UTRGV is one of the top value schools in the country!
May 31, 2022
Dear Colleagues:
Thanks to your hard work and dedication, UTRGV continues to enhance its reputation as one of the top value institutions in the country.
This year alone, during a time when the value of a higher education has been debated because of rising tuition and debt loads, UTRGV has been recognized by multiple national media organizations for the quality and affordability it provides students.
The latest acknowledgement came a few weeks ago, when UTRGV ranked 76th out of 623 in Money.com’s Best Colleges in America, Ranked by Value. Among Texas schools, UTRGV ranked third for value behind Texas A&M (27th) and UT Austin (35th), and ranked significantly higher than several of our peer institutions, as reflected on this flyer.
But Money.com isn’t the only publication that has commended UTRGV for its value:
- When Forbes.com released its Top Colleges for Your Money rankings, UTRGV ranked first in Texas and eighth nationally, joining institutions like Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, and Georgia Tech in the Top 10.
- When U.S. News and World Report released its Least Student Debt rankings, UTRGV ranked first in Texas and second nationally among public universities.
- When Washington Monthly released its Lowest Net Price of Attendance rankings, UTRGV ranked first in Texas and sixth nationally. Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, and Duke, private universities who all have billion-dollar endowments, ranked higher than UTRGV.
- Finally, when ThirdWay.org released its study that revealed the Top Schools that Provide the Most Economic Mobility for its Students, UTRGV ranked fourth nationally.
As you can see, there is a pattern developing. And the reputation we have developed as a top value school in only seven years of existence is no accident.
Since its founding, UTRGV’s top priority has been and continues to be student success. And while student success is traditionally measured by outputs (graduation rates, retention rates, e.g.), it is also measured by how accessible your institution is to all students. If students are not provided the opportunity to access higher education because of a low family income, then there is zero chance those students will obtain a college degree to better their futures and the futures of their loved ones.
Therefore, we continue to ensure that UTRGV remains affordable to as many students as possible. And once they are enrolled, we have world-class faculty and staff providing a high-quality education, culminating with graduation.
Affordability and quality. That is the meaning of value, and there are few institutions in the country doing it better than UTRGV.
National Nurses Month
Before the month of May is over, please join us in recognizing all nurses as part of the American Nurses Association National Nurses Month.
Nurses play an integral role on health care in our society, and at UTRGV we not only have nurses who help maintain our health and well-being, we also have nurses who help train the new generation of nurses through our School of Nursing.
We also thank the Faculty Senate, which earlier this month adopted a proclamation in honor of National Nurses Month. You can read the proclamation by clicking this link.
Recently, UTRGV had the pleasure of recognizing two of our own nurses for their incredible achievements. One is Linda Nelson, who was chosen as KVEO-TV, a Nexstar Media Inc. television station airing on Channel 23 in the Valley, as its top "Remarkable Woman of the Year 2022." The other is Eloisa Tamez, a nursing professor who, at age 87, received her fifth college degree this spring, a Master of Criminal Justice from UTRGV.
Thank you to all our nurses!
Strategic Plan Update
Last fall, we embarked on a strategic planning process to define the vision and direction of the university for the next five years and beyond. The following is an update on our progress to date and the work ahead:
- The UTRGV Strategic Plan Executive Committee and Steering Committee, tasked with leading this effort, gathered and reviewed demographic, enrollment, and other data as well as case studies from peer institutions to inform their thinking regarding future opportunities for the university.
- In early December 2021, UTRGV launched an online survey to gather broad input and received over 1,000 responses from students, faculty, and staff.
- In the spring, the committees continued to gather broad input from our campuses and our community regarding future priorities for UTRGV. Additionally, our higher education consultants from Huron also facilitated interviews and focus groups with UTRGV staff, faculty, administrators, undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, donors, employers, and community partners.
- The committees, with the help of Huron, have synthesized all input and ideas collected and prioritized strategic areas of focus. They are currently developing a draft strategic plan to share with the community in June.
We encourage you to visit our strategic planning website for regular updates and to provide your feedback to the Steering Committee via the online suggestion box, which will remain open throughout the process for you to share any comments or thoughts you would like to contribute.
Sincerely,
Guy Bailey
President
Janna Arney
Executive Vice President and Provost