Lily KepnerAustin American-Statesman
In its 125th anniversary year, Texas State University's leaders boasted about the institution's growth and announced their plans for its future to faculty and staff members at the second annual State of Texas State address.
In his presentation Friday, President Kelly Damphousse, who took office two years ago, boasted about the university's promising preliminary enrollment and retention data, its progress in expanding in Round Rock and internationally, and its investments both in research and faculty on its path to becoming a top-tier research institution.
"Our Texas State story is rooted in service and resilience and the belief in the value of an education and the power of dreaming big, and now 125 years later, we are all part of that story, and it's now our turn to be legacy makers," Damphousse said. "Texas State is no longer on the rise, Texas State has risen."
The celebration, held in the University Events Center, featured performances from student marching bands, a mariachi band, the Strutters dance team, a rendition of the alma mater and a musical theater performance. Hundreds of faculty and staff members were in attendance.
"I come every year because I love this event," said Melinda Villagran, a professor in the department of communication studies and the executive director of Texas State's Translational Health Research Center. "It's like a faculty and staff pep rally."
Preliminary numbers, which will not be finalized until mid-September, indicate that Texas State has a freshman class of more than 8,000 students, increasing 3.4% from last year and 24% from 2021 and exceeding the institution's goals, Damphousse said. Texas State's Round Rock campus had a 20% increase in enrollment from last year, and total retention increased to 81%, just shy of the university's 85% goal.
"We now graduated 8,324 students this past year. That's 8,324 stories that walk across the stage, 8,324 lives that will change forever because of what we did," Damphousse said. "Now part of our focus this past year to create more ways for students to earn a Texas State degree than ever."
Damphousse touted the university's new Bats to Cats program, a direct transfer pipeline between Austin Community College and Texas State University in Round Rock that now has 200 students enrolled, and the university's new campus in Santiago de Querétaro, in Mexico, and online learning opportunities to increase the accessibility of a degree.
He credits the enrollment and retention accomplishments to the university's focus on student success, as well as the recent creation of Texas State Global, Texas State Research and Texas State Round Rock to expand opportunities for them.
Damphousse also touted several new Texas State programs ― such as a bachelor of applied arts and sciences in aviation sciences, which will launch this fall with 28 students and two Texas State small planes ― and globally recognized programs such as its musical theater department.
He emphasized the university's focus on research ― and its progress toward its goal of Carnegie tier one research status, or R1, the nation's highest research designation. Lack of doctoral programs and graduates initially had set the school back from the classification, but Texas State presented 11 doctoral programs to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for approval this summer — which Damphousse said was the highest number of such programs presented to the board at once.
The institution's research growth was enhanced by the Texas University Fund, approved by voters in Proposition 5 last November. Damphousse said the university received $22.5 million through the fund this year, about a half share, but has reached the goals to receive a full share next year. The university hit $140 million in research expenditures last year and is expected to increase that. Reaching R1 status, the president said, is "inevitable."
"The bottom line is we're invested and growing our research enterprise to ensure students are immersed in a rich research environment so they are better prepared for successful careers and lives," Damphousse said. "And furthermore, we are investing in our faculty researchers so that they can answer the call of Texans, of Americans and the world to solve some of the toughest challenges faced by society."
The day also featured a panel discussion with other university leaders largely centered on employee and student support, including expanding health initiatives. They also talked about new building projects.
Housing is an "aggressive" priority to help support students, said Cynthia Hernandez, vice president for student success. Other new buildings will further enhance academics, such as a music and STEM building in San Marcos and the new Esperanza Building on the Round Rock campus, which will have its groundbreaking this fall, said Eric Algoe, the chief financial officer and executive vice president for operations. He also mentioned a partnership with a developer to build a university hotel in downtown San Marcos to potentially break ground in fall 2025.
In an interview after the event with the American-Statesman, Damphousse said his goal is to establish the necessary supports and opportunities to help every student succeed, as well as expand the institution's impact statewide and globally.
"Our goal is for any student who wants to go to college, to help them find a way to go," Damphousse said. "You might be thinking you're not smart enough. Well, we've got a lot of academic help. You might be thinking that you can't afford to go, but we've got a lot of scholarships. You might be thinking you won't fit in. We've got all kinds of student organizations. We've got faculty and staff who are super engaged in helping our students find their place here."
Villagran, who received her pin for 15 years of service at Texas State on Thursday, said the research opportunities, infrastructure growth, Round Rock campus and new opportunities for students excite her about the university's future.
"I used to think people didn't really know about Texas State, but I know that the word is out," Villagran said. "This is the place to be."
