Contact: Monty Jones, (512) 499-4363

Date: November 18, 2003

UT System News Release

Tuition Increases Will Strengthen Academic Programs and Student Services

 

AUSTIN - Academic programs and student services at institutions across the University of Texas System will be enhanced with revenues from tuition increases approved by the Board of Regents on Tuesday (November 18).

 

The increases, which begin in January, will help offset legislative cuts in state appropriations and other budget cuts undertaken by the institutions to help the state deal with its budget crisis.

 

"The proposals for tuition increases garnered wide support among students because they understood the need for increased revenues to hire more faculty and advisers, reduce class sizes, repair and renovate classrooms, and make other improvements in academic programs," Chancellor Mark G. Yudof said.

 

"With approval of the plans for the spring semester by the regents, each campus can now proceed with plans to make these enhancements. Students will begin to see the impact of the new revenues very quickly."

 

Proposals from the nine general academic universities in the U.T. System for using the revenues generated by tuition increases include the following:

  • U.T. Arlington: Hire and provide equipment for 50 additional faculty; provide enhanced funds for relatively expensive programs such as nursing and engineering; provide increased debt capacity for capital projects; and provide modest faculty and staff salary increases.
  • U.T. Austin: Expand the number of faculty; purchase instructional equipment; reduce student-faculty ratios; reduce deferred maintenance and renovate campus facilities.
  • U.T. Brownsville: Hire 10 new faculty and 21 new staff members including 11 new academic advisers; upgrade computer equipment used by students.
  • U.T. Dallas: Hire faculty and staff to make up for reductions in earlier hiring freezes; increase support for health insurance for teaching assistants.
  • U.T. El Paso: Increase the number of course sections by 200 in spring 2004 and additional sections in 2004-05; add 46 full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty positions.
  • U.T. Pan American: Hire up to 62 new faculty to increase undergraduate course offerings, reduce the student-faculty ratio, and adequately staff new graduate programs.
  • U.T. Permian Basin: Add 10 faculty positions in high-growth academic areas; increase faculty salaries; upgrade classroom and laboratory technology.
  • U.T. San Antonio: Increase the number of tenure-track faculty; reduce student-faculty ratios; increase support staff, including staff in science and engineering laboratories.
  • U.T. Tyler: Add 15 faculty members, seven teaching assistants, and 120 course sections in areas where they are needed to keep the student-faculty ratio relatively low.

The health science institutions in the U.T. System did not request tuition increases for the spring. Under proposals for tuition increases beginning in the fall of 2004, the increased revenues would be used for the following:

  • U.T. Southwestern Medical Center: Expand instruction preparing students for clinical examinations; add courses in biostatistics and epidemiology; expand curriculum in medical humanities and ethics; develop a tracking program to get feedback from graduates.
  • U.T. Medical Branch at Galveston: Strengthen academic retention programs; upgrade educational technology and lab equipment; provide for faculty pay raises.
  • U.T. Health Science Center at Houston: Update clinical and educational technology equipment; support clinical lab expenses; increase outreach programs; develop online courses.
  • U.T. Health Science Center at San Antonio: Establishment of a program to enhance teacher effectiveness; enhance the curriculum.
  • U.T. M. D. Anderson Cancer Center: Upgrade classroom technology.
  • U.T. Health Center at Tyler: This institution does not enroll students of its own.

END

 

Background Materials

Related News Releases:

Archived Webcast

The webcast includes presentations from

  • Chancellor Mark G. Yudof
  • Executive Vice Chancellor Teresa Sullivan (ACA)
  • Executive Vice Chancellor James Guckian (HEA)
  • Campus Presidents
  • Campus Student Body Presidents
  • Senator Shapleigh

Background Information:

Motion from the Board approving tuition increases

 

PowerPoint Presentation

 

U.T. System Tuition Website

>Details of campus tuition proposals
>Report from the U.T. System Commission on Tuition

 

Media Background Information
The University of Texas System Office of Public Affairs || 210 West 6th Street, Suite 2.100
Austin, Texas 78701 || p: (512) 499-4363 || f: (512) 499-4358 || email: adebruyn@utsystem.edu