Woodley offers future vision for UTPB
Apr. 9—Economic impact, filling workforce needs and future plans for UTPB were just a few of the items highlighted at the second annual State of the University Wednesday at the Odessa Country Club.
Panels included Impacting Workforce Impacting Energy and Innovation topped off by remarks from UTPB President Sandra Woodley on the university's vision for the future.
Woodley said UTPB has had a 39 percent increase in graduates since 2016 and "we need that curve to get event steeper."
She added that 24% of all the jobs in the Permian Basin are linked to "one of our graduates and the businesses that they create."
Over the past 50 years, UTPB has graduated more than 30,000 students. But as economist Ray Perryman has noted, "we need 38,000 more ... baccalaureate graduates just in the next 20 years," Woodley said.
"... Enrollment is an important part of what we do, but we don't focus on head count ...," added Woodley, who has been president of UTPB for eight years.
She added that the university has changed its program mix during that time focusing less on dual credit students and more on growing their freshman class and transfer students who will come to UTPB to graduate.
"... Those are the strategies that allow us to be successful. We've increased the student tuition revenue by 100% in the past eight years by having that strategy to focus on graduation and less on head count. ... We're not a major research institution, but we care about research that matters in this community ... that applied research. We've had $73 million worth of the research and grant activity just over the past five years and $4 million in research expenditures. That work is important to this community, and that $4.1 million is 100% increase ... since 2020. We're excited about the research and innovation part of what we do as well," Woodley said.
Woodley told audience members they support UTPB's mission.
Since 2018, the university has raised about $73 million.
Last year, the scholarship ball netted $500,000, Woodley said.
This year's ball will be Oct. 23.
"That is how we get the graduates into the community, and our goal this year is to have $1 million in scholarships in that ball," Woodley said.
They also have a $1 million goal for the Champions Fund and they are already at $800,000, Woodley said. They had 159 student-athletes named to the honor roll.
UTPB also has a $68 million endowment and Woodley said that is growing.
Woodley noted the attractions on campus like the Bright Star Memorial, new signage, renovation of the Mesa Building, new entrances, a completely renovated quad with art, a performance space, a fire pit and water features.
"It will not only be for our students and faculty, but we want the community to feel welcome to come onto our campus ... Prospective students make a decision about a place that they want to be in ... a few minutes of looking around our campus. The quality of our space and the functionality of our space is important for us to be able to achieve (those) 38,000 graduates ...," Woodley said.
There is also a two-ton stainless steel falcon waiting to be unveiled when they get the quad completed.
Woodley said they also have plans for the Midland campus which has the engineering building, the music program, Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center and CEED Building.
Plans for that campus include adding on to the WNPAC, an outdoor amphitheater and building a second engineering building. The CEED Building has been renovated and includes advanced manufacturing, water energy research, labs, a business incubator and small business development center.
This gives UTPB a chance to connect everything in that corner to "what is going to be an amazing asset in our community over the next 10 to 15 years," Woodley said.
Conceptual plans for this have been completed and Woodley said they will be working to identify partners.
There will be an innovation center building that could possibly house University Lands, a Permian Strategic Partnership office, workforce training and academic spaces to name a few.
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