Stephenson to speak at MSU December Commencement
Education Student Life

Stephenson to speak at MSU December Commencement

  • 12 December 2012
  • 2 min read

MacGregor M. Stephenson, Assistant Commissioner for Academic Affairs and Research for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, will deliver the commencement address at Midwestern State University's graduation ceremony at 10 a.m. Dec. 15 at Kay Yeager Coliseum. Approximately 507 students are candidates to earn their degrees this December.

At the Coordinating Board, Stephenson works with community colleges, state colleges, technical colleges, universities, health science centers, and private institutions to develop a curriculum that will provide a high quality work force for Texas. Stephenson has testified before the State Senate Business and Commerce Committee on the critical role that community colleges play in workforce training and education, and the importance of identifying industry needs so that colleges can train students in skills which will be valued by employers. He manages more than $50 million in grants annually that help colleges develop training programs and award scholarships to students.

Stephenson has worked on the College Credit for Heroes program that allows some colleges to award veterans and active duty military course credit for the experience, education, and training obtained during military service. This allows veterans to enter the work force more quickly and saves time and money as they work toward a degree.

Before joining the Coordinating Board, Stephenson served as the Associate Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Texas A&M University. He served as Governor Rick Perry's Advisor for Higher Education from 2002-2006, and was a member of the Governor's Management Review Team.

Stephenson is a member of the Commission on Academic, Student and Community Development for the American Association of Community Colleges; the National Association of State Directors of Community Colleges; and the Texas Workforce Investment Council. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Baylor University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Denver College of Law. At Texas A&M, he earned his Ph.D. in education administration, then attended the Executive Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. He has also attended the State Higher Education Executive Officers/Lumina Foundation's Academy for State Policy Leadership in Higher Education.