April 2023

April is time to reflect on successes

Dear Friends,

While we prepare to celebrate spring commencement in May – our most revered event and the one that best punctuates our mission – April is the month in which we typically take a collective moment to reflect on the year’s successes and recognize outstanding achievement. This year, there is much for which we are proud, including an exemplary reaffirmation visit by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the southern states. I am proud of the entire university community for the work that went into making the accreditation visit so meaningful.

University honored with national institutional transformation award

I was elated that the American Council on Education tapped Texas Woman’s for the ACE/Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation during the organization’s annual meeting April 14 in Washington, D.C. The award is presented each year to only one university with a student population that exceeds 12,000 and which has used innovative approaches to respond to higher education challenges. In recognizing Texas Woman’s, ACE pointed to the university’s ambitious strategic plan adopted in 2018 which led to the addition of $460 million in cutting-edge facilities; new graduate programs in STEM; new modalities for delivering education; expanded sports programs; and a new health and wellbeing initiative – all during a period in which the university was able to meaningfully increase student persistence and improve ethnic diversity. It involved much planning and hard work, but it demonstrates the breadth of improvement a university can make when its faculty and staff are united in their efforts. Texas Woman’s is the only four-year university in Texas to win this award.

Digital library division receives statewide recognition

TWU student, Jada Sneed, works on a laptop alone in TWU's Denton campus library.

Speaking of well-deserved honors, Texas Woman’s Digital Strategies and Innovation department was recognized with the 2023 Texas Digital Library Outreach Award, which honors individuals or teams that demonstrate innovative approaches to increase access of digital information by faculty and students. The Digital Strategies and Innovation department headed an effort to increase exposure of faculty and student research through an online repository and oversaw a faculty partnership that showcases digital collections and student projects.

Alumni achievement focus of luncheon

One of the most gratifying moments of being a part of the Texas Woman’s community is seeing firsthand how our graduates have gone out into the world and done fantastic things. On April 22, the Office of Alumni Engagement gave out its Alumni Achievement Awards to honor the outstanding efforts of several of our graduates. Among the honorees were Carol Ireton-Jones, a nationally recognized nutrition therapist; Dianne Randolph, a classically trained soprano whose global performances have advanced African-American and European music traditions; Tiana Janes, a co-founder of Amplifyed, a digital education course designed to mentor aspiring marketers; and U.S. District Judge Alia Moses, the first woman chief judge in Texas’ Western District and who has mentored dozens of law clerks across the country. I look forward to meeting more of our alumni and learning how they are making the world better.

Grants to support women entrepreneurship

Two women business owners consult together at a table as others work in the background

From time to time, you have likely seen in this space some mention of the university’s outreach efforts to support our community: free dental clinics for children or summer camps to keep young students academically engaged, to name a couple. In April, the Center for Women Entrepreneurs (CWE), which is a part of Texas Woman’s Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership, announced two separate efforts aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs in Texas. The first is a hub in Abilene for the center’s AccelerateHER Program, which provides early-stage entrepreneurs with resources and training to boost their existing companies. The other is a $350,000 grant program that will distribute 35, $10,000 grants to rural, women entrepreneurs in Texas who have been in business at least three years and who need capital to grow their business. It is thrilling to see such meaningful efforts to advance women entrepreneurs in our state and just as heartening to see that Texas Woman’s has a significant impact on the prosperity of Texas.

Lastly, I am sharing with you a picture of Texas Woman’s student Alexa Hoekstra, who was a contestant during “College Week” on the TV game show Wheel of Fortune. The show in which she was a contestant aired on April 6 and the university hosted a watch party in her honor. The best part? – She won! We are most proud of Hoekstra’s effort and how well she represented Texas Woman’s.

As always, email me with your comments or questions. I am delighted that you have spent a few minutes with me today.

Warm Regards,

Follow Carine M. Feyten, Ph.D.

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Texas Woman’s is the nation’s largest university primarily for women.

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Page last updated 4:44 PM, May 26, 2023