In addition, TCU’s retention rate has risen sharply since Boschini’s arrival. In 2003, the rate — which measures students who entered in fall 2002 and re-enrolled the next year — was a respectable 83.5 percent. Retention hit an all-time high in fall 2023 at 94.3 percent.
“That speaks to the sense of connection we have built on our campus,” Boschini said. “The challenge is to keep that connection when the whole world seems to be changing so quickly.”
In August 2023, The Princeton Review ranked TCU at No. 1 for the happiest students in the country.
“Nobody would be surprised about that if they walked around campus,” Einstein said. “This is a supportive environment with a spirited culture. … Who wouldn’t want all those things?”
The dedication of the first lady of TCU to welcoming all Horned Frogs to the table has played an essential role in shaping the connection culture. Like her husband, Megan Boschini is a vital member of both the on-campus and wider Fort Worth communities. Hers is a well-earned reputation as a passionate Horned Frog, one highly regarded by alumni and supporters. She frequently hosts students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of TCU at the Boschini home.
“Every step of the way, every success or challenge, has been a team effort with Megan,” the Chancellor said.
TCU’s commitment to building a diverse student body — a foundational element of the university’s strategic plan — continues.
“I don’t think there’s any question, and it doesn’t matter what one’s political views are, that interacting with people who don’t have your same lived experience is mutually beneficial,” Einstein said. “It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about higher education or industry or any other walk of life — being able to connect with other people who don’t share your worldviews is how we grow.”
The staff of 40 in the admissions office will continue to “pound the pavement to go out and find the best students for TCU, but enrolling a class is a campuswide enterprise,” Einstein said. “It’s not just the work of the office of admission. We’re reflections of all the other amazing things going on around this campus.”
Unlike many other top 100 universities in the U.S., the student experience remains at the heart of TCU, Pullin said. “Every decision we make has the students at the center.”
Partly to stay connected to the students, both he and Boschini still teach classes every year. This fall, Pullin taught Entrepreneurship & Innovation, a class at Neeley.
“Students tell you stuff in a class that they’d never tell you as an administrator,” said Boschini, whose History of Higher Education seminar in the College of Education fills up quickly.
The Chancellor hired Kathy Cavins-Tull as the vice chancellor for student affairs in 2011. The Chancellor’s background is in student affairs, and their professional paths crossed early in her career. She was a PhD student in higher education administration when he was president of Illinois State University.
Cavins-Tull, who also teaches every fall — this semester’s class is on organizational behavior — said that the Chancellor and the rest of the university leadership prioritize the whole-person development of TCU’s 12,000 students.
“We are in partnership with our students in support of their growth,” she said. “We walk alongside them and are always trying to create for them an experience that captures their hearts and engages them in the good work of growing up and becoming the professionals that we know they’re capable of becoming.”
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