More Texas Recruitement Info

[epchick]

Originally Posted by breathesgelatin

It seemed a way to excuse not funding or building up schools like Tech or UTEP in under-served areas of the state in exchange for building a new school closer to the Texas population centers.

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

And I'm sorry UTEP is still not gettin' any love - they really have been the red-haired step child for quite a while.

These are both true, and its sad, but I do see it changing any time soon. It is most logical to use Tech, Texas State or another school more centrally located, it gives students a chance to have a good "college experience" outside of classes. El Paso has had MANY chances to bring great attractions and great opportunities to El Paso, but we've had lousy administration who wanted to "keep El Paso Local" So instead, we are stuck w/o a 6 flags, and instead of a Dallas Cowboys training camp, we got lousy overpriced housing.

As much as I love my city, we've pretty much shot ourself in the foot and we no one to blame but ourselves.

Originally Posted by breathesgelatin

I think it would be a stupid idea to do so and that it should be instead poured into the schools that are on the verge of reaching Research 1 status like Texas State, Tech, maybe UTEP... There could be others. I'm admittedly no expert on public universities in Texas.

One thing I've thought a lot about both in my home state of NC and in Texas is whether or not have the extra letters behind your name inherently regulates you to second class status.

I have no idea what a research 1 satus school is, but I could have sworn I heard that UTEP is one. I know that we have a great engineering program and a great nursing program.

I totally agree on your second point! After H.S. graduation I went to UTEP, not because I wanted to but it was my only option, and my "best friend" went to UPenn. All of a sudden her mentality changed and she was always started off her statements "as a freshman at an ivy league college", and she always tell me that I didn't understand her b/c I went to UTEP and not UT (which is supposedly closer to the "UPenn experience"). All I have to say is

I see it this way, UTEP might not be up to par with UT or A&M, but when you get out in the real world, you have to rely on what you learned and not rely on the name of your alma mater.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by epchick

I have no idea what a research 1 satus school is, but I could have sworn I heard that UTEP is one. I know that we have a great engineering program and a great nursing program.

Well, the Carnegie Institute for the Advancement of Teaching studies profiles of different types of institutions and ranks them according to their major focus. They rank according to many, many different categories but are well known for studying doctoral programs nationwide. Actually the "Research I" category seems to have been phased out in the 90s, and the methodology changed a bit, as discussed here and here.

The former "Research I" category is now called "Research Universities (very high research activity)". The other categories are for "high" activity and for generalized doctoral research Universities. It's based on funding awarded to research, number of doctoral programs, number of doctorates granted per year, and maybe some other measures. A list of the "very high" schools is here. The only Texas schools on the list are A&M, UT, and Rice. They list both Tech and UTEP in the "high" category. The list of all Texas schools in the "high" category is here. Texas State isn't in the "high" or the regular research category. (The Texas schools in the "Doctoral Research Universities" category are here.) My hunch is that Texas State may not have enough doctoral programs to qualify but I don't know that for sure.

The exact methodology for categorizing different institutions is available on a Excel file accessible from this page.

Hope that helps. These categories are mostly well-known to professors, Ph.D. students, foundations that grant research grants, etc. They don't mean one school is "better" than another (and they're certainly not trying to measure that) but really identify where the most extensive and diverse research is going on... I know one of my sorority sisters is in a doctoral program at UTEP... so you're not losing any love from me!

*I hope all those links point to the correct pages! Whew!

[SWTXBelle]

All of Texas State sports except football are currently IA.

Football will be IA in the next few years - I don't recall exactly because I HATE WHAT COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAS BECOME. But that's a different rant.

Texas State was selected as a Best Western College by U.S. News and World Report and a Best Buy by Princeton Review. I hate those ranking things, but if they are going to exist, I guess I should spread the word.

And let me state here that I believe the undergraduate experience is just as, if not more, important as the graduate programs. Too often the focus is on the graduates, and the undergrads get short-shrift. You reach more students through the undergraduate program, and one thing I LOVED about my education at Texas State was that I was taught by actual professors - only one graduate assistant (in Spanish). My classes were small, and I never felt like I was just a number. I really only had two large classes - physics and psychology.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

All of Texas State sports except football are currently IA.

Football will be IA in the next few years - I don't recall exactly because I HATE WHAT COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAS BECOME. But that's a different rant.

Texas State was selected as a Best Western College by U.S. News and World Report and a Best Buy by Princeton Review. I hate those ranking things, but if they are going to exist, I guess I should spread the word.

And let me state here that I believe the undergraduate experience is just as, if not more, important as the graduate programs. Too often the focus is on the graduates, and the undergrads get short-shrift. You reach more students through the undergraduate program, and one thing I LOVED about my education at Texas State was that I was taught by actual professors - only one graduate assistant (in Spanish). My classes were small, and I never felt like I was just a number. I really only had two large classes - physics and psychology.

On the football thing--only mentioned it because it could be a reason for the greater visibility of Texas Tech.

As I emphasized, the Carnegie categories are not meant to rank colleges but categorize them. They have a multitude of rankings based on undergraduate measures as well. I personally am with you on the undergrad experience thing. I went to a liberal arts college!

HOWEVER, when they (the Texas legislature & lt. gov) say they want to create a third flagship institution what they have actually been talking about is a research-focused institution:

http://media.www.dailytexanonline.co...-3191142.shtml

I'm guessing the real unstated goal here is to create another institution that would make the Carnegie "very high" list.

My position has always been that they should choose another campus--and I think Tech, Texas State, and UTEP are all great candidates--and get it ranked on the list (if that's indeed the goal) rather than starting completely from scratch. I'm not critiquing Texas State at all. At. All.

[SWTXBelle]

No worries - I do have a bit of a problem with those (not you - not you!) who don't appreciate the greatness which is Texas State (!). Not that I'm biased - just because my daughter is the third generation to go there . . . but my grandfathers went to SMU and SFA, so we're not TOTALLY Texas State oriented.

Now that Bobby Knight is gone from Texas Tech, wonder if they will get as much sport coverage . . .

[epchick]

Originally Posted by breathesgelatin

I know one of my sorority sisters is in a doctoral program at UTEP... so you're not losing any love from me!

That's great!! I hope she's enjoying herself at UTEP and here in El Paso. You know I never appreciated UTEP (in fact we were trained in high school to call it Screw-TEP) until I went to school in California.

In California 90% of my classes were taught by lecturers who didn't have Ph.D. I know UTEP isn't super superior, but we are taught by actual professors, and we have some good ones. (So I know exactly what you mean SWTXBelle)

I'm really hoping that UTEP opening up for NPC expansion brings more emphasis into student life