100 Days Strong: Putting Students First
Bauer College Dean Shares His Vision for the Future
In his first 100 days leading one of the nation’s top business schools, Bauer College Dean Xianjun Geng is reflecting on the impact he wants to leave on expanding student success at the college.
Because University of Houston and Bauer serves a large demographic of first-generation students, and Geng plans to prioritize services like financial aid and other resources they need to successfully complete their degree.
All students at Bauer should dream big and not limit themselves, Geng said. Upon reaching the 100-day milestone, we sat down with him to talk about all he has learned since his first day on the job and his goals moving forward into the new academic year.
What is the difference between your first day at Bauer versus your 100th day at Bauer?
I’m a person who is genuinely curious about everything. So for me, when I see something I don’t know, my first reaction will be to approach it with curiosity.
"On my 100th day, I am very grateful to be in a college full of excellence. I can say with confidence that when we unite together with a shared vision, we can make a lot of history going forward."
On my first day, I was curious because I heard good things about Bauer before coming here. I knew about the world-famous programs here as an outsider, but I didn’t know the execution on it. I was excited to work with the people who made that all happen. Now, I have a better understanding of how excellence is created here.
I always tell people, it’s not just about the vision, but also the execution. Being here for only 100 days, I’ve seen how wonderful the people at Bauer are and all the good things that they do. There is strategic thinking happening day in and day out, and hard work to make sure we don’t drop the ball on anything.
On my 100th day, I am very grateful to be in a college full of excellence. I can say with confidence that when we unite together with a shared vision, we can make a lot of history going forward.
What expectations did you have before moving to Houston and how has your experience been so far?
I’m very happy. I would even say that what I’ve experienced is even better than what I was expecting.
I was expecting to come to a college that is focused on students, with a faculty and staff that are devoted to helping them learn, and that’s exactly what I got. My colleagues here are amazing, and endlessly patient with young students who are still creating their own path forward.
This is also a really great environment outside the university. Houston is a very busy business town. It blew my mind how many connections I was able to make with the corporate world.
I see people eager to connect with Bauer, and our reputation has certainly helped. As Dean, I am very fortunate to benefit from that reputation. The city is really opening its arms in welcoming this new Dean coming in.
How’s the BBQ been?
It’s been awesome.
In your Spring 2025 Commencement speech, you told students to stay open-minded and to stay curious. What is one time when your curiosity led you down an unexpected path?
There have been quite a few.
My career as a professor was something I was very curious about, because teaching is a unique profession. When I was a kid, my mom told me I was famous for trying to teach other kids, even if they didn’t want to listen to me.
The institution I taught at was extremely supportive of young talent and helping them become seasoned professors, who would in turn serve the students. I consider myself very lucky.
There have been moments that were tough, but I benefited a lot from them. So, for the next generation of students who are studying or in the early stages of their careers, just remember that everything you experience will help shape you.
For first-generation students, what is a challenge you see them facing a lot and how do you plan to combat that in your role as Dean?
I relate to them because I’m also a first-generation college student.
I’ve always admired our students for being able to fight through all the challenges in their environment and be able to strive through the best.
By now I have had several students sit across from me in my office. When I talk to students, I try to know them as a person. A lot of them are first-generation, some from Texas and some international. Many of them are working to support themselves while balancing work and school, or they’re lacking in financial support.
I’m very happy that Bauer College and our extended support network over the last several decades have put together amazing resources to get financial aid into the hands of students who need it the most.
"I like to hear about (students') dreams, not limited by where they came from, but really by their imaginations. I never would have imagined when I was in college that someday I would be Dean."
How do you hope to foster the learning environment at Bauer for young business professionals to thrive here?
I think what’s most important is having a campus culture of putting students first.
You can put in all the teaching strategies there are, but more important is to have a school culture where the whole staff and faculty put student success first.
We also have to ask ourselves: are we maintaining and continuing to innovate on curriculum that is for the future? Are we teaching classes that are adapting to the change in job market needs? Do we have collective classroom teaching that delivers?
As professors, we are creating an environment for them to learn, and the best professors mobilize that. Bauer is also big on experiential learning. Teaching things that are actually happening in the real world is key.
I think what is more important than anything else is that without the right culture of putting students first, everything else is almost meaningless. But if we put that culture into our curriculum, teaching and career support, that will all play a role in nurturing a good learning environment.
I want to emphasize that I think Bauer is already excellent at this.
What legacy do you want to leave here as Dean at Bauer College?
It’s very important for me to anchor what I want to achieve and the legacy I want to make based on the grand truth, and I’m still in the early stage of learning what that is.
I want to understand the whole of Bauer College in the next academic year. I want to encourage a college-wide conversation in a disciplined way so that we together find the direction we want to go in.
I have some good feelings, but it's important, because of the position I’m in, to not limit other people's thinking. I hold back exactly what I really want to achieve until I understand the college as a whole and if I’m representing our collective vision, rather than what I think alone.
But back to the topic of legacy. By the time I’m done with my work here, if I’m able to help improve student graduation rate, retention and job market success, I’ll be very happy.
At the end of the day, for each individual student it’s about education. What we do here increases their chances of finding a successful career and helping them be a better person. That is ultimately what I find to be my success.
On top of that, a successful student depends on the work of our faculty and staff. By the time my work here is finished, I want them to feel strongly supported and are in an environment where they can really do their work without being micromanaged.
Overall, I hope for my legacy to be student success and supporting faculty and staff.
Higher education is where my happiness is.
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