. He also has a great sense of humor and a patient and calming attitude. He built in exercises to engage participants and kept us on schedule. But, I was most impressed with the attitude and energy of the participants. They worked hard, had many suggestions, and committed to continue to work together to extend the discussions throughout the campus and to lay basis for focus on where we go from here, the 'What' of Good to Great.

We identified barriers that hold back the university, issues that we have to address, and identified some priority areas which we will address in a follow-up retreat.

As we formally summarize the discussions, I will share them with the campus and on this blog. I am pumped.

Extending Our Reach

2009-09-20T19:19:00.003-05:00

It's hard teaching distance education courses. I've done it. When I was at Fresno State, I drove to the Visalia campus twice a week and taught evening courses. I've taught ITV courses, hybrid, and a fully online course. Each course took a great deal of work to prepare and to deliver. And, there was a lot of late night driving back and forth from Visalia to Fresno for the face-to-face courses.

Both faculty members and students have to put up with a lot of frustrations. Traffic can be horrendous (especially in Houston), so you might arrive late to the learning center. ITV equipment or the computer server or Blackboard Vista (the software we use for the online and hybrid courses), as good as they are, occasionally break down or the system goes down. And, these courses are not cheap. The equipment costs a lot of money, as do the license fees. Understandably, you need to pay the faculty more to off-set their time and troubles. And, since the courses cost more, there are usually extra fees that the students must pay, althought that is not the case at UHD.

But, like it or not, distance education is the future, especially in Houston. Houston is the fourth largest city in the country, soon to be the third. If you count the University of Houston Victoria that is 123 miles from downtown Houston, Houston has ten public and private non-profit four-year institutions (not counting DeVry and the University of Phoenix). Chicago, which Houston will pass in population the next decade, has 40 four-year colleges and universities, including specialized schools.

Houston needs more access to higher education. Since it is unlikely that the state will approve construction of more universities, existing four-year institutions will fill the need through distance education. Other four-year institutions have set up centers in Houston or are offering programs online.

Distance education is critical to Houston and UHD's future. The Northwest Corridor will add 2 million residents over the next decade. That's the size of the current population of New Mexico, where they have seven four-year universities (three research universities) serving barely 2 million people. There is no four year institution in Northwest Houston. Other than UHD, the closest four-year schools are those of Texas A&M Prairie View and Sam Houston State University.

UHD has the best potential for serving the area. Only 40 percent of our students come from within the 610 loop. The rest come from throughout Houston. That need will grow. As the University of Houston moves to Tier One and adjusts its admission policy (from accepting the top 20 percent of high school graduates to accepting the top 10 percent), it will be vital that UHD fills the gap, not only on the downtown campus, but also via the learning centers and via online education.

On Friday, I received a tour of the many distance education sites where UHD offers courses. The trip took almost a full day to drive to all of the sites. The learning centers form an arc across the northern part of Houston from Cinco Ranch (West of State Highway 6 and South of Interstate 10) to Lone Star College-CyFair (along U.S. 290) to the new University Center near State Highway 249 and Louetta (the old Hewlett-Packard site) to the University Center along Interstate 45 in The Woodlands to Lone Star College-Kingwood on U.S. 59. At each site, we have great staff and faculty who serve as advisers. Some also teach. They are great ambassadors of UHD.

I was guided in the tour by the former distance education director, Gail Evans, the Provost, Molly Woods, and the new interim director of distance education, Louis Evans (no relations to Gail.) Gail drove. Along the way, each of them gave me a description of the city and areas we were passing, the programs we offer, the staff there, and the history and politics behind each site.

Faculty members have to be recruited for the programs. Some of our faculty live in the area where we offer the courses. It's convenient to them and they like teaching a portion of their courses at those sites. In some cases, their courses can be beamed by instructional television to our site downtown or faculty can augment their teaching with online materials and instruction. Either way, they like it. In other instances, we have to hire adjuncts from the region or pay extra for our faculty to drive in the afternoons and evenings to teach courses at the various sites. It is hard to build a consistent core of offerings, but that is essential for the students there.

In most cases, UHD is just one of several public higher education institutions offering courses. Degrees have to be approved to be offered In Multiple Institution Teaching Sites, where several public universities offer degrees. The problem is exacerbated by politics. Some institutions declare there intention to offer degrees (usually a whole list of them). Then, because of limitations on their own campuses (budget or lack of faculty support), they never offer the degrees. But, nobody else can either. What seems like a great system, doesn't always work in real life.

Meanwhile, for-profits, like the University of Phoenix or DeVry, can offer any degree they want. They don't need the approval of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board or the legislature. They can start up a program face-to-face or online. They can add bachelor's or master's degrees based on market demand. By contrast, if a public university wants to add a degree, the institution has to apply for the right to offer the degree. It takes a long-time to get the approvals at the various levels. And, there may not be any demand for the degree once it is finally approved.

But, even if you have the authorization to offer the degree, you may run into problems. At some sites, UHD has plenty of demand. We have faculty who want to teach there, but can't get classrooms or are bounced from one classroom to another. It can be very disconcerting to faculty and to students.

Even so, the need is growing. And, UHD wants to take our degrees and courses where they are needed. So, our faculty drive north. We hire faculty to teach who live there. And, we expand our online offerings, including full-degree programs. There's lots of work ahead and as I visit the sites more, I will get better acquainted with the city--or lost a lot. Either way, I'll be learning too!

Celebrating Mexican Independence

2009-09-14T13:53:00.005-05:00

In every city that I've lived, there have been some type of celebrations for the 16th of September, the commemoration of "El Grito" of Father Hidalgo in Mexico in 1810.

This launched the Mexican revolution against Spain. It also spurred other independence movements throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. The celebrations are often organized by the Mexican Consulates. Parades are usually organized by community groups to celebrate Mexican Independence, but also to honor and recognize organizations here in the U.S.

