Contact: Anthony de Bruyn, (512) 499-4363

Date: February 10, 2005

UT System News Release

UT System Releases Second Annual Comprehensive Accountability Report

The University of Texas System's nine academic and six health institutions generated a record $1.5 billion in research expenditures in FY 2004, an increase of 48 percent over the past four years, according to the 2004-05 UT System Accountability and Performance Report released February 15. The System's second annual accountability report also revealed an almost three percent enrollment growth in Fall 2004 on all its campuses, as well as increases in the numbers and percentages of black and Hispanic students at its academic institutions.

"Accountability is tremendously important, as institutions of higher education face increasing enrollment demands and declining budgets," said Mark G. Yudof, chancellor of the UT System. "Our system of accountability provides information to each of our institutions, to the UT System, and to the public about our goals and priorities, and how we measure progress."

Examining a variety of different measures such as student enrollment, graduation records and levels of satisfaction, excellence in teaching, research and health care, and community service and collaboration, the UT System's second accountability report leads the nation in the breadth and depth of its inquiries. The System was the first higher education body in the Texas to establish a model for comprehensive public accountability. After the release of the System's first accountability report in 2004, Texas Governor Rick Perry issued an executive order calling for similar accountability from all state institutions.

"Accountability in higher education has become a national movement," said Geri Malandra, associate vice chancellor for accountability and institutional improvement at the UT System. "As beneficiaries of public money, our institutions have an obligation to figure out what is a meaningful system of accountability. We plan to work with colleagues in higher education, the policy community and elected officials to create a framework that's meaningful and useful across institutions and states."

In October 2004, the UT System hosted the first nationwide accountability symposium at UT Austin, which attracted a large number of college presidents, business and political leaders, and educators from across the nation. White House domestic advisor Margaret Spellings, who was recently confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Education, was among the symposium's featured speakers.

As the U.S. Congress begins hearings on reauthorization of its Higher Education Act, Texas' and the UT System's accountability standards are expected to be used to help build a national model for the country's colleges and universities.

To be answerable to the public, the legislature, students and parents, as well as to its own employees, the UT System measures progress in 132 different areas, including 69 in its academic institutions, 48 in its health institutions and 15 for the System as a whole. These accountability measures are focused on its goal of continuous improvement in its higher-education mission.

Other items of interest in the UT System's 2004-05 accountability report include a growth in first-year students' persistence rates at most academic institutions; first-year black and Hispanic students' persistence rates at some institutions equal or exceed those of all first-year students. Graduation rates are also increasing at most of the academic institutions, with a growing number of seniors rating their overall experience as "good" or "excellent" at most of those institutions. The academic institutions' graduate and professional enrollments have increased by one-third since 1999.

Between 2000 and 2004, federal research expenditures by five UT health-related institutions increased by 66 percent. Research and development expenditures at three UT institutions – UT Austin, UT Southwestern Medical Center and UT M.D. Anderson – ranked in the top 50 public and private universities in the country between FY 1998 and FY 2002.

The UT System has 15 campuses, including nine academic and six health institutions, and an annual operating budget of $8.5 billion (FY 2005). Student enrollment exceeded 182,000 in the 2004 academic year. The UT System confers one-third of the state's undergraduate degrees and educates three-fourths of the state's health care professionals annually. With more than 76,000 employees, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.

Archived webcast of Presentation of the Accountability and Performance Report for 2004-2005

Presentation by Dr. Malandra (PowerPoint)

UT System Accountability, Performance & Institutional Improvement homepage

(Please note, the 2004-05 Accountability Report will be posted at this location in approximately one week. The 2003-04 report is currently online.)

Other news and presentations from the meeting of the board