Message from the President: Fall Semester Updates
November 18, 2022
Dear UTRGV Family,
As we approach the end of the fall semester and the beginning of the holiday season, I’d like to provide you with some campus updates.
As I first mentioned during the Fall 2022 Welcome presentations, there are several issues currently plaguing higher education, and from its very beginning, UTRGV has been strategically organized to deal with them. As a result, we continue to be one of the top-value institutions in the country and are routinely recognized nationally for the impact we have on our students and the communities we serve.
How does UTRGV compare with fellow UT System institutions?
The latest recognition came from the 2022 UT System SmartBook, an annual, by-the-numbers overview of the mission areas of UT System and its institutions. Based on this summary, it is evident that UTRGV is providing a high-quality education at an affordable cost. Below are some of our most notable outcomes from the UT System SmartBook:
- UTRGV has the lowest net price of attendance, at $1,125. UTEP is the next lowest, at $3,716. UT Dallas is the highest at $10,501.
- For first-year retention rates of the 2020 First-Time, Full-Time, Degree-Seeking Cohort, UTRGV had the fourth-highest retention rate at 72%. Note that this rate was severely affected by the pandemic; before the pandemic, our retention rate of 81% was third in the UT System.
- For Fall 2020, UTRGV ranked third in the number of faculty with 1,641, trailing only UT Austin (3,815) and UT Arlington (1,800).
- We also were tied for third for the percentage of our faculty (43%) that are tenured or tenure-track. UT Austin was first at 52% and UTSA second at 49%.
- We are first in the percentage of Hispanic faculty at 51%.
- For FY21 fundraising, we ranked third, with $64,429,579, trailing only UT Austin and UTSA. Our total was three times as much as UT Arlington ($11,599,789) and UT Dallas ($21,622,461), institutions located in the traditionally more affluent Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
You can read the entire UT System SmartBook by clicking here.
Expanding and enhancing campus life
I am also pleased to announce that our campus life initiative, one of the focused priorities in our new
Strategic Plan, received a boost Thursday from the UT System Board of Regents (BOR).
First, the BOR approved the second of two land purchases (the first purchase was approved in May) east of Nevarez Drive in Edinburg. The land, which totals more than seven acres, will be used to build additional student housing. We also are currently exploring options to expand student housing in Brownsville.
Second, the BOR affirmed the results of last year’s student referendum by approving an increase to the intercollegiate athletics fee. This increase will help UTRGV expand spirit programs and establish new marching band, women’s swimming and diving, and football programs.
For more information and the latest news on these campus life initiatives, please visit RallyTheValley.com.
Expanding and enhancing academics, research, and health care
Three additional focused priorities of our new strategic plan are Academic Excellence, Research and Scholarship, and Health Education and Patient Care. I am pleased to report that we continue to make tremendous strides in all three areas.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: Earlier this semester, we launched our new Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration program. Our initial cohort of 50 UTRGV employees started classes last month, and the second cohort of 50 employees will begin in January. All 100 employees/students are participating in the program tuition-free.
Overall, since 2015, we have created and implemented eight certificates, 11 bachelor’s degrees, 13 master’s degrees, four doctoral degrees and four professional degrees, including the first School of Podiatric Medicine in Texas. Additionally, many more new programs are currently in the development process.
RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP: Our research arm continues to grow dramatically, as our total research expenditures reached a record-high $70 million in FY22 — almost three times the amount ($18.5M) we collected during our first year as UTRGV.
Our new senior vice president for Research and dean of the Graduate College, Dr. Can Saygin, is currently reevaluating our research reporting process, which we believe will help us increase our research expenditures going forward.
HEALTH EDUCATION AND PATIENT CARE: One of the biggest highlights of the semester was the groundbreaking of our UT Health RGV Cancer and Surgery Center. The 145,000-square-foot facility will be a gamechanger in the Rio Grande Valley, providing vital healthcare services and transforming access to specialty care for patients in the region and beyond.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, world leader in cancer care and research, is providing oncology advisory services to the center, to help develop and launch the cancer center.
Congratulations to the UTRGV women’s volleyball team
Please join me in congratulating our women’s volleyball team, which capped off an incredible regular season by winning the Western Athletics Conference (WAC) championship. The team has a 25-5 overall record, the most victories in program history, and best of all, they aren’t done yet.
UTRGV is now competing in the WAC postseason tournament, which is currently being hosted at the Fieldhouse in Edinburg. UTRGV defeated Southern Utah, 3-1, Thursday night, and set the single-season attendance record in the process. UTRGV plays Utah Valley in the semifinals at 7 p.m. today. You can purchase tickets for this evening’s match by clicking here.
Additionally, during last Saturday’s regular-season finale, UTRGV honored the 2011 and 2013 UT Brownsville NAIA national championship teams. Several members of those teams attended a special pre-match ceremony.
A time for reflection and giving thanks
In the spirit of giving thanks, I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank all our students, faculty and staff for your hard work and dedication this semester.
As we begin to wrap up the semester and quickly begin another, we do so in great shape and with the aforementioned strategic plan to guide us now and for years to come. Again, I thank everyone who spent countless hours helping to develop our strategic plan, including Dr. Janna Arney, executive vice president and provost, who helped oversee the project.
Lastly, I want to thank everyone who has participated in our “Thankful for …” campaign this month, which has allowed many of our faculty and staff to share what they are grateful for in their lives. You can view those statements by clicking here.
Many of you mentioned that you are grateful for your families, and I can relate. I too am thankful for my family, and I am thankful for all of you, my UTRGV family.
Have a great ending to the rest of the semester, and happy holidays.
Sincerely,
Guy Bailey
President