Harrison Keller, the commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, will step down to become president of the University of North Texas effective Aug. 1, the university announced Monday.
"I'm excited as I can be," Chancellor Michael Williams of the University of North Texas System told the American-Statesman in an interview. "First and foremost, he's a values-based leader, he cares deeply about people and very deeply about students and families, which aligns perfectly with me and our board."
The University of North Texas, located in Denton north of Dallas, is a Carnegie Tier 1 research university that serves nearly 47,000 students. It has an estimated $1.65 billion impact on the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Keller was selected after a national search that started in February. In an interview with the Statesman, Keller said it was UNT's "openness" to innovation and improving student success that drew him to the university.
"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me, and I'm so excited to get on the campus, start meeting with students, with faculty, with staff," he said. "I'm looking forward to being there in August."
Keller added that the university has been an essential partner to the state coordinating board ― the group created by the Texas Legislature nearly 60 years ago "to represent the highest authority in the state in matters of public higher education."
The board historically pushes for workforce development and unites stakeholders across higher education to the industry more efficient and aligned with Texas' needs. The organization also collects and produces data on higher education in the state and disseminates many of the state's scholarships ― including Texas Leadership Scholars Program, a prestigious scholarship that reached 900 high-achieving, low-income students this year across the state centered at UNT.
During Keller's five-year tenure as commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, he expanded the state's strategic plan for higher education, Building a Talent Strong Texas, to include those of all working ages. It also aimed to align institutions' credential goals with their economic need and value in the state.
"We set an ambitious goal that we should have 95% of our undergraduates completing either with no student debt at all or when they have debt, it needs to be debt that's manageable given those typical earnings in Texas," he said. "And we're the first state to lean into this concept of credentials of values."
He also pushed for transformative changes to community college funding in Texas through House Bill 8, a law that rewards colleges for "credentials of value" students earn ― something that about a dozen state delegations have consulted the coordinating board about, he said. The law allowed space in the Austin Community College budget to rollout a free tuition pilot program this year.
The coordinating board also advanced the data it shares, expanded training for college and career advisors, and created a soon-to-be-launched marketing campaign to further engage K-12 students in contemplating career and college options.
"Across all of it we have, we've emphasized that the mission of the coordinating board is to be a resource, to be a credible partner and advocate for higher education," he said. "The key has really been close collaboration with policymakers, with institutional leaders, across the state, and with educational innovators."
Williams said Keller was an "architect" in the creation of the Texas University Fund, passed initially by the Legislature as House Bill 1595 and later approved by voters to boost research money for eligible universities. He said the board voted for Keller unanimously due to his national and local awareness of higher education, his innovative spirit and his willingness to collaborate.
"Higher Ed is under attack in many ways, for what sort of value proposition is and we're seeing some question whether before your degree is really worth it," Williams said. "We wanted somebody who could have good networking across the country, but also very strong networking in Texas, who also had understanding of the Texas Legislature and how our system works in a state public environment."
After Keller was named the finalist, the coordinating board formed an advisory committee at a special meeting June 18, chaired by board Chair Fred Farias, to recommend possible candidates to the board. UT President Jay Hartzell, President of El Paso Community College William Serrata, and Texas A&M University System Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs James Hallmark, selected by Farias and approved by the board, will also serve on the committee.
Farias said in written responses to the Statesman's questions that the committee has already met, and the board aims to have a new leader by Jan. 1 ― before the next legislative session, he said, adding that the board hopes the new commissioner will build upon Keller's leadership in research, affordability and the strategic plan.
"In the search for a successor to Dr. Harrison Keller, the Coordinating Board is looking for a leader who, like Dr. Keller, is excited and motivated to innovate in higher education and address the needs of today’s students and Texas’ rapidly changing workforce needs," Farias said. "Our agency has grown and evolved to meet the needs of this changing landscape, and it is our hope the next commissioner eagerly takes on the role of advancing higher education in Texas."
The board will recommend an interim commissioner at a future board meeting, a spokesperson told the Statesman. The board meets quarterly and will gather next on July 25.
"I hope the next commissioner will build on the momentum," Keller said, adding "I'm so proud of what we've done."
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