OWLS 50th anniversary reception kicks off yearlong celebration

INSIDE TXST

Jayme Blaschke | November 1, 2023

Page Michel, president and CEO of the San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce, will deliver the keynote address at the kickoff 50th anniversary reception for the Department of Organization, Workforce and Leadership Studies (OWLS) at Texas State University on Nov. 2.

The event will run 6-8 p.m. in the LBJ Student Center Ballroom. The event is open to the public. Media coverage is invited.  

Michel will speak on “OWLS 50 Years Strong: A Catalyst for the Economic Prosperity of Adult Learners in the Texas Innovation Corridor.” 

Following the keynote address, Texas State Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Gene Bourgeois, Ph.D., will facilitate a discussion on workforce needs in the Texas Innovation Corridor and Texas State’s role in meeting these needs. Ted Groholske, manager of workforce with the Greater San Marcos Partnership, will participate in the discussion. 

Angela Ausbrooks, Ph.D., professor and interim dean of the College of Applied Arts, Shetay Ashford-Hanserd, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of OWLS, and San Marcos Mayor Jane Hughson will also deliver remarks. 

OWLS will launch its 50th anniversary scholarship fund during the event. 

OWLS was founded as the Office of Occupational Education (OCED) in 1973 by Oscar Dorsey, Ph.D., in the College of Applied Arts. OCED was an innovative concept at a time when few institutions awarded academic credit for occupational competencies, skills and knowledge. Over the ensuing 50 years, OWLS has undergone two name changes but has never stopped providing service to veterans and working adults. 

Today, OWLS has 12 full-time faculty (including five tenured and one tenure-track) and 25 part-time faculty who serve more than 440 students across Texas and beyond. OWLS offers one undergraduate degree—the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences and three graduate degrees—the Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, the Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies and the Master of Education with a Major in Management of Technical Education. The department’s mission is to prepare students for workplace success. The mission is accomplished through an accelerated, applied, undergraduate degree-completion program and graduate programs, including working with students who seek a nontraditional approach in completing a degree.

The OWLS 50th Anniversary Reception is the first of a series of events planned for the 2023-2024 academic year. On Feb. 29, 2024, OWLS will host a second reception at Texas State’s Round Rock Campus. Festivities will culminate with a formal scholarship fundraising gala on April 18.

For more information about the OWLS 50th Anniversary Celebration, visit the OWLS 50th Anniversary website.