Houston has its celebrations too. Saturday morning I went to the Fiestas Patrias Parade in downtown Houston, which starts at Minute Maid Park and snakes through a few blocks of the downtown East of Main. There were floats, marching bands, a queen and her court, ROTC bands, fire trucks, the media, and most of the people running for office in Houston. These parades are very multi-ethnic and Houston is no exception. The marching bands had kids from every racial and ethnic group. There were high schools, middle schools, even K-12 charter schools and private academies.

And, of course, there was music. Norteño, salsa, mariachi,and hip-hop. Those that walked passed out flyers for their group,cause or politician, and gave out candy, T-shirts, beads, or other trinkets.

This is a family event, where parents bring their kids. Vendors sell balloons, soda, Mexican flags and tacos. It was a lot of fun.

Saturday evening, I joined Adolfo Santos (chair of the Social Sciences Dept. at UHD) and his wife, Betin, at the Mexican Institute Banquet. A Black Tie event, the banquet honored the 199th anniversary of the independence of Mexico and the 188th anniversary of independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. There were consuls from each country, members of the Hispanic Chamber board, judges and elected officials and local business people. The event honored Mexican Consul General Carlos González Magallón, with whom I met a few days earlier. We spoke of joint work, including cultural and educational exchanges.

I also was introduced, as was the newly-selected Superintendent of Houston Independent School District, Terry Grier. I met Grier, and his wife Nancy, and had a brief opportunity to talk with him about how UHD and HISD could work together, especially on dual credit. A joint reception for both of us is being planned by one of the board members.

It was a wonderful event with great music, great food, and a silent auction, and of course all of us wanted to bid on at least one item. I came home with a beautiful pewter dish. I'm so glad that Adolfo convinced me to attend.

Sunday night, I headed to Jones Hall to watch the Houston Symphony for the 17th annual Chevron Fiesta Sinfónica Familiar. Selections from composers from Mexico, Argentina and Spain were featured. Alondra de la Parra conducted. She is the first woman from Mexico to conduct in New York City and serves as Cultural Ambassador for Mexican tourism. The show featured a performance of Spanish classical guitar by Pablo Sáinz-Villegas from Spain.

The theater was packed by 5:30 p.m. with more Hispanics than I have ever seen in a Symphony in the U.S. Amazingly, the coughing and crying kids quieted as soon as the music began. I bought a CD and Sáinz-Villegas autographed it--and I ran into several people from UHD and the Hispanic Chamber.

It was a wonderful concert and a great way to celebrate Mexican Independence.

Preserving Families

2009-09-11T22:38:00.001-05:00

On Thursday, I was the keynote speaker at the Family Preservation Conference held at Houston’s Reliant Crown Plaza. When I was invited to speak I really wasn’t sure that I had the time to prepare a presentation and wasn’t convinced that I was the right person to be presenting. After all, it had been a long time since I had worked in mental health. But Alvin Sallee of New Mexico State University and a founder of the Family Preservation Institute urged me to speak, saying, “It is in your blood. It’s what you’ve been doing all your life.”

So with that encouragement and still very little time to work on a speech, I decided to present on both my works in New Mexico with the Consortium for Behavioral Health, Training, Evaluation and Research (CBHTER), and my work many years ago at the Centro de Bienestar in San Jose. I also the Behavioral Health Collaborative, which consists of eighteen agencies working together to coordinate and improve behavioral health services in New Mexico.

All of this work is consistent with family preservation, which is holistic, believes in empowering family members, and promotes advocacy, education, and the improvement of family life. Family preservation believes that, in most cases, strengthening and preserving the family is better than removing children from the family unit. It assumes that family remediation works, that family members can learn new behaviors and that social workers can help promote that process.

The work of the Centro de Bienestar was similar. Centro de Bienestar in English means the Center for Well-Being. It was founded on a perspective that the social fabric, families and social networks, are important elements for community mental health.

Under this perspective, the individual is viewed in the context of their social setting, including the family. Where possible, social networks—friends, family, the church and other important part of that fabric are brought to bear on the healing process. We recognized that social work and therapeutic techniques evolve based on the needs of clients and society.

I explained that we had formed cross teams that included social workers, clinical psychologists, licensed marriage and family therapists, community mental health workers, etc. Community mental health workers were encouraged to pursue certificates and degrees, and several became licensed therapists.

I discussed some of these approaches and urged conference participants to take a research and practice approach: to apply what they learn, write and present on their practices, and share their work with others as many had done at the conference I also urged them to consider the public policy implications of their work, to advocate for their clients, and to advocate for changes in law and policy that benefit their clients, family preservation, and society.

I ended with a couple of quotes on family. Alex Haley, author of “Roots,” wrote: “In every conceivable manner, family is the link to our past, the bridge to our future.” Preserving family preserves society, and it too is a bridge to the future. Finally, I quoted a sign I read at a barber shop: “Families are like fudge…mostly sweet with a lot of nuts.” It’s our job to bring it all together.

Convocation: At UHD, We Are Making a Name for Ourselves!

2009-09-08T21:33:00.008-05:00

View the Convocation at:
http://www.uhd.edu/presidentsoffice/videoconvocation09.html

Last week's Convocation was truly memorable. My wife, Celina, flew in from Santa Fe and visited for a few days. She came to meet faculty and staff and to attend the Convocation. A very good friend of ours, Alice, who lives in Kemah, drove up to be there too. They enjoyed the event and meeting faculty and staff afterwards.

The program began with very good presentations by both Karen Alfaro, president of the Staff Council, and Michelle Moosally, president of the Faculty Senate. Both presentations spoke about the importance of their two organizations. Karen encouraged staff to attend the meetings and get involved in the Staff Council. Michelle explained the important issues that the Faculty Senate is addressing.

