Imperative
10
10
Demand
Enlightened Governance and Leadership
Great
universities have a clearly articulated
vision, a stimulating intellectual environment
populated by great faculty and students,
and resources adequate to support quality
offerings. One other characteristic often
contributes to greatness: enlightened
leadership. Clear, cooperative relationships
between the university and the system
must be the norm. To achieve our aspirations,
strong, enlightened, stable, and forward-thinking
leadership focused on academic quality
is essential. We have made progress, but
we must guard it zealously. Regents must
continue to take the policy high ground.
The System administration must acknowledge
and nurture Texas A&M University’s role
as a comprehensive research university
with national peers. The university administration
must be steadfast in its demand for quality
in every decision. And finally, the university
administration must make decisions through
a process characterized by openness and
appropriate faculty and staff participation.
Our responsibility to the System as its
flagship must be evidenced in all decision-making.
Academic progress is fragile. Enlightened,
shared governance and leadership are elemental
to its achievement.
P
R E C E P T: L E A D W I T
H C O U R A G E A N D V
I S I O N
For
Texas A&M University to realize its aspirations
it must have excellent leadership. Our
regents must be as good as any in the
United States at any public university.
Our chancellor and president must meet
the same standard. In every corner of
the organization the deans, department
heads, faculty, and staff must be identified
for their leadership capability, which
must be measured by national standards.
Leaders at all levels must understand
and be able to negotiate the complexities
of university governance, be able to form
and achieve plans, be committed to teamwork,
and be focused on managerial as well as
academic excellence. These qualities must
be apparent in all who hold administrative
appointments. Anything less will guarantee
mediocrity.
We
envision bold and visionary leadership
in all areas of activity and at all
levels of the university. This leadership
will acquire and effectively use substantial
resources, both financial and human
capital, to achieve (Texas A&M University’s)
strategic goals.
T
A S K F O R C E I D E A
-
The
regents are the front line of academic
leadership for Texas A&M University.
The selection process for regents
should be seen as the most thoughtful
in the nation.
-
The president, the provost, the deans
and department heads should be identified
through search and recruitment processes
noted for their intensity and rigor.
All recruiting should be targeted
to academic excellence.
-
There must be continued recognition
of the importance of shared university
governance as a reflection of the mutual
commitment and mutual respect among
the members of the university community
that is characteristic of all great
universities. Governance by individuals
in administrative posts and in the faculty
senate should be thoughtful, forward-looking,
and oriented towards producing long-range,
high-quality results. Encourage and
reward faculty participation in campus
governance.
P
R E C E P T: E N C O U R A G E T
H E E N T R E P R E N E U R I A L
S P I R I T O F S T U D E N
T S , FA C U LT Y, A N D S TA F F
A N D P R O M O T E
I N F O R M E D R I S K - TA K I N
G
People identify with the
entrepreneurial spirit of Texas A&M University
students and graduates. Many Aggies seek
to make their own way, to start their own
businesses. This spirit—which pushes the
edge of thought and action and sees possibilities
and opportunities where others may not—needs
to be present in the faculty, staff, and
students of Texas A&M University in 2020.
Faculty, staff, and students should be encouraged
to be entrepreneurial in every aspect of
university life, to be bold in seeking opportunities
that benefit the life of the university,
its citizens, and ultimately the citizens
of the state and beyond. This entrepreneurial
spirit and the positive risk-taking that
it implies will mark Texas A&M University
as distinct from our peers.
Leaders
at all levels and in all areas of university
operation are willing to take risks, are
visionary, are proactive, are flexible,
are willing to delegate authority, have
a global orientation, and recognize and
promote excellence in all activities.
T
A S K F O R C E I D E A
-
Establish
an incentive and reward system that
acknowledges and encourages risk-taking.
Create and implement a comprehensive
pay, benefits, and recognition plan
for all faculty and staff at Texas A&M
University that encourages informed
risk-taking.
-
Encourage entrepreneurial action that
leads to improvements in the university
through an incentive and reward structure
that recognizes entrepreneurial activity
among faculty, staff, and administrators.
Establish a competitive, entrepreneurial
fund equal to 10 percent of the education
and general budget to support faculty/
staff entrepreneurial ideas and activities.
