Governor signs UNT-Dallas bill

Gov. Rick Perry was at the UNT System Center at Dallas May 8 to sign legislation statutorily establishing the University of North Texas at Dallas.

The UNT-Dallas bill, passed unanimously by both the House and Senate, took immediate effect. Under the law, as soon as the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board certifies that UNT System Center at Dallas enrollment has reached 2,500 full-time equivalent students for one semester, UNT-Dallas can begin offering courses and granting degrees. In the meantime, the System Center will continue to offer courses leading to UNT degrees and certificates. Current System Center enrollment is 575 students.

"We deeply appreciate Gov. Perry's endorsement and we are honored that he selected our System Center as the place to sign this bill into law," says UNT System Chancellor Alfred F. Hurley. "His signature capped the excellent work of the bipartisan coalitions of UNT supporters in the House and Senate that will enable our new university to come to life."

Hurley gives special thanks to Sen. Royce West of Dallas and Rep. Jesse Jones (District 110), who guided the bill to unanimous passage respectively in the Senate (March 28) and in the House (April 19).

"Sen. West and Rep. Jones are to be congratulated for their leadership in laying the groundwork for this opportunity to plan properly the development of this critically important response to the higher education needs of southern Dallas County and Ellis County," Hurley says.

The House Bill was co sponsored by Representatives Tony Goolsby (District 102), Helen Giddings (District 109), Terri Hodge (District 100), Myra Crownover (District 64) and Kenny Marchant (District 99).

West has actively championed the case for a public university in southern Dallas since he introduced the idea for a feasibility study in the 75th Legislative Session during the spring of 1997.

West and the Southern Dallas County Higher Education Feasibility Study Task Force selected UNT in September 1998 to be the educational partner in addressing the public university needs of southern Dallas.

Upper-division and graduate courses have been offered since January 2000 at the 78,239-square-foot System Center facility.

The effort to establish the System Center has been supported during the interim through an initial state appropriation of $4.2 million. And