I welcomed everyone and introduced some of the heroes of UHD, students, faculty, and staff who are doing exciting work and helping UHD to make a name for itself.I stressed that UHD has a wonderful opportunity. We can define who we are. We will tell our story. We will pride in the institution by stories of the great things are faculty, staff, students, and alumni accomplish every day.

I spoke about the challenges and the opportunities. Take the time to view the video and let me know what you think of the presentation. Also, if you haven't responded to the President's Survey, please do.

To complete the survey online, go to the survey or fax your comments to UHD President at (713) 221-8075.

Great Faculty, Great Students, Great Alumni

2009-09-08T17:42:00.000-05:00

A week ago today, I met with alumni from ExxonMobil who are great supporters of UHD.

They give money to UHD for scholarships, help with internships, and mentor students at UHD to prepare them as professionals for the industry. They told me how much they love UHD, their experiences here and their desire to help mentor students and provide them with interships.

Last Wednesday, I met with 90 students in an expanded Council of Student Organizations meeting. I heard their concerns and their suggestions. They love UHD, but are frustrated, especially about parking and food service. They want more places to meet. They want the cafeteria and bookstore to be open for evening students. They want more student study areas, more meeting rooms, a dormitory and a student union. Several students also expressed interest in practice fields for soccer and baseball.

As one student said, "We want to have a community here, and we need space to build one.” I said that later in the year or early next year will initiate initial discussions for a new master plan for the University. When we do, students will definitely be part of the planning process.

I also made a presentation to the UHD Faculty Senate last week. I explained that I strongly support shared governance. I've been a faculty senator, since I was president of a college faculty assembly in the School of Social Sciences at Fresno State, and that I have always included faculty in key meetings, whether they deal with budget, positions or policy.

I explained that I support a 4-3 teaching load (which means that faculty teach four courses one semester, and three courses the other), so that faculty can follow their passion, whether it be developing a new courses, mentoring students or a newly-hired faculty member, initiating service learning projects, undertaking new research, completing a scholarly article, or preparing online courses.

Of course, a move from a 4-4 teaching load to 4-3 is expensive. It will cost us more than $2.5 million a year, but it is an investment in the future of the University. It also helps us retain faculty and attract and hire new faculty.

We can work together to greatly improve the University. In addition, there is much to be done, especially in retaining and graduating students.

And, we are very fortunate. While public universities in several states face hiring freezes, furloughs, and layoffs, UHD hired new faculty last year, we will do searches this year and next for a total of 40 faculty in three years. This year and next, we will hire a total of 28 new tenure-track faculty members, which is about 12 percent of our current tenure track faculty. We are hiring for the future and need to think about the needs of UHD in the future.

I made the point that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Internet. The entering freshman class of 2020 just began second grade. For those students, Wikipedia has always been the only encyclopedia they used. Google has always been where they go first to find answers, and phones have always taken pictures that can be sent to friends or uploaded to Facebook and Web sites. Friends have always sent text messages or called each other on a cell phone.

According to the “Chronicle of Higher Education,” by 2020, students will take 60 percent of all college courses online. We need to start planning for that world. We need to hire faculty that are comfortable in that world.

But, I also want to ensure the success of those faculty and asked the Faculty Senate to give me plans for mentoring new faculty, so that we can help them to succeed. I also asked the Faculty Senate also to provide me with recommendations on establishing a task force or committee to review roles and rewards.

I want to make sure we align those things we ask faculty to undertake with the most important rewards--tenure and promotion. Clearly, there is something wrong if we tell faculty we want them to mentor students or develop online courses, and then refuse to consider that work for promotion or tenure.

I have also asked the Faculty Senate to review departmental guidelines for tenure and promotion to ensure fairness and alignment of roles and rewards. I understand that each department will establish its own guidelines for tenure, but they should fit within the mission of our university and the expectations of all faculty members for teaching, research and service.

Finally, I want to build our research capacity. I explained that I met with the Vice Chancellor for Research for the University of Houston System Don Birx. He is going to help us build our research program. UH has workshops for faculty on grant writing. He will bring those workshops here. UH has a search engine and newsletter for research opportunities. Our faculty will access to those resources. We will work together on grants develop a plan for growing our research program here at UHD.

I'm truly impressed with the faculty at UHD. They are committed to our students and we need to give them the tools and support that helps their success. I thank the president of the Faculty Senate, Michelle Moosally, for inviting me and providing me with the opportunity to address the faculty leadership on campus. I look forward to working with the Senate.

During the fall semester, I will visit each of the colleges and try to meet with as many departments, as possible. I have already begun to meet faculty as I stroll the campus and as I hold focus groups. We will work together to continue to build UHD as a great university and a great place to spend your career.

First Week

2009-08-28T16:12:00.001-05:00

Wow! The past ten days have been crazy. Lots of activity. Lots of meetings. Last week I met with former Texas Lt. Governor Bill Hobby, a truly impressive man who has left his mark on Texas, the University of Houston System and UHD.

This week classes began. We had lots of students unable to find parking spots, elevators that didn’t work, and new students and faculty wandering the halls trying to find their classrooms. It was a typical first week.

But, I have had amazing experiences the past seven days. I had an opportunity to meet with State Rep. Sylvester Turner, who strongly supports UHD. Later in the week, Laura Murrillo, president and CEO of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, interviewed me for an upcoming edition of her new television show, “Contacto.” The next day, I attended the Hispanic Chamber’s breakfast meeting.

I spent time with Texas Southern University President John Rudley who is transforming Texas Southern University. I am very impressed with his team and what he has accomplished in a short period of time. We discussed several possible joint projects such as joint research and faculty exchanges.

Friday, I visited with the Model UN team and addressed the Scholars Academy Orientation. Both groups are doing amazing things. The Model UN Team consists of some of the brightest students on campus. They take seriously their role as representatives of UHD. In fact, last year, their first year on campus, they sent teams and won awards in Mexico, New York, and Paris. They have formed a Houston Model UN competition, with teams coming from around the world, hosted by UHD.

