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Office of the Chancellor

Under the leadership of Mary Hensley, Ed.D., the Blinn College District has established itself as a community college district at the forefront of student-centered programming and innovative partnerships.

Dr. Hensley’s accomplishments:

  • Continued to rank No. 1 in the State of Texas in academic transfer rate. According to Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board data, Blinn’s academic transfer rate of 45.4% leads all Texas community colleges and significantly exceeds the statewide average of 26.0%.
  • Prepared and submitted the Compliance Certification as a part of Blinn’s reaffirmation of accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
  • Developed and obtained Board of Trustees approval for Blinn’s new Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) to be submitted to SACSCOC. The QEP, titled Horizons: Guiding Students to Success, will provide academic support for students enrolled in developmental reading, writing, and mathematics courses. This support will come in the form of literacy instruction and online support, guided advising, and tutoring through the College’s Learning Center, Writing Center, faculty, and campus libraries.
  • Developed and obtained Board of Trustees approval for Blinn’s new strategic plan to be submitted to SACSCOC. This strategic plan includes Blinn’s mission and vision statements, strategic priorities, and a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) assessment.
  • Received national recognition as a Bellwether College Consortium Legacy Award finalist in February 2024 in recognition of Blinn’s role as a partner in the RELLIS Academic Alliance. The Legacy Award, which is presented only once every five years at the annual Community College Futures Assembly, honors an innovative community college program demonstrating five or more years of student success.
  • Received the All-Star College Award from the Texas Workforce Commission in December 2023. The award celebrates a community college, technical college, or Texas engineering extension service whose efforts and partnership improve the Texas workforce system and local community by identifying, creating, and contributing to skills enhancement and training to best support business needs. Blinn was recognized for the many ways in which it supports its local business community, including the College’s:
    • wide range of technical programs designed to develop specific skills required by various industries, including high-demand fields such as manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, skilled trades, and transportation;
    • career and technical education programs, which provide students with hands-on training and industry-recognized credentials that open pathways for certifications, associate and bachelor’s degrees;
    • Corporate College, which engages with local employers and industry partners to develop and teach curricula that reflects current industry trends and demands;
    • transfer pathways, which facilitate the seamless transfer of credits toward bachelor’s degree programs and encourage individuals to pursue higher education while providing them with a cost-effective and flexible pathway;
    • Small Business Development Center, a business advising and training center of the University of Houston Texas Gulf Coast SBDC Network serving 32 counties in Southeast Texas;
    • and workforce development grants, including the Skills Development Fund Grant, Skills for Small Business, and the Self Sufficiency Fund, to support workforce development initiatives and to upskill the employees of businesses.
  • Earned recognition for the second consecutive year as a Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges Award winner by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) and Diverse: Issues in Higher Education Magazine. The Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges Award recognizes community and technical colleges with an exceptional commitment to family friendliness, salary/benefits, and professional development opportunities.
  • Ranked as the No. 4 Associate Degree Nursing program in the southwestern United States according to NursingProcess.org. The rankings were developed based upon a methodology that considers each program’s academic quality, National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) first-attempt pass rate, affordability, and reputation.
  • Ranked as the No. 6 Associate of Science in Kinesiology program in the nation according to UniversityHQ.com, which compiles comprehensive information for students who wish to pursue higher education.
  • Ranked as the No. 6 online Associate of Science in Economics degree in the nation according to BestColleges.com. The ranking was based upon academic quality, affordability, and online competency while using data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and College Navigator, both of which are hosted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
  • Signed a new articulation agreement with Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) that provides clear bachelor’s degree pathways in business administration, computer information systems, graphic design and media arts, healthcare administration, nursing, and psychology. This agreement, which became effective for fall 2023, also allows Blinn students to save 10% on their SNHU tuition rate.
  • Signed a new articulation agreement with Houston Christian University (HCU) in July 2023 providing Blinn students with seamless pathways to bachelor’s degrees cyber engineering, computer science, and electrical engineering. This agreement also includes a co-enrollment pathway for students to earn their Associate of Science in Electrical Engineering from Blinn and their Bachelor of Science in Cyber Engineering from HCU.
  • Signed a new co-admission and transfer agreement with Lamar University in August 2023 that provides Blinn students with seamless transfer pathways toward bachelor’s degrees in accounting, business, communication studies, computer game development, computer science, criminal justice, electrical engineering, exercise science, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, music, nursing, and university studies.
  • Signed a new articulation agreement with Texas A&M University-Commerce in September 2023 providing Associate of Applied Science in Fire Science students to apply their credits at Blinn toward a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Fire Science at Texas A&M-Commerce.
  • Signed a new articulation agreement with Texas Woman’s University (TWU) in October 2023 providing Blinn students an opportunity to co-enroll at Blinn and TWU while earning their Associate of Arts in Music – Field of Study from Blinn and their Bachelor of Science in Music Therapy from TWU. The agreement provides the foundation to expand this partnership to other degree programs in the future.
