Educational Excellence – Phase One
Lisa Blazer & Dan Gelo Presenting
Improve Student /Faculty Ratio at
UTSA
• UTSA had a student faculty ratio of 26:1 in 2006. It fell to 23:1 in
2013, but that movement has not been even, falling to 24:1 in 2008
and 2009 but rising back to 26:1 in 2011.
• In 2013, all but one of our short-term aspirant institutions
(University of Florida) had a smaller student to faculty ratio.
Additionally, all of our baseline institutions, with the exception of
Florida International University had a student to faculty ratio of
22:1.
Current Factors Supporting a Reduction in
UTSA’s Student to Faculty Ratio
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UTSA continues to be able to create new faculty lines in addition to
replacement lines. This has contributed to a general stability in the
number of T/TT faculty over the past few years. The number of T/TT
faculty has ranged between 614 and 638 except for 2012 when it was
588.
The Provost currently sweeps salary funds for all faculty positions
vacated each year and then reallocates those funds strategically for
faculty recruitment. This practice could impact the student to faculty
ratio through its emphasis on efficiency and cost effectiveness.
UTSA’s GoldStar Initiative will enable UTSA to recruit 60 additional
faculty over four years.
UTSA has an Enrollment Management Plan that should contribute to a
relatively stable student enrollment through 2020.
The GRIP contains as a goal lowering the student to faculty ratio from
23:1 to 22:1 and eventually 20:1.
Reducing UTSA’s Student to
Faculty Ratio
• Lowering the student to faculty ratio at UTSA to 22:1 would
require a total of $8,915,000 in additional funds (funds do not
include benefits and do not reflect actual expenditures for the
current recruitment cycle).
• Lowering the student to faculty ratio at UTSA to 20:1 would
require a total of $17,750,000 (funds do not include benefits
and do not reflect actual expenditures for the current
recruitment cycle).
Approaches
• Develop a robust strategic enrollment management plan that ties
student enrollment to faculty hires and break this down to
department and college levels rather than at the university level.
Careful coordination with the Provost’s current faculty allocation
process, the GoldStar Initiative, and recommendations from the
“Manage Enrollment Growth Committee” would be necessary.
• Increase the number of full-time NTT faculty who teach more
courses than T/TT faculty; initiate an aggressive recruitment effort
for full-time NTT faculty; and create an incentive plan to help
retain quality NTT faculty.
• Explore a plan to increase student tuition and the degree to which
this initiative can be tied to faculty hiring.
• Explore plans to encourage faculty eligible for retirement (135
current qualify on the basis of the Rule of 80). This would free up
funds for hiring more assistant professors.
Enhance Academic Success
Summary and Highlights
How we defined the topic
The cornerstone topic?
Where We Are
• Strengths:
– Human capital – students, faculty, administration.
– Reputational distinctions.
• Opportunities:
– Texas economic strength, ambition for more
flagships.
– Expanding markets—local, national, and
international.
Where We’re Going
Approaches
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Improve graduation rates.
Attract and retain better students.
Improve advising.
Tell the story of our success more effectively to improve
public perceptions and rankings.
Expand on-line learning.
Improve student residential experience.
Improve and expand summer school.
Redesign courses when appropriate.
Improve support for high-risk students.
Improve communication about college expectations to high
schools.
Improve Retention and Graduation
Rates
Description: Recruiting and retaining
students to increase our 4 and 6 year
graduation rate
Improve Retention and Graduation Rates:
Where we are
• Strengths:
– Advising model; University college; stronger
incoming student body; athletics; improved
technology; stronger faculty/research
• Opportunities:
– highlight value at UTSA; Secure funding for
scholarships (high need/yield majors); Central
organized group that seeks external funding;
Specific career opportunities for students
Benchmarks and Recommendations
• Benchmarks
– Baseline peers and other
emerging research
institutions
• Metrics
– IPEDS and state reports –
compare
– Year to year retention data
across colleges and
departments
– Year to Year data to
measure effectiveness of
GRIP interventions
• Recommended
Approach
– Align funding
– Redistribute resources
– Provide resources to
current GRIP activities
– Broaden reach of GRIP
– Obtain legislation to
support retention and
graduation
Manage Enrollment Growth: Where we are
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Strengths:
– Gate system in some college to gain entry; Accredited
professional curricula; Faculty commitment ; Undergraduate
students in research; Successful, well developed labs; Involved
& successful student organizations; Quality of international
students
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Opportunities:
– DT location – Strong community outreach; Minimal competition
in some programs; Opportunity for bolstering retention and
graduation rates; Expanding number of degree programs;
Strategic recruitment; Strategically expand international
partners and recruitment of students; Hiring top tier faculty;
Create more partnerships with industry; Maximize competitive
scholarship ($1000)
Benchmarks and Recommendations
• Benchmarks
– Set overall goals based
on revenue needs and
selectively address
unique opportunities to
tailor enrollment
– See appendix – aspirant
universities enrollment
profile
• Recommended
approach
– Each college made
recommendations for
enrollment projections
– See appendix – college
recommendations
Expand Recruitment and
Scholarships
• Description:
– Remain competitive in our recruitment and
scholarship efforts, identify new markets and increase
partnerships to bring in a diverse student body
Expand Recruitment and Scholarships:
Where are we now
• Strengths:
– New undergraduate scholarship programs
established; Collaborative undergraduate
recruitment efforts in place; Expanded
undergraduate recruitment efforts in place;
Undergraduate bridging programs in place
• Opportunities:
– Expand Transfer recruitment (revenue and
enrollment); First Choice for students–capitalize for
recruitment; Reputation is building–capitalize with
donors; Summer bridge programs can be expanded
Benchmarks and
Recommendations
• Benchmarks
– Texas recruitment scholarship
programs compared to UTSA’s
new recruitment scholarship –
see appendix
– Recruitment with peer and
aspirant – see appendix
• Recommendations
– Develop strategic enrollment
management cross campus
team
– Purchase scholarship
management software – from
donor to disbursement
– Ensure Marketing &
Communication is aligned with
recruitment and enrollment
objectives
– Additional recruitment and/or
outreach positions in
colleges/departments
– Collaborative approach to
recruitment
Closing Thoughts
• Themes across the Pillar:
– Student Success – our ultimate goal
– Alignment of Budget to Initiatives – what we need to
do to help meet our ultimate goal
– Infrastructure – what needs to change across
campus to help our students enroll and succeed
• Financial
• Technology
– Competition – we will continue to compete with our
peers – how do meet and exceed expectations