The Scholars Academy brings together undergraduate students interested in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and engages them in research with faculty. This is a great opportunity and not one readily found at many four-year universities. These students go on to present their research projects at national conferences. They also attend sessions that prepares them for the GRE and graduate study. The program has great students and truly dedicated faculty.

In my presentation, I emphasized how the U.S. is losing its competitive edge to other countries and is being outpaced in the production of scientists and engineers by both China and India. I told them that we want them to succeed at UHD and, in fact, to go on to get a master’s or Ph.D. I congratulated them for being in the program and ended by saying, “You are the future who can help America maintain its innovation edge, so that it can continue as the strongest economy in the world.”

Later, I joined others from UHD and headed off to view the new Lone Star College site off Texas 249 that was part of the Hewlett-Packard complex (formerly the Compaq site). Lone Star College, UH, UHD, and several other universities will offer degrees there. It's an impressive property. A million square feet. Houston needs it to meet the demand for higher education there. Houston’s Northwest Corridor will see growth of 2 million new residents in the next decade. Demand is already growing for bachelor’s degrees and the demand will continue to grow through 2020.

We have a lot of work to do before we start programs there. We are still negotiating the lease terms. Renovations have to get under way and faculty must be hired. Nevertheless, we are on the ground floor ready to go!

This has been a fabulous first week of classes. Headaches, sure, but we are moving forward. Stay Tuned!

First Day of Class

2009-08-25T01:26:00.008-05:00

It's been a long day and evening. In fact, I am posting this at 1:24 a.m. So, it's a Tuesday, but to me it is still Monday night.

Earlier tonight, a friend asked me, "How was the first day of you first week of your first semester as president." With one word, I smiled and replied, "Wonderful."

I'm not sure what I expected. Fanfare and balloons? A marching band? No, not at UHD. I was curious how they would celebrate the new semester. Every campus is different on the first day of class.

I arrived early this morning. The lines are longer in some areas, but shorter than I expected. At UHD, the wait for the elevator was endless. I watched students pour out of the MetroRail and wait to get into the doors of the main building. The third floor, which serves as the main lobby and student union, was packed.

After several morning meetings, at 11 a.m., I donned my Gator T-shirt and made for the main deck. I expected to be crushed by the many freshmen pushing their way to class and through the long lines of registration. I was pleasantly disappointed.

There were plenty of students, but the lines were very reasonable. Most had made it through registration and financial aid last week. There were lots of students in the bookstore. Staff and volunteers stood behind tables offering goodies: pens, water, snow cones, and yellow Gator T-shirts.

Outside in the South patio a volunteer challenged me to throw a basketball. A member of the Weight Team had just won a prize. He told me he is excited, because this year we have a very good team. Last year, the team received several awards.

My first shot skidded off the backboard and into the hoop. I should have stopped there. I learned that the volunteer is both a student and the director of a program in the community. We talked about her program and how we might get more students involved. Then, I threw again, the ball just slid off the rim. I joked, "I hope I make a better president than a basketball player."

On the north end, near the MetroRail, a large air-filled rubber Gator with a goofy smile bobbed in the wind. It was about ten feet tall. Like any good president being followed by students and egged on by a cameraman, I shook hands with the Gator. I was quickly joined by a woman who works in the bookstore. We took a picture under the mascot. I probably wore the same goofy smile as the Gator.

I then learned that we have a cheer-leading squad. Cheerleaders? Yep, in red with white skirts, except, of course, for the lone male cheer leader who is tall and could easily be a basketball player. The cheer leading team is pretty good. I watched them do a cheer. They lift up the squad leader, swung her in the air and caught her. I chanted along with them. Then, I had my picture taken with the whole crew.

Afterward, I went to the cafeteria, spoke with students and had lunch. What can I say, it's a cafeteria! Actually, the food wasn't bad and there were more choices today than last week (as more food stations were open). They even have sushi!

As usual, much of the day was filled with meetings. I continue to meet faculty and staff. Every day I learn more. Today, I realized that I have gained a sense of the buildings. I actually helped several students and two lost parents find their way through the maze.

At the end of the day, as I walked toward the elevators, several students asked me if I was their professor. It was understandable, after all, I wore a tie and carried a brief case.

The heavy rain had backed-up traffic. I explained that students and professors were tied up trying to get in and out of the parking lots. In fact, it was worse than I expected. Students were double-parking, rushing out of their cars to make it to class. The city police were giving out tickets. Some cars parked illegally were towed.

But, most students and most instructors made it to class, if not on time, at least dry. The pouring rain stopped just before the beginning of the evening onslaught of night students. Student lined the hallways. Some sat on floors waiting for the beginning of class.

UHD at night is different than during the day. The students are older. Most of them work at nearby locations. You see more adults in their 30s or 40s. I ran into an older man who I mistook as a professor. It turns out he is a 60 year old student--a former business owner, taking economics with the hope of beating the stock market. Good luck to that!

As I drove with a friend to have dinner with colleagues from the University of Houston campus, I smiled. It was like any other campus on the first day of the semester: crowded, not enough parking, and long lines at the bookstore.

But, there was patience among the students. I bet on these students. They're going to do well. They are serious. They are determined. They are Gators!

Bon Appetit

2009-08-23T17:13:00.005-05:00

Downtown Houston is unlike other cities I have lived in or visited. It doesn't have the fresh markets of Paris (although it does have a Farmer's Market downtown on Saturday mornings). You have trouble finding a place to have coffee and turn on your laptop on the weekend.

It doesn't have the Korean markets that are always open and where you can buy salads or prepared food (usually measured and charged by the pound), as does New York. And, unlike Manhattan, it isn't teeming with rushing pedestrians.

But, neither does Houston have the smell of diesel and less pleasant stenches that are ever-present in parts of Manhattan. In fact, it is a surprisingly clean city with relatively clean air.

