From Grounded Graduates to Community Impact with Dr. Kristi Kirk of Concordia University Texas

What if a university president told you to call them directly with your workforce needs and they'd build a custom program around it?

Host Tamara Atkinson, CEO of Workforce Solutions Capital Area, checks in with Dr. Kristi Kirk, President and CEO of Concordia University Texas, and the first woman to lead the institution in its nearly 100-year history. Dr. Kirk has over 30 years of higher education experience, starting as an admissions counselor at Concordia and working her way up through leadership roles. Her focus centers on making higher education accessible to underserved communities, reducing barriers to entry, and developing programming that directly addresses Austin's workforce needs through innovative community partnerships.

The conversation explores Concordia's unique position in Austin's higher education landscape, particularly its role as a Hispanic-serving institution graduating approximately 150 nurses annually with exceptional NCLEX pass rates. Dr. Kirk discusses the university's embrace of artificial intelligence in education, the expansion of STEM programs, and strategic partnerships with organizations like Leander ISD's Aspiring Teachers Program and Leadership Austin's MBA pathway. Key topics include service learning, the value of advanced degrees versus credentials, and Concordia's open invitation for community partnerships to co-create workforce development programming.

Dr. Kristi Kirk is the president and CEO of Concordia University Texas, the 10th executive leader in the University’s nearly 100-year history and the first woman to serve as president at the University. With over 30 years in higher education, she has advanced access through initiatives like reducing the published tuition by 40% and securing a $2.71 million grant to improve outcomes for students from underserved communities. Starting as an admissions manager in 1993, Dr. Kirk is committed to fostering a higher education that reflects Concordia Texas’s core values.

In This Episode:

• (00:00) Dr. Kirk’s first job as a baseball scorekeeper and what it taught her
• (05:23) How Concordia stands out in Austin's higher education landscape with accessible education and a diverse student population
• (11:05) Concordia's impact on the healthcare workforce - graduating 150 nurses annually with strong NCLEX pass rates
• (18:03) How Concordia is embracing AI in higher education and why small schools have advantages
• (28:54) Addressing the value of advanced degrees versus short-term credentials and finding your own path
• (36:42) Concordia's call to action for community partnerships to build stronger graduate pipelines
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About the show:

Austin Hires Local, powered by Workforce Solutions Capital Area and hosted by WFS CEO Tamara Atkinson, dives deep with the trailblazers who are shaping the future of jobs in our city, our state, and even nationally. We pull back the curtain on the challenges we all face – the anxieties, the roadblocks, and what's holding us back from filling those critical open positions. But hey, it's not all doom and gloom. We a...