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II RELEVANT STATEWIDE GOALS AND BENCHMARKS

FOR THE UNIVESITY OF NORTH TEXAS

• Percent of recent high school graduates enrolled in a Texas public college or university

• Percent of baccalaureate graduates who are first-generation college students

• Percent of first-time, full-time freshmen returning after one academic year

• Percent of first-time, full-time freshmen who graduate within six years

• Percent of Texans with a bachelor's degree or higher

• Texas public colleges' and universities' cost per student as a percent of the national average

• Percent of total federal research and development expenditures received by Texas institutions of higher education

The basic mission of the University of North Texas is to help educate the workforce of Texas and further the development and application of knowledge. The benchmarks listed above have been adopted by the University as its institutional benchmarks. In addition, the goals listed below from Vision Texas are supported by the University. They are addressed through the institution's research and public service activities, partnerships with private and public entities and other colleges and universities, and the future leaders who graduate from UNT. Examples of exemplary programs and activities are presented throughout this planning document.

UNT has had a long history of offering courses at off-campus locations to provide access to citizens in areas throughout North Texas. In 1999-2000, over 38 courses were offered at different locations. UNT has been a leader in using two-way systems to teach graduate programs. For example, the doctoral program in Higher Education is offered at Midwestern State University using this technique. The master's degrees in Library and Information Science are offered at several locations in Texas, including Edinburg and Texarkana. In addition, UNT offered 61 courses over the web and 38 through videoconferencing in fall 1999 and spring 2000 serving over 2,181 students. These numbers will increase substantially each year as more degree programs move to some web-based instruction.

UNT has made a concerted effort to expand access to public higher education through collaborative agreements with other schools. UNT is one of six universities, along with the Dallas County Community College District, that conducts courses at the Universities Center at Dallas (UCD). UNT offers all major courses leading to bachelor and master's degrees in criminal justice in downtown Dallas as well as courses in education and business.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) approved the UCD as a multi-institutional center. While UNT serves as the fiscal agent for the UCD, it is not a part of the University, but is managed by the Federation of North Texas Area Universities. Other federation members are Texas Women's University and Texas A & M University at Commerce.

Another major effort by the University to serve more citizens is the University of North Texas System Center at Dallas, approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in January 1999. Located in a new state-of-the-art building in southern Dallas, the System Center serves the 785,000 citizens of southern Dallas and Ellis counties who do not have adequate access to public universities. Only 17% of the citizens in this area hold baccalaureate degrees, compared to 33% in the rest of Dallas. Junior and senior-level and graduate courses offered at the Center allow citizens to complete bachelor and master's degrees close to home.

Since the population in the southern sector is ethnically mixed with large populations of African-American and Hispanic citizens, the System Center offers an excellent opportunity to increase the diversity of the Texas population who hold at least a baccalaureate degree. Programs offered at the System Center were carefully selected to meet the demand for a greater supply of well-educated workers. The programs implemented to date include computer science, general business, legal and health information management, information science, library science, rehabilitation studies, child and human development, counseling, and teacher preparation. The System Center also offers courses toward the completion of the following endorsements and certificates: alternative dispute resolution, diversity, information-processing technology, technology applications in the classroom, music education, and e-Commerce.

The System Center is funded by a special item appropriation from the 76^th Legislature and the Governor, as well as from local support. The Center has raised over $1.8 million of a $2.6 million goal for 2000-2001, and another $1 million for support beyond 2001.

A recent study concluded that the System Center would generate a $10 million economic impact on the Metroplex in its first two years of operation. This amount will exceed over $19 million in the seven years that the Center plans to be located at the current site. These amounts do not factor in the increased earning power of graduates in programs at the Center. Students who complete coursework at the System Center earn a degree awarded by the University of North Texas.

In spring 2000, more than 200 students were enrolled at the System Center. An enrollment of more than 500 students is expected for fall 2000, and enrollment will climb to over 3,500 in 2006. As enrollment grows, the UNT System intends to seek approval to establish a new university in southern Dallas, the first public university within the city boundaries of Dallas.

