Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse addressed some concerns in an email to faculty and staff at around 1:40 p.m. on Oct. 13.
Damphousse addressed changes in the “higher education landscape.” The email, which the administration forwarded to The Star, came five days after the Oct. 8 Senate Advisory Group meeting where he also attempted to address faculty concerns.
“I have wrestled for a while on how best to address members of our Texas State faculty and staff in light of the challenges we are currently facing in higher education generally, and on our campuses in particular,” Damphousse wrote. “I fear that I lack the eloquence to express clearly my concern for how you are affected by what has happened here and across the country. Frankly, I’ve been around long enough to know that not everyone on our campuses sees things the same way, and it is an impossible task to adequately address each person’s concern with a single message. But let me try.”
The email comes in the aftermath of several high profile events at Texas State, such as the termination of Associate History Professor Thomas Alter, the withdrawal of a student and the Texas State University System ordering a course audit.
In the email, Damphousse reaffirmed his commitment to shared governance at Texas State.
“[Shared governance] allowed those who were most affected by proposed changes to have a say in the change process. That practice has served me well over the years. Universities are complex organizations, and I often discovered that the changes I proposed were improved by this collaborative process,” Damphousse wrote. “I still believe in that principle.”
Damphousse characterized the higher education landscape as “no longer simply evolving,” but shifting rapidly. He said the pace of changes was “dizzying” and “exhausting.”
“For many of us, the dizzying pace of this change makes the ground we stand on feel unsteady. I appreciate how managing this rapidity can be exhausting. I hear it when I meet with our faculty and staff members,” Damphousse wrote. “I wish I had a solution for you, but the fact is that every aspect of American life is changing at a similar pace. I can only share with you what works for me. I have always been guided by the principle of ‘keeping the main thing the main thing.’”
Damphousse said that he is unable to address individual student or personnel matters, but addressed how his actions may have caused some individuals to lose faith in his administration.
“What I can tell you is this: the decisions I make as president are guided by my commitment to ensuring that the mission of this university endures for generations to come,” Damphousse wrote.
He wrote that going forward his administration will provide additional resources for faculty to adjust to changes in higher education, and will continue to attend departmental visits and create more opportunities for direct conversations.
“To that end, I have asked Provost Aswath and [Executive Vice President] Algoe to create professional development opportunities to help all of us navigate the challenging times that we are facing,” Damphousse wrote.
