HBU.Edu/60Th President’S Message
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HBU.edu/60th President’s Message here are key moments in life the most valuable experience I had was to encourage upperclassmen to live that call for reflection—thinking listening to faculty and staff as they shared on campus, this state-of-the-art facility about the past and considering what they loved most about the University represented a significant step toward the milestones and turning points and also talked about the pressure points, creating a more residential culture at HBU. Tthat have enabled us to get where we are the day-to-day things that they thought Those early listening sessions led today. Such reflection can especially help needed to be changed to improve the to other important changes, including us learn from our successes and failures, HBU experience for our students. revisions to our student recruiting and plan for the future, and gain the energy we I learned a lot from those sessions, advising processes. These improvements need to seize opportunities for growth in which turned out to be foundational allowed us to enroll and retain larger the days ahead. Birthdays, anniversaries, for what we’ve been able to do in the freshman classes—a critical factor in and the beginning of a new year are all following years, especially the creation fulfilling our mission and maintaining our examples of these opportune moments. of our vision document, the Ten Pillars, financial health. Over time, we also greatly At HBU, the celebration in 2020 of the which has shaped so much of our work expanded our Graduate School programs, 60th anniversary of our founding gives us to this day. After the listening sessions, which led to the fulfillment of another a significant opportunity to reflect on the we began a study to move from a quarter major milestone for HBU—becoming a past as we look to the future. academic calendar to a traditional, two- comprehensive University. This means This issue of The Pillars points to semester calendar. This change proved to that we offer not only undergraduate and some of the important milestones that be very significant, since we implemented master’s-level degrees, but also doctoral have energized positive change at the it in the fall semester of 2008, just in time programs, which continue to excel as they University. There’s much to be thankful for to allow us to recover from the devastation attract outstanding students. as we can see the hand of the Lord upon us of Hurricane Ike and avoid the financial ruin These kinds of changes grew out of HBU’s and celebrate the work of so many people that would have resulted from being on a rich traditions. The University historically over the years—faculty, staff, deans, quarter system. As it was, we were able to has had outstanding leaders, from its donors, vice presidents, presidents, alumni, fulfill the class attendance requirements founders and earliest Board members to trustees, coaches, and students. And as for the semester, and thus, did not lose the its current trustees, and has always had we reflect on their contributions, we can fall term. an adaptive personality—a willingness identify certain key factors of leadership We immediately began also, based to change—and an entrepreneurial spirit. and commitment that have made HBU on those listening sessions, to plan for These characteristics have allowed the the vibrant Christian university it is today. our Honors College, which opened in University not only to adjust to the highly I’ve been asked to reflect upon the topic 2008 and continues to draw exceptional dynamic marketplace that is a rich part of of leadership in general but especially to students to HBU. We also recognized the Houston community, but also to grow point to some of my favorite moments— the need to improve facilities for our in the worldwide marketplace of higher important instances of change—in my 14- School of Fine Arts, which led to the education. I have learned a lot about HBU’s plus years as a member of the HBU family. significant decision to build the University tradition of flexibility since my earliest days A leader new to an institution must Academic Center. The spacious UAC at the University. learn about and appreciate its history and opened in the fall of 2008, as did the new Amid all these developments, we have tradition before trying to effect change. Lake House dormitory, now known as simultaneously and strategically built a When I arrived at HBU in the fall of 2006, the Hodo Residence College. Designed great leadership team involving faculty, 2 WINTER 2020/2021 • THE PILLARS deans, staff, and other dedicated leaders at a record attendance at HBU. And the program generously supported by Pinky multiple levels throughout the institution. same is true of retention. Those numbers Pampell. We now have more than 1,300 Nothing significant ever happens because continue to improve almost every year, students in our online division, and this year of a single leader. Positive change results thanks in large part to the Student Success we could well pass the 2,000 student mark. from teamwork, and it is gratifying to say staff, the Looper Learning Commons, our Starting this initiative years ago allowed us that the Executive Council members remarkable faculty, and our Student Life to adapt quickly when the pandemic hit last I’m privileged to serve with are the staff. spring and we were forced to offer classes most outstanding of my career in higher We’ve seen major successes in other remotely. Which reminds me of another education. areas as well. For example, because significant change in HBU over recent The same could be said for the faculty of the hard work of our outstanding years—our vastly improved use of digital and staff of the University. The changes Advancement team, not only have we technology all across the University, in every we’ve experienced over the years are now reached the 98% level with respect sphere of our operations and activities. usually not the kinds of things that occur to our capital campaign (the goal is There is so much else to note—and at a certain moment or on a single date. $136.5 million), but we have received I really cannot do justice to it here. Instead, they’ve flourished over time. The over the last seven or eight years three However, I must mention the constantly historic and always growing commitment of the most significant gifts in the history growing strength and influence of our of faculty and staff to the mission of HBU— of the University. Dr. Stewart Morris Alumni Association, the quality (spiritually, through teaching, research, mentoring and his family have always been major academically, and competitively) of our students, and community service—is a contributors to HBU, and they continue NCAA athletic programs, the outstanding significant part of our rich history, and I that tradition to this very day. They’ve been services on behalf of students led by the continue to be amazed at the unity of heart joined by Archie and Linda Dunham, Jim Office of Career and Calling, the many and purpose I see here. That has become and Sherry Smith, and many others. Having life-changing discipleship programs that especially evident in recent days as our these kinds of major gifts has increased fall under the umbrella of Kaleo, and the faculty and staff have been forced to adapt our public visibility, energized significant numerous outreach programs for Houston rapidly to different ways of delivering growth in our donor base of individuals and the world led by different people and Amid all these developments, we have simultaneously and strategically built a great leadership team involving faculty, deans, staff, and other dedicated leaders at multiple levels throughout the institution. education and fulfilling the University’s and foundations, and led to major steps departments all across the University. work during the pandemic. forward in financial stability for HBU, Finally, I must reflect with thanksgiving As I reflect on my years at HBU, I recall allowing us to offer our students improved on the core convictions of HBU. With all many other developments that have facilities and expanded programming. And of our adaptation and growth, we remain made a huge difference. For example, though I haven’t space here to mention faithful to being a university where we were able—through the leadership other names, we have been generously character, integrity, excellence, honorable of our Board of Trustees—to re-enter the supported by a great host of contributors citizenship, liberty and justice for all, NCAA at the Division I level and then add who have given sacrificially according to virtuous behavior, and religious freedom— football to our athletic programming a and even beyond their means. all generated by our deep roots of faith few years later. These changes have made In the fall of 2018, we added the College in Christ—continue to matter. So many a powerful impact on the involvement of Engineering, which has now merged into universities have lost their moorings and of our alumni and the visibility of the the College of Science and Engineering. have become little more than institutions University nationwide. The amazing $20 million pledge by that homogeneously reflect the prevailing We’ve also experienced days of financial Jim and Sherry Smith toward a STEM culture. At HBU, on the other hand, we challenge, but each of these times of building, representing the largest single not only have adapted and pushed challenge—whether because of Hurricane gift in the history of HBU, is enabling forward with academic excellence and Ike, the Harvey flooding, or the ups and us to move forward boldly with a creative ways of delivering a cutting-edge downs of the economy—has pushed us facility that will support our historically educational experience, but have done so to adapt.