Even more frustrating, the tunnels, which have many fast food or chain restaurants, salons, etc.--and which provide shelter from the raging heat--are only open weekdays from 9 or 10am to 3pm (with a few shops that remain open until 6pm). Even the downtown Macy's is closed on Sundays!

Houston does have the constant ring of the MetroRail, the sirens of ambulances and police, the incessant blare of alarms set off when someone brushes against then or teenagers intentionally bang their sides. You would think that would bother me, but I usually sleep well (well, for me, as I usually only sleep 4-6 hours).

But, I miss the luxury of a Cappuccino on Sunday mornings sipped as I leisurely peruse the New York Times. I miss hold the Times in my hands and flipping through the pages. I settle for my home-made brew, this morning it was Bustelo and the NY Times , which I read from my laptop. There is a nice cafe near the university, but none near the condo and nowhere to have breakfast on Sunday, unless I drive to Midtown or Montrose.

Later in the day, I did read the Houston Chronicle's Sunday paper as I sipped on a bottle of water, waiting for Julie and Julia at the Angelika Theater--which I loved. Yesterday, I watched the Tarantino flick, Inglorious Bastards, which would have been over the top for any other director, but for Tarantino it was restrained, with gore inflicted on Nazis. It included a reinterpretation of history, a separate reality, if you will, one that the audience could easily embrace.

I love the fact that I can walk to see a movie or ride the MetroRail to one of the museums, drop in at night to partake of jazz or blues, and walk back to the apartment from an Astros game--when the sky has been cleansed by a quick storm. I often watch the lightening from my condo or from a restaurant window.

Sunday, I walked around the city, enjoyed the film, and inhaled the city. This afternoon I plugged in my new GPS unit and headed off to explore the city, only to find that the GPS didn't work downtown because of the high-rise buildings. It did work once I left the region of skyscrapers.

I'm getting to know some of neighbors in the condo, although, like New York, it is still just to say "Hi." But, I know several of them by name. I even know the names of some of their dogs, as I run into them early morning or at night, as they walk their pets.

After seeing Julie and Julia, I wished I could take the time to prepare a wonderful meal. I miss my kitchen in Santa Fe, my stove, and all of the wonderful cookbooks. I miss sitting in the backyard with the BBQ, wine, and friends and, of course, I miss Celina and her daughters, Erin and Annie. My daughter, Diana, may come to visit in a few weeks. But, for now, I must be content with seeing the flick, calling Celina and talking about it, and toasting them all from Houston with a fine Bordeaux!

Today, I did view a few Open Houses in the Montrose and Upper Kirby areas. Ouch! Everything I saw was over $700,000. Even small town houses were over $500k. The condo is looking better and better.

Downtown Houston rightly boasts about its many wonderful restaurants. I have only sampled a few, but the list is growing. I might try a seafood pasta tonight or crab cakes with an Albarino or Pinot Noir. As Julia Child would say, "Bon Appetit!"

Going 'Good to Great'

2009-08-21T22:56:00.005-05:00

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.

Helping Students Achieve Their Dreams

2009-08-20T04:08:00.004-05:00

The August 19th issue of U.S. News &World Report has an article by Michael Bowler on the high drop-out rates in four-year colleges: (http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/best-colleges/2009/08/19/dropouts-loom-large-for-schools.html). At many universities, including UHD, drop-out rates by the end of the sophomore year approach or exceed 60%.

Bowler presents several interventions that have been developed at universities across the country, most of which UHD is already doing. Here are some of the solutions mentioned in the article.
1) Start college preparation early with orientation programs; (We already work closely with local high schools and middle schools and we offer orientation programs for freshmen, transfer students and international students.)
2) Revamp remedial learning with modular and 'accelerated learning.’ (We are doing this too.)
3) Develop concurrent enrollment. (We offer dual-credit courses at four nearby high schools and offer dual-enrollment options at local community colleges.)
4) Make sure no one falls through the cracks. (This is an area where we can improve.)
5) Make college more engaging. (We have projects under way through the Quality Enhancement Program and through our civic engagement and sustainability efforts.)
6) Expand online and hybrid courses. (We have made progress in this area, but we also have much work to do.)

Wednesday, when I met with the UHD Deans and the Provost, I hadn't seen the article in U.S. News &World Report, but all of us know retention and graduation rates are important areas where we need to improve. I reiterated a point I made before the staff of the Student Success and Enrollment Management Division last week --“When you think about it, our main mission as an institution is to help students succeed so they can achieve their dreams.” I have asked the Deans to launch discussions on how we might improve retention and progress to degree.

Nobody starts college because they want to drop out, especially these days. They come to college to pursue their dreams: to be a nurse, a teacher, a doctor, an astronaut, an engineer, an accountant or a lawyer. Those who fail or have to drop out postpone their dreams or, in some cases, never achieve them.

Worse, students quickly accumulate debt with loans, credit cards and unpaid bills. And, if they drop out with 'Ds', 'Fs' and 'Ws', it is difficult for them to get back into college and back on track.

So, we want to improve retention and graduation rates, which will take some thought and intervention. This year we are adding eight new advisers to help students navigate the curriculum and requirements for their majors.

Retaining students is also important to the institution. If you think about it, students bring revenue to the University. Add up the amount of money each student pays in tuition and fees, along with the amount provided to the institution through state appropriations. That is a lot of money.

Each UHD graduate invests, borrows or generates through appropriations about what it costs to buy a brand new BMW to receive a degree! That's just about what it costs on average to add one new staff position at UHD. Two students bring in about what it costs the university to add a new faculty line. Ten students will get you a long way to upgrading a lab. Clearly, it is critical to retain students, especially in difficult financial times.

