Message from the President and Provost
November 3, 2021
Dear Colleagues:
Back in June, we provided a summary of how UTRGV fared from the legislative session that ended on May 31. Little did we know that three special sessions would later be called, the last of which ended just a few weeks ago on October 19.
The good news is that the prolonged session had little impact on UTRGV’s already favorable outcome. As we mentioned before, due to an overall General Revenue Appropriations increase of over 14%, we began the FY22-23 biennium (which started September 1, 2021) in much better shape than in past years.
This fall, we had planned to visit each of the academic and administrative units to conduct presentations like we did after the last two legislative sessions. However, due to this year’s extended session and other unforeseen scheduling conflicts, we are moving these presentations to the spring. These presentations will provide more information on the 2021 session and our goals for the 2023 session.
In the meantime, based on questions we’ve recently received and based on our commitment to transparency, we’d like to share information regarding UTRGV’s revenue resources. This information, which has been shared with the executive committee of the Faculty Senate, is responsive to the questions we have received.
Most of the questions we have received are regarding one of three entities: the General Academic, the School of Medicine, and Intercollegiate Athletics. These three entities do not commingle and are funded uniquely and discreetly. In other words, the university cannot use revenue intended for the General Academic to fund the School of Medicine or vice versa. Neither revenue appropriated from the state of Texas nor tuition dollars can be used for Intercollegiate Athletics. This table helps explains the revenue sources for each entity.
One fact that the information above reveals is that one of the biggest operating expenses in both General Academics and the School of Medicine is the investment in faculty and staff salaries. Since UTRGV opened its doors in 2015, the university has invested $38 million in market equity and merit salary adjustments, including $14 million this fiscal year.
Making Great Progress
Additionally, we’d like to share the latest edition of The University of Texas System SmartBook, which is produced by the UTS Office of Institutional Research and Analysis. It provides a handy, by-the-numbers overview of the mission areas of UT System and all its institutions.
This year’s edition shows very promising trends and comparisons to fellow UTS institutions. It is a reminder that UTRGV continues to make good progress, but that we still have work to do.
Please pay particular attention to the enrollment by institution (slide 7), the undergraduate tuition and fees (slide 14), first-year retention rates (slide 15), the four- and six-year graduation rates (slides 16-18), the average loan debt for baccalaureates (slide 24), and the faculty counts and faculty type by institution (slide 31). As this last slide shows, even though UTRGV has an average total academic cost that is only about 1/3 that of the next lowest UTS institution, the percentage of our faculty that is tenured/tenure-track is identical to that of UT Austin, and the actual number of faculty is higher than that at UTSA, which has a headcount of 2000 more students than we do.
More on the Seal of Excelencia
Once again, we want to thank all our students, faculty, and staff for helping UTRGV earn the Seal of Excelencia. We all play a role in helping our university foster the success of our Latino students, so this prestigious certification belongs to all of us.
To reiterate, the Seal of Excelencia was not simply given or awarded to UTRGV. We had to earn it, and we did so based on all the student success programs and initiatives we have in place. We are now one of only 24 higher education institutions nationwide that have earned the prestigious certification.
Additionally, we owe a special debt of gratitude to our Seal of Excelencia committee, which completed the expansive application process. The committee was chaired by Christine Shupala and included Jonikka Charlton, Susan Brown, Laura Saenz, MaryJane Lewitt, Dania Lopez Garcia, and Dara Newton. Each member’s role was to reach deep into the organization to curate some of our best initiatives. The most rewarding part of the process was curating the many amazing programs and initiatives that exist at UTRGV.
Thank you again for everything you do for UTRGV. As we enter the month of Thanksgiving, please know that we appreciate all your hard work and dedication to our students and the university. Please stay safe and remain diligent and respectful of one another.
Sincerely,
Guy Bailey
President
Janna Arney
Executive Vice President and Provost