Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

UTEP, unlike other UT components, faces stiff competition at New Mexico State University (NMSU). With proposed tuition hikes, UTEP will have raised tuition 33% in less than 15 months, third highest in the state of Texas. After recent hikes, UTEP now charges $491 more per semester than NMSU for a student taking 15 hours. On the side is a chart of UTEP’s enrollment over 15 years, which demonstrates the decline UTEP suffered after NMSU offered in-state tuition to El Paso residents in 1996. In 2001, 11 percent of NMSU’s student population came from El Paso. While student enrollment has slowly rebounded, recent tuition increases made under tuition deregulation will negatively affect enrollment again. Even UTEP’s Center for Institutional Evaluation, Research and Planning cited NMSU as a source of declining enrollment (See, www.cierp.utep.edu/StratigicPlan/sec5e.html). UTEP’s decisions regarding tuition increases should be price sensitive with respect to NMSU.

Before implementing another tuition increase, UTEP should consider the following measures so that UTEP students do not once again ‘vote with their feet’ and go to NMSU:

1. Restrict any Increase to Stay Competitive with NMSU, otherwise Students Will Leave. Particularly during these tough economic times, UTEP should limit any tuition increase to no more than 2 percent over the cost of education at NMSU.

2. Make a Contract with UTEP Students to Return 50 percent of any Tuition Increases to Student Financial Aid. While only 16 percent of the money raised from tuition increases was dedicated to financial aid, over 46 percent was dedicated to faculty and staff recruitment and merit increases. Where is the benefit for the student in these numbers?

3. Cut Administrative Overhead and Direct the Savings Back to the Classroom. With seven Vice Presidents and eight Deans, there are significant savings that could be maximized in this area. By comparison, the University of Texas-Brownsville has only five Vice Presidents, and the University of Texas-Pan American has only four Vice Presidents. UTEP has already increased administrative costs through last year’s tuition increases. Before increasing tuition again, UTEP should demonstrate some self-discipline, including cutting administrative costs, night and weekend classes, more distance learning and freezing hiring, capital improvements, raises and travel. If the State of Texas can employ these methods to achieve a 12 percent reduction to budgets of a number of Texas state agencies, then UTEP can accomplish the same goal.

4. Be Accountable. For several years, UTEP has fought a Comptroller Performance Review. Such reviews have saved millions in taxpayer dollars at EPISD, YISD and EPCC. Taxpayers want accountability and value for money. Instead of resisting accountability, embrace it. UTEP should request a Performance Review and outside audit before any more increases and should make available to the public all key information regarding their administrative overhead, cost of education and student performance. UTEP can compete, and must compete if El Paso is to succeed. Our university should have nothing to hide.

5. Offer Discounts and Incentives to Increase UTEP’s 27 percent Graduation Rate. UTEP’s 27% graduation rate is one of the lowest in the UT System. UTEP’s remediation rate is highest in the state. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, UTEP is the only university in the University of Texas System that did not improve their graduation rate from 2001 to 2003.

UTEP should implement tuition incentives to encourage students to graduate so that they get to productive and prosperous careers sooner and spend less family income on UTEP tuition. A college career should be eight semesters, not ten. Several schools now offer tuition discounts for students within 30 hours of completing degrees. Others offer discounts for off-peak hour courses to alleviate future need for capital expenses. Some offer discounts for students who carry 14 hours or more. This is a real opportunity for UTEP to address longstanding issues.

For many in El Paso, a UTEP education has meant a bright and prosperous future. We must keep it that way. We must ensure that UTEP continues to provide a quality, affordable education to all El Pasoans. Above all, UTEP’s administration must remember, UTEP is there for the students.

To see a better chart of UTEP's enrollment trends, please click on the PDF file.