Monday, April 13, 2026
Dear OLLU Community,
Late last Friday afternoon I was distracted during my daughter’s softball game as the starting lineup was being called. In my hand was my phone, rotated horizontally, displaying on the screen the final moments of Artemis II splashdown.
The Artemis II mission was personally meaningful for several reasons, including the togetherness of the mission, the present global opportunity for kinship, dignity, and respect, and because Yvonne Villegas-Aguilera played an important role in this mission. Yvonne is a 2002 OLLUmna who during her time at OLLU was a McNair Scholar and deeply involved with campus ministry. Yvonne is the Deputy Chief Engineer responsible for the design and manufacturing of the propulsion system used in the same Orion spacecraft that splashed down Friday following the 10-day 695,000 mile mission. Friday afternoon the inner curious kid watched attentively, the mechanical engineer calculated, and the proud university president couldn’t stop thinking about the opportunities that await our students with their OLLU degree, all while thanking Yvonne and our OLLU community who made it possible for her. I am so inspired by our ongoing conversations and possibilities for our emerging unique definition of Focused Differentiation at OLLU.
Each of you is actively engaged in what Focused Differentiation will become for us. Yvonne’s success is not accidental, on the contrary, it is the result of focus, discipline, and alignment. Aligning mission, clarity, and execution will only scale outcomes like Yvonne’s.
Our institutional data reinforces the urgency of this work. We have experienced market share erosion in an increasingly competitive and constrained landscape. In Spring 2026, approximately 80% of our undergraduate semester credit hours are concentrated in just 31% of our academic programs. At the graduate level, 80% of semester credit hours are concentrated in just 19% of programs. Our students are already signaling where demand is strongest and where OLLU’s strengths resonate most clearly.
Focused Differentiation now requires that we swiftly clarify two dimensions: our narrow target market, and our unique differentiators. The sum will concentrate our efforts where we can make the greatest difference. We will sharpen our focus. We will align our energy. And we will commit to becoming distinctive in the areas where our mission and strengths will change the livelihoods of our graduates.
It is the work we are doing for our students, our legacy, together by responding to meet the needs of the time.
I am grateful to you for the opportunity of a lifetime to serve our students.
With prayer and gratitude,
Abel A. Chávez, MBA, Ph.D.
President