THECB - Commissioner of Higher Education

Job Description

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board was created by the Texas Legislature in 1965 to "provide leadership and coordination for the Texas higher education system to achieve excellence for the college education of Texas students" while ensuring the efficient and effective use of state resources in higher education.

The Board's overall responsibilities include assessment of the state of higher education in Texas; development of recommendations to the Governor, the Legislature, and educational institutions for its enhancement; and establishment of policies for the use of higher education resources.

The Board reviews and recommends changes in formulas for allocation of state funds to public institutions; reviews and approves new academic and workforce degree programs; and works to ensure all Texans have access to high quality programs at different instructional levels. The Coordinating Board also has a broad portfolio of student success initiatives, including My Texas Future, designed to support students through the transition from secondary to post-secondary education. The Coordinating Board also administers the state's student financial aid programs, including a student loan program funded through state-backed bond issuance. The nine members of the Board are appointed for six-year terms by the Governor, as well as a non-voting student representative who serves for one year. The Governor also appoints the Chair and the Vice Chair.

The Coordinating Board works to strengthen Texas through higher education. By making higher education accessible to a wide range of people, the Board can ensure Texas remains one of the world's most innovative, valuable educational systems. The state's strategic plan for higher education, Building a Talent Strong Texas, was adopted in 2022 and is student-centered, with the primary goal that 60 percent of working-age Texans (25-64) will hold some type of postsecondary credential of value by 2030. Other goals outlined in the plan include 550,000 students completing a certificate, degree or other postsecondary credential of value from a Texas institution of higher education by 2030; reducing student debt so undergraduate students will graduate with no or manageable debt; and increasing sponsored and private research expenditures by $1 billion and the number of research doctoral graduates to 7,500.

The Commissioner is appointed by the Board and serves as the CEO of the agency. The Commissioner is the primary advocate for higher education in Texas and Building a Talent Strong Texas, and meets regularly with education, business, political, and community leaders in Texas and across the nation about the critical role higher education plays in maintaining economic competitiveness and quality of life in Texas. The Commissioner also works with institutions of higher education, the Texas Legislature and Governor's office, the business community, and K-12 educational leaders to develop higher education policy that improves student access and success, meets state goals and priorities, raises educational excellence, and promotes cost efficiency.

The agency has approximately 400 staff positions and a 2024-25 Biennial Operating Budget of $2.95 billion. Some examples of its broad range of activities include:

• Develop recommendations for legislative action, including statutory or funding changes to help meet the goals of Building a Talent Strong Texas

• Collect and maintain comprehensive statewide Texas higher education data, used for accountability, developing policy recommendations, and providing research opportunities for scholars, government officials, and the media; leverage data for public and secure data products

• Recommend data-driven formulas for use in the distribution of $5 billion legislatively-appropriated funds to Texas higher education institutions annually

• Direct a self-supporting bond-financed student loan portfolio ($1.6 billion) that offers one of the lowest interest rates in the country

• Administer various state and Federal programs to support students with financial need ($543 million per year)

• Review and approve proposed academic degree and career/technical education programs (150+ applications per year)

• Direct the Texas Transfer Advisory Committee process to inform the Texas Transfer Framework, including the development and revision of the Field of Study curricula to maximize students' ability to transfer and apply their courses to a major

• Maintain the statewide application for Texas students to apply for admission to institutions of higher education across the state (Apply Texas)

• Promote the attainment of postsecondary credentials of value by:

o Supporting innovative education that offers value to students throughout their lives;

o Utilizing financial aid to remove barriers to student enrollment, improve affordability, and enhance value;

o Promoting efficient and flexible pathways and transfer opportunities for students to earn postsecondary credentials of value;

o Improving student success and advising related to college and career options, costs, and potential value; and

o Promoting research, development, and innovation for the benefit of Texas.



Qualifications:

Position Summary

The Commissioner of Higher Education is the chief executive officer of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The Commissioner is appointed by the Board to provide leadership and coordination of public higher education in Texas and to manage the agency in accordance with legislative mandates and with policies established by the Board. The preferred candidate should be available to start on or before Jan. 1, 2025, in advance of the 89th Texas Legislature.

Reporting Structures

The Commissioner reports to the Board. General Counsel and the Auditor also report directly to the Board.

