Texas Tech University President Lawrence Schovanec highlighted the university’s accomplishments over the past year while laying out a bold vision for the future in his annual State of the University address on Wednesday.
Just a few weeks ago, Texas Tech announced a record enrollment, including about 12,500 students who are new to the university. This year’s freshman class is 32% first-generation.
Not only is Texas Tech welcoming record numbers of students, it also is sending increased numbers of graduates into the workforce, ready to make a difference in the world. Texas Tech’s four-year graduation rate has increased by 11% and its six-year graduation rate has gone up by 5% over the last five years. Last year, Texas Tech awarded more than 10,000 degrees and certificates to more than 9,800 students, an increase of more than 40% over the last decade.
“The makeup of our student body tells us we’re responding to changing demographics by strategically reaching a broader range of students, including non-traditional learners and those who left college before completing a degree,” Schovanec said. “We continue to place students first and provide an educational experience that ensures they have the skills to succeed in their chosen careers.”
After a year of strategic enrollment planning, Schovanec discussed the university’s transition to its strategic enrollment management initiative.
Texas Tech developed six key strategies that will help shape the future of its enrollment. These strategies focus on:
- Enhancing the university’s digital marketing and recruitment efforts,
- Driving program innovation, including several new degrees that offer alternative pathways for students,
- Optimizing Texas Tech’s financial aid and scholarship distribution,
- Increasing retention rates through targeted interventions,
- Establishing a dedicated online school with flexible learning options,
- Expanding financial literacy efforts for all students.
“These initiatives create a comprehensive approach to ensure that Texas Tech remains an institution of choice for today’s students,” Schovanec said. “Once they arrive, our practices and programs will support their success as students and beyond.”
Schovanec also said that, in a few weeks, Texas Tech will announce a comprehensive campaign that will build on recent fundraising successes to support scholarships, research initiatives and academic programs.
This year, Texas Tech awarded more than $200 million in scholarships and grants, benefiting 76% of its students. However, Schovanec said that Texas Tech must be more competitive when it comes to scholarships to ensure the Red Raider experience can be scaled to match the needs of its student body, increase academic opportunities and improve student success.
Schovanec expects the university’s growing research enterprise, highlighted by records in research grants and expenditures, will help Texas Tech to achieve status as a preeminent national research university with the goal of reaching the benchmarks shared by institutions in the Association of American Universities, more commonly known as AAU.
“AAU criteria serve a purpose for assessing our progress and establishing ever higher aspirations,” Schovanec said. “But scholarly excellence and societal impact are the most important measures of our success.”
