The pandemic rattled a legislative session many hoped would focus on colleges and universities, said Harrison Keller, Texas’ commissioner of higher education.
But the health crisis only made it more essential for legislators to invest in higher education because they are spearheading the “near-term recovery and long-term economic competitiveness,” Keller said during a virtual fireside chat Tuesday sponsored by the Dallas Regional Chamber.
And to come out of the pandemic with a “more resilient, highly skilled workforce,” institutions will need to work closely with employers and industry leaders to ensure clear pathways for students’ success, he said.
“Our higher education leaders recognize that they’ve got unique responsibilities and roles to play in accelerating the Texas recovery,” Keller said.
Here are key takeaways from Keller and three area college presidents: Michael Sorrell, Paul Quinn College; Neal Smatresk, University of North Texas; and Mark Rudin, Texas A&M University-Commerce. (The Dallas Regional Chamber is a supporter of the Education Lab at The Dallas Morning News.)
Universities took major financial hits throughout the past year with various revenue streams — such as housing, dining and parking — being “decimated,” Smatresk said.
Schools worked to offset costs. But complicating matters was the loss of students across Texas, many of whom dropped out of college for financial reasons.
Keller said he is urging legislators to have a strong focus on strategic investments in higher education, which he said is “even more important today than it was before the pandemic” because of colleges and universities needing to shift resources.
And in order to support students, schools need funding for growth, Rudin said. He added that a boost in funding is especially important after all state agencies, including public universities, had to cut budgets by 5% last year.
Texas is losing too many of its top students who never show up in college, Keller said.
Nearly 15% of high school students who graduate in the top 10% of their class don’t enroll at any college or university in the country, Keller said. Such students earn automatic admission into most Texas public colleges and universities.
Enrollment in community college, dual credit and undergraduate programs dropped because of the pandemic, as did transfers, Keller said. But Texas saw even steeper declines among Black, Hispanic and low-income students.
“Nearly 17% of our Black students who qualify for automatic admission to universities are not enrolling in higher education anywhere in Texas,” he said.
The state needs to recommit to reaching out to students of color — whose communities have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic — and provide support for their transition into higher education, Keller added.
“Commitment to equity is so important to make sure everybody can participate and contribute to and benefit from the unique opportunities Texas offers,” he said.
While numerous students found remote learning challenging, many others enjoyed the flexibility online classes provided.
Schools are now thinking about ways they can accommodate students who benefit from either format.
Smatresk said UNT, for example, is exploring keeping most classes under a hybrid model that allows professors to deliver lessons remotely and face to face at the same time. But he predicts up to 80% of students will want to return to in-person classes.
Texas A&M University at Commerce provided virtual services like telemedicine or online mental health sessions. Rudin said it is important to keep offering those opportunities because students embraced them.
With about 500 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals students enrolled at UNT, Smatresk said it is critical to support students who are feeling vulnerable because of their status as unauthorized immigrants with temporary relief from deportation.
“Why would we want to waste that talent? Why don’t we want to absorb that talent?” he said.
Both DACA and international students have “suffered disproportionately” during the pandemic, Smatresk said.
Sorrell added that higher education leaders have to be willing to have honest conversations when “our elected officials take positions that aren’t in alignment” with the school’s views.
“We have to get to a place where we understand that educating all Texans is great for Texas,” he said. “We can’t cherry pick who we want to call a Texan and who we think it’s important to educate.”
Students may struggle with mental health needs after such a traumatic year in the pandemic, the educators said.
The presidents all said they want to continue providing mental health services in various ways and to normalize seeking help.
Because many students are shy about sitting in front of a counselor in person, Rudin said he wants to continue allowing them to connect virtually to protect their privacy.
Upon entry at Paul Quinn, Sorrell said, all students receive a mental health examination because “Black and Latino students are historically underserved in that space.”
Smatresk also pointed to one of UNT’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, which includes establishing a center that provides not only counseling support but also research around the needs of different populations on campus.
The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from The Beck Group, Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, The Meadows Foundation, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University and Todd A. Williams Family Foundation. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.
Twitter: @ValeriaOliEsc