At a special board meeting last month, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board named Wynn Rosser as the state’s next commissioner of higher education. With his background in leading rural initiatives and shaping education policy at Texas A&M University, Rosser’s appointment signals a new chapter in Texas’s higher education landscape. His appointment also brings new challenges and opportunities, particularly in our continued fight for a higher education system that equitably serves all Texans.
Rosser will take on the role after a decade of running the Greater Texas Foundation, which supports efforts to ensure all Texas students have access to and can complete postsecondary education. Rosser also leads the T.L.L. Temple Foundation, which focuses on alleviating poverty and boosting educational attainment through grants and funding opportunities in rural East Texas. His expertise in these areas could be a game-changer for improving access to higher education for rural and underserved communities. His perspective may lend a much-needed focus on expanding opportunities for students in areas that often see fewer resources, less access to high-quality programs, and more significant economic disparities.
Rosser inherits the legacy of his predecessor, Harrison Keller, who made strides in advancing Texas’ ambitious 60×30 goal: aiming for 60% of Texans between the ages of 25 and 34 to hold a degree or credential by 2030. With the new Building a Talent Strong Texas plan expanding that vision to include a broader age range (25 to 64), the pressure is on to continue progress.
While Rosser’s vision for expanding higher education access and improving credentials of value aligns with the Building a Talent Strong Texas plan, the reality of achieving these ambitious goals in the current political climate presents significant challenges.
The hostility from the Texas Legislature, combined with affordability crisis and the over-reliance on an outcomes-based funding model, could hinder progress. There are concerns about the state’s growing political interference in higher education, which has already led to an exodus of students and faculty to out-of-state institutions. Furthermore, the possibility of a tuition freeze without additional funding to support community colleges could result in layoffs, further destabilizing the system.
As Rosser navigates his role, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to stand up to these pressures or if he will, as some fear, become a figurehead for policies pushed by the governor that could harm the state’s higher education system. The increased focus on “credentials of value,” under the guise of workforce alignment, may also serve as a precursor for expanding the so-called “DEI ban” to academic instruction and curriculum, a worrying trend that educators and students alike are watching closely.
Rosser’s leadership will undoubtedly shape the direction of higher education in Texas. As he steps into this new role, ensuring that Texas’ higher education system serves our workforce needs, without sacrificing the needs of the educators and students who make it all possible, remains a top priority. Now more than ever, we’ll be watching closely, ready to advocate for a system that works for all Texans.