UT System presidents expressed relief after the passage of Proposition 4 this week.
The proposition created the $500 million National Research University Fund, which seven schools will eventually be able to tap into to help them achieve national research university recognition. The money was already available in a dormant fund that the legislature created several years ago, and the proposition made it more accessible for emerging tier-one universities.
Four schools in the UT System will be able to use the funds — UT-Arlington, UT-San Antonio, UT-El Paso and UT-Dallas.
UT-Dallas President David Daniel said access to the money will stop the flow of top high school students into other states with more national research universities. He estimates that Texas loses approximately 10,000 students a year because the state only has three research universities.
“If Texas is successful, not only will we reverse the loss, but we will eventually begin to attract top talent from other states,” Daniel said. “That was one of the main goals of the proposition.”
Daniel said he hopes that the city will also benefit from having a tier-one university. Cities containing emerging tier-one universities voted overwhelmingly in favor of the proposition.
“Dallas-Ft. Worth is already one of the largest and most economically productive metropolitan areas in the country without a tier-one university,” Daniel said. “If we achieve tier-one status, we will be raising the intellectual bar for the city.”
UT-El Paso President Diana Natalicio said that as one of the only research universities with a majority of Mexican-American students, the money will help the school alter the perception that traditionally Hispanic institutions cannot become nationally recognized research universities.
“One of the things this fund will do is start to change the attitudes about minority institutions and what they can achieve,” Natalicio said.
She said all students will benefit from the school’s access to the fund.
“Our primary motivation for us to seek tier-one is to create an enriched campus for all our students, including undergraduates,” Natalicio said. “Most of our students work while going to school, and they will be able to participate through the creation of new jobs and research positions.”
The Young Conservatives of Texas opposed the passage of Prop 4.
“If supporters of Proposition 4 take the time in a few years to look back on the proposition, I think they will be very disappointed,” said Tony McDonald, the YCT vice chairman of legislative affairs.
“We were up against an organization that had a $100,000 war chest and seven universities that were using their alumni networks to pass the amendment,” McDonald said. “YCT’s budget, on the other hand, was the time we had between classes.”
Before they can access the money, the emerging universities will have to meet four out of six criteria, including awarding a minimum of 200 doctoral degrees a year and having a $400 million endowment. Daniel said UT-Dallas already meets several of the criteria but still needs to work to meet others.
“What it comes down to is that some of the emerging schools will meet the criteria in two or three years, and some won’t meet them for 10 years,” Daniel said. “But we are all on the right track.”
UT System officials laud Prop 4 result
Published: Thursday, November 5, 2009
Updated: Thursday, November 5, 2009
1 comments
Mike B
So after the official class numbers come out each year, UT complains about having too many students and they can't stop the growth. And McCombs is letting go 23 jobs. And now UT is setting up a $500M fund to bring more students into UT? Why doesn't this article list the 6 criteria? Was there not enough room in the print edition?