The University of North Texas provides high-quality school teachers who educate the youth of Texas. The UNT College of Education certifies approximately 600 teachers and school administrators each year. The institution's cumulative pass rate on the EXCET (state licensure examination for teachers) for 1997, 1998, and 1999 was 95 percent. The cumulative pass rate on the elementary comprehensive examination was 94 percent and 96 percent for the professional development test.

The University of North Texas offers a wide array of degree and certification programs in elementary, secondary, all levels, and vocational education. The University also offers endorsements in the areas of early childhood, generic special education, English as a second language (ESL), gifted and talented, information processing technologies, learning resources, and early childhood/handicapped/emotionally disturbed/autistic. The curriculum will change to address the new requirements in 2001.

The University has an extensive offering of courses and programs that allow teachers in Texas to continually upgrade their skills. The state-funded Texas Center for Education Technology, housed in the UNT College of Education, assists educators throughout Texas to apply technology effectively in the teaching and learning process. The Center also works with businesses and other educational organizations to develop technology applications that can be used to improve student learning at a variety of grade levels. UNT's Technology and Cognition programs offer opportunities for current and future school teachers to upgrade their skills in using technology in the classroom. Faculty in these programs are involved in cutting-edge research that helps define the most effective pedagogical methods in the use of technology.

UNT's field-based approach to teacher preparation provides students with real-world opportunities to apply concepts learned through formal classroom instruction. The twelve UNT College of Education's Professional Development Schools (PDS) provide extensive field-based preparation for future elementary and secondary teachers. UNT faculty work closely with the PDS teachers and administrators to enhance the educational experience for Texas elementary and secondary students. UNT has established two PDS sites in schools that serve students at-risk of leaving school. The PDS also provides opportunities for teachers to continue their education and upgrade their skills.

Academic programs in UNT's College of Education (COE) are highly rated by graduates and external evaluators. Recent surveys of UNT alumni show that 89 percent of the COE graduates would recommend their program to others, and 77 percent report that the quality of their professional preparation was very good or good. The Counseling, Development, and Higher Education program received the Outstanding Program Award from the Association of Counselor Educators and Supervisors. This is the highest award bestowed by the American Counseling Association to a counselor education program.

The University of North Texas provides extensive support for the Governor's emphasis on reading and young children. The University, as a member of the Federation of North Texas Area Universities, offers master's and doctoral degrees in reading. The majority of UNT elementary education graduates complete twelve semester credit hours in the teaching of reading, while the state's requirement is three to six hours.

UNT currently offers the Master's of Arts degree in English with a concentration in English as a Second Language. The College of Education is developing a similar track for undergraduates, as well as a bilingual endorsement. A graduate certificate in diversity was developed to increase teachers' ability to deal effectively with the many cultures of Texas school children and their families. This program is offered at the UNT System Center at Dallas.

The University of North Texas is also working to enhance environmental education in the state through a partnership between the University and public schools. The university's Environmental Science program has established the Elm Fork Education Project on UNT's Denton campus in collaboration with the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, various school districts, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. One of the primary goals of the Elm Fork program is to help stimulate children's interest in the sciences. UNT's new Environmental Science Education and Technology building houses the Elm Fork Project, classrooms, laboratories, workshop rooms, an exhibit hall, an outdoor learning center, and a planetarium. The planetarium features sophisticated facilities and equipment to show educational films and conduct demonstrations. This provides many unique learning opportunities for university and public school students, as well as the general public. Each of these facilities will plays a significant role in the state's effort to better educate students and the public on environmental issues.

The North Texas Institute for Educators on the Visual Arts (NTIEVA) located at UNT is another unique program in Texas that assists school teachers to develop innovative techniques to improve reading and problem solving skills. Through a partnership with several foundations and city and state agencies, the Institute trains multi-disciplined teachers to integrate the basics of visual arts into the curriculum, regardless of the subject matter being taught. Significant improvements in student's vocabulary development and reading and writing scores on the TAAS have occurred when participating teachers apply NTIEVA's techniques in their own classrooms.

Several times each year, Chancellor Hurley meets with area superintendents to hear their ideas on how to prepare high-quality teachers. These meetings help the schools learn about the university's programs and activities, and the University learns how to update curricula and requirements in education.

