Over the last several years, the Board has worked through a series of initiatives leading us to this historic moment – the time for us to draw these initiatives together, fit them into an overall design, and set our course for the next ten years.
Thinking back, we have responded to the Closing the Gaps initiative, to the roadmap laid out by the Washington Advisory Group report, and the call for greater collaboration among institutions.
All of these efforts represent a tremendous amount of work done in the last four years ... and all of it springs from the same guiding principle – that The University of Texas System, as the largest higher education system in Texas, bears a profound responsibility for the educational excellence and economic vitality of Texas.
Each of these initiatives was motivated by a need for rethinking our priorities in the wake of astounding social and economic change.
With the exception of Regent Haley, all of us came of age in a world very different from the present.
It was a world in which American supremacy in education, in science, in engineering, in technology, in health care, in quality of life was evident and unchallenged.
We no longer live in that world.
There is no need to go into detail about the changes that have occurred; we have discussed them here many, many times.
But the fact is that, throughout the world, we are seeing the power of education and enterprise to lift other countries into strong competitive positions.
Our manufacturing sector learned the hard way that past dominance says very little about future success.
In 1956 – 50 years ago – the United States graduated twice as many physics bachelor’s degrees as we did in 2004.
We cannot afford to let our intellectual capital follow that example. We know that a well educated workforce and new knowledge and discoveries are absolutely essential to the well-being of our state and nation.
The good news is that just as education and enterprise have made other countries more competitive ... just as they once made the United States dominant in almost every field ... education and enterprise can lift us to leadership again.
This Board long ago committed the UT System to the fulfillment of that promise.
Earlier today, we adopted a strategic plan that maps our path.
Now, we are asking the Board to align our financial resources with that plan.
It is critically important to Texas and the nation to turn out more scientists, engineers, nurses and doctors – people who will do the cutting edge research, develop new products, produce new treatments and cures, enhance existing businesses and create unimagined opportunities in the future.
Today, pending the Board’s approval, we are recommending what is, I believe, the most profoundly important contribution that we can make to the future of Texas and the nation in a globally competitive economy.
The projects laid out today, in combination with this fiscal year’s projects already approved by the Board, taken collectively, will entail a commitment of more than $2.56 billion to building what we hope is the most competitive science, engineering, technology and health infrastructure in the country ... and to retaining and recruiting world-class faculty, graduate and undergraduate students – the human capital that makes the commitment worthwhile.
Cumulatively, they will add 39% to the System square footage devoted to research – or 3.23 million gross square feet.
I want to underscore that the projects are not superimposed from the top. They were developed in full cooperation with the campuses. The Executive Vice Chancellors for Health Affair and Academic Affairs worked in close collaboration with the presidents to ensure that, in this plan, the priority projects for their campuses are funded.
And, we are making this commitment with the help and support of our elected state and federal leadership and Texas’ business and philanthropic leaders.
President Bush has announced his American Competitiveness Initiative aimed at improving science and mathematics education and the achievement of American students.
Senator Hutchison has long been a champion in Washington for investments in higher education ... and has worked diligently to steer federal research dollars our way.
Governor Perry with the legislature’s blessing has created the Texas Enterprise Fund and the Emerging Technologies Fund ... and closed ranks with our legislative leaders to secure authorization of $840 million in Tuition Revenue Bonds for the UT System.
Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst, Speaker Craddick, Senators Zaffarini and Shapiro, and Representative Morrison were instrumental in achieving the authorization and advancing the cause of higher education over many years.
We have partnerships with other public and private institutions – such as Texas Instruments, General Electric, Sematech, and other entities that share our goals of innovation and discovery.
As we sit here today, more and more arrangements are being put on paper through a tripartite partnership of the Governor’s Office, private industry, individuals, and the UT System. Simply stated, we are putting our money where our mouth is.
Two outstanding examples are the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security in San Antonio and the Nanoelectronics Initiative in Austin, approved by the Board in your July meeting.
And we have partnered with the federal government on projects like the Galveston National Laboratory and the South Texas Research Facility.
Beyond these projects supported by government and private industry, we have the consistent and much appreciated support of generous donors – both individuals and foundations – who share our dreams for Texas and have contributed more than $452 million toward these goals.
With the nearly $1 billion already previously approved over the last year by the Board for important capital investments in science, technology, engineering and health, and the additional $1.5 billion you are considering today, this proposal represents a total commitment of more than $2.56 billion in just two years.
This total does not include other significant commitments such as the Natural Science and Engineering Research building at UT Dallas – which is part of Project Emmitt.
If approved, this investment will certainly be the single largest focused commitment toward these important scientific areas in the history of the U.T. System.
But more significantly, it will send several critical messages that I wish to share with you today.
1) To the rising stars in science and research across the country and the world – scientists, faculty, students, physicians, and more the message is: Texas and the UT System are the best places to accomplish great things. You need not look beyond Texas to be associated with greatness. We are committed to building the most competitive human and capital higher education infrastructure in the country.
2) To industry leaders the message is: We acknowledge the important union that must exist between industry and higher education in order to build a strong, competitive and healthy economy. And we are committed to providing you with the workforce and discoveries you seek to thrive in a competitive global market.
3) To state and federal leaders the message is: UT heeds the call to help America secure its global competitive footing. We intend to reposition the state of Texas as a leader in this area, and we need you, as our full strategic partner in this process. Your vision and financial support have been instrumental in our ability to make this announcement today.
4) And to all of the constituents of the state of Texas the
message is: As the largest higher education system in the state, the UT System has not only an interest, but a responsibility to ensure that we make investments in our institutions in ways that serve the broader society. Not only do we graduate students who are prepared to enter workforce ... we care for the sick and injured, work to cure cancer and develop other groundbreaking medical treatments, create new technologies that improve our lives and generate jobs, and train teachers to give your children the tools they need to be successful. We serve all of you, whether or not a member of your family is enrolled in a UT institution.
As Thomas Friedman, author of the best-selling book, The World is Flat, wrote, “The long-term challenges and opportunities that the flattening of the world puts before the United States are profound. Therefore, our ability to get by doing things the way we have always done them ... will not suffice anymore.”
We agree ... and we are very proud to present this initiative to the Board – to be a part of what I am sure will prove to be one of the most momentous decisions in the history of the UT System.
