Print Version
E-mail This StoryTexas A&M-Commerce University’s president Dr. Keith McFarland will retire after 40 years in the educational system. Dr. Dan Jones, the school’s 11th president, will replace McFarland in office July 1.
As part of his duties as president, McFarland also oversees A&M Commerce satellite campuses in Mesquite and Dallas. The Mesquite campus is a shared facility with the Mesquite Independent School District.
McFarland served as a teaching assistant from 1965 to 1968 in the history department of Ohio State University, where he received his doctorate in 1969. That same year he became an assistant professor for A&M’s history department.
McFarland, who has been president and CEO of the university for 10 years, also served in various roles for nearly 38 years as history professor, department head and dean of the graduate school prior to becoming president.
McFarland said he plans to spend time with his family and return to part-time teaching, adding that his wife Nancy has been very supportive of his career.
“My wife Nancy and I want more time to enjoy our grandchildren,” McFarland said. “During my presidency Nancy has been an integral part, attending countless social, sports, cultural and fundraising events.”
McFarland described his departure at A&M as bittersweet.
“I have enjoyed so much the interaction that I have had with students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members that can only come from being in the position of president,” McFarland said.
Jones, the incoming president, is currently provost and vice president of academic affairs at Texas A&M International in Laredo.
“[Commerce] is a wonderful university that has a venerable tradition,” Jones said. “Its educated people from Texas, and really the world, so there is a very strong foundation to build on.”
Prior to becoming provost at Texas A&M International, Dr. Jones served a variety of leadership roles at the University of Houston-Downtown from 1985-2003, including dean and interim dean of University College, associate dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and professor and assistant chair of the Department of English. He also was instructor and student publications advisor at Casper College in Casper, Wyo., from 1982-1985.
Some of Jones’ plans for the university include a sharper focus on student success, increasing retention and graduation rates, boosting enrollment and looking into upgrading the level of sponsored research of the faculty.
“One of the things we currently worked on at my institution, in which may work at Commerce, is establishing an incentive system that provides faculty the support they need to engage in sponsored research to give them help with grant writing, provide them with technical assistance and to make sure their efforts are rewarded in the merit structure,” Jones said.
Jones’ has two bachelor’s degrees, one in English and the other in journalism, a master’s in English from Rice University and a master’s and doctorate. in American studies from the University of Iowa.
Texas A&M System Chancellor Mike McKinney said he would miss McFarland because of his care for the university and the well-being of the students.
“He really knew how to run a university, he was a great philosopher and one of the finest people,” McKinney said. “He left the university in a good financial and academic position.”
McKinney also praised McFarland for not raising the tuition this past year.
He said McFarland would be tough to follow but expects Jones to do well with the academics and business of the university.
“He is a great addition to the community as well as the university,” McKinney said.
In a recent e-mail statement, Board of Regents chairman Bill Jones said today’s academic environment requires a lot of experience, and Jones has what it takes to lead a school such as Texas A&M Commerce
“Leadership at today’s colleges and universities requires a vast range of experiences, and Dan Jones has the necessary background and expertise to take A&M Commerce to the top of the charts among regional institutions of higher education,” Jones said.
Jones will lead A&M Commerce with more than 1,100 employees and manage a $97.6-million annual budget while serving a student population of 9,000 students. Texas A&M n Commerce is one of the largest schools in the Texas A&M system, second only to the main campus in College Station.
