Fort Worth\u2019s higher education leaders gathered at Bass Hall on Monday to discuss their institutions\u2019 roles in shaping the city\u2019s next chapter \u2014 one in which education and research may determine whether North Texas truly becomes the next great American metro and a powerhouse of commerce and culture.<\/p>\n
The conversation revealed a shared understanding that Fort Worth\u2019s part in that rise depends as much on what happens in classrooms and labs as in boardrooms.<\/p>\n
Who Took Part<\/p>\n
The chancellors and presidents who were part of the discussion:<\/p>\n
Kirk Calhoun, UNT Health Fort Worth president<\/p>\n
Jennifer Cowley, UT Arlington president<\/p>\n
James Hurley, Tarleton State University president<\/p>\n
Glenn Hegar, Texas A&M University System chancellor<\/p>\n
Elva LeBlanc, Tarrant County College chancellor<\/p>\n
Emily Messer, Texas Wesleyan University president<\/p>\n
Daniel Pullin, TCU chancellor<\/p>\n
TCU and Chancellor Daniel Pullin, who will be formally inaugurated this week as the 11th chancellor of the university, hosted the panel of seven education leaders titled \u201cFueling Innovation & Economic Vitality.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker joined the roundtable, moderated by Reagan Stephens, TCU Student Government Association president.<\/p>\n
What emerged wasn\u2019t just a conversation about economic vitality, jobs, quality of life but about the renewal of the ideals of curiosity and connection required to make this place a true innovation ecosystem.<\/p>\n
In the parlance of the day, there was a lot to unpack here.<\/p>\n
They hit on all the standard themes, such as collaboration among the institutions, as well local government institutions, as the primary catalyst for driving innovation and economic growth. They moved on to universities as the \u201ctalent engines\u201d responsible for producing the skilled workforce and workforce readiness, and retention.<\/p>\n
And, of course, there is the matter of access and affordability, and the enormous debt load some students take on for a four-year college degree that they hope to pay off before slipping into permanent rest and, God willing, the warm embrace of the Lord.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe the world needs a little bit more of a return to idealism as to what might be possible,\u201d Daniel Pullin, who will also become the first TCU chancellor to wear tennis shoes \u2014 I think those are generally purple Converse he sports \u2014 daily with his coat and tie.<\/p>\n
That kind of talk will make your ears perk up. (So, too, did Kirk Calhoun\u2019s assertion that he didn\u2019t believe a student needed eight years to become a practicing physician. Talk about saving money.)<\/p>\n
Expanding access and affordability is a prerequisite for long-term economic growth and social mobility, they all agreed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
TCU\u2019s and Texas Wesleyan\u2019s steps in making their programs more affordable and, by extension, accessible are notable examples.<\/p>\n
The cost of attendance for the Fall and Spring semesters at TCU, a private institution, for students living on campus is more than $82,000, according to the school\u2019s website. TCU has faced backlash over that price tag. However, they’re hardly alone. The cost of higher education is through the roof.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yet, through philanthropic efforts, TCU now covers full tuition for incoming first-year Texas students whose families earn $70,000 or less and meet criteria, including Pell Grant eligibility. Wesleyan President Emily Messer, meanwhile, was quick to point out that her school offers scholarships to Pell Grant\u2013eligible Texas residents to cover any remaining tuition costs.<\/p>\n
At UTA, Jennifer Cowley noted the university serves more Pell-eligible students than the entire Ivy League combined. \u201cIf you want to talk about creating social mobility and impact in our county, that’s the way we’re going to do it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
To put it in social media terms: Idealism > Cynicism, which has pervaded in abundance just about every social structure \u2014 from the family, schools, churches, and local governments \u2014 all of them essential to healthy communities that innovate. That\u2019s a long story. Idealism is what animates learning and discovery.<\/p>\n
Idealism, though, has always had a difficult time competing with the bottom line.<\/p>\n
The money has become a breeding ground for distrust in the institutions \u2014 cynicism. Economists say the skyrocketing cost of college education likely stems less from market forces and more from the easy access to student loans.<\/p>\n
How many great minds \u2014 that is, innovators \u2014 are lost because of the price tag? It’s an\u00a0age-old question that will still linger in 2100 when Dallas-Fort Worth is projected to be the biggest U.S. metro.<\/p>\n
\u201cTarrant County College [was founded] based on the belief that to have a true democracy you must have an educated population that can make informed decisions,\u201d said Tarrant County College Chancellor Elva LeBlanc.<\/p>\n
In reality, you need even more than that. In order to be in full communion with democracy, you need a career and a stake in the game.<\/p>\n
Tarrant County College is an integral part of all of this.<\/p>\n