There’s something grounding about driving across Texas. The roads stretch out beyond what you can see, the sky opens wide, and the land shifts from the familiar into the unfamiliar. That 8+ hour drive from Austin to El Paso was more than a travel route, it was a fitting prelude to the conversations we had at this year’s TACRAO conference.
El Paso feels like a different Texas. So do the stories we heard.
We spoke with professionals from colleges and universities you only truly understand by showing up in person. You listen. You nod. You recognize that while the geography changes, the challenges remain strikingly similar, and deeply human.
Transfer Credit: Still in the Background, Still Running the Show
Whether in big cities or small towns, one truth echoed in nearly every conversation: transfer credit remains a quiet but powerful undercurrent shaping the student experience.
The process is long. The workload is heavy. And often, the knowledge lives in the minds of a few who “just know how it works.”
Many nodded as they shared variations of the same theme. Then came the familiar pause…
“Yeah, but fixing it? That’s not really in our lane.”
It reminded us of the wind turbines we passed on the drive, turning silently, steadily, always there. Some see them as progress, others as disruption. But they’re part of the landscape now, whether people like them or not. Transfer credit is the same. It’s shaping enrollment, advising, retention, even if no one department fully owns it.
Everyone Wants Better Paths, But No One Owns the Map
Advisors want better tools. Students want transparency. Institutions want fewer surprises.
And yet the responsibility for clarity seems to disappear down those long, departmental roads where one office says, “We’d love that,” and the next replies, “That’s not our call.”
We heard story after story of missed connections. Schools trying to connect enrollment and registrar goals without overlapping systems. Staff with the will, but not the way.
There is a shared desire, but often no clear driver.
Technology is Welcome, If It’s Trustworthy
We also sensed a shift. Fewer people this year were asking if technology should play a role. More were asking how to bring it in without disrupting what already works.
The message was clear: Bring us better tools, but don’t break what’s holding us together.
One of the most thoughtful metaphors we heard came from a conversation on the drive itself:
“Sometimes, you get a small window of opportunity to pass the semi-truck ahead of you. And if you don’t take it, you’re stuck for the next hour.”
That’s where a lot of institutions feel they are. The transfer conversation isn’t just about credit anymore, it’s about timing. Technology. Strategy. And whether leadership will act before that window closes.
The Landscape is Shifting
TACRAO didn’t feel like a conference full of flashy presentations and big announcements. It felt like a check-in. A way to take the temperature across the state and see who’s ready to lean in.
Texas is wide. Its institutions are varied. But the themes are familiar.
Transfer credit is still quietly running the show. Pathway clarity still matters. People want to fix it, but few feel empowered.
And yet, if you squint toward the horizon, there’s something hopeful there. Conversations are changing. Mindsets are shifting. Maybe this is one of those moments to pass the semi-truck, before the opportunity fades into the distance.
Stay in the Conversation
We’ll be sharing more reflections like this throughout the year as we continue listening to the professionals shaping the future of transfer. If you were at TACRAO, or wish you had been, we’d love to hear what themes stood out to you.
Because sometimes, the most important work starts on the road.
Closing Thoughts
TACRAO this year was honest, open, and unmistakably Texan. The themes were consistent, the stories were sincere, and the willingness to share challenges, even when people did not feel empowered to solve them, made the conversations feel genuine.
If any of these experiences reflect what is happening on your campus, we are always ready to compare notes. No pressure. Just Texans talking about how to make things a little clearer for the students who depend on all of us.