  • Signed a new articulation agreement with West Texas A&M University in February 2024 that will allow Blinn students to transfer credits from their Associate of Applied Science in Fire Safety and Health to a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Fire Science from West Texas A&M.
  • Initiated development of a new co-enrollment partnership with Tarleton State University that will provide Blinn students with a clear pathway toward a bachelor’s degree in digital media studies through the RELLIS Academic Alliance.
  • Initiated development of a new co-enrollment partnership with Stephen F. Austin State University that will allow Blinn Associate Degree Nursing students to complete their Bachelor of Science in Nursing in as little as one semester after earning their associate degree.
  • Initiated development of co-enrollment and transfer partnerships with Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi that will provide fully online pathways for Blinn students to complete their business bachelor’s degrees with TAMU-Corpus Christi.
  • Initiated development of a new co-enrollment and transfer partnership with Texas A&M University’s Hospitality Academy.
  • Initiated development of a new transfer agreement with Texas Tech University. Conversations regarding programs and degree pathways are ongoing.
  • Hosted the Texas 10th Court of Appeals at the Bryan Campus Student Center as it heard three precedent-setting cases. This visit provided Blinn students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to witness the court performing its duties as it hears precedent-setting cases.
  • Partnered with the National Center for Infrastructure and Transportation and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute to launch a 15-week Heavy Highway Construction Program in fall 2023. This program prepares students for high-wage, high-demand careers in highway construction with salaries in the $40,000 range. Through the program, students gain skills in record keeping, plan and specification reading, math, surveying and site layout, soils and compaction, and hot mix asphalt (HMA) mix placement and field testing.
  • Obtained $889,499 in Skills Development Fund grants from the Texas Workforce Commission to provide customized jobs training to local business partners. This includes a $422,387 grant to upskill 290 Hendrix Industries and Kaemark employees in a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and a $467,112 grant to train 340 Blue Bell Creameries and Southwest Service Corporation employees in facilities management and manufacturing.
  • Initiated $822,099 in Skills Development Fund grants. These submitted proposals, pending approval from the Texas Workforce Commission, include a $542,988 grant to train 260 Daikin Global and HRD Aero employees in air system technology and aircraft maintenance and a $279,111 grant to train 270 Tempur Sealy and East Coast Mouldings Distribution employees in manufacturing and business skills.
  • Enrolled 278 students in the Electrical Pre-Apprenticeship Program in FY24, exceeding the goal of 200 students established by the Workforce Solutions Brazos Valley, which provided a $300,000 grant to fund the program.
  • Enrolled 317 students in the Adult Education and Literacy Program, which provides educational support and opportunities for individuals who are at least 16 years old; lack a high school credential; want to enhance their basic reading, writing or math skills; are unable or want to improve the ability to speak, read or write English; or are seeking career training, high school equivalency or college preparation.
  • Posted a 100% Paramedic-to-RN Program first-attempt pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). Successful completion of this exam qualifies the eight members of Blinn’s inaugural graduating class for careers in a wide array of nursing positions, including pediatric, geriatric, hospice, school, and clinical nursing. The Texas Board of Nursing reports that the statewide NCLEX-RN pass rate in 2022 was 84.28% and the national pass rate was 79.91%.
  • Posted a 100% Radiologic Technology Program first-attempt pass rate on the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) certification examination. Successful completion of this exam qualifies the 13 members of Blinn’s graduating class for careers as radiologic technologists. ARRT reports that the national pass rate is approximately 80%.
  • Hosted the Dental Hygiene Program’s annual Give Kids a Smile event in April 2023. This event provided $18,587 in free dental care for 82 area children at the Blinn College Dental Hygiene Clinic in Bryan, and since it was established in 2011, this event has provided approximately $259,035 in donated care.
  • Established a memorandum of understanding with Waller ISD to begin offering Blinn courses at W.C. Schultz Junior High School at 20950 Field Store Road in Waller. Blinn began offering night classes at this location during the spring 2024 semester.
  • Initiated development of a dual-credit career and technical education partnership that will provide Waller ISD students courses that apply toward associate degrees in programs such as cybersecurity, drone technology, graphic design, and mechatronics.
  • Hosted a one-stop registration event at the Waller Campus in January 2024 to assist students in registering for the spring semester. This event offered students assistance in completing their application and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and allowed students to meet with an advisor and register for classes.
  • Signed an agreement with Waller ISD to provide dual-credit courses at Waller High School. On census day for fall 2023, Blinn enrolled 203 Waller High School students in dual-credit courses. Blinn now has a total of 56 dual-credit agreements with local school districts.
  • Established new Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) agreements with College Station ISD’s College View High School and Bellville ISD’s Bellville High School. P-TECH partnerships are innovative dual-credit programs that prepare students for trades and technology careers and provide them with an opportunity to earn both a high school diploma and a workforce credential or associate degree.
  • Provided dual-credit services through early college partnerships with Bryan ISD at Bryan Collegiate High School and Royal ISD at Royal Early College High School that allowed 27 students to earn their associate degrees from Blinn while simultaneously earning their high school diplomas.
  • Enrolled 18,301 total students in fall 2023, a 4.26% increase over fall 2022. This included 6,103 students at the Bryan Campus, 3,945 online students, 3,802 RELLIS students, 2,145 high school dual-credit students, 2,109 Brenham Campus students, 59 Schulenburg Campus students, 41 Sealy Campus students, and 97 other students.

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Contact:

  • Sharon Johnston
  • Administrative Assistant
  • Phone: 979-830-4115

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Contact


Mary Hensley, Ed.D.
Chancellor of the Blinn College District
chancellor@blinn.edu
979-830-4115