Dear Colleagues, 

I often say that the heart of what we do at TXST is improve the lives of all who come here. This doesn’t just apply to our incredible students, but also to the faculty and staff members who are building their lives and careers on our campuses. Because of this, my administration’s guiding star will always be to champion, support, and elevate you. True advocacy requires tangible action, which is why we are continuously working to channel resources directly back into our workforce by expanding our teams to ease the work, enhancing benefits, and improving pay. These actions are fundamental to our Hopes & Aspirations High vision.

This commitment is especially vital right now. When we look across the national landscape of higher education, the realities are stark. Many universities are facing severe headwinds, forced to make difficult decisions to cut budgets, downsize programs, and reduce staffing.

TXST is completely bucking that trend. Thanks to your dedication and hard work, we are experiencing an era of unprecedented momentum, historic enrollment growth, and a rapidly ascending national reputation.

As we celebrate our success, I also want to speak candidly about what our rapid growth and bold ambitions means for us internally. I have been a faculty member for 31 years and an administrator for 21 years, and I know that even “good change” brings challenges. Managing our level of innovation is demanding and, frankly, sometimes exhausting. Repositioning a university on the national stage requires immense energy from every single department. Please know that your hard work is seen, and your effort is not lost on me. Our current financial strength is not an accident; it is the direct result of the hours, care, and ambition you pour into TXST every day. We thank you, and we believe the best way to celebrate this shared success is to reinvest in you.

Today, I am proud to announce that the FY27 budget we will present to the Board of Regents in August will include over $26.2 million in new funding to directly support our TXST employees, $5 million more than last year. This comprehensive investment will be distributed across these critical priorities:

• Performance and Equity Market Adjustments ($9.7M+): We have established a salary allocation pool of more than $9.7 million for eligible employees. These funds will be awarded based on performance, market competitiveness, and to address internal pay inequities.
  
• Faculty Growth and Permanency ($5.2M): To support our expanding student body, we are investing $1 million to create new tenure-track faculty lines and permanently funding $4.2 million in faculty positions that were previously temporary.
  
• Expanding Our Staff Teams ($2.1M): To help alleviate heavy workloads and support our campus infrastructure, we have allocated approximately $2.1 million to add vital new staff positions across every division.
  
• Academic Program Support ($1.4M): A continued investment of approximately $1.4 million will enhance and support new academic program personnel.
  
• Targeted Faculty Market Adjustments ($460,000): Guided by the compensation study we initiated in 2023, nearly $460,000 is dedicated to raising the salaries of eligible faculty members who are currently paid below market minimums, continuing our push toward highly competitive baseline pay.
  
• Longevity and Promotion Recognition ($1.3M): We are maintaining our full commitment to funding University Longevity Pay, State Longevity Pay, and 7% faculty promotion raises.
  
• Health Insurance & Benefit Increases ($5.6M): The university will fully fund over $5.6 million to cover the rising costs of employer contributions for employee health insurance and other benefits, ensuring these increases do not impact take-home pay.
  
• Departmental Operational Budgets ($500,000): We are investing $500,000 in M&O funding across campus so that individual departments have the day-to-day resources and operational strength necessary to support training, travel, and supplies to help in your work.

Most salary decisions will be made this summer and will appear on your October 1, 2026, paychecks. Please watch for further details regarding the implementation of the salary review process from our Office of Human Resources in June. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to our Human Resources staff and the Budget Office for their incredible diligence in developing this comprehensive FY27 salary program.

For so many of you, working at TXST is not just a job, it is a calling. You have earned every dollar of this investment through the exceptional education, service, and daily support you bring to our campuses.

Friends, while our strides over the past few years have been remarkable, our journey is ongoing. I am fully committed to keeping this momentum alive so TXST remains a premier destination to build a lifetime career. We have great things ahead of us, so let’s keep creating the future together.

I am incredibly proud to work alongside you. Thank you for everything you do for TXST.

Sincerely,

Kelly Damphousse

President