Dr. Jennifer Kent, Victoria College President
From the President's Desk
A message from Victoria College President Dr. Jennifer Kent
For more
than half a century, two institutions of higher education have stood beside
each other in Victoria, Texas.
On one side
is Victoria College, the community college I have the privilege of serving.
Across the sidewalk is the institution our community knew for decades as the
University of Houston-Victoria and now knows as Texas A&M
University-Victoria.
That
sidewalk is not very wide, but for thousands of students, crossing it can
represent something enormous: moving from an associate degree to a bachelor's
degree, from preparation to profession, and ultimately toward greater economic
mobility.
At Victoria
College, we call that journey Pathways
to Prosperity.
The idea is
simple: completion matters, but a credential is not the destination. What
matters is what it allows a student to do next—to transfer successfully, enter
a meaningful career, earn a family-sustaining wage, and build a better life.
That is why
the conversation unfolding across the sidewalk at A&M-Victoria matters far
beyond its campus. Much of the recent attention has centered on the decision to
increase faculty presence on campus. I applaud that decision because it puts the focus where it
belongs: on the people our institutions exist to serve—our students.
At Victoria
College, students repeatedly tell us they want—and often need—face-to-face
opportunities when they transfer. They want bachelor's degrees, but many also
want to remain close to their families, jobs, and communities.
For some,
limited face-to-face options locally have meant leaving Victoria. For others,
it has meant not continuing at all. That should concern every one of us.
The stakes
are high. Twenty-three percent of jobs in our region require a bachelor's
degree, while only 13 percent of the population is at that educational level.
The jobs
are here. The talent is here. But too often, the degree that connects one to
the other is not.
Closing
that gap is not solely the responsibility of Victoria College or
A&M-Victoria. But the two institutions have an extraordinary
opportunity—and responsibility—to do something about it together.
At Victoria
College, our Pathways to Prosperity cannot end at graduation. A student whose
career requires a bachelor's degree should be able to complete an associate
degree at Victoria College, walk across the sidewalk, earn a bachelor's degree
at A&M-Victoria, and step into a career right here in our region.
That is
what a true regional higher-education ecosystem looks like—and why I believe
the changes underway at A&M-Victoria deserve our support.
A regional
university must be representative of the people who live there—deeply connected
to its students and community, where learning is strengthened by faculty
presence, mentorship, and human connection.
President
Hardigree is asking A&M-Victoria to embrace that responsibility, and I
believe she is right to do so.
Leadership
sometimes requires challenging what has become customary to build what is
needed for the future. With a new name, a new university system, and new
leadership, A&M-Victoria has an extraordinary opportunity to define what it
will be for this region.
The
question is bigger than where faculty work. It is what kind of university the
Golden Crescent needs.
From where
I sit—just across the sidewalk—the answer is clear.
We need a
vibrant university where students and faculty learn together, where strong
online options complement meaningful face-to-face experiences, and where
programs are connected to the educational and workforce needs of our region.
Victoria
College needs that university, too.
Our
institutions have different missions, but the students moving between them
should experience one pathway:
From high
school to Victoria College.
Across the
sidewalk to A&M-Victoria.
Into a
meaningful career.
And toward
greater economic opportunity for a student, a family, and an entire community.
That is a
Pathway to Prosperity.
For more
than 50 years, our two institutions have shared a street. Today, we have an
opportunity to share something far more consequential: responsibility for the
educational and economic future of this region.
This is a
defining moment for A&M-Victoria.
And from across the sidewalk, I
am cheering them on.