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.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Changing Lives, Building Futures
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The Balancing Act Between Cuts and Quality
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.
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.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
A Problem for America: The Soaring Cost of Higher Education
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Our Faculty and Staff Do Great Things
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.
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.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Faces of the Future: Amazing Accomplishments of UHD Students
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Our Approach to Cutbacks: Tough Choices, Hopefully to Make Us Stronger
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.
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.
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