February 2023

 

Spring marks flurry of campus activity

Dear Friends,

As is usual in the spring, activities ramp up quickly and the university often finds itself in a state of explosive motion. While it adds to the vibrancy of the college experience, the accelerated pace challenges us to stop and enjoy the many fine moments at each of our three campuses. We are at the peak of athletics, and this semester includes lectures, theater productions, awards ceremonies, conferences, homecoming and graduation. It is a whirlwind of activity but worth every bit of effort.

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College of Business earns coveted accreditation

We received exceptional news last week as we learned the College of Business earned accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, which is widely considered to be the gold standard for accreditation. Less than 6% of business schools worldwide have achieved the level of excellence in teaching, research, curriculum development and student learning needed to earn AACSB accreditation. I am most proud that Texas Woman’s College of Business is the only one in the state with AACSB accreditation that offers an MBA with an emphasis in Women in Leadership.

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Texas Woman’s to honor Billingsley with leadership award

This month, Texas Woman’s will honor Lucy Billingsley, a North Texas commercial real estate developer and model for civic engagement. She will receive the 2023 Virginia Chandler Dykes Leadership Award, named for the late humanitarian known for professional and civic achievements and a lifetime passion for helping others. Billingsley will be given the award during the Dallas Leadership Luncheon on March 22. She and her husband, Henry, founded Billingsley Company in 1978, and have been involved in virtually every aspect of that industry since then. Lucy has served on numerous boards and committees, including the UT Southwestern Medical Foundation, KERA and the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation. She also founded Chiapas International, which provides funding for loans to people in impoverished Latin American communities. Register for this year’s awards luncheon here.

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Retired educator gives $1 million gift to Reading Recovery

I am pleased to report that a retired Ohio educator has given $1 million to Texas Woman’s Reading Recovery/Descubriendo la Lectura program to support an endowed chair and activities within the program, which provides literacy intervention for first-graders who have difficulty learning to read and write. The gift comes from Dr. Gay Su Pinnell, who launched the program in North America in 1984 and has been a longtime advocate for improving child literacy. Pinnell became friends with her Texas Woman’s counterpart, the late Billie Askew, who founded the program here, and Pinnell named the endowed chair in Askew’s name. This gift will help Texas Woman’s solidify its place as a global leader in child literacy. The university’s Reading Recovery program was the first to add faculty training for bilingual teachers.

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Basketball has record-breaking season

Texas Woman’s student-athletes continually demonstrate outstanding character on and off the field or court — and this academic year is no exception. Last fall, our student-athletes earned a collective 3.468 GPA. Fifty-two student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0 GPA, and an additional 59 made the dean’s list. This spring, our basketball team broke a program record for most wins in a season (24), peaked at the No. 3 spot in NCAA Division II women’s basketball, and finished the regular season as the top seed in the Lone Star Conference Tournament. We are excited for the team’s postseason prospects and encourage you to show your support.

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Finally, I leave you with this picture of Secretary of State Jane Nelson and several Texas Woman’s students who took part in TWU Day at the state Capitol on Feb. 22. The event allowed 30 of our students to interact with state legislators and other elected officials for a day’s worth of activities. During the trip to Austin, I met with Texas Woman’s alumni at the Headliners Club and testified before the House Appropriations Committee, using both occasions to highlight the university’s recent successes and demonstrate the significant impact our university continues to have on the state.

I promise to keep you posted about Texas Woman’s activities this year. 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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Page last updated 3:31 PM, March 31, 2023