The Texas Christian University Board of Trustees held its regularly scheduled fall meeting last week. The Board and the university continue to lead significant strategies that ensure TCU delivers its educational mission with an ongoing focus on the  Vision in Action: Lead On strategic plan.

The Board received and discussed several reports and approved resolutions and policies that are effective immediately. Of special note, the Board approved no tuition increase for the TCU 2021-2022 academic year, leaving the tuition rate at $51,570. Additionally, tuition at the TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine will remain unchanged at $60,318.

Resolution of Demonstrated Support for the TCU Community

Chairman Mark Johnson issued a resolution in recognition of the unprecedented accomplishments by the TCU leadership and community in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In part, it states:

“The Board conveys its profound gratitude to the entire TCU community for working together to navigate the way through this unprecedented time in our history to ensure that TCU will not just remain sustainable, but continue to flourish.”

Resolutions on Budget Items

In November 2019, the Fiscal Affairs Committee charged the university’s administration to begin creating a more financially sustainable operating model that included lowering cost structure, increasing financial aid and reducing annual increases in tuition. Those efforts were underway when the pandemic emerged, which caused further financial and operational strain. The estimated effect of pandemic-related costs ($90 million to date) necessitated budget revisions to accommodate immediate financial aid and tuition assistance for students. Other significant cost/revenue impacts include housing and dining revenue, technology and infrastructure investment and significantly modified athletics schedules.

The university has committed to permanently retain the previously mentioned immediate aid allocation of $65 million to students by reducing operating costs. The net effect of this move will be to increase TCU’s discount rate, thereby lowering the average net price to students. This increases the university’s net price advantage compared to peer and other universities, and makes the TCU experience more accessible to talented and academically gifted students.  

Chancellor’s Report to the Board of Trustees

Several updates and reports were provided to inform the Board on important and ongoing discussions, including the Chancellor’s goals in support of the strategic plan.

The report for the fall 2020 12^th class day provided enrollment statistics with a comparison to fall 2019 and fall 2020 enrollment. Enrollment remained healthy at 11,379 for fall 2020, despite the uncertainty of the pandemic. Provost Teresa Abi-Nader Dahlberg provided a detailed review of the demographics of undergraduate and first year students.

Darron Turner, Ph.D. reported significant progress with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, including the creation of the Office of Institutional Equity that is led by the recently promoted Sharon Gooding, JD, director of the Office of Institutional Equity. Aisha Torrey-Sawyer, director of Diversity and Inclusion, launched the Inclusive Excellence Framework that provides a structured process to identify and enable strategies that advance DEI objectives at TCU. Mandatory training for faculty, staff and students has been launched and TCU’s inaugural DEI conference, Diversity Day, was hosted virtually Oct. 1.  

Frederick Gooding, Ph.D., associate professor of African American Studies and chair of the Race & Reconciliation Initiative, provided an update on the progress of the work of the committee and its effort to involve the Fort Worth and TCU communities in the academic exploration of our history. Progress includes joining the Universities Studying Slavery international consortium; the hosting of monthly town halls covering topics related to RRI and the development of seven research task forces.

Lead On: A Campaign for TCU Report

The Board received an update on the progress of Lead On: A Campaign for TCU, which seeks to invest in people and programs and build the endowment in support of the Board’s goals of ensuring financial sustainability for the university. Thirty-five gifts of $100,000 or more, totaling $17,700,823, were received and approved between March 1, 2020 and Sept. 30, 2020. Despite the year’s challenges, the campaign is currently at 68% completion with $680.4 million committed thus far, including:

• $441.3 million for people and programs (65%)
• $212.5 million for scholarship support
• $226 million for endowment
• $412 million from alumni, parents and friends

Academic Affairs Updates, Dean Search and Teaching Plans for Spring

Provost Teresa Abi-Nader Dahlberg provided several Academic Affairs updates to the Board. She noted TCU’s 17 spot rise in the U.S. News & World Report rankings, and the significant rise in Peer Assessment score, a particularly difficult measure to move. A focused marketing campaign and news surrounding the TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine supported the effort. The department has integrated Inclusive Excellence strategies into its ongoing core mission of excellence, and continues to focus on achieving operational sustainability.

The Academic Affairs committee provided background information on the May 2020 launch of the TCU Connected Campus Plan, with the goal of maintaining the Horned Frog experience while ensuring instructional continuity. This plan, and its subsequent execution, has required significant investment in time and talent, including moving more than 3,000 courses online and establishing remote work norms. For spring 2021, the university endeavored to increase the number of safely hosted on-campus classes by continuing to offer flexibility for faculty, but with new modalities that encourage participation and commit to excellence in pedagogy.

This year, Academic Affairs welcomed three new deans and currently has one open dean search for the College of Science & Engineering, in preparation for long-serving Dean Phil Hartman’s announced retirement at the end of this academic year. Further discussion on the interim dean positions for the John V. Roach Honors College and the School of Interdisciplinary Studies will be held in spring 2021.

Update from the Study/Advisement on University Social Issues Subcommittee

In July 2020, the newly-formed subcommittee named Trustee L.T. Tomlinson as its chair. The subcommittee met this week and heard updates from Aisha Torrey-Sawyer, director of Diversity and Inclusion, on progress being made on issues of equity, equality and greater access to campus leadership. The subcommittee will continue to meet and discuss the issues as presented.