Higher education moving forward
This September marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the University of Texas at Brownsville and a new beginning for UTB now launched on its path to becoming an autonomous four-year university. It is therefore fitting to pause and thank the community for the extraordinary support that has so generously been given to higher education during this time.
Twenty years ago, a few very courageous leaders took a giant leap of faith in themselves and in what they believed possible for the region. A community college with a rich history located on the southernmost tip of the state of Texas partnered with the most prestigious university system in the state, the University of Texas System, to form a unique partnership. The purpose of the partnership was to make better use of scarce fiscal, physical and human resources in order to dramatically expand opportunities in higher education for the region. It was also to provide a seamless transition from the entry-level certificate programs through doctoral and professional education.
The partnership invented new processes for articulation between degree programs, reduced redundancy in administrative structures, developed a campus with state-of-the art classrooms and laboratories while respecting its historical heritage and the unique needs of the community.
The partnership also made it possible to grow the campus from 49 to 473 acres, double the degree programs offered from 58 to 131 and triple the enrollment from 7,358 to 15,230 students. Most importantly, more than 30,000 degrees and certificates have been awarded through the partnership over the last two decades, each one representing a life transformed as the graduates improve the quality of life for themselves, their families, and for us all as they infuse our community with new knowledge and skills.
None of this would have been accomplished had the partnership not benefited from the generous support of many TSC trustees, UT System regents and hundreds of community volunteers who serve on the many boards that have so ably advised and supported the work.
I want to personally thank every community member who took part in growing higher education for our region over the last 20 years: the faculty, staff and administrators that made the Rio Grande Valley their home, eager for the opportunity to develop programs from scratch; the development, foundation and alumni board members who served term after term to cultivate much-needed resources for our faculty and students; the patrons and fans who supported our cultural, educational and athletics programs; the business, school districts and public entities that have collaborated to improve the quality of education from early childhood to the doctoral level; and finally, the parents and families who entrusted their students to our care as they pursued their dreams of an education.
But the partnership accomplished yet one nobler task. It made possible the launching of an autonomous UT-Brownsville. So now, experienced by our history, supported by our chancellor and the UT System regents and inspired by the hopes and dreams of the people we serve, we launch a new UT-Brownsville.
We recognize that the dramatic change required to unwind a 20-year partnership is extraordinarily complicated and will take years to complete. But I assure you that what will not change is our commitment to always strive to meet this region’s urgent need for the opportunities that come from higher education.
In the short span of just three months since Gov. Perry signed the bill authorizing UT-Brownsville as an autonomous four-year university, the UT System Board of Regents has energetically signaled its support of its newest university. First, the regents approved the purchase of UTB’s first residential student housing, Casa Bella, which this fall welcomed more than 459 new student residents. Second, the regents approved the purchase of 34 acres of land to immediately expand the campus of UT-Brownsville and approved the designation of an acquisition zone for future growth. Finally, at their August meeting, the regents ratified a new mission statement for UT-Brownsville and the plan for new admissions standards.
The generous support of this community is what compelled us to flourish during the first 20 years of the partnership. This same enthusiastic and energetic support will be needed now more than ever moving forward as we establish an autonomous UT-Brownsville.
Please join us at 4 p.m. on Sept. 8 at the Education and Business Complex Courtyard to celebrate our 20th anniversary and ring in a new era for UT-Brownsville. Join us in our new mission to embrace teaching excellence, active inquiry, lifelong learning, rigorous scholarship and research in service of the common good. Together we will strive to transform our region through the development of knowledgeable citizens and emerging leaders to be engaged in the civic life of our community.
Dr. Juliet V. Garcia is president of the University of Texas at Brownsville.