Direct reports to the Commissioner include:

• Deputy Commissioner - Administration

• Deputy Commissioner - Academic Affairs and Innovation

• Associate Commissioner - Development & Chief of Staff

• Associate Commissioner - Workforce Education

• Associate Commissioner - Communications

• Associate Commissioner - External Relations

• Executive Assistant

The Commissioner works closely with the Office of the Governor and with the Texas Legislature. The Commissioner also works on the Tri-Agency Initiative along with counterparts at the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Workforce Commission

Position priorities (to be addressed during the first six months)

• Examine and evaluate the current targets and strategies in the Board's strategic plan, Building a Talent Strong Texas, making any necessary recommendations for adjustment or changes.

• Review the status of actions required by the 2023 legislative session. Initiate preparation for the 2025 legislative session, including providing background and resources on named legislative priorities for the session.

Primary responsibilities

• Serve as the chief executive officer of the agency, directing its employees and managing its resources effectively toward fulfilling its mission.

• Provide all necessary support and background information to the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities.

• Lead the execution of the Board's strategic plan (Building a Talent Strong Texas), implementing Board policies and agency responsibilities to achieve the plan's goals.

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with the Legislature and the Governor's office.

• Serve as the chief spokesperson for the Board, representing it and its policies to the Legislature, the Governor, public and private institutions and organizations, and the general public.

• Staying ahead of global and national developments, anticipate opportunities and challenges for Texas higher education and the THECB; advise the Board on significant issues, and recommend positions and changes to Board policies.

• Chair and oversee the Education Research Centers and serve as the owner and steward of Texas' P-20/Workforce Data Repository.

• Serve, coordinate, and plan Tri-Agency Initiatives.

• Engage effectively all THECB constituencies, including institutions of higher education and other agencies, associations, and interest groups.

• Maintain national visibility for Texas higher education through writings and participation in national organizations and policy-making efforts.

• Stay abreast of higher education strategies in other states and recommend successful strategies to institutions and the Legislature.

• Recruit, train, motivate, and retain employees of the highest caliber, providing supervision conducive to high performance, quality work, and good morale.

Ideal experience

• Education: A terminal degree is a preferred qualification. Relevant experience in the legislative or executive branch or higher education may substitute for education. Candidates should demonstrate ongoing professional development and leadership in their field.

• Work experience: at least ten (10) years at a senior level in higher education administration is preferred. The Commissioner shall be a person of high professional qualifications having a thorough background by training and experience in the fields of higher education and administration. Relevant experience may be demonstrated through experience in business or government. Comprehensive management experience with a

• similar budget/size of staff, with proven ability to manage a complex organization's finance/budgeting, technology, human resources, etc. is important.

• Extensive knowledge of higher education is essential. Knowledge of Texas, its state government, and its higher education structure is highly desirable. A student-centered philosophy is important, and a commitment to Building a Talent Strong Texas is essential.

• Political sensitivity, and the ability to understand, communicate, and steer important policy initiatives, is essential; experience in working with legislators and public officials is highly desirable.

• Excellent communications skills - oral, written, and presentation - are required.

• The ideal candidate will also have some combination of the following:

o An understanding of big data and its linkage with policy, and the ability to work with experts on data analysis and presentation.

o Knowledge of the challenges of K-12 and student preparation for success, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, in higher education.

o An understanding of workforce needs, and a track record of working effectively with the business community.

o Fundraising experience (THECB has an affiliated foundation, the Texas Higher Education Foundation).

o An understanding of the importance of research universities and research funding.

o A commitment to the potential for technology and innovation to lower the cost of higher education and improve outcomes.

Ideal personal profile

• A respected leader with true gravitas in the higher education field, so that when the Commissioner speaks, people in Texas and elsewhere will listen.

• An individual with proven interpersonal skills who can work effectively with the Board, agency employees, legislators and State officials, and all THECB constituencies.

• An executive who understands how to negotiate among competing interests, and who can build coalitions and consensus.

• An educational leader of passion and vision, fully committed to expanding educational opportunity and success to Texans of all backgrounds and to meeting the goals of Building a Talent Strong Texas.

• A creative leader with the knowledge and skills to develop and effectively communicate strategies and goals, evaluate and establish priorities, and motivate and guide all concerned with fulfilling them.

• An individual with a personal commitment to diversity with understanding and sensitivity.