Campus size doubled to 1,600 acres. A new stadium, a new hall for the College of Business and Economics and a performing arts center were built. And women now make up about 40 percent of the student body. But it was rough. It was difficult.
Transformation is a painful process.
Dr. Likins said among the keys to successful transformation in an institution are communication and a clear vision. I think of the organization as a fabric that I'm trying to stretch into a desired shape. I know that if I stretch it too rapidly, it will break and then you can't put it back together again. If you don't stretch it rapidly enough, the external pressures for change would eventually overwhelm you. So the trick is to listen carefully for the minute sounds of incipient rip in the fabric and to control the pace of change.