P
R E C E P T: M A K E A C A D
E M I C L E A D E R S H I P
D E V E L O P M E N T C E N T R A
L
Texas A&M University
has a history, one in which we take great
pride, of developing student leaders. Texas
A&M University must focus attention on producing
more scholar leaders for itself and for
the knowledge industry of the United States
and world. We will never achieve our goal
without a commitment to providing leadership
for higher education at the state, national,
and world level. Leadership development
must be a focal point for faculty.
Develop
a culture and reward structure that recognize
and promote excellence, make quality a
top priority, and build the leadership
that holds these values as fundamental
tenets.
T
A S K F O R C E I D E A
G
O A L :
- Texas A&M University’s
name and reputation are spread in the
academic world by its undergraduate
alumni seeking advanced degrees and
by former faculty who leave for administrative
posts. Achieve a four-fold increase
in the number of graduates or former
faculty of Texas A&M University who
are acknowledged as academic leaders
in the state and nation evidenced by
appointments as comprehensive research
university presidents, chancellors,
provosts, deans, and department heads.
P
R E C E P T: E N H A N C E A
D M I N I S T R AT I V E L E A D E
R S H I P
A N D M A N A G E M E N T
Texas
A&M University is known as an efficient
organization. Many sources suggest it is
lean at the top and that resources for administration
are effectively distributed when compared
to other universities. Increasing competition
from private, for-profit universities and
our changing goals mean our university must
become even more effective from an administrative
standpoint. Necessary bureaucratic procedures
should be transparent and easy to negotiate,
not an obstacle to success. People, rather
than organizations, should be responsible
for making decisions. We should do all that
we can to create funnels of responsibility
with decisions made by people at the lowest,
most appropriate level that adds value.
The best universities will be responsive
to change, adaptable, agile, and able to
provide support and assistance for the knowledge
work of the institution.
Although
Texas A&M University annually seeks to
improve its productivity, we must continually
search for ways to be more efficient and
effective.
T
A S K F O R C E I D E A
G
O A L S :
- People
making informed decisions are the foundation
of leadership. Structure the university
so that decisions are made by the appropriate
and most knowledgeable party regardless
of level.
-
Continuously assess all processes that
support teaching, research, and service
for efficiency, simplicity, and value
added. Maintain the lowest ratio
of administrative costs to general educational
costs when compared to peer institutions.
P
R E C E P T: VA L U E S TA F
F S U P P O RT F O R A
C A D E M I C
E X C E L L E N C E
The thousands
of staff at Texas A&M University are essential
to creating educational opportunity and
excellence and to achieving the multiple
missions of the university. Classified and
non-classified staff, custodial workers,
landscape, and grounds maintenance workers,
campus police, and many others play an integral
role in making Texas A&M University a great
place to study and live. Appropriate compensation
for work performed is central to a quality
workplace for staff, but it is not the only
consideration. Professional respect, the
opportunity to be heard, the possibility
of growth and advancement, involvement in
the life of the university, recognition
of the importance of staff roles, and appropriate
work environments all add to the quality
of environment for staff, and all contribute
to achieving the central missions of Texas
A&M University.
Develop
a culture and reward structure that recognize
and promote excellence, make quality a
top priority, and build the leadership
that holds these values as fundamental
tenets.
T
A S K F O R C E I D E A
G
O A L S :
-
Foster
a work environment for staff that promotes
quality, encourages resourcefulness,
recognizes achievement, and provides
for growth in responsibility so that
excellence can be achieved at every
level of the university. Have no
staff losses except for reasons that
involve sound professional decision-making.
-
Have compensation, benefits, professional
development packages, and a strong organizational
culture to attract and retain outstanding
staff. Have continuous availability
of staff development opportunity consistent
with the best corporate practice.
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T
H E U N I V E R S I T Y ’ S
F U T U R E I S A
B O U T
L E A D E R S H I P :
Our
leadership, governance, and organization
vision is to operate as a learning
organization by supporting continuous
innovation and creativity in all
programs. The ability to operate
as a learning organization is a
cornerstone—in addition to the cornerstones
of diversity and values, information
resources and globalization—to achieving
our recognition among multiple constituencies
as a preeminent and internationally
renowned business school.
Lowry
Mays College & Graduate
School of Business, Vision for 2020
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