Several University of North Texas colleges and schools sponsor projects that combine faculty expertise and research findings to help Texas citizens improve their quality of life and achieve greater self-sufficiency as individual families. For example, UNT's Healthy Neighborhoods project provides on-site community services to low-income families. In turn, residents agree to volunteer to work in community centers in such activities as after-school programs directed at keeping children in school. Many residents also participate in adult GED training and parent education classes, thus, improving their job-related and parenting skills. UNT's Healthy Neighborhood Project is currently operated in low-income communities throughout the Metroplex. Given additional resources, the project could be expanded to serve other neighborhoods in need of essential on-site services.

The UNT School of Community Service provides numerous programs that promote the health, responsibility, and self-sufficiency of individual families. The Department of Behavior Analysis provides services for autistic children and their families through a collaborative arrangement with the Denton State School and the Connecticut Center for Child Development. The university's autism program uses innovative methods to address performance problems in children. It is one of only a few programs across the nation to use behavioral principles to address behavior problems in children. The Institute for Studies in Addictions trains school teachers to address the needs of children and parents who are addicts. Given additional resources, UNT could provide integrated services to communities that experience substance abuse problems, and could offer on-going services that target specific areas of concern. The Behavioral Assessment and Technology Support System (BATSS) provides behavioral assessment of children with difficult behaviors in public school settings. In addition, teachers and teacher aides are trained to interact differently and/or modify some aspect in the classroom in order to eliminate the student's inappropriate behavior.

Applied Gerontology faculty members are actively involved in developing services for the elderly in the community. The Center for Studies on Aging and the National Academy for Teaching and Learning about Aging has examined transportation issues, health care concerns, social services, and ways that seniors can make meaningful contributions to society. The Senior Volunteers for Childhood Immunization Program proactively addresses immunization needs of poor children in eleven counties across Texas. Coalitions in at least eight other Texas communities have expressed interest in starting these projects.

UNT's Rehabilitation, Social Work, and Addictions programs are nationally renowned for their efforts to prepare human service professionals to enrich and empower the lives of disabled Texans and those who wish to solve their addiction problems.

UNT's Educational Consortium for Volunteerism helps to strengthen the volunteer infrastructure in Texas by offering education and training to volunteer managers; supporting research on volunteerism and disseminating key results to community agencies and organizations; convening volunteer managers for discussions and collaborations; serving as a key access point for university services to community agencies; and promoting service-learning activities in public schools through support and training of teachers.

Several departments at the University have established collaborative programs with the UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth (UNTHSC-FW). These programs are designed to meet the healthcare needs of the Metroplex region and the state. Of particular note is the university's arrangement with the UNTHSC to offer a master's degree in Public Health to meet a critical need for better-qualified health care providers in metropolitan and rural areas of Texas. As part of the same system, the University and the Health Science Center have been able to use their association to enhance communication and efficiencies in implementing joint programs that greatly impact the Metroplex.

UNT awards more than 110 criminal justice degrees in each year. This degree program is available at several off-campus locations, including the UCD in downtown Dallas and the southern Dallas System Center. UNT offers outreach programs that greatly benefit the Texas law enforcement system.

The University of North Texas provides opportunities for public safety officers to upgrade their skills through both degree and non-degree program offerings. The University sponsors a police academy that provides valuable continuing education for police, fire fighters, and emergency caregivers. Over 4,000 Texans have studied at the Academy. The program is especially valuable for reserve police officers and volunteer fire fighters from smaller Texas communities who ordinarily would not have access to such training. In 1997, the Academy broadened its scope of operations and now serves as the host site for a state-mandated training program for individuals convicted of alcohol-related offenses.

UNT faculty works with a wide variety of community agencies and organizations throughout the North Texas region, the state, and beyond, as they seek workable solutions to problems and challenges in the criminal justice system. The faculty provides information and customized research to help agencies more function more effectively. Recent projects have examined the mental health effects of home confinement, predictors of success for pretrial release, and other key issues confronting criminal justice professionals.

The Rehabilitation Neurotherapy Program provides interdisciplinary research and training opportunities for graduate students and professionals for a variety of health care fields and area universities in the clinical application of brainwave biofeedback (neurotherapy) for the treatment of physical and mental disorders, including offenders with addictions.

