51st Chancellor's Council Annual Meeting & Symposium
Reimagining the Path to Student Success
Over 1,000 dedicated supporters of UT institutions and the UT System gathered in Austin for the 51st Chancellor's Council Annual Meeting & Symposium, joining UT experts in “Reimagining the Path to Student Success.”
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Chancellor McRaven: State of the System
Chancellor William McRaven highlighted the extraordinary contributions of UT institutions and provided a progress report on the UT System’s bold vision for improving lives in Texas and across the globe.
"A good education can transform a society. A good education reduces fear, bigotry, racism, and inequality.
A good education brings dignity and respect.
A good education provides new opportunities and, above all, a good education gives hope and a belief in the future.
And, in the end, that is our mission: to transform society and give hope that tomorrow will be a better day."
Read the full State of the System.
The Tapestry of Texas
In Texas, the future is now, demographically speaking. As the state changes, so do its students, bringing with them a new set of experiences, strengths and challenges. Their path to—and through—college is often different from students of the past, requiring different ways of defining and achieving student success. Higher education – and specifically the UT System – must respond to these changes and challenges for the good of students and the state.
Watch the rich tapestry of the ever-changing Texas:
Private Benefit, Public Good
The well-being of Texans and Texas depends on increasing the number of college graduates living and working in the Lone Star state. College-educated Americans earn higher salaries, require fewer public services, and live longer and healthier lives. Furthermore, institutions of higher education foster innovation and drive life-saving and life-changing cures and discoveries. Despite the public and private benefits, many are questioning whether a college degree is worth it. Thanks to an innovative partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau, the UT System is shedding light on the return on investment a UT degree provides.
Moderator & Panelists
- Mark K. Updegrove (moderator), President and CEO, LBJ Foundation
- David L. Callender, M.D., President, UT Medical Branch
- Jay Hartzell, Ph.D., Dean, McCombs School of Business, UT Austin
- Stephanie A. Bond Huie, Ph.D., Vice Chancellor of Strategic Initiatives, UT System
Watch the full panel discussion:
Student-Ready, College-Ready
It’s no longer enough to help students become college-ready. Universities must also ensure they are student-ready. While more students are enrolling in college, many leave without a degree because of challenges they were unable to overcome. UT institutions are responding to the challenge by implementing data-driven initiatives focused on three key areas—financial, advising and belonging/engagement— to help all students succeed in college and beyond.
Moderator & Panelists
- Mark K. Updegrove (moderator), President and CEO, LBJ Foundation
- Cassandre Alvarado, Ph.D., Executive Director for Student Success Initiatives, UT Austin
- Courtney Brecheen, Ph.D., Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education, UT Dallas
- Kristin Croyle, Ph.D., Vice President for Student Success, UT Rio Grande Valley
- Taylor Eighmy, Ph.D., President, UT San Antonio
- Rhonda Gonzales, Ph.D., Interim Vice President for Student Success, UT San Antonio
- Rebecca Karoff, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, UT System
- David Troutman, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chancellor for Institutional Research and Decision Support, UT System
- David Yeager, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology, UT Austin
Watch the full panel discussion:
A Tribute to Chancellor McRaven
In appreciation and as a tribute to Chancellor William McRaven’s service to the UT System and 14 UT institutions, the Chancellor’s Council created a video to honor the Chancellor’s tenure and leadership.
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Discovery Sessions
Attendees of the Chancellor’s Council Annual Meeting & Symposium explored special learning opportunities via three concurrent Discovery Sessions:
Ellsworth Kelly’s Austin
Chancellor's Council members toured the newest addition to The Blanton Museum of Art's permanent collection – a free-standing building that is literally a work of art. The only building designed by Ellsworth Kelly, one of the nation’s most influential post-war artists and sculptors, “Austin” has been called Kelly’s “grandest exploration of pure color and form.” The 2,715 square-foot building has vaulted ceilings, vibrant colored glass windows, a totemic wood sculpture and 14 black-and-white marble panels. Although Kelly died soon after construction began in 2015, his masterpiece achieves his vision as a site for joy and contemplation. Council members experienced what is sure to be the artist's most lasting legacy and the cornerstone of the Blanton's permament collection.
Matters of the Heart
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in Texas and in the U.S., claiming more lives nationally than all forms of cancer combined. Long considered a disease that most affects older men, heart disease is actually the No. 1 cause of death among women as well, but with different warning signs that often go unrecognized until it’s too late. And heart disease affects all ages –about every three days, a young athlete in the U.S. collapses and dies because of an undetected heart problem, prompting calls for more effective screening methods. But there is hope. Chancellor's Council members heard from renowned UT cardiologists about the new tests, therapies and research underway to help detect and treat heart disease, and steps to help keep indiviudals and family heart-healthy.
Moderator:
- Raymond S. Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, UT System
Panelists:
- John Warner, M.D., Chief Executive Officer, UT Southwestern University Hospitals
- Stephanie Coulter, M.D., Director, Center for Women’s Heart & Vascular Health, Texas Heart Institute
- John P. Higgins, M.D., Professor of Medicine, UTHealth McGovern Medical School, and Chief of Cardiology, LBJ General Hospital
Waging War on the Opioid Epidemic
The opioid abuse epidemic was recently declared a national public health emergency. More than 300,000 Americans have died of an opioid overdose since 2000 – and it’s getting worse. Case in point: the number of opioid-related deaths quadrupled between 2000 and 2016. In Texas, opioid abuse has resulted in nearly $2 billion in health care costs — the second highest in the nation – and four of the top 25 cities in the U.S. with the worst rates of opioid abuse are in the Lone Star State. Dependence on these powerful pain medications impacts Texans of all ages and income levels, devastating families and communities. Chancellor's Council members heard from University of Texas and national experts in pharmacology, medicine, science and social work who are waging war on the opioid epidemic with new prevention and treatment options.
Introduction:
- David L. Lakey, MD, vice chancellor for health affairs and chief medical officer, UT System
Moderator:
- William C. Moyers, vice president of public affairs and community relations, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
Panelists:
- Lucas G. Hill, Pharm.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, UT Austin College of Pharmacy
- Lori K. Holleran Steiker, Ph.D., Professor, Steve Hicks School of Social Work
- Jennifer Sharpe Potter, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Psychiatry, UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine