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Thursday, September 1, i 988/The Battalion/Page 17
Mobley
(Continued from page 1)
ome more proactive. President
Vandiver emphasized this during his
enure as president and we want to
lontinue the institutional
elationships that we’re building
rround the world.
Q: What condition do you want
:o leave A&M in?
A: I’d like to see us clearly and
aroadly recognized as a major, com-
arehensive, internationally recog-
lized University. I’d like to see,
when I depart, an even stronger re-
iource base. I’ll be putting consider-
ble emphasis on generating and de-
/eloping private resources,
a concetti scholarships, fellowships, endowed
iaculty positions, all those kinds of
arivate resources that make us even
aetter and stronger. I would hope
^hat by the time 1 leave, our endow-
nent and our sources of funding,
ather than state funding, are even
Stronger.
I’d like to leave with the best of
t0 do will >ur traditions still strong, well-re-
''•a 191 cu ipected and well-recognized. 1 want
caching and research to be seen as
mportant, valued and rewarded. I
ibrent li want our graduates to have the op-
aortunity to choose among many
obs and career captions and tea have
opportunities to gca to graduate
mem off ichool or whatever further educa-
-verythmj^ion they might choose to pursue, in
cluding here.
■dan front Q: One of Dr. Vandiver’s goals
‘dishing'j was to make A&M a “world” Uni
ted brok versity. How much further does
A&M have to go to attain this sta
tus?
A: It’s not just the status thing; it’s
i networking thing, like some of the
hings 1 mentioned earlier. It’s en
uring our graduates are globally lit-
rate. It’s our faculty being actively
^^^^^nvolved with colleges throughout
world, important researc h issues
99|^nnd important conceptual issues. It’s
*^ ™trong working relationships with in-
titutions in other parts of the world
nd our research contributing to the
olutions to the problems in advanc-
ng knowledge throughout the
vorld.
All of those things are underway
there’s no reason we can’t ac-
""^■k.Aomplish becoming a “world” Uni-
™“®^™'ersity. 1 think by the turn of the
^^—entury, we should be there —
I^JlRlearly, wideh recognized. I think as
institution, were much better
ban a lot of people in various places
round the country and the world
ecognize. One of our challenges is
o tell the A&M story well, clearly
kid broadly and that will be one of
y objectives as well.
Q: Do you think we’ll reach that
itatus within your term?
A: I would hope so, but the aver-
ge tenure of a university president
s about four years, but.
Q: How long do you plan to stay
n office?
A: I don’t know. I’ll stay as long as
think I’m making a contribution
nd as long as the Board, faculty and
thers think I’m making a contribu-
. That question came up in the
ress conference the day I was ap-
inted. I think generally I’d like to
y at least four years. I think I need
hat long for some of my ideas and
opefully the goals 1 talked about to
;et well established. I probably sus-
ect that over 10 years I probably
r ill have made whatever contribu-
on I’m going to make and it might
ie time for fresh ideas and fresh
leadership. I would think some-
here in the range from four to 10
ears would be about right.
Q: Do you foresee any special
challenges facing A&M?
A: In the short term, the economy
of Texas still has some soft spots, so I
think we’ll have an challenging ses
sion of the legislature next time. The
Legislative Budget Board staff will
be here next Monday (Aug. 22),
which is the first step in the budget
process for 1990 and in October
we’ll have the full Legislative Budget
Board hearing in Austin.
There are an awful lot of compet
ing demands for state resources —
the prison system, the public school
system, highways, mental health and
higher education along with many
competing demands. I think those of
“We’ve got to continue to
emphasize minority re
cruitment and retention
in the student body, fac
ulty, staff and administra
tion and that’s a challenge
we are going to aggres
sively pursue. I’m com
mitted to that. ”
— lexas A8cM president
William H. Mobley
us in higher education need to con
tinue to communicate as best we can
to the legislature and the general
public that state dollars spent on
higher education are an investment
and there are not many better in
vestments that the state can make be
cause we’re clearly in a knowledge-
based economy and society. It’s the
human capital that’s going to make
the difference going into the next
century.
So we need a state that is produc
ing very well educated people who
are going to be the leaders, exec
utives, professionals and citizens of
the next century. The research out
put that’s coming out today is the ba
sis for the economy and society of
the next decades. That’s what is im
portant and even when the economy
continues to be sluggish, the legis
lature needs to continue to show
confidence in higher education.
That’s an immediate challenge for
us.
The minority enrollment recruit
ment and retention is a continuing
challenge. We’ve made great pro
gress at Texas A&M in terms of the
number of minority students, but as
a percentage of the student body,
we’ve got a long way to go. The de
mographics of Texas are changing
rapidly. The demographers indicate
that by the year 2030, Anglos will be
in the minority in Texas. We have a
very rapidly growing Hispanic pop
ulation, both in percentage and ac
tual number. We have a growing
Asian-American community and we
have a significant black population.