Don't misunderstand me. I am certainly not saying that students are just like BMWs. We are not in higher education to make money or to generate resources. Nor do we want to think of students as commodities. Rather, as faculty and staff we entered our professions because we enjoy helping others succeed. We love teaching, research, service and because probably along the way someone encouraged us to get a college degree. That's why we are here. For most of us this is more than a job; it is a calling.

But, it is in our interest to improve student retention and graduation rates. Every student lost is a loss to society. They are valuable. They are cherished. They are our future. Society as a whole loses out when a student drops out, because that might be one less teacher, one less nurse, one less social worker or one less scientist.

Right now, UHD and other institutions like us, lose a lot of students. Some aren't prepared for college. Others have financial problems. They leave for different reasons. But, at present, UHD loses over 60% of its first-time freshmen by their fifth semester.

So, I have asked the deans and vice presidents to give thought to this problem. And, I will be asking the campus community to consider how we can dramatically improve retention and graduation rates. We must do a better job for the sake of our students. Let us all help students achieve their dreams.

We Are Growing and We are Hiring...

2009-08-18T13:56:00.001-05:00

This morning I attended my first Board of Regents meeting as UHD President. One of the biggest issues we discussed was budget. The UH system is in good shape. Several of the campuses are growing and research is growing significantly, particularly at UH, but also for the entire system. There were two main presentations, one on the budget and one on research. The following is a statement I sent out today to the entire campus:

At today's meeting, the UH System Board of Regents voted to approve the FY2010 operating budget for UHD. This budget reflects the priorities established by the UHD community through the spring planning process.

UHD’s total budget for the coming fiscal year totals $137 million and includes $6.4 million in new operating resources. We focused on the following high-profile initiatives in presenting the budget to the Board and to the Board’s Finance and Administration Committee:

• Advising and Scholarship Support ($1.8 million) – UHD will expand its advising and transcript evaluation services by adding 11 more advisers and transcript evaluators in order to better serve both first time in college and transfer students. We will also be adding 2 transfer coordinators and a Veterans Services coordinator. Funding for this initiative will come from the new advising fee. The bulk of the new money reflects increased scholarship support for UHD students from state and institutional sources.
• New Faculty to Support Growth ($924,000) – This budget includes 14 new, full-time faculty positions needed to accommodate our projected enrollment growth.
• Involvement in UH System Northwest Initiative at Lone Star College’s new center off Texas 249 ($250,000). We have committed these funds to ensure that UHD will have the resources needed to be an active partner in delivering courses and degrees at the teaching center.

Developing an operating budget for the coming year presented many challenges. The state budget for the FY2010/2011 biennium contains an estimated $12 billion of one-time federal stimulus funds. UHD’s FY2010/2011 appropriation includes $1.15 million of federal stimulus funds.

Due to the one-time nature of these funds, and because there are continuing concerns about the national and state economy, we have decided to delay making a decision about salary increases for UHD employees. None of the UHS universities included unconditional, base-funded salary increases in their FY 2010 budgets, except for UH-Clear Lake, which was not able to provide pay increases to its employees for the current year (FY2009).

It is worthwhile to note that in many states, public college and universities are experiencing conditions that are much worse than the conditions in Texas. A recent report issued by the Center of Budget and Policy Priorities, a non-profit , Washington D. C.-based think tank that examines federal and state fiscal policy, stated that as a result of this economic downturn, at least 32 states have implemented severe cuts to public colleges and universities.

By contrast, UHD continues to grow. As of yesterday, UHD had 11,205 students registered, an increase of 486 students (4.5 percent) compared to the number registered at this time last fall. Total student credit hours as of yesterday are also up by 5.3 percent. If we succeed in building our student credit hours throughout the year, a pay raise may be possible in spring, 2010.

In closing, let me say that while there are certainly challenges, they are greatly outnumbered by the opportunities. UHD is a young and vital institution in a high-growth part of the country and it has very talented faculty and staff. In the coming months, we will examine ways that we can both grow and re-shape our enrollments in strategic and resource-positive ways in order to benefit our students and therefore the institution. Thank you for continuing to encourage students to enroll at and attend UHD.

"At UHD, We're Making A Name For Ourselves."

New Faculty in This Economy?

2009-08-15T10:17:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I met a room full of new UHD faculty. When I mentioned that to a friend in California, he said, "You're hiring new tenure-track faculty in this economy? You gotta be kidding. We're just trying to hold on to what we have. We're reducing the number of students, taking furloughs, cutting-back on everything, and raising tuition and fees!"

Yes, we're hiring new faculty and we're planning to move from a 4-4 teaching load to a 4-3 teaching load next Fall--assuming we have the money to do it. It's not that Texas is rolling in money. In fact, like most states, this year the legislature and governor balanced the budget with stimulus money. That helped for now, but could hit higher ed hard in the next budget cycle. Even so, Houston and UHD have not felt the deep cuts of other parts of the country--not yet.

And, students keep coming, especially in areas around our learning centers in the some of the fast-growing sections of Houston. So UHD is growing. We expect enrollment increases of between 3-4% this year over last.

The real issue in a school like ours is retention. Only about 7% of our students are first time, full-time freshmen (what's termed FTIC). Most of our students are transfers from community colleges or re-entry students (who work full-time or close to it).

UHD is a commuter campus in downtown Houston where condos rent for 2,000-3,000 a month, rent most of our faculty and staff can't pay, let alone our students. So the students drive many miles to campus, take courses at our learning centers, or take online courses. The MetroRail helps as students and faculty can park miles away and ride the rail. As the train expand North and the spur lines are added East and West, more neighborhoods will be served by the train. Right now the MetroRail connects students from nearby community colleges who often are jointly-enrolled in UHD and a community college.

Like all commuter campuses, UHD is trying to do a better job in student retention and graduation. Few of our freshmen students graduate in four-years or even six years, because most are working. Yet, each year we graduate many students, enough that we can hold two graduate ceremonies, one in December and one in the Spring. Commencement Exercises are held in Minute Maid Park--where the Astros play--and we fill up the stadium with parents and relatives of graduates, twice a year!

