• President Mabry’s Remarks to Board of Regents--WAG Report, May 13, 2004
• Washington Advisory Group Full Report

Washington Advisory Group Encourages UT Tyler to Add Ph.D. Programs and Expand Research Efforts

May 13, 2004

The University of Texas at Tyler should add select doctoral programs and increase research output to join the nation’s most comprehensive universities, according to a nationally-known team of experts in a recommendation expected to be accepted by The University of Texas System Board of Regents today.

“UT Tyler could well achieve ‘Doctoral/Research Universities-Intensive’ Carnegie classification within a decade,” concluded the Washington Advisory Group in a study reported to a meeting of UT Regents in Austin. “The University should seek to augment research at the undergraduate, graduate and faculty levels while enhancing UT Tyler’s tradition of outstanding undergraduate instruction and learning.”

Doctoral/Research-Intensive universities offer a wide range of baccalaureate and master’s degrees plus doctorates in three or more disciplines. Included in this group are universities such as Dartmouth, Baylor, San Diego State, Louisiana Tech and Texas Christian University.

The report on UT Tyler came as part of an independent analysis of the research capacities and potential at UT campuses across the state. The Washington Advisory Group was engaged by the UT Regents in July 2003 and visited UT Tyler in October. The expert team was led by Joe Wyatt, chancellor emeritus of Vanderbilt University.

“We now have a roadmap to the future expansion of UT Tyler’s research capacity, quality and national standings,” said UT Tyler President Rodney H. Mabry. “University-conducted research and the training of scientists, engineers, managers, educators and health care providers at UT Tyler are vital to the economic development of Tyler and East Texas. We intend to use these recommendations to improve research and to also focus on how best to improve our undergraduate teaching and program effectiveness.”

The prestigious research advisory group encouraged the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to approve UT Tyler’s request to grant a doctoral degree in Human Resources Development. “The HRD doctoral program would generate immediate demand and produce graduates who are a commodity nationally in the health management field,” concluded the experts.

Research partnerships with the UT Health Center at Tyler will be a significant part of UT Tyler’s future research growth, the experts said. The two institutions have begun planning a joint Institute for Biotechnology and Health Sciences. The report describes the institute as a possible model for how all health centers located near universities can collaborate in biomedical and health care research, education and training.

The advisory team characterized UT Tyler’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences as a “national leader” for its accomplishments in research and education delivery systems. UT Tyler’s nursing enrollment grew faster than all other nursing programs in the state last year and 98% of UT Tyler graduates successfully passed the national registered nurse certification exam, a success rate well ahead of the national average.

The report includes recommendations to strengthen research and education efforts in an environment of continued enrollment growth. Faculty hiring, classroom space and research support services are noted as challenges facing the University. UT Tyler’s enrollment has increased 36% over the last two years.

In March 2003, UT System Chancellor Mark G. Yudof proposed and the Board of Regents approved a study by independent experts on how to develop more research universities within the System. The Washington Advisory Group was selected in July 2003 to conduct the study.

WAG is a nationally prominent consultancy whose principals are members of the various national academies and have broad experience as scientists and administrators in developing analyses and plan for improvements of institutions.

“It is my hope that this independent review by the Washington Advisory Group can provide for each campus an objective assessment of the current positions of each institution, review of those areas in which they have the greatest potential for advancement, and allow us to set benchmarks for developing each of these institutions to their fullest potential,” said Chancellor Yudof.

Already nationally ranked among the top 100 research institutions, UT Austin was not included in the study. WAG divided the remaining eight UT academic campuses into two groups. One group included campuses that already offer broad graduate programs and large research profiles – UT Arlington, UT Dallas, UT El Paso and UT San Antonio. The other study group included campuses with smaller current research profiles – UT Brownsville, UT Pan American, UT Permian Basin and UT Tyler.

UT Tyler is an exciting component of the UT System that offers excellence in teaching, research, artistic performance and community service. With an enrollment of nearly 5,000 high-ability students, UT Tyler offers more than 70 undergraduate and graduate degree programs and has campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine.

The University is ranked among the very best master’s-level public universities in the Western U.S. according to the latest US News and World Report college rankings.