The University of Houston’s quest to become the state’s next top tier university — a designation that would put it alongside Rice University, the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University — received a major boost Tuesday.
The latest rankings from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching move UH to its highest category, for universities with “very high research activity.”
That ranking is updated every five years, based upon criteria including research expenditures, number of doctorate degrees awarded and the size of the university’s research staff.
UH previously ranked in Carnegie’s second tier, for “high research activity.”
Rice, UT-Austin and A&M are the only other Texas universities on the list, which is considered an indication of Tier One status.
That’s a nice accomplishment, which is the result of a lot of work. My congratulations to UH for achieving it, and my best wishes for completing the journey to full-fledged Tier One status.
The bad news:
[E]ven if UH were to qualify for the Tier One funding this year, it and other public colleges and universities are likely to sustain cuts — maybe significant ones — in basic state support for higher education.
That’s because the state is facing a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall, and higher education is expected to be one of the main targets for cuts.
[UH President Renu] Khator acknowledged concerns that Tuesday’s announcement could be interpreted as a sign UH doesn’t need additional money from the state.
It does, she said, and the Carnegie designation proves that it will use it wisely.
“We have shown the state that the investment is worth it,” she said.
Sadly, the state isn’t interested in making any investments right now. Dan Patrick’s property tax cuts don’t pay for themselves, you know. Better luck next biennium.
“Dan Patrick’s property tax cuts don’t pay for themselves, you know.”
Nor do bloggers’.
Is that the best you can do, Matt? Seriously, is that the best you’ve got? Lame. No wonder you’re too chicken to answer my question.
UH can be designated Tier 1 without any investment from the State. The State money was to help the emerging Tier 1’s get to that status. There are differing methodologies for assigning the Tier 1 status. UH being designated Tier 1 by one foundation should help them get a better quality of students, more research dollars, top tier faculty, etc.