University of Texas System – Wikipedia

Posted on by

Public university system in Texas

The University of Texas System (UT System) is an American government entity of the state of Texas that includes 13 higher educational institutions throughout the state including eight universities and five independent health institutions. The UT System is headquartered in Downtown Austin. Its total enrollment of nearly 240,000 students is the largest university system in Texas. It employs 21,000 faculty and more than 83,000 health care professionals, researchers and support staff. The UT System’s $30 billion endowment (as of the 2019 fiscal year) is the largest of any public university system in the United States.[3] In 2018, Reuters ranked the UT System among the top 10 most innovative academic institutions in the world.[5][6]

Component institutions[edit]

University of Texas System (Texas)

Academic institutions[edit]

The University of Texas System has eight separate four-year academic institutions; each is a stand-alone university and confers its own degrees.

Official name Official
abbreviations 		Location Estab. Joined
system 		Enrollment
(Fall 2017) 		Nickname Athletic
conference 		Refs
The University of Texas at Arlington UTA
UT Arlington 		Arlington, Fort Worth 1895 1965 41,933 Mavericks WAC
NCAA D-I (non-football) 		[7][8][9][10]
The University of Texas at Austin UT
UT Austin 		Austin 1883 51,525 Longhorns Big 12
NCAA D-I FBS 		[11][12][13]
The University of Texas at Dallas UTD
UT Dallas 		Richardson, Dallas 1961 1969 27,642 Comets American Southwest
NCAA D-III (non-football) 		[14][15][16][17]
The University of Texas at El Paso UTEP
UT El Paso 		El Paso 1913 1967 25,078 Miners Conference USA
NCAA D-I FBS 		[18][19][20][21]
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley UTRGV
UT Rio Grande Valley 		Edinburg, Brownsville 2015 29,619 Vaqueros WAC
NCAA D-I (football beginning in 2025) 		[22][23]
The University of Texas at San Antonio UTSA
UT San Antonio 		San Antonio 1969 34,742 Roadrunners Conference USA
NCAA D-I FBS 		[24][25][26][27][28]
The University of Texas at Tyler UTT
UT Tyler 		Tyler 1971 1979 10,527 Patriots Lone Star
NCAA D-II (non-football) 		[29][30][31][32]
The University of Texas Permian Basin UTPB
UT Permian Basin 		Odessa 1973 7,628 Falcons Lone Star
NCAA D-II 		[33][34][35]
  • UT Arlington
  • UT Austin
  • UT Dallas
  • UT El Paso
  • UT Rio Grande Valley
  • UT San Antonio
  • UT Tyler
  • UT Permian Basin

Addition of Stephen F. Austin State University[edit]

On 29 November 2022, the Board of Regents of Stephen F. Austin State University announced their decision to accept an invitation to join the UT System. This decision occurred following an announcement at the start of the fall semester by SFA President Steve Westbrook that the board was considering joining a system. Stephen F. Austin is one of two independent public universities in Texas, alongside Texas Southern University. The Texas A&M University System, the Texas Tech University System, and the Texas State University System all extended invitations as well. The decision to join the UT System was made following a process that included faculty, staff, student, and alumni input.[36] Stephen F. Austin’s addition to the UT System will occur pending approval of the Texas Legislature during the 2023 session. The bill that would formally add SFA to the UT System specifies that SFA will retain its name, but will be officially noted as “a member of the University of Texas System”.[37]

UT Brownsville and UT Pan American (UTRGV) merger[edit]

On June 14, 2013, Texas Governor Rick Perry signed a law officially approving the creation of a new university in South Texas within the UT System and replacing UT Brownsville and UT Pan American. The initiative resulted in a single institution, including a medical school, spanning the entire Rio Grande Valley, with a presence in each of the major metropolitan areas of Brownsville, Edinburg, Harlingen, and McAllen. On December 12, 2013, the UT Board of Regents voted to name the new university the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.[39] The new university began full operation in the 2015–16 school year.

UT Tyler and UTHSC Tyler merger[edit]

In December 2019, the UT System Board of Regents unanimously agreed to merge The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler (UTHSCT) under The University of Texas at Tyler (UTT), creating a single unified institution.[44] Two months later, the UT System formally announced its intention to establish a new medical school that will be added under the new unified UT Tyler administration.[45] It will be the first medical school in the East Texas region.

