Read President Fennell's Biography

During the Fall 2010 Faculty/Staff Institute, the State of the College Address focused on “Enhancing Accountability for the Improvement of Teaching and Learning.”  As the 21st Century has embraced us, Texas College must maintain the foundations of her history while also transforming to the dictates and demands of higher education that are introduced by accrediting bodies, students, educational agencies  and the general public. With the changing paradigm of higher education and new demands of learners in the teaching-learning process, there is evidence that the vision of the College must broaden, while her history and mission continue to serve as the guide of the transformational process. Texas College is therefore envisioned to remain true to her history as the College becomes an educational epicenter that embraces the vision.

The only way for faculty and staff to rate our success is to gauge the success of our students.  The College must strive to reach and maintain an annual student retention rate of 85% or greater during an academic year.  It is imperative that Texas College guides our students toward graduation in the time outlined in the institution’s statute of limitation for course (maximum of six years) and the national average of four to six years. The institution will continue to offer sound academic advisement and career counseling leading students to graduate/professional schools and/or career opportunities, both identifiable and measurable of students’ success. 

Texas College will not only educate our students but we will mentor them. Our institution’s image will be upstanding and reflect the qualities of the College’s core values.  The College must be well focused on student engagement, whereby faculty/staff interact in learning activities (in and out of the classroom) that are beneficial to a student’s educational and professional development. Faculty/staff are encouraged to participate in corporate educational experiences for an understanding about how to prepare students for the work place. Such training will aid in cultivating an educational center whose academic preparations are congruent with the skill-sets identified by current and future job projections.

We will be known as an institution known for intellectual exchange and whose environment is conducive for learning, while also being aesthetically appealing. This vision aligns with the long term plans of renovating and expanding our facilities to accommodate more students.  We will strive to move forward as we bring the following items into fruition:

• Create a pedestrian campus with a diverse population of minimally 1,200 full-time students;
• A resident campus that can accommodate minimally 800 students in both male and female residence halls; and
• A campus that holds true to her founding with a College chapel/auditorium that will accommodate the entire student body at one time.

From an academic offering standpoint, the College should align itself to expand the offerings therefore making education more accessible to traditional and non-traditional students by:

• Becoming a campus that facilitates credit, non-credit and on-line offerings;
• A campus whose educational offerings are both conducive and convenient as a result of an extended work-day (8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.) and work-week Monday through Saturday (with an abbreviated work-day Saturday);
• A campus whose academic programs have niche offerings; and
• An institution whose educational offerings extend beyond the campus boundary with satellite centers in Tyler and beyond.

In summary, Texas College is envisioned as becoming an educational institution that is resourceful, facilitative, in demand, educationally sound, financially secure, environmentally safe, and known for the development of quality graduates prepared as productive citizens.

Strategic Direction Manual for Texas College 2012-2017

President's Report for 2012-2013