Western Texas College continues to advance Serving Students Together: A 10-Year Strategy for Western Texas College (2026–2036). The following highlights demonstrate progress across the College’s four foundational priorities and illustrate how current initiatives are translating the strategic plan into visible action for students, employees, and the communities we serve.

• WTC and Cogdell Memorial Hospital Behavioral Health celebrated the opening of the Carol Wolfe Counseling Center, expanding convenient access to counseling and behavioral health resources for students and employees. This locally connected model strengthens WTC’s holistic approach to student support by creating clearer referral pathways and helping address personal barriers that can affect persistence and completion.

• WTC hosted a College Fair on September 24, which connected students and community members with representatives from more than 30 colleges, universities, and technical schools. In addition to expanding awareness of educational opportunities, the event supported transfer planning and next-step decisionmaking.

• WTC hosted the 2026 Education Partnership Summit on September 15, bringing together 42 education partners from across the service area to strengthen collaboration, expand student pathways, and identify shared opportunities for student success.

• Continued outreach with Colorado ISD, Blackwell CISD, Spur ISD, and other partners is strengthening dual-credit participation, regional enrollment pipelines, and seamless pathways to WTC. This work also increases WTC’s visibility throughout the service area and strengthens relationships with K–12 partners.

• Following Board approval and while awaiting Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approval, WTC is advancing the Vocational Nursing Prerequisite Certificate. The certificate will provide a focused entry point into nursing and related health care pathways, creating clearer academic progression while helping address regional demand for skilled health care professionals.

• Conversations with four-year university partners are underway to strengthen transfer pathways and expand opportunities for WTC students to continue their education. Current discussions include Wayland Baptist University, The University of Texas Permian Basin, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Abilene, Howard Payne University, and McMurry University. These conversations are focused on articulation, transfer alignment, and clearer pathways to bachelor’s and advanced degrees.

• Implementation planning continues for the $654,571 Texas Innovative Adult Career Education (ACE) award, expanding workforce training, career readiness, and student services for low-income students and Veterans. The award strengthens WTC’s capacity to connect education with employment and economic mobility while serving learners who may benefit from more flexible workforce pathways.

• WTC hosted accreditation reviewers during the week of October 5 as part of the approval process for its Prison Education Program and future Pell Grant access for eligible incarcerated students. This work 2 represents an important opportunity to extend educational access and create meaningful pathways to credentials, employment, and continued education for an underserved population.

• Work continues on the Strategic Plan Tracking Plan to connect Serving Students Together priorities with measurable outcomes, accountability, performance monitoring, and resource allocation. The framework will clarify ownership, document progress, and provide the Board and College community with a consistent view of strategic implementation and institutional performance.

• WTC continues to strengthen processes that support clear expectations, shared accountability, and responsible stewardship, including greater clarity around supplemental and stipend-supported assignments and their alignment with institutional priorities.

• WTC has developed a comprehensive professional pay scale for all employees, strengthening consistency, transparency, and alignment while supporting recruitment, retention, and long-term workforce sustainability.

Together, these developments reflect disciplined implementation of WTC’s strategic plan: creating clearer and more supportive student experiences, building sustainable enrollment, strengthening workforce and educational pathways, and developing the institutional capacity necessary for long-term effectiveness and sustainability. They also reflect the central premise of Serving Students Together—aligning people, processes, partnerships, and resources around student success and regional impact.