Recent successes include a continued record number of applications and enrolled students, a successful fundraising campaign, new faculty, new academic programs and facilities, as well as winning athletic programs. TCU also was recently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 20 up-and-coming University and ranked among the top 100 “National Universities” by the magazine.
“TCU’s strategic plan is helping create a university experience second to none,” said TCU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. “Our students must be competitors on a global scale and have the ability and knowledge to solve complex societal problems. As the demands on our graduates have changed, the University must evolve as well. Our continued investment in TCU must be on par with the developing needs of our students.”
The Trustees acknowledged that the ongoing innovations and improvements must be supported and therefore voted to increase tuition by eight percent to $32,400 for the 2011-2012 academic year. Financial aid also will increase by eight percent. Even with the increase, TCU will remain a great investment in private higher education.
The increase will provide TCU with the opportunity to continue investing in key areas such as:
· Faculty. Over the past five years, TCU has added 110 new faculty, many of whom are leaders in their fields. The increase will help TCU maintain a low faculty-to-student ratio and sustain the personalized TCU experience.
· Academic programs. New programs, majors and centers in areas where the demand is great, such as energy management, sustainability, and evidence-based nursing. The University also recently launched the John V. Roach Honors College and the School of Geology, Energy and the Environment.
· Research. Increase funds for faculty research and provide opportunities for undergraduates to participate shoulder-to-shoulder with faculty in research. Faculty who conduct research also teach in the classroom.
· Academic advising. Increased support for academic advising to help students complete their education in the most-timely manner possible.
· Student services. Initiatives to improve safety, including additional police officers and increased patrol methods on foot, bike and in vehicles.
· Facilities. Eleven new facilities in three years, including new academic buildings, residence halls and a University Union; extensive renovation of existing facilities and campuswide technology upgrades.
“We remain steadfast in our desire to keep this university’s doors open to those who can benefit the most from a TCU education,” said Boschini. “The University will continue to focus on raising $100 million for endowed scholarships through the Campaign for TCU. In fact, more than $65 million already has been contributed toward this goal.”
In other business, the Trustees dedicated the new Mary Wright Admission Center, which was awarded LEED Gold certification this week by the U.S. Green Building Council.
TCU Trustees also discussed the upcoming stadium renovation, which is completely donor funded. Trustees were reminded that the project begins immediately following the final football game.
The Board also welcomed three new Trustees – Leanne Acuff, Hunter Enis and John Pinkerton. TCU’s official class numbers for the 2010-11 academic year are 7,853 undergraduates and 1,289 graduate students for a total of 9,142 students.
The Board of Trustees will hold its next meeting April 6-8, 2011.
