Texas
Lubbock Christian University’s sharpshooting new president looks ahead
A few things you might not know about Tim Perrin, the newly named next president of Lubbock Christian University in Texas:
• He played basketball at Lubbock Christian and still holds its single-season record for free-throw percentage: 89.8 percent in 1981-82, his sophomore year.
• This won’t be the first time he’s served as president at Lubbock Christian: He was student body president at Lubbock Christian High School in 1979-80 and at then-Lubbock Christian College in 1983-84.
• His wife, Lucy, is an LCU alumnus as well. The Perrins have three children: Hannah and Sam, who attend Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., and Will, a high school student.
“I don’t know that this is surprising, but my wife Lucy is the most remarkable person I know, and she will be a vital part of our work at LCU,” said Perrin, 50, who is leaving Pepperdine, where he serves as vice dean of the law school.
Perrin’s roots in Churches of Christ go back multiple generations. His maternal great grandfather, F.L. Young, preached in the early part of the 20th century. Young was also the grandfather of F.W. Mattox, LCU’s founding president.
When Perrin’s parents, Elaine and Les Perrin, moved to Lubbock in 1959, they placed membership with the Vandalia Village Church of Christ. His mother, 83, remains a member. His father, who died in 2006 at age 79, served as an elder.
“Lubbock Christian University holds a very special place in my heart both because my wife and I graduated from there and because of my family’s significant investment in the college,” Perrin said. “Both of my parents were longtime professors at LCU. My dad was the basketball coach at LCU for eight years and a longtime history professor. My mom was an English professor for many years. All of my four siblings attended LCU. My oldest brother served on the board for a time.”
As Perrin sees it, the 2,000-student university is “in very strong condition” with an excellent faculty, an experienced leadership team and enrollment near an all-time high. LCU has enjoyed remarkable stability, he said, praising Chancellor Ken Jones’ 18 years as president. Still, the university faces challenges, Perrin said.
“One significant challenge faced by all private colleges and universities is the increasing regulatory environment,” he said. “A second and related concern is affordability. LCU is fortunate that its tuition and fees have remained quite modest. Yet we will need to continue to increase financial assistance for students as we try to limit the amount of debt students have at graduation.
“Another challenge that LCU faces, along with many of her sister schools, is the shrinking pool of students from the Churches of Christ who attend Church of Christ universities,” he added. “The good news is that LCU experienced an increase in the percentage of students from the Churches of Christ in this year’s freshman class. I am committed to the university serving the church and its families. A key element of my work will be to maintain a healthy enrollment from the Churches of Christ.”
• He played basketball at Lubbock Christian and still holds its single-season record for free-throw percentage: 89.8 percent in 1981-82, his sophomore year.
• This won’t be the first time he’s served as president at Lubbock Christian: He was student body president at Lubbock Christian High School in 1979-80 and at then-Lubbock Christian College in 1983-84.
• His wife, Lucy, is an LCU alumnus as well. The Perrins have three children: Hannah and Sam, who attend Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., and Will, a high school student.
“I don’t know that this is surprising, but my wife Lucy is the most remarkable person I know, and she will be a vital part of our work at LCU,” said Perrin, 50, who is leaving Pepperdine, where he serves as vice dean of the law school.
Perrin’s roots in Churches of Christ go back multiple generations. His maternal great grandfather, F.L. Young, preached in the early part of the 20th century. Young was also the grandfather of F.W. Mattox, LCU’s founding president.
When Perrin’s parents, Elaine and Les Perrin, moved to Lubbock in 1959, they placed membership with the Vandalia Village Church of Christ. His mother, 83, remains a member. His father, who died in 2006 at age 79, served as an elder.
“Lubbock Christian University holds a very special place in my heart both because my wife and I graduated from there and because of my family’s significant investment in the college,” Perrin said. “Both of my parents were longtime professors at LCU. My dad was the basketball coach at LCU for eight years and a longtime history professor. My mom was an English professor for many years. All of my four siblings attended LCU. My oldest brother served on the board for a time.”
As Perrin sees it, the 2,000-student university is “in very strong condition” with an excellent faculty, an experienced leadership team and enrollment near an all-time high. LCU has enjoyed remarkable stability, he said, praising Chancellor Ken Jones’ 18 years as president. Still, the university faces challenges, Perrin said.
“One significant challenge faced by all private colleges and universities is the increasing regulatory environment,” he said. “A second and related concern is affordability. LCU is fortunate that its tuition and fees have remained quite modest. Yet we will need to continue to increase financial assistance for students as we try to limit the amount of debt students have at graduation.
“Another challenge that LCU faces, along with many of her sister schools, is the shrinking pool of students from the Churches of Christ who attend Church of Christ universities,” he added. “The good news is that LCU experienced an increase in the percentage of students from the Churches of Christ in this year’s freshman class. I am committed to the university serving the church and its families. A key element of my work will be to maintain a healthy enrollment from the Churches of Christ.”
View Comments
