This story portrays the phenomenal journey of an exceptional rural New Mexico university, the University of the Southwest, which is renowned for its transformative education that empowers students to become catalysts for positive change in their communities and beyond. The institution has made a significant impact by providing undergraduates with a distinctive fusion of athletics and academics, ensuring a well-rounded experience. It is a Christ-centered educational community led by renowned educator Ryan Tipton, who also serves as the university’s chief executive officer. In this narrative, you will explore why we have decided to feature this university as a perfect match for this exclusive publication. Now let’s begin:
The University of the Southwest
At the heart of the University of the Southwest (USW) lies a powerful and unwavering commitment to shaping a brighter future through education. The objective of USW is very clear: to produce students who will give back to their communities and use their activities to have a positive, long-lasting impact. This institution’s mission acts as a beacon of guidance, leading all activities and decisions. Among the university’s key principles are faith, excellence, diversity, and inclusion.
Therefore, the university has meticulously designed its educational programs with this focal point in mind. Every course, every extracurricular activity, and every initiative is scrutinized through the lens of its contribution to developing students into service-oriented individuals. The university uses an obvious but crucial litmus test when assessing new initiatives and big ideas: does this activity fit with the institution’s main goal of preparing students to positively impact their communities via service? This strict standard ensures that every activity is deliberate and in line with USW’s objective by acting as a constant reminder of our goals.
The Brilliant Mind Behind the USW’s Continuous Growth
As a third-generation Lea County resident, Ryan Tipton was born and raised in Lovington, New Mexico. His path has been deeply connected to the petroleum sector, which is the lifeblood of this area. He briefly left Lea County to pursue formal education at the University of Texas—Permian Basin as part of his search for knowledge. He graduated with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Management and Finance and a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Marketing from that institution. He soon went back to Hobbs and began the incredible path of founding his own oil company. Through perseverance, hard work, and fortunate commodity prices, the business grew into a major regional energy player. He explored a variety of energy-related subsectors along the route, including drilling, pipelines, transportation, and the production of oil and gas. During that time, he also ventured into the culinary world, owning and operating two restaurants within the community.
Ryan made a historic move in 2007 when he sold the energy division to a publicly traded company. He joined the board and took on the position of vice president as part of this change. He made the decision to pursue a doctorate in business administration concurrently, which set the stage for his next endeavor. His life was turned around by a fortuitous conversation he had while working on a consulting project. That’s when he realized that teaching and motivating the next generation of leaders was his genuine calling. When he became a faculty member at the University of the Southwest (USW) in 2009, he found his love for teaching and learning. He took the position of Dean of the Department shortly after, which started a revolution in the academic realm. Growth and innovation have been cornerstones of his career at USW. Serving the institution in several roles, including Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Vice President of Online Learning and Chief Technology Officer, and most recently President and Chief Executive Officer, has been an honor for him.
“As I have pursued a variety of passions, I can honestly say that working in education has been one of my most rewarding actions. The visionary leader stated, “It is an honor to contribute to the shaping of the future and to be a part of a community that values knowledge, progress, and service.
USW’s Key Focus: Continuous Research and Innovation
USW collaborates with industry partners to push the boundaries of education, research, and innovation. For example, USW recently embarked on a groundbreaking proof-of-concept project to explore integrating virtual reality (VR) technology into our traditional campus curriculum.
The institution has demonstrated excellence in both maintaining the core values of traditional on-campus education and offering instruction virtually. Nonetheless, investigating cutting-edge technology like virtual reality is a logical next step for universities in a fast-changing educational environment. Thanks to recent developments in VR technology, USW now has a rare chance to lead the way in creating an integrated curriculum that smoothly blends traditional on-campus instruction with virtual and augmented reality.
Ushering in a New Era of Affordability and Accessibility
The University of the Southwest (USW) recently unveiled its “All-Inclusive Education” initiative. The institution announced that all course materials will be included in the tuition, which is a significant step toward lowering obstacles to study. This innovative project aims to provide virtual healthcare and digital learning materials, such as laptop computers and e-books so that all students can succeed academically in all programs and at all levels.
USW partnered with Cengage, ProQuest, VitalSource, Grammarly, and HealthiestYou—digital publishing, support, and healthcare providers—to accomplish this audacious goal. For USW students, these strategic relationships have brought in a new era of accessibility and affordability.
- Cengage: Renowned as an educational content, technology, and services leader, Cengage caters to various educational markets. Students at USW have access to a vast collection of both online and physical texts called Cengage Unlimited, thanks to a special institutional subscription. This dedication relieves students of the stress of having to buy individual textbooks while simultaneously providing them with access to a multitude of educational resources.
- ProQuest: ProQuest One Academic, an extensive virtual library and research resource covering every area of study, is made available by USW’s partnership with ProQuest. USW has been utilizing this extensive resource since June 2019, which has improved students’ academic experiences in all disciplines.
- VitalSource: Another valuable digital resource available to all USW students is VitalSource, which enhances their learning journey beyond traditional textbooks. With a comprehensive digital bookshelf, students can access their course materials conveniently, putting their textbooks at their fingertips.
- Grammarly: A comprehensive writing aid, Grammarly is the most recent addition to USW’s collection of student support resources. Grammarly is a tool that automatically finds and suggests corrections for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and word choice mistakes in written documents.
- HealthiestYou: The university and HealthiestYou, a Teledoc division, collaborated to provide all USW students and their immediate families with a virtual healthcare subscription. With the HealthiestYou app, students have round-the-clock access to doctors and mental health professionals. The university offers students a subscription at no cost.
Walking Towards a Shining Future
The university is headed toward success in achieving its long-term objectives. These are USW’s future objectives:
Strategic Goal 1: Academic Excellence, Scholarship, and the Student Experience
USW provides a premier educational experience by attracting and keeping top-notch faculty and staff members who are involved in scholarship, committed to professional development, and committed to enhancing the lives of others.
Strategic Goal 2: Positive Social Impact, Inclusion, and Community Engagement
The university creates initiatives and oversees collaborations that are completely open to all parties involved, actively include the community, and aim to have a good social impact.
Strategic Goal 3: Innovation and Institutional Effectiveness
The university embraces innovation and change by looking for creative ways to increase institutional efficacy and continuously assess and improve operations.
Strategic Goal 4: Stewardship of University Resources
As a private, faith-based educational community, the university exemplifies servant leadership ideals in the way it manages, distributes, and supervises institutional resources, emphasizing sustainability and resilience.
