Perry OK's university expansion funding

Bill spends $150 million to bring total number of tier-one institutions to 10

Gov. Rick Perry signed a bill Wednesday to grant money to establish more tier-one research universities and provide monetary relief for schools damaged by Hurricane Ike.

Authored by state Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, the bill will create three funding initiatives and establish monetary incentives for emerging research universities to achieve national recognition as major research institutions. The seven “emerging research institutions” vying for the funds are the UT System campuses in Arlington, Dallas, El Paso and San Antonio, as well as the University of North Texas, the University of Houston and Texas Tech University.

“This legislation is transformational,” said state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, who sponsored the bill. “It will allow tier-one universities to compete not only nationally but on a global scale.”

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching describes a tier-one university as having membership in the American Association of Universities and receiving at least $100 million in federal research grants annually. The size of endowments, the quality of faculty and selective admission procedures are also considered.

“Many students are leaving Texas to attend Ivy League schools,” Zaffirini said. “It is important that we give universities the tools to hire qualified staff members in order to attract these successful students.”

There are 62 tier-one research institutions in the U.S., three of which reside in Texas — UT, Texas A&M University and Rice University. Two states comparable in terms of population and economic activity, California and New York, have nine and seven tier-one universities.

UT-Dallas President Daniel David said as long as the Legislature can sustain funding for the bill, Texas’ educational landscape will transform as more research universities emerge.

“This is a much-needed effort to create more great research universities in Texas,” David said.

In addition to the tier-one initiatives, one of the bill’s amendments provides $150 million in tuition relief for the University of Texas Medical Branch and another $5 million for Texas A&M University at Galveston, in light of damages caused by Hurricane Ike in 2008.

Ben Raimer, UTMB’s vice president of legislative affairs, said the school will use the funds to build a new hospital tower that will return the building’s bed capacity to 550, the number it had before Hurricane Ike. The medical branch currently has about 350 beds.

“This is a very significant opportunity for Texas to receive matching funds for the construction of this school,” Raimer said. “It will allow us to meet the needs of our medical nursing students and the health care needs of Galveston residents.”