On December 8, 2020, The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Schools approved a plan to merge UT Tyler and UTHSCT. UTHSCT will retain its status as a health-related institution but will now come under the administration of UT Tyler. The UT System Board of Regents met in late December 2020 and took action on the implementation of the merger which began on January 1, 2021.[46]

On January 4, 2021, the Board of Regents installed Dr. Kirk A. Calhoun, M.D. as president of the newly aligned UT Tyler and UTHSCT. As of January 4, these two institutions are officially one. On January 15, 2021 the institution publicly named the new line of executive leadership for the merged institution.[47]

The medical school is expected to open in 2023.

Health institutions[edit]

The University of Texas System has 5 independent health institutions. None are officially associated with any of the 4-year academic institutions, though some may have close relationships or special joint programs with them due to geographical location (Dallas–Fort Worth area institutions & San Antonio institutions) or historical relationships (UT Austin & UT Medical Branch at Galveston).

UT MD Anderson Cancer Center is one of the six schools at UT Health Science Center at Houston. Despite being officially associated under UT Houston, the UT System lists MD Anderson as a separate health institution due to its unique specialization.

Additionally, there are medical schools at UT Austin and UT Rio Grande Valley that are not directly affiliated with any of the independent health institutions.[51] The third medical school organized under an academic institution in the UT System will open in 2023 under the UT Tyler administration.

Independent UT Health institutions[edit]

Official name Official
abbreviations 		Medical school Location Estab. Refs
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio UTHSA or

UTHSCSA

UT Health San Antonio

Long School of Medicine San Antonio (main), Laredo 1959 [52][53]
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston UTH

UTHealth or

UT Houston

McGovern Medical School Houston 1972 [54]
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTMDACC

MD Anderson

N/A (associated with UTH) Houston (main), Katy, League City,

Memorial City, Sugar Land, The Woodlands

1941 [55]
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston UTMB

UT Galveston

John Sealy School of Medicine Galveston 1891 [56]
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center UTSW

UT Southwestern

UTSW Medical School Dallas (main), Fort Worth,

Frisco, Irving, Richardson

1943 [57][58]

Medical schools within academic institutions[edit]

  • UT Health Science Center - Houston

    UT Health Science Center – Houston

  • UT Health Science Center - San Antonio

    UT Health Science Center – San Antonio

  • UT MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX)

    UT MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX)

  • UT Medical Branch at Galveston

    UT Medical Branch at Galveston

  • UT Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas, TX)

    UT Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas, TX)

Attempted academic and health institutions and mergers[edit]

Dallas–Fort Worth

In 2001 the 77th Texas Legislature proposed HB 3568, which would have merged all Dallas–Fort Worth UT System institutions (UT Dallas, UT Arlington, and UT Southwestern) under the name “The University of Texas at Dallas“. UTD’s Richardson campus would have been designated as the main campus, UTA’s Arlington campus would have become a satellite campus, and UTSW’s Dallas campus would have become the merged university’s medical school.[62] The purpose was to help the metroplex gain one unified flagship-level university, but the House Bill ultimately failed to pass due to objections from UT Arlington (which wanted to retain its identity as a separate university) and the lack of time to properly explain the complex process to state representatives.[63]

San Antonio

Nine years later, in 2010, a study was commissioned to explore the possibility of merging UT San Antonio and UT Health San Antonio.[64] Officials ultimately decided against it, citing significant costs, administrative challenges, and different university cultures.[65] In 2016, an op-ed published in the San Antonio Express-News urged the UT System Board of Regents to reconsider their decision, but no further actions from the UT System have been taken since.[66]

Houston

In 2015, the UT System purchased 300 acres of land in the Houston area for $215 million for the development of a research campus, spearheaded by then-Chancellor William H. McRaven.[67] While the UT System publicly denied plans to build a new university on the land, the land acquisition drew criticism from the University of Houston System and several Texas State Senators, notably John Whitmire, focusing on the UT System encroaching on the UH System, given the UT System’s access to the Permanent University Fund, as well as the process by which the land was purchased.[68] In 2017, the UT System announced it would be cancelling plans for the Houston campus.[69][70]

Students[edit]

Administration[edit]

The administrative offices are in Downtown Austin.[74] The UT system approved moving the system headquarters in November 2012.[75] Bonds from the UT System’s endowment funded the construction of the new 19-story, 330,000-square-foot (31,000 m2) headquarters, which had a price tag of $102 million. The UT System planned to lease a portion of the facility for shops and other offices, with the approximately 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m2) remaining portion used for its own employees.[76] The system headquarters opened on August 1, 2017.[77]

In July 2018, the Pentagon announced it had selected the UT System administrative building as the headquarters for the Army Futures Command, a new organization committed to coordinating modernization efforts and integrating innovation across the Army.

