Creating Leaders, Encouraging Innovation, Promoting Excellence
The Texas Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education is a group of concerned citizens who believe strongly in the power of higher education to transform lives, build our economy and shape Texas’ future. We believe a great university is an incubator of knowledge and creativity. It fuels discovery, and marries research with enhanced classroom teaching, learning, and hands-on experience. It also serves as an economic engine bringing in millions in research and development dollars, new businesses and industries, creating jobs and economic opportunity throughout Texas.
We believe we need to create high quality pathways to higher learning with partnerships linking the flagship universities with high schools, community colleges, technical schools and Tier One institutions, to ensure our educational system meets the diverse and growing needs of our population. In an increasingly global economy, future leaders must be challenged to think differently and consider the implications of diverse cultures, histories and traditions. Well-rounded and informed students are critical to keeping Texas and America competitive and attracting jobs and employers to our state.
Advocates for Texas' Future
The Texas Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education is a group of volunteer advocates who believe the pursuit of knowledge must be a state and national priority. At a time when America’s ability to compete and lead the world is at risk, the research conducted, innovations developed, and resulting improved teaching at Texas’ higher education institutions are more important than ever before. We hope to advance a thoughtful, constructive and transparent dialogue around these important issues for all Texans.
Our Call to Action
The Texas Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education was necessitated by the strong belief that there is a right way to improve higher education and that there is a wrong way that could have long-term damaging effects on our institutions of higher learning, our state's economy and on our future. Current recommendations being floated - from dramatically expanding enrollment while slashing tuition to separating research and teaching budgets, and seceding from a recognized and respected accreditation organization - are decidedly the wrong way. We believe our public university presidents and chancellors have earned our support with their ongoing commitment to a culture of excellence and continual innovation, while also working to cut operating costs and institute reforms. We also believe it is critical to regularly and openly evaluate the performance of our universities, and do so in a public and transparent way.
This website is intended to be a place for the latest news and information on the debate over high-quality higher education in Texas and for the exchange of open constructive dialogue about continued improvements.
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Latest Updates
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UNT Unveils Five-Year Strategic Plan
This week, the University of North Texas unveiled its new strategic plan, "Four Bold Goals, One Great University: UNT in a Whole New Light." The student newspaper, the North Texas Daily, outlined each of the four goals in a series of articles.
The second of the “four bold goals” UNT has introduced aims at providing superior graduate education, scholarship and artistic endeavors and achieving status among the nation’s tier-one research institutions.“Great universities push the boundaries with innovative research, scholarship and creativity,” said Michael Monticino, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “They attract the best minds and industries. They are a necessity for a globally motivated society.”
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UT Austin Issues Plan to Increase Graduation Rates, Reduce College Costs
The Coalition today issued a statement to applaud the recommendations set forth in UT Austin’s newly released report, “Raising Our Graduation Rates: Recommendations from the Task Force on Undergraduate Graduation Rates.” The report seeks to raise four-year undergraduate rates to 70 percent by 2016. UT Austin already leads Texas’ public universities and colleges with rates of 50 percent.
The Coalition commends the University for finding the status quo unsatisfactory and proactively seeking methods to raise the standard of excellence at one of the state’s flagships.
Continue reading for the full statement, or visit the Facts section.
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College degree remains a great economic investment
Trinity University President Dennis Ahlburg penned an op-ed for the San Antonio Express-News this week. Ahlburg said he is deeply disturbed by the recent questioning of the value of a college education.
There are many reasons why a college education is a good idea. As an economist, I will focus on the economic return in relation to cost. If a college degree is “meaningless,” why do employers pay higher wages to college graduates? According to Gary Burtless and Adam Looney of the Brookings Institution, workers with a college degree earn twice as much as a worker whose highest level of education is a high school diploma.
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