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President's Periodic Messages 2004-2005
November 12, 2004
Saludos UHV Community,
As you may imagine, the last two months have been a bit of a whirlwind for my
family and me. I want to thank all of those who have done so many things, great
and small, to make us feel welcome and wanted in Victoria. The warmth of the
reception we have received and the many kindnesses shown us are testimony to the
genuine hospitality of the people of this region and we are truly grateful for
the spirit of community evident here. In geography we sometimes use the word "topophilia"
to describe the affective bond between people and place. Already we feel a
certain topophilia for Victoria and we are proud to call it home.
I am especially grateful for the many friends and colleagues who have gone out
of their way to make my wife, Dee Dee, and our three small children, Gianna
Grace (6), Daisy (3) and Nathaniel (3), adjust to their new lives in Texas. And
believe me, they are adjusting! We are now regular visitors to the Texas Zoo,
Dairy Queen, and the Children's Discovery Museum and Dee Dee is already serving
on a number of civic boards -- I think she is busier now than when she tried to
balance a career as a speech pathologist with being a mother!
Within my first week on the job, I underwent a sort of "trial by fire" when I
was asked to testify before the Legislative Budget Board regarding UHV's
situation and legislative requests. I must thank Don Smith and Wayne Beran for
preparing me so well for that initial testimony which, by all accounts, I
survived without undue damage!
In addition to recounting the story of UHV and the way in which faculty and
staff here work creatively to meet the needs of a unique student population in
an otherwise underrepresented area of Texas, I also laid out our major funding
requests for the next year -- requests born of discussions with members of our
cabinet, students, and stakeholders. A couple of weeks later I had an
opportunity to repeat this testimony before the Senate Finance Committee.
We are asking that the state restore the 5% cuts made last year and that it
fully fund the debt service on existing revenue bonds -- bonds sold in order to
construct the facilities we now use. We are also asking that the state authorize
the issuance of new bonds for the construction of a much needed building in
Sugar Land. Among other things, this $30 million project would provide office
space for many UHV faculty who must now office from home. It would also allow us
to continue to expand our offerings in this vibrant area and to forge an even
closer partnership with Wharton County Junior College who would occupy some of
the space on a lease basis. As our bond request is for $15 million, you can see
that we will also need to develop and implement a fundraising campaign in the
Fort Bend area to make up the difference. That process, which is commanding a
significant amount of my time, is well underway. And an inspiringly large, lead
gift has already been received from the George Foundation for this cause.
Tuition Revenue Bonds have also been requested to construct two new buildings in
Victoria: one to house the myriad economic development entities of this region,
including our own Small Business Development Center, thus creating some
wonderful synergistic opportunities in that important arena and one to house
student administrative support service functions and credentials. Together these
requests total approximately $10 million.
On the programmatic side and in addition to fully funding the formula, we are
requesting a boost in the specially funded LEAD (Letting Education Achieve
Dreams) program. As many of you are already involved in this program and aware
of its capabilities, I will not take time to describe it here other than to say
that this program holds great promise for identifying and helping to overcome
some of the cultural barriers to college participation among underrepresented
groups in our society. This "access" issue is one faced throughout the nation
and UHV 's experiences could well be a model for others. We have also requested
start up funds for a Center for Mexican-American Studies which could play an
important role in advancing the understanding of the rapid demographic changes
underway in Texas.
Finally, we have requested just under $1 million in funding over the next two
years to support a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. The nursing shortage
is well known and well documented as is the demand for nursing baccalaureate
degrees -- and UHV is located in the middle of a particularly underserved region
in this regard. Moreover, as our population ages and as quality of life issues
increasingly impact economic development decisions, we have an obligation to
meet the growing demand for health care professionals. Numerous meetings with
hospital administrators, professional nurses, etc. have taken place. In addition
to the funding request, Dan Jaeckle, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences,
has been working diligently along with our consultant Josephine A. Kahler, Ed.D.,
R.N., Dean, College of Health & Behavioral Sciences, Texas A & M
University-Texarkana, to develop the required proposals and applications. Due to
the complexity of starting a nursing program, this has been no small task and
Dan deserves kudos for his efforts.
The annual report to the community, a special 30th anniversary edition, was
delivered to a full house at a breakfast in mid-October. Positive feedback
continues to be received as a result of the success of that event. For the first
time, we invited students to speak. Their wonderful and heartfelt testimonies
reminded all of us of why we became involved in higher education in the first
place. We were also able to honor Victoria native, Regent Morgan Dunn O'Connor,
Chair of the UH System Board of Regents, by having Mayor Will Armstrong declare
October 14 as Morgan Dunn O'Connor Day. In addition, I was privileged to travel
to Houston -- ok I HAD to travel to Houston -- but the privilege was that I got
to spend some quality time with our newest regent, the Honorable Calvin W.
Stephens. I am certain he will be a great asset to higher education in Texas; he
seems to grasp intuitively the value of UHV to the UH System.
In talks before Rotary Clubs, economic development groups in Cuero and Victoria,
meetings with fourth graders and numerous media interviews such as the Community
at the Crossroads program, I continue to emphasize the value of UHV to this
community, the dedication of our staff, and the expertise and engagement of our
faculty. I can tell you that this message is well received and there is a
growing appreciation of the fact that UHV is a vital part of the quality of life
of our part of Texas and that UHV is a vehicle for achievement and advancement
for many students who would otherwise not have that opportunity.
Various events to engage the community with students, faculty, and staff have
been unfolding, such as the recent excursion to the UH homecoming football game
in which more than 200 supporters participated. And alumni-oriented events such
as our informal "Thirsty Thursdays" are strengthening UHV-community
relationships. Earlier in the year I was thrilled to be invited to attend the
Mexican American Student Organization kickoff luncheon. MASO did a wonderful job
and raised money for a worthy cause -- the local food bank. The entertainment
and food were terrific -- however, I did develop a strong desire for a siesta!
In early November, I traveled with five of our students to the Chancellor's
residence in Houston for an event called “Meet the Future of Texas”.
These students represented us superbly as they networked with key legislators
and spoke eloquently about the need for higher education support.
Recently many of you met with Dr. Larry Williams, Director of International
Programs at Midwestern State University, to discuss the issue of study abroad
for our students and faculty. Internationalizing the curriculum is one of the UH
system's strategic initiatives and rightly so in this era of the "global
village". It is my hope that these conversations will lead to UHV's ability to
provide some of its students with the life changing and horizon expanding
experience represented by studying abroad. Many of you will know that I devoted
considerable energy to this process in my previous job and I firmly believe that
studying abroad is one of the most exciting and important things a student can
do in these times. I intend to continue collaborating with staff and faculty to
provide UHV students with such opportunities.
In closing, let me thank all of you who have taken time to drop by and speak to
me. I have especially enjoyed getting to know more about the intellectual
interests of our talented faculty and the interesting backgrounds of our staff.
I welcome more such opportunities.
I will send out additional (shorter!) updates such as this one as events warrant
and time allows. Meanwhile, please know that I am always interested in hearing
from you and knowing about your opportunities, achievements, and challenges.
Buena Suerte!
TH
“Wisdom lies neither in fixity nor in change, but in the dialectic between the
two.” Octavio Paz (1914-1998)
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