Texas A&M has to be part of educat
ing the leadership of the state for the
future. So we’ve got to continue to
emphasize minority recruitment and
retention in the student body, fac
ulty, staff and administration and
that’s a challenge we are going to ag
gressively pursue. I’m committed to
that.
Q: You mentioned minority re
cruitment as a challenge. Many of
Texas’ universities have been crit
icized for their lack of minority en
rollment. What are A&M’s strong
est and weakest points in attracting
and recruiting minorities?
A: One, we’re a non-urban area.
As I talk to a number of minority
young people, especially from urban
areas, where there are larger con
centrations (of minorities), a number
of these minority students believe
they would be more comfortable in
an urban area, if they are from an
urban area.
Second, although I think we’ve
turned the corner, I think in past
years there wasn’t that “critical mass”
of minority students on this campus,
so I think some minority students, in
looking at A&M, felt there weren’t
enough minorities here and that
they would be isolated. I think that’s
a perception problem that we’ve
overcome.
On the positive side, we have very
high minority retention rates. It
seems once minorities choose to
come to A&M, they enjoy it, they’re
successful and they stay. We need to
get that message out and hopefully
our minority Aggies will help us
carry that message.
Right now we have over 1,000
black students and over 2,400 His
panic students here, so there are
large numbers. What gets reported
are percentages. As a percentage of
40,000, those percentages look
small. But in real numbers, those are
real people and significant numbers.
We just need to accelerate that de
velopment.
We have a strong minority schol
arship program. We have a number
of specialized counseling and sup
port services and student groups for
minority students. I think those
things are all positive.
Statewide we have a problem in
the high school dropout rate. The
dropout rate is high in general, but
it’s particularly high among minority
students. We have to be a part of
solving that problem, I believe. We
have to see that a higher percentage
of minority students and students in
general finish high school so they
can get in the pool to go on to col
lege. The College of Education here
has a dropout research program
with a dozen high schools in public
school systems throughout the state.
(T he program) is trying to get a han
dle on this thing. It is a complex
thing. It’s family and environment
and the high school they’re going to.
But we hope to be a contributor to
turn around our high school drop
out rate.
W’e now have Outreach Offices in
Houston and Dallas, McAllen, down
in the valley, and San Antonio.
We’re doing this jointly with the
University of Texas and we’re seek
ing to begin working with young
people earlier — during the junior
high years — and to be of assistance
through the counselors and families
and others to encourarge young
people to finish high school and to
think about going to college, to know
there is financial aid available.
Hopefully many of those students
will choose A&M — or U.T. as the
case may be. At least they should
know what their options are, at the
very minimum, absolutely finish
high school, to a community college
or a vocational school or on to a
four-year college. As long as they
pursue what they are capable of pur
suing. Each Outreach Office, I
think, has made a difference in their
first year, and we need to expand
out and emphasize that.
1
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Who Murdered Edwin Drood?
11
The Mystery of Edwin Drood"
There's one great mystery on Broadway—so mysterious that
not even the cast knows how it will end! It's The Mystery of
Edwin Drood" and it's just one of six great Broadway
performances coming to Texas A6?M this year.
In 19th Century England, at a merry Christmas celebration,
, young, arrogant Edwin Drood disappears, apparently done in by
one of the revelers. Was it the split-personalitied John Jasper,
or the Ceylonese twins Helena and Heville, the sinister Princess
Puffer, or his betrothed Rosa Bud, or even the Reverend
Crisparkle? As the cast of this mystery musical, based on
Dickens' unfinished novel, search for a culprit, the audience
votes to choose a villian, a pair of lovers and a conclusion,
which the company then performs.
Come revel in the music, the mystery and the fun. Choose
your own ending. But watch closely. Hot everything (or every
one) is as it seems.
"The Mystery of Edwin Drood is just one of six Broadway
performances coming to Texas AfirM for MSC OPAS 16, the six
teenth season presented by the Opera and Performing Arts
Society. The Theatre Series will also include Arthur Miller's "A
View from the Bridge", a special Hallmark presentation "The
Immigrant" and the great Gerswhin musical "My One and
Only. Plus the internationally acclaimed blacklight theatre of
Mummenschanz" and a special season finale performance to
be announced later.
Don't miss this chance to write your own mystery and save
almost 30% over single ticket prices. OPAS 16 season tickets
are now on sale in the MSC Box Office.
Tickets on sale at the MSC Box Office, Rudder Center,
Credit card order by phone 845-1234.
This season we bring you the world.
MSC Opri.i ( iu(l fVrloimin<i Ails So( ict> • Mcmoii.il Student l cntci ot le\.is AN’M CimvisiU