CBA will hold open houses on CED

By Jim Parsons
Daily Cougar Staff

University President Arthur K. Smith outlined UH's plan to seek Tier I research status Thursday, renewing a proposal that the state Legislature create a fund that would allow state universities other than the University of Texas and Texas A&M to improve their resources.

"The economic future of Houston, and of Texas, depends on our ability to put ourselves at the leading edge of scientific and technological innovation with a highly skilled work force," Smith told a crowd of UH staff, alumni and supporters at a luncheon in the University Hilton.

Smith said 454,000 new jobs will be created in Houston in the next 10 years, but the number of high-tech jobs being created is greater than the number of high-tech degrees conferred by Texas universities.

"When you look at the size of Texas, our job base and other factors, it is disturbing to see that our state is not as competitive as it should be in the fields of higher education and research," Smith said.

Texas has only two Tier I research universities, UT-Austin and A&M. Houston is one of three of the 10 most populous cities in America that do not have Tier I schools, the other two being Dallas and San Antonio.

The Tier I designation is given to universities that meet certain requirements in terms of the amount of research dollars they attract and the number of doctoral degrees they confer, among other factors.

In Texas, UT and A&M take some funding from the Permanent University Fund, a $7-billion-plus land-grant endowment, while the funding of other state-supported universities is determined by a formula based on enrollment and other factors. The PUF money is only available to select UT and A&M System schools and Prairie View A&M.

UH's proposal, which was introduced in the last legislative session, is to create a parallel fund that would allow "strategically located public universities" to attract more top-ranked faculty, increase the number of undergraduate and graduate degrees conferred and expand research programs.

For UH, Smith said, consistent additional funding of $20 to $25 million would be enough to propel the University to Tier I status.

"We're very, very close to where we need to be," he said.

Texas Tech University is also seeking Tier I status, and Smith said he and Tech Chancellor John T. Montford are working together in their quest for additional funding.