In fact, UHD has received recognition from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and performance funding for graduation of Hispanic and African American students and for graduation of STEM students, particularly minority students.

So keep 'em coming and keep graduating them!

What Do You Think?

2009-08-12T21:14:00.008-05:00

Today, I met with UHD’s staff of Student Services and Enrollment Management. I made the point that while recruitment is important, and clearly we need to enroll and admit more students, we also have to do a better job of retaining students and helping them to graduate.

Students (and their families) make a huge sacrifice to go to college. Many work full-time. Most work at least half-time. Many students must take on indebtedness to go to college: student loans, parent loans, bank loans, and credit cards. The debts stack up. So we want to do better in helping students to graduate.

I asked the SSEM staff, “If you were the president of UHD for one day, what would be the first thing you would do to improve UHD?” I made it clear that I am asking for input. Of course, we don't know how much money we will have so we can't do all of these things, but certainly we can identify some critical areas that we should address. Over the next few months, I will holding focus groups and initiate a campus-wide dialogue. This is part of that process.

Several ideas were raised that could help create community on campus and improve student retention. Here are some of them:
• Build a Student Union with space for parking, childcare, and office for student organizations
• Increase parking and improve the food options in the cafeteria
• Build a dormitory or negotiate special rates for UHD students for rooms in nearby apartments
• Bring in more international students and provide more opportunities for UHD students to study abroad
• Increase scholarships, particularly for transfer students and those close to graduating
• Offer more hybrid classes, full degree programs online, and more evening and weekend courses
• Initiate early intervention programs so that faculty inform advisers of failing students and those students who are not attending class
• Engage students with service learning courses and internships, where they both improve society and earn credit for it
• Expand support for student athletic teams, including a field where they can play softball, football, rugby, etc.
• Establish a unified freshmen experience: with a Fall event for all freshmen students, a common reading experience, and learning communities

I will be initiating a survey of students, faculty, staff, and community. Here are the questions and I welcome you to submit your response to me:

1. What things does UHD do exceptionally well? What makes UHD distinct from other institutions serving Houston or South Texas?

2. What could UHD do better? What would you recommend we improve?

3. What should we stop doing or do differently? Is there anything UHD is currently doing that is not productive or that is ineffective?

4. What opportunities exist for UHD that we are not currently tapping (resources, partnerships, unaddressed needs, niche markets, etc.)?

5. If you were president for a day what one thing would you do to make UHD a better place?

To complete the survey online, go to the survey or fax your comments to UHD President at (713) 221-8075.

Gators in the Bayou??

2009-08-11T19:53:00.000-05:00

Every school has a mascot. They are great for school spirit. UHD has club teams, not NCAA sports. Even so, we have a mascot and it’s great for school spirit. I don’t know if the mascot will stay the same. UHD is going through a process that will ultimately result in the selection of a new name for the university, which may result in a new mascot.

When I first visited UHD during the interviews, I was surprised to learn that UHD’s mascot is the Gator. Are you kidding? Are there gators in Houston? Well, it turns out there are. But, don’t worry. Gators won’t be crawling up Main Street any time soon.

Of course, there have been real gators in Houston. When Houston was first established it was swamp land and there were gators in the Bayou. Every now and then, one turns up, especially after floods. Back in 2005, a 250-pound gator was spotted in the Bayou and was finally captured by a game warden. This past month, as I began the presidency at UHD, Houston Chronicle had an article about two men who were arrested for killing a 600-pound 13-foot-long alligator in Houston.

It turns out that it’s legal to hunt gators in Harris County, but only from April 1st –June 30th. Also, you're supposed to hunt gators with a bow and arrow. These guys shot it--on a protected preserve. They also picked the wrong gator. The one they killed was the star of Armand Bayou Nature Center ecology tours! Guess those guys didn’t get their education at UHD!

Personally, a 13-foot-long alligator scares the dickens out of me. But UHD didn’t pick the Gator as a mascot to scare anyone. The UHD mascot emphasizes student success and is appropriately nicknamed, “Ed-U-Gator.” The UHD mascot brings pride to the campus and helps build community. Our students love the Gator. They buy stuffed, cuddly gators (like little teddy bears). They have Gator key chains. Things like that.

UHD has teams, softball, volleyball, basketball and other club and intramural sports. UHD also has academic teams, like the Model UN, as well as the two students and faculty who are doing research at Argonne Labs. So, Ed-U-Gator builds a different school spirit-—it promotes student success and excellence.

Like gators, our students are determined. They are tough, relentless, and they are survivors. As one student told me, “I don’t think I would be in college if hadn’t been for UHD. They have classes at nights and on the weekends, plus online and hybrid courses. The staff and faculty work with you. It’s taken me nearly ten years, taking one or two courses a semester, trying to fit them into my work schedule. But, I’ll be graduating next Spring.” That about sums it up! Gators Rule!

First Class

2009-08-08T13:23:00.000-05:00

I have been president for one week. This morning I shook hands with the first graduating class of an exciting new program offered at UHD.

Some of you are saying, "Huh? Didn't he just become president? How is he already doing a graduation ceremony?" Believe me, that's what I thought when I was asked to lead the commencement. Today, was the graduation exercise of the First Master of Security Management for Executives (MSME) cohort. Eleven working professionals received their master's degree today.

The program, jointly operated by the College of Public Service and the College of Business, is quite impressive and unique, as it prepares students for global security positions and, in addition to UHD faculty, includes working professionals as instructors. Over half of the class have either received promotions or significantly expanded their duties and responsibilities as a direct result of their participation in the program. Allow me to offer a few examples.

One student began as a sergeant in a local police department and now manages global security operations and risk for a security company. His capstone project addressed many of the open sea piracy issues we have witnessed on the news recently.

