Highlights from the May 2024 board meeting

Dear Texas Woman’s Community,

The TWU System Board of Regents held its May 2024 quarterly meeting last week, and I am pleased to share some highlights with you, though you can also listen to the full recording.

The meeting wrapped up with excellent news on two fronts: A major gift for our Stroke Center – Dallas and a finalized contract with a flight school to keep our aviation program on schedule.

First, regents authorized the renaming of our prized stroke center in Dallas as the Mike A. Myers Stroke Center, after the Dallas businessman made a $2 million gift. In his address to the board, he said, “I have been supportive of particularly women in different jobs throughout my business career, and to see this many women serving on a board of regents makes my heart full.”

His gift to the Stroke Center will be used to expand research, extend services to patients and families, and create more inter-professional training opportunities among Texas Woman’s programs. This is not the first time Myers has given generously to the university. Since 2020, Myers has supported the Johanniter Humanitarian Group of Texas (JHG), and with Myers’ foundation, the two entities have provided more than 50 annual scholarships for undergraduate nursing students and established the Myers-JHG Tutoring and Academic Support Center at TWU’s Dallas campus.

Secondly, regents approved a contract with Denton-based U.S. Aviation Group, LLC, which will provide flight training for TWU’s Doswell School of Aeronautical Sciences. The contract is for two years and includes an option to extend the period. This allows the university to begin this fall with classroom instruction at the Denton campus and flight instruction at the Denton Enterprise Airport.

Regents also heard another favorable report about the university’s progress toward its goal of raising $125 million in the Dream Big comprehensive campaign. The latest tally shows the university has raised over $116 million with “big dreams” to fly by its goal and address fundraising opportunities that previously felt beyond reach.

Athletic Director Sandee Mott delivered yet another fantastic wrap- up of this past year, noting all nine athletic programs were involved in post-season competition and that, collectively, our student-athletes posted a 3.524 GPA, making it the 84th consecutive semester that our sports teams have posted a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Artistic Swimming finished third in the nation, just ahead of The Ohio State University, while STUNT, just in its third season, placed third in the inaugural Lone Star Conference Championship. Three members of the TWU Wrestling team qualified for nationals this year, and gymnastics finished in second place at the USA Gymnastics National Championships for the second consecutive year.

^{TWU Board of Regents with the TWU Basketball team}

Softball qualified for the LSC tournament for the first time since 2017, and you all are well aware of our incredible basketball accomplishments. In the process of completing an astonishing season, basketball finished as LSC regular season champions, LSC Tournament champions, and Coach Beth Jillson was named LSC Coach of the Year for the third time. Star forward Ashley Ingram was also named to two All-American teams, the South Central Region MVP and the LSC Player of the Year. You can get more detail on the outstanding accomplishments of our student-athletes at the 1:10:00 mark of the May 17 meeting broadcast.

We took several minutes during this board meeting to welcome our new executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, Dr. Angela Bauer, who begins her new role on June 1.

In the Academic Affairs Committee, Provost Graves collaborated with Dallas Campus President Christopher and Dallas-based program directors and faculty to highlight the programs on the campus and the history of the building. Regent Coleman, an OT alumna, said, “I would like to commend everyone on the collaboration between disciplines because that’s the real world, and you are just bringing it to us in such a nice way.” Regent Hyde commented about the programs: “I am always blown away when I see and contemplate about what is being done here. You are the perfect antidote to despair. People who have experienced stroke…you give them hope, and that is priceless.” Student Regent Covarelli said, “I have gotten to know students from all the departments here. They rave and really appreciate the work you put in. You see their leadership and help develop that leadership.” Regent Wilson wrapped up the comments about the Dallas campus presentation: “In addition to all the amazing things we heard—which had tears flowing—thank you, President Christopher, for giving us the history of the campus and how it evolved. This was an amazing presentation!”

There were some bittersweet moments at this board meeting, too, as we bid farewell to Regent Jill Jester, who is stepping down from her post after winning a seat on the Denton City Council; Student Regent Jianna Covarelli and now a TWU alumna, whose one-year term expires this month; and interim executive vice president for academic affairs and provost O. Finley Graves, who has served the university admirably for two years.

Jester, Covarelli, and Graves all served with distinction and demonstrated extraordinary commitment to creating an engaging and stimulating academic environment that makes Texas Woman’s such a special place. We will miss them all.

As always, I promise to inform you about the outstanding activities that keep our university thriving. I wish you a safe weekend as we remember and honor the U.S. Military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.
 
With a pioneering spirit,

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

Page last updated 2:15 PM, May 28, 2024