This story by Kelly Tolson appeared in the 1983 Prickly Pear.

“This has been a year of great change,” said ACU president William J. Teague. Of the many changes implemented, Teague said his most satisfying accomplishment was the establishment of visiting committees.

The committees, composed of various ACU alumni and members of the community, visited four departments during the year.

Six additional departments were to be visited during the next year. Each visiting committee was assigned a department to meet with, evaluate and advise.

“The establishment of visiting committees,” Teague said, “is the single most effective way to stay current in academic thrust.”

A reorganization of major administrative tasks highlighted the year, said Teague. He decided to reorganize his administrative staff to place each individual where he was most effective.

One major change in the staff was the appointment of Dr. Gary D. McCaleb as vice president of student services. Teague said this change took place because of Garvin Beauchamp’s retirement announcement. “McCaleb is unusually gifted in student matters, and I wanted to give him the opportunity to counsel and serve in a different capacity,” said Teague.

McCaleb also was in charge of visiting committees. His additional duties gave him a wider scope of student contact, said Teague. This enhanced the university’s long-range goals, which Teague defined as “sharpening our perception of capabilities and future service … also, to expand our influence to increase to increase enrollment and to enhance academic integrity and Christian commitment.”

Along with changes in administrative policy, Teague substantially redefined the roles of department heads. In the past, heads of departments have had very little control over their departments, the president said. They now have more counseling responsibility with other faculty members and increased budget and salary responsibilities.

The department head should know more about departmental financial resources and have more input on raises than in the past, said Teague. Raises used to be computed mathematically and each faculty member received an equal raise. However, department heads now will delegate money for raises to those teachers who deserve it, Teague said.

Teague was directly or indirectly involved in many of the changes on the campus. In many situations, Teague said, “I have been the initiator. However, in other situations I have merely been the catalyst.”