A second student began the programs as an assistant with one company and was hired by another company to manage a multi-billion dollar project as a result of her participation in the first year of the MSME program. She is now writing global policies.

A third student is the security coordinator for a multinational energy corporation. Early on in the program, he assigned to lead a sensitive investigation overseas on very short notice. His first call was to one of his professors in the program. His second call was to a fellow classmate who was able to connect him with needed support nearby to address the crisis.

And then there's president of the MSME student organization, who started his career in the military, went on into local law enforcement and is now an assistant director for a global security company. In his comments before his fellow students, he cited "the elements that make this program superior are the exceptionally qualified faculty, the integration of security courses and the business courses, and the support of each other." He made it clear that he along with his fellow students "are proud to have 'plowed the field' for subsequent cohorts and pledged to honor the MSME title with extraordinary professional careers."

The class chose the name Pathfinders. That they are. They have set a high bar. Like so many students at UHD, they are first class! Congratulations!

Location, Location, Location

2009-08-07T23:22:00.000-05:00

Many people wonder why I live and work in the downtown. I love it. Houston is a vibrant city with all the energy of any major metropolis. The University of Houston-Downtown provides its students, faculty, and staff with a major opportunity. You can walk down the street and and do so many things: listen to jazz or blues; eat at a fabulous restaurant; watch the Astros in Minute Maid Park; go to a play, the symphony, a concert-- or just kick back and have coffee at a sidewalk cafe. On the weekends, the club scene starts and the downtown looks different, as young people line up to get into the hot spots.

The Pros Play Here! The Rockets play just down the street. I can hardly wait until the NBA season starts. And, if you want to go to a museum or to Reliant Stadium to see the Texans play pro-football, you just hop on the MetroRail. On Saturdays, you can ride down to Miller Park and watch a Broadway show or musical in the amphitheater or bring a blanket or chair and sit back on a grass-covered hill, free of charge! During the day, when the heat get bad I often go underground. Much of the city is inter-connected by tunnels, with shopping, food, even credit unions, dentists, massage therapy, and beauty salons.

Few colleges offer such opportunities. Many of our students work downtown in restaurants, hotels, a theater, or one of the many companies that are headquartered here. They take classes after work, study in the library, play basketball or work out in the gym. And, if they want to, they can go with their friends for pizza and a drink or walk to a baseball game. Most universities are located away from the city. They have sports teams on campus. We don't. But our students can watch the pros play. And, the campus buys discount tickets so students, staff, and faculty can attend a game together.

I love the excitement of a baseball game: the fans doing the wave or singing, "We will, We Will Rock You..." and "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the Seventh Inning Stretch; washing down hot dogs and nachos or peanuts with a cold beer; and, watching everyone having a great time--win or lose. Since I arrived in town, the Astros are winning. In fact, they're doing pretty good.

And, Minute Maid Park is a great venue. It has a retractable roof and air conditioning. They pull back the roof for fireworks after Friday night games. And, it's where UHD holds its graduation ceremonies. Can you imagine? Being a student receiving your diploma, seeing yourself on the JumboTron! The parents and family members go wild.

Houston is also a relatively safe city. I've lived for short spells in other cities. I love New York, the Bay Area, L.A., Chicago, Santa Fe, Paris, and Mexico City. Each has its splendor. But, Houston grows on you. And, Houstonians are much friendlier than are New Yorkers.

So I enjoy the city at night. I listen to jazz, eat great food. And, I am thankful to be here.

Houston's Best Kept Secret

2009-08-07T18:02:00.000-05:00

Sitting from my desk at the University of Houston-Downtown, I can see the panorama of the city, the skyscrapers, the MetroRail that runs right to the door of the university, and the hustle and bustle of the fourth-largest city in the country. I've got to wonder, how is it so few people know about this great university? After all, every day the MetroRail runs right through the Downtown. Going north from Reliant Stadium to UHD at each stop you hear the announcement, "Train to UH-Downtown now arriving." The Train's front destination lights even say "UH-Downtown."

Yet, many Houston residents don't know about UHD or have misconceptions about it. Some think UHD is a branch of the University of Houston. Actually, it is an independently accredited university that is part of the University of Houston System. Some think it is a community college or just has a few programs. In fact, it is a comprehensive institution that offers bachelor and master's degrees. Some think its a small college, yet UHD is a university with nearly 13,000 students. The campus has grown in its three decades of existence from one-building to several and has learning centers in other parts of the city.

Those I have met at UHD are truly committed to the university and its mission. They understand that is a New American University--one that looks like Houston and looks like much of America. It is diverse, 31% Hispanic, 27% African American, with students from a variety of countries and backgrounds.

Most of the students work full-time or close to it. Most are transfer students. Many work in the downtown or nearby companies that have their headquarters in Houston. They have high hopes--of being accountants, lawyers, CEOs, or owner of their own business, or of being teachers, social works, or engineers. Most are the first in their families to go to college and most come from low and middle income families. Quite a few have their own families and, of course, many are single mothers, trying to desperately to work, raise their children and better their lives. Many of those I've met were born in other countries and came to American and Houston for the opportunity it provides.

Our students choose UHD because it fits their lives, they learn in small classrooms, interact with their professors, get support from the staff, and are encouraged to succeed. They can take online courses, face-to-face classes, and hybrid courses. The buildings are completely wireless and there is plenty of access to computers, including laptop check-out in the College of Business.

UHD is a metropolitan university. It's faculty and its students actively participate through service learning and volunteerism in the schools, hospitals, service agencies, and jails that surround UHD. The students are of Houston and for Houston. They have their roots here and their families. And, it is in Houston where they will work and make a name for themselves.

In the days that follow I will describe what I learn about the students, the campus, and Houston. I will also share with how all of us at UHD are making a name for ourselves. Let me know what you think. Give me your comment below. I look forward to hearing from you.