Texas A&M University System
7th Annual Military Friendly Symposium
Thoughts on Adapting and Evolving
Tony Cucolo
September 2015
Informal Thoughts Becoming Adaptive
• Anticipate
– Actually dedicate time to look at your environment and near-term
trends (do not attempt to predict the future).
– “Filter” what you see through the lens of your role or mission…will
help you answer “so what?” of what you see.
– What is in the way of you accomplishing your mission? Is there a new
opportunity?
• Focus Effort
– Talk to others; “IPT” an idea or opportunity; seek buy-in
– Challenge the status quo: processes, policies, procedures;
confirm/deny assumptions…”Start with ‘why?’”
• Communicate with and Align the Organization
– Explain, reorganize for the adaptation, explain again
• Learn
– How’d that go?
This, of course, requires open minded and supportive leadership.
Strategic Assessment Team Process
• Clarify the Role of the System
• Identify the “domains” in which the system operates (understand the
environment)
• Assess the domains…current status and trends
• In the context of the UT System Role and Mission, answer three questions
for each domain:
– Where are we in this domain? (…who/what we are)
• These are facts; we will gather and follow the data
– Where do we want to be? (…who/what we want to be)
• These are fact/context-based recommendations for the Chancellor with recommended
objectives for the system
– What is in the way of getting to where we want to be?
• These are facts, conditions and perceptions gathered by us
• Recommend “Lines of Effort” (focused, “binned” actions to achieve
desired objectives
• Chancellor will modify as desired and then seek consensus and buy-in on the objectives
and actions to achieve them and then set System priorities.
• Establish “battle rhythm” of a disciplined process to drive towards the
objectives along the lines of effort
On the Strategic Horizon
• Texas is, relatively, in good shape…
– A diverse economy in the State will allow progress even with low oil prices (but
prolonged low prices impact tax revenue)
– Population on a rapid rise and increasingly diverse; one in six people living in Texas
is an immigrant
– We have a diversity of institutions and price points; State government appears
willing to restore some of the cuts to funding in higher education
• But it isn’t all good…
– A gradual widening of economic disparity in regions of the State continues
– Middle skill jobs are rapidly disappearing; high school graduate wages are falling;
the earnings gap between those with and those without college degrees is
widening rapidly; the number of entry level jobs requiring a master’s degree is on
the rise as well
– Tuition now outpaces state funding for public colleges; cost of higher education
continues to be shifted to the student, families
– By most measures, completion rates remain below satisfactory levels
– In the last three years, Texas has ranked consistently in the bottom half of States in
numbers of population with associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree
My thoughts:
-- Higher education has a role to play in in placing well-educated,
mature and culturally astute veterans in the workforce and leading
at the local, state and national level.
-- Therefore, we must get veterans to the finish line in higher
education.
-- But more than that, at the finish line, we must give them the best
possible start at a career, v. a job.
-- We must adapt our processes to assume this role.
A Way to Think About a System’s Approach to Veteran Support
Bridging That Gap
from End of Service
to Enrollment
Bridging That Gap
from Graduation
to Career
Paving that Road
to a
Relevant Degree
Level of Support
Levels of Support
Level of Support
- Actively recruit
- Resource individual
outreach to “get left” of
degree selection
- Go local with support;
involve community
- Advocate for exception
to policy as necessary
- Resource campus
personnel strength to
support
- Establish common
picture of population;
connect as appropriate
- Resource facilities and
support based on
population
- Resource programs that
enable transition, deny
disconnection and educate
faculty
- Involve community to set
base for next bridge
- Resource participation
in career placement
efforts
- Resource support that
sustains contact and
assistance until
employed
Thank you for who you are and what you do:
you have broken the code on how to
supporting a population
that does not like to ask for help…
you just help.
Texas A&M University System
7th Annual Military Friendly Symposium
Thoughts on Adapting and Evolving
Tony Cucolo
September 2015