Highlights from the November 2019 board meeting

Dear Colleagues,

Wrapping up last week’s Board of Regents meeting on our Houston campus, I shared how the impressive number of accomplishments packed into our agendas reflect the vision and purpose that the members of our community have built into our five-year strategic plan. And I was pleased to unveil a stunning new print piece titled Connecting the Dots that highlights stories and outcomes aligning with our plan’s direction. I am proud to distribute this booklet far and wide to share the bold message of our accomplishments, our distinctive mission, and our value to the state and beyond.

And here are a few other highlights from last week’s meeting:

• The regents approved two naming recommendations proposed by the Institute for Women’s Leadership Advisory Council: 1) the Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership and 2) the Sue S. Bancroft Women’s Leadership Hall.
• University Advancement outlined progress in building its team, streamlining its operations, progressing comprehensive campaign plans, and celebrating gift outcomes that include Mary’s Hall grand opening, the inaugural Paup Lecture Series, and the dedication of the Dianne Baker Softball Field.
• Enrollment Management delivered news of record enrollment at 15,830 students, a number that will further increase once the seven-week semesters have passed census date. This current two-percent increase in headcount corresponds to a half-percent increase in semester credit hours compared with fall 2018.
• Staff Council President Cynthia Alexander shared how it has strengthened communication with constituents and transformed its recognition programs, along with plans to bolster staff development.
• All but two of the current capital projects are expected to finish by July 2020. Jones Hall renovations for the dental hygiene program and for Counseling and Psychological Services as well as construction of the new fieldhouse will continue into 2021.
• Dr. Adams, assistant provost for student success, showcased the new Marketable Skills web page, progress in removing barriers to student persistence, and shared results and plans of the Strategic Retention Council, including applications for two federal TRIO grants.
• Ron Hovis, currently serving as executive director for campus outreach on the Houston campus, presented preliminary plans for data gathering and analysis around enrollment, operations, opportunities, and threats for our Houston and Dallas campuses. His goal is to identify ways we can better leverage Texas Woman’s presence in these high-value, high-visibility locations. He expects to present his initial findings to academic as well as university leadership teams in March.
• Drs. Brewer and Ellison reported on outcomes, lessons learned, and future directions of their physical therapy grant and research to increase under-represented minority students in the profession.
• Nursing faculty member Dr. Budhrani-Shani presented her NIH-funded pilot of a randomized controlled trial to study the feasibility of using Qigong to alleviate stress among cancer caregivers. Regents encouraged her plans to expand her future research to include caregivers for patients with Alzheimer’s and other long-term conditions.
• Nutrition and Food Science faculty member Dr. Miketinas talked about several of his research projects, including data on fiber consumption; the relationship between Omega-3 and mental health; the role of elementary school gardens on students’ fruit and vegetable intake, as well as food security; and work on approval of a supplement with FDA approval for the treatment of a form of liver cancer. Future directions include an in-house database of baseline data for key variables from researchers across the university, which will position Texas Woman’s as a valuable collaborator with other universities.
• In recognition of Veterans Day and one of Texas Woman’s four areas of distinction, Student Life provided an update of the university’s growing Veterans’ services, including recent recognition by “Best for Vets: Colleges 2020” rankings as 47th in the country.
• Pioneer Pride Dance Team coach Allison Fields along with her three co-captains impressed the regents with the progress in developing a competitive dance team over the last three years since their founding, including finishing 4th in Division II nationals. They shared their excitement via a “belonging” video as well as a new program promo video.
• Drs. Brown and Spencer delivered a first-year progress report of the strategic plan’s Belonging Initiative included a Pioneers First program with accompanying video, research results, and future initiative plans.
• Michelle Reeves, director of the Health and Wellbeing Initiative, provided an update highlighting the deeply personal nature of health and wellbeing, the Texas Woman’s multidimensional model, the inclusive and cross-cutting structure of the initiative, and expanded on the many facets of the initiative’s purpose.

You can find the agendas, presentation slides, and full-length recording of each meeting on the regents’ Meeting Broadcast and Agenda pages.

As always, I want to end by thanking each of you for your part in making Texas Woman’s University such a remarkable institution and for helping pave the way forward to its even brighter future. These meeting highlights only scratch the surface of the accomplishments for which I am so proud—so thank you!

With Pioneer Pride,

Carine M. Feyten, Ph.D.
Chancellor and President

Page last updated 11:09 AM, November 11, 2024