by Anthony Austin
HAWKINS, TX (KYTX) - There's a new man on campus at Jarvis Christian College, and he's already implementing changes to move the school in a new direction. On Saturday, Dr. Cornell Thomas will officially become the eleventh president of the college, and he's got a pretty aggressive plan for the future of the school. CBS 19's Anthony Austin had a chance to sit down with Dr. Thomas today.
Dr. Cornell Thomas has a saying: "Thrives, don't just survive." As the new overseer of the predominately black college that has been plagued with low retention rates and financial problems, Dr. Thomas says he plans to move Jarvis to excellence.
"We would typically bring in a class of 200, and graduate a class of 60."
Embarrassing - that's how he describes the graduation rate for Jarvis Christian College. "We lose so many students because they or their parents can't continue to pay for their education."
But, under Dr. Thomas's direction, the college in Hawkins has implemented an academic success center - a program that brought outstanding results while Dr. Thomas served as a Vice President at Oklahoma State University. "Over a short period, retention rates were up, grade point averages were improving, and students understood and were empowered to take on their own learning."
This year, the graduation rate for the Christian College has improved from about 60 students to more than 70.
"He's having professors be more strict about attendance policies, you have to come to class, if you don't, you get reprimanded," says student Michelle Carvajal. Students say it's getting a little easier to pay tuition, too. More jobs are now available on campus, and financial aid is easier to come by.
"I turned in financial aid in June, and I know about it in two weeks after I turned in everything about it," said Jordan Haddock.
But most dear to Dr. Thomas's heart is the relationship he builds with his students. "I can send him an email and he'll shoot it back in two or three hours," said student D'Andri Choice.
As Dr. Thomas prepares to become the eleventh president of the college, he not only wants success for his students, but a world that respects them.
"I'm hoping that they will be knocking down their door, or knocking down the door looking for our students because they're prepared," said Dr. Thomas.
He also has plans to improve some of the buildings on campus and create a more socially diverse and academic environment, with the goal to make Jarvis the "TCU of the east". Dr. Thomas says he'd also like to see the school grow, but at the same time, he says he likes the atmosphere a small school provides.
The inauguration ceremony for Dr. Cornell Thomas begins at 11:00 am tomorrow, at Jarvis Christian College.
