Trusteeship - May/June 2020 - 37

fund balance reached nearly 12 percent and the state commission
"took the training wheels off and let us move forward," she said.
"We had to be bold in saying, 'We need to make investments in
our future. We can't keep cutting and scraping along and cutting until
we cut out the very heart and soul of this university,'" said Hennion.
The state funding formula remains a struggle, with SOU getting
the lowest percentage of state funding "even though our outcomes
are better than some of our peer institutions," said Schott.
"We need equitable funding, but we also know we need to do a
lot of things on our end," said Schott. "We're not just asking them to
bail us out. The strategic plan is our roadmap toward transforming
our curriculum and pedagogy. ... We're very aware of the demographic changes. We need to make sure we know how to teach the
new majority" of more diverse students with greater financial need.
The board embraced AGB's Guardians Initiative, lobbying legislators and speaking at economic forums at every opportunity,
Hennion said.
"Part of our challenge as a board is to make sure we help get the
message out about what is happening and all the good things that

have come about," said Hennion, including new degrees in digital
arts and outdoor leadership management
"I tell everybody I have a great board," said Schott. "What makes
them so great is the high level of commitment, the hours they put
in and their willingness to engage with these tough issues. But
they do not micromanage .... They give me a lot of trust and that's
probably the best thing a president could ask for."

Endnote
1. Schneider, Rob, "The Fastest-Growing Colleges in Texas, Dallas Business Journal, October, 11, 2019, https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2019/10/10/texas-colleges-fastest.html.

Christopher Connell is an independent journalist and former education writer
for the Associated Press.

Oregon Southern University

PHOTOS COURTESY OF OREGON SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

MAY. JUN. 2020 TRUSTEESHIP 37

https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2019/10/10/texas-colleges-fast-est.html https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2019/10/10/texas-colleges-fast-est.html

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