The University of North Texas is recognized for its jazz program and live music scene. But leaders of the Denton campus want it to be known for reasons far grander.
President Lane Rawlins announced a plan Monday that will guide UNT over the next five years. Among the goals: provide the best undergraduate education in Texas and become one of the country's top research universities.
UNT is not the first campus to craft a strategic plan chock full of superlatives. Baylor University aims to "take its place among the finest colleges and universities in the world." The University of Texas at Dallas aspires to be "a first-rank public research university." Texas Tech vows to "attract and retain the best faculty in the world."
But as these colleges shoot for the academic stars, they don't want to lose their identities.
"I really do believe we should be a tier-one research university, but more than that, we should be UNT," Rawlins said in an interview.
That means remaining focused on the environment, for instance. After all, UNT does offer a degree in environmental ethics and will generate some power for the football stadium with wind turbines. So the new five-year plan notes that UNT will remain an environmental leader and promote green practices.
And in a nod to UNT's strong music and art programs, the plan cites a commitment to "artistic endeavors" along with scholarly research.
The plan will guide UNT as it draws up a budget this spring, Rawlins said. The idea is to spend money on programs and efforts that will help the university reach its goals.
Of course, the academic devil lies in the details - the specific steps a college takes on the path to greatness, and how it measures success along the way.
For instance, UNT says it plans to recruit more high-quality students. One way to define that is using high school class rank.
Five years ago, 46 percent of UNT freshmen had finished in the top quarter of their high school class. That figure has climbed to 51 percent. UNT's new plan calls for a dramatic increase in that rate over the next five years, to 70 percent.
UNT's goal of becoming a great public research university is shared with seven other Texas colleges: UT-Arlington, UTD, Texas Tech, the University of Houston, UT-San Antonio, UT-El Paso and Texas State.
The quest for "tier one" status, though, isn't easy. The country's research powerhouses typically spend at least $100 million a year on research. The 2009 figures from the National Science Foundation, the latest available, put UNT at just under $20 million. That compares to $52 million for UTA, $61 million for UTD and $80 million for Texas Tech.
UNT's plan calls for doubling the amount spent on research, along with a steady increase in graduation rates and a 10 percent annual increase in private donations.
At the same time, UNT and colleges everywhere face pressure to keep costs down, especially for students. The total sticker price at UNT this year runs about $20,000 for Texas residents. UNT's plan includes the line, "We must run our operations with the efficiency and effectiveness of a great company."
UNT officials also announced a new motto, "A Green Light to Greatness." And they continued the festivities Monday with a celebration for the students at a free, Las Vegas casino-style party sponsored by the school.
