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THECB spotlights STAR Award honorees; South Plains emphasizes OER and AI in career programs
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Summary
THECB recognized 2025 STAR Award recipients focused on career development; South Plains College described a faculty‑led OER and AI‑supported redesign that reduced textbook costs, improved engagement and expanded technical-program capacity; UTSA highlighted Najim Center strategist projects linking students to paid consulting work and industry partners.
Assistant Commissioner Brandon Griggs opened the major policy discussion by describing the 2025 STAR Awards 'From Classroom to Career' category and the board heard presentations from South Plains College and the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Heather Medley of South Plains College said the college undertook a system‑level Open Educational Resources (OER) initiative and used AI tools to help faculty write and maintain course modules. Medley said the program addressed access and affordability—"75 percent of our post high school students reported that textbook costs had impacted their ability to register for courses"—and that faculty engagement and peer review produced improved student outcomes and increased hands‑on shop time in technical programs.
Medley described AI as a faculty productivity tool—prompts and voice‑to‑text workflows helped technical faculty produce timely, localized modules and cut textbook costs for students, enabling purchases of safety equipment and tools instead. She cited a 2004 (transcript) survey showing 85% of students reporting improved understanding when OER was paired with engaged faculty.
UTSA's Dr. Jennifer CG (associate provost/associate vice provost for career engaged learning) described the Najim Center's 'strategist' program: a high‑impact, sprint‑style, paid consulting experience that immerses students in multidisciplinary projects with corporations and nonprofits to develop project management and problem‑solving skills. Dr. CG said more than 350 students had participated over five years and that the program emphasizes inclusivity—no GPA or major requirement—and real‑world impact.
Board members asked about scalability and takeaways for other institutions; presenters encouraged starting with early adopters and building communities of practice. The items were presented for information; the board thanked the presenters.