The UNT Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology aids Texas law enforcement with the identification of human remains, DNA analyses, and forensic expert testimony. The laboratory also provides TCLEOSE certified programs for law enforcement agencies, medical examiners, and public prosecutors throughout Texas. UNT's assistance in identifying human remains and providing forensic services is especially important for the city of Denton and the North Texas area outside Dallas and Fort Worth where few medical examiners are available.

UNT's Institute of Applied Science (IAS) functions as a major part of the institution's efforts to help others conserve the state's natural resources. The University began offering master's and doctoral degrees in Environmental Science in 1995, but the outreach services of the institute have a long history.

The Institute operates a variety of specialized laboratories with capabilities in remote-sensing technology, geographic information systems, environmental chemistry, aquatic toxicology, pesticide ecological risk assessment, environmental modeling, waste management, watershed and reservoir management and protection, and archaeology. These laboratories are designed to create solutions to land and water resource problems. UNT faculty use remote-sensing technology and geographic information systems technology to predict silting rates in the watershed of the Dallas municipal water supply system and to determine the habitat of endangered species for the Texas Nature Conservancy. In addition, attempts to reverse metal contamination of fresh-water aquifers are monitored. The non-point source of air pollution in the El Paso area is also monitored for the Environmental Protection Agency. The Institute works closely with Denton officials on water testing, pollution, recycling, and landfill issues. The two also maintain an extensive web site, ECOPLEX, to provide up-to-date information on the environmental conditions in the Metroplex.

In addition to graduating students with baccalaureate and advanced degrees, the University of North Texas offers Texas citizens numerous opportunities for retraining and enhancing their work and personal skills. For example, the University conducts programs to serve the disabled, people with substance abuse problems, those on workers' compensation who can be rehabilitated to return to work, and others who need to update skills for new workforce opportunities.

UNT's Department of Engineering Technology offers a program in nuclear technology at the Texas Utilities Electric (TUE) Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station. On-site education programs are offered for educators, school administrators, and educational technology specialists in the Plano Independent School District and at sites in Wichita Falls, Dallas, and Fort Worth.

The University has played a significant role in the economic development of the Metroplex through the UNT Center for Economic Development and Research. The Center provides valuable information and analyses to communities, nonprofit agencies, government agencies, and businesses about economic trends and conditions, potential legislation, trade agreements, tax-rate changes, the telecommunication market, the Texas International Speedway, and changes in demographics. UNT has been a key player in attracting new businesses to the North Texas area and has developed partnerships with companies and enterprises in the Alliance Airport corridor that have contributed to the growth of the western side of the Metroplex.

The College of Business Administration offers direct assistance to small businesses in the areas of management and finance. The Department of Business Computer Information Systems provides expert advice on information technology for businesses. The UNT Center for Transportation Studies and faculty in the Colleges of Business Administration, in collaboration with the appropriate transportation agencies and decision makers, have created a new degree program in the state of Texas. In 1997, UNT became the first university in the Metroplex to offer a degree in logistics directed at filling the needs of transportation businesses.

The College of Arts and Sciences Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Work Teams is known internationally for its work in helping multi-sized companies implement more effective and efficient operations. The Department of Materials Science addresses the educational and technological challenges of creating, applying, and characterizing new materials for manufacturing products in the 21^st century.

The University of North Texas has a national reputation for the educational opportunities offered to local, city, and county officials. UNT has educated a large number of city managers in Texas with master's degrees in public administration. According to a recent survey by U.S. News & World Report, the program was ranked as high as eleventh nationally and first in the state of Texas. Other UNT departments offer training programs for volunteers who participate in various community projects. The 1999 Legislature funded the University's Educational Center for Volunteerism. The Center has helped to build partnerships with communities, develop new leaders for volunteer organizations and increase an awareness of the importance of volunteerism.

As Texas' fourth largest university, UNT is a major supplier of workers for local, state, and federal regulatory agencies. UNT provides the state with educated professionals in the fields of auditing, emergency administration and planning, environmental science, finance, industrial chemistry, industrial psychology, insurance, managerial account systems, productions operations management, public funds investment, real estate, rehabilitation services, small business, taxation, and urban sociology. The University's Professional Development Institute offers programs and continuing education opportunities for professionals in the petroleum industry, professional accounting, taxation, insurance, financial management, personal and professional management, and career enhancement and advancement.