Texas higher education leaders discussed expectations for colleges and the future of higher education at a Texas Tribune Festival panel on Friday.

The panel, moderated by Sara Hebel, Editor-in-Chief of nonprofit news organization Open Campus, featured representatives from Northwest Vista College, the University of North Texas and the Texas Tech University System.

Tedd Mitchell, Texas Tech University System chancellor, said the “enrollment cliff” — used to describe the decrease in enrollment at universities — is an issue all state institutions are facing. 

He said it comes down to three factors: a demographic shift because of a decrease in the annual birth rate, a shift in demand because people believe it costs too much to go to college, and Texas students moving elsewhere in the country.

Harrison Keller, president of the University of North Texas, said although concerns about Texas’ higher education system are amplified because of the state’s current political climate, he believes Texas is a leader in higher education.

“Texas has led the nation for increased investments in higher education research,” Keller said. “There are a number of places where folks are really looking to Texas as a leader.”

Amy Bosley, president of Northwest Vista College, said accessibility and resources for students whose parents never attended college and whose families don’t speak English is important. She said there’s a lack of understanding of how much it really costs to attend college. At Northwest Vista College, an associate’s degree can cost less than $6,500, Bosley said. 

“I frequently, when I’m with parents, will say, ‘How much do you think a college education costs?’” Bosley said. “I’m not kidding you, parents who have not gone to college will say things like $50,000.”

All three panelists voiced a commitment to “inclusive excellence,” including making people feel like they belong on campuses following the abolition of diversity, equity and inclusion under Senate Bill 17.

“There are people on our campuses who don’t feel like they belong,” Bosley said. “They haven’t felt like they belong in higher education, people who’ve worked really hard on a lot of the DEI work and now are really coming to grips with what that means, to not be able to pursue it in that way.” 

As part of a solution, Bosley said they are looking at outcomes and checking for equal representation among programs. When asked about free speech policies in conjunction with protests, Mitchell and Keller said Texas institutions are committed to free speech and upholding academic freedom.

Mitchell said he believes it is important to note the universities’ “substantial progress” that “leads the nation” in areas like financial aid, support for community colleges and career advising.

“There’s a temptation sometimes to just focus on some of these hot button initiatives that (the response to them) glosses over this much broader context where we’ve had real leadership at the state level,” Mitchell said.

Bosley said higher education leaders are ready to help students engage in dialogue and that college campuses are safe places where students should learn how to best engage in activism.

“Part of our job is to help them exercise their voice,” Bosley said. “We give them the space, the time and the support to do that in a way that is safe for everyone.”