Inclusive and Innovative Education for All
LINDA BATTLES is the REGIONAL DIRECTOR at WGU TEXAS.
You recently joined WGU as Regional Director. How did you end up with the role and what does it entail?
After working in Texas state government and higher education public policy for 25 years, I was ready for a new experience in higher education -- but not just any university. I wanted to work at a student-centric university that values diversity, equity, and inclusion among its student body, faculty and staff, and executive administrators.
In February, I came across the Regional Director job posting at WGU Texas and I joined the university in April. I have been a longtime supporter of the institution since it was created in 2011 by then-Governor Rick Perry through an Executive Order to expand access to high quality, competency-based, online education for working adults.
I assist the Chancellor/Regional Vice President with the South Region’s operational strategy. I provide oversight of initiatives that drive the university’s commitment to delivering high-quality education and graduates that meet workforce needs. I expand our partnerships across the state and grow brand awareness and enrollment, particularly among underserved populations.
How did your career in education start?
I started working as a legislative aide (and later became Chief of Staff/Legislative Director) for State Representative Irma Rangel (D-Kingsville) who was the first Mexican American woman elected to the Texas House in 1976. It was under Irma’s mentorship that I learned about the importance of expanding access to higher education, particularly for low-income and students of color.
In 1997, I had the privilege of working on landmark legislation — the Top 10 Percent Automatic Admission Law (H.B. 588, 75th Texas Legislature). Irma filed this bill in response to a 1996 decision by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals prohibiting the use of racial preferences in university admissions in Texas. In 2000, I transitioned to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).
WGU Texas has been an online education school since before our current crisis. What are some advantages you think WGU had when other universities started going online?
WGU was designed to deliver higher education online to meet students where they live, without the barriers of a traditional classroom with in-person instruction. Because of our fully online, competency-based learning model, we are able to continue despite the pandemic. Additionally, we are solely focused on student learning. Unlike most traditional institutions, we do not conduct research, engage in sports, etc. and because learning is delivered online, facilities costs are significantly less.
Can you tell us about any specific initiatives dedicated to work closely with the Latino community and their advanced education?
One of our primary initiatives is to expand equitable access and success to higher education for underserved populations, specifically low-income, Latinx and African American populations. In January, we’ll launch the Equitable Access Grant, a need-based grant to encourage these underserved populations to enroll at WGU Texas to earn their bachelor’s degree from one of our four colleges of business, IT, teaching, and health professions. And our Online Access Scholarship helps low-income or rural students who don’t have access to technology and/or broadband internet complete their degree at WGU Texas.
Where do you see the future of education?
The future of higher education needs to reinvent itself to provide multiple pathways to opportunity for all, regardless of a person’s socioeconomic status, race or ethnicity, geographic location, academic readiness, and age. We need to support learners where they are and give them the opportunity to transform their lives for the better through education. Employers need to support lifelong learning so that their employees can upskill or reskill to keep up with an evolving technology-based workforce. Most importantly, higher education institutions need to put students at the center of all activities and decision-making. I’m proud to work for a university that embodies all of these characteristics.