The University of Texas System was previously headquartered in O. Henry Hall in Downtown Austin.[78] The system headquarters complex previously included multiple buildings, which had 550 employees in 2014.[76] These facilities included O. Henry Hall, Claudia Taylor Johnson Hall (named after Lady Bird Johnson), Ashbel Smith Hall, the Colorado Building, and the Lavaca Building,

In 2013 the UT system approved the demolitions of the Colorado Building and the Lavaca Building,[75] and the new UT System headquarters was built where these buildings previously stood.[76] The Texas State University System purchased O. Henry Hall in 2015 for $8.2 million;[75] the UT System leased it and continued using it as its administrative headquarters prior to the 2017 completion of the UT System’s current headquarters.[79] The UT System leased the land containing Claudia Taylor Johnson Hall and Ashbel Smith Hall to Trammell Crow[75] which is constructing a commercial property on the site that uses the facade of Johnson Hall. Ashbel Smith Hall was imploded on March 25, 2018.[80]

Coordinated Admissions Program[edit]

The Coordinated Admissions Program (CAP) offers some UT Austin applicants the chance to attend the university if they complete their freshman year at another system school and meet specified requirements.[81] Each institution in the University of Texas System sets its own admissions standards, and not all schools may accept a particular CAP student.[81]

UT Dallas does not participate in the CAP program, and University of Texas at San Antonio, the largest recipient of CAP students, has stated that it will be phasing out the program within the next ten years.[82][83]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ “Seal of the University”. University of Texas System. May 23, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2020.Seal of the University
  2. ^ As of June 30, 2020. U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2020 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY19 to FY20 (Report). National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  3. ^ a b As of June 30, 2019. “U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2018 to FY 2019”. National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Wayback Machine
  5. ^ “UT System among top 10 most academic institutions in the world”. University of Texas System. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  6. ^ “Reuters Top 100: The World’s Most Innovative Universities – 2017”. Reuters. September 27, 2017. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  7. ^ “University of Texas at Arlington“. US News. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  8. ^ “The University of Texas at Arlington“. College Portraits. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  9. ^ “UTA Enrollment Climbs 6.1 Percent to Record 37,000 Texas-Based Students”. September 15, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  10. ^ “Fort Worth Center | Graduate Studies | The University of Texas at Arlington”. grad.pci.uta.edu. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  11. ^ “2011–2012 Fiscal Year Funds & Finances Analysis” (PDF). UT Austin Office of Information Management and Analysis. January 18, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 26, 2013. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
  12. ^ “The University of Texas at Austin“. College Portraits. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  13. ^ “Facts & Figures | The University of Texas at Austin”. utexas.edu. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  14. ^ “UT Dallas Announces 1st Comprehensive Campaign”. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
  15. ^ “UTD“. College Portraits. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  16. ^ “Fast Facts – Parents and Families – UTD”. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  17. ^ “THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS – Office of Facilities & Economic Development Facilities Management”. Facilities – About Us. 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  18. ^ “UTEP“. US News. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  19. ^ “UTEP“. College Portraits. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  20. ^ “UTEP Facts Brochure”. Archived from the original on 21 October 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  21. ^ “UTEP’s Fall 2017 Enrollment Reaches All-Time High”.
  22. ^ “UTRGV – UTRGV welcomes 29,045 #FirstClass students on first day”. www.utrgv.edu. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  23. ^ “University of Texas Rio Grande Valley”. www.utrgv.edu. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  24. ^ “UTSA“. US News. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  25. ^ “UTSA Fact Book 2011 (New Undergraduates Section)“. Office of Institutional Research. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  26. ^ “The University of Texas at San Antonio“. College Portrait. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  27. ^ “Fast Facts – About – UTSA”. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  28. ^ “[1]“. UTSA IR. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  29. ^ “UT Tyler“. US News. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  30. ^ “UT-Tyler“. College Portraits. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  31. ^ “UT Tyler Fast Facts”. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  32. ^ a b UT Tyler Brand Guide (PDF). April 4, 2019. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  33. ^ “UTPB“. US News. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  34. ^ “UTPB“. College Portraits. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  35. ^ “UTPB | Quick Facts”. utpb.edu. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  36. ^ a b McGee, Kate (November 29, 2022). “Stephen F. Austin State University moves to join the University of Texas System”. The Texas Tribune. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  37. ^ “Senate bill to merge SFA with UT discussed in committee hearing”. Tyler, TX: KLTV. March 16, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  38. ^ September 10, University Marketing Communications •; 2021. “SFA reports fall enrollment numbers”. SFA. Retrieved November 30, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  39. ^ Fischler, Jacob. “Regents name university: UT-RGV”. The Monitor. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  40. ^ “University of Texas Brownsville“. US News. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  41. ^ “UTBSC“. College Portraits. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  42. ^ “UTPA“. US News. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  43. ^ “The University of Texas-Pan American“. College Portrait. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  44. ^ UT System to move forward with merger of UT Tyler and Health Science Center. December 9, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  45. ^ The University of Texas System announces intention to launch medical school in Tyler. February 6, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  46. ^ “Statement from The University of Texas System on the merger of UT Tyler and UT Health Science Center at Tyler | University of Texas System”. www.utsystem.edu. December 9, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  47. ^ “UT Tyler Announces Executive Leadership for Merged Institution | University of Texas at Tyler”. www.uttyler.edu. January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  48. ^ “UT Tyler Timeline“. UT Tyler. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  49. ^ “Camp Fannin“. TSHA. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  50. ^ “East Texas Tuberculosis Sanatorium“. TSHA. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  51. ^ “Institutions”. University of Texas System. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  52. ^ “Mission, Vision and Core Values”. UT Health San Antonio. June 12, 2018. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  53. ^ “UT Health San Antonio gets $25 million gift; medical school to get new name”. www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  54. ^ Houston, The University of Texas Health Science Center at. “About UTHealth”. www.uth.edu. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  55. ^ “Institutional Profile”. MD Anderson Cancer Center. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  56. ^ “History & Past Deans”. som.utmb.edu. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  57. ^ “About Us”. www.utsouthwestern.edu. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  58. ^ “Hospital and Clinic Locations | UT Southwestern Medical Center”. utswmed.org. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  59. ^ “History”. Dell Medical School. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  60. ^ “UTRGV | Our Story”. www.utrgv.edu. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  61. ^ “The University of Texas System announces intention to launch medical school in Tyler”. The University of Texas System. February 6, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  62. ^ “SUMMARY OF HIGHER EDUCATION LEGISLATION – 77th LEGISLATURE”. TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD. July 2001. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  63. ^ LaFlash, Crystal. “Bill would join UTA, 2 UT schools”. The Shorthorn. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  64. ^ “Feasibility of Merging The University of Texas at San Antonio with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio” (PDF). The University of Texas System. May 2010. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  65. ^ Rivard, Robert (November 20, 2016). “The Move to Merge UTSA and UTHSCSA”. Rivard Report. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  66. ^ “Combining UTSA and UTHSC would create powerhouse”. ExpressNews.com. October 31, 2016. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  67. ^ “UT System Plans to Open New Campus in Houston”. The Texas Tribune. November 5, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  68. ^ “Houston Senator Calls UT System’s New Campus Plan an “Affront”“. The Texas Tribune. December 2, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  69. ^ “UT System says it won’t proceed with Houston campus”. The Texas Tribune. March 1, 2017. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  70. ^ “UT ready to sell 300 acres of Houston land”. The Houston Chronicle. April 23, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  71. ^ (PDF) https://www.utsystem.edu/sites/default/files/documents/facts%2C-figures-and-data/Fast%20Facts%202016/Fast_Facts_2016_Feb2017_v2Update.pdf. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  72. ^ Texas QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau
  73. ^ USA QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau
  74. ^ “Contact Us.” University of Texas System. Retrieved on November 19, 2017. “Address The University of Texas System 210 West 7th Street Austin, TX 78701-2982”
  75. ^ a b c d “Redevelopment of UT System downtown property will generate millions in revenue for city”. University of Texas System. February 2, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  76. ^ a b c Haurwitz, Ralph K.M. (February 27, 2014). “University of Texas System to build $102 million headquarters downtown”. Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved November 19, 2017. – Alternate link
  77. ^ Herman, Ken (July 4, 2017). “Herman: Move-in day nears for UT System Replacement Office Building”. Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on November 19, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2017.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  78. ^ “UT System Contact Information.” University of Texas System. October 6, 2009. Retrieved on November 19, 2017. “UT System Contact Information General Contact Information 601 Colorado Street Austin TX 78701-2982 “
  79. ^ “Regents Approve Purchase of O. Henry Hall from UT System” (Press release). Austin, Texas: Texas State University System. May 21, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  80. ^ “WATCH: Former UT building in downtown Austin brought down by implosion”. KEPR-TV. March 25, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  81. ^ a b “Information about CAP“. Be a Longhorn. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  82. ^ “UTSA to phase out CAP Program Archived 2013-01-21 at the Wayback Machine”. The Paisano. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  83. ^ “CAP students love UTSA, for now Archived 2012-04-30 at the Wayback Machine”. The Paisano. Retrieved November 23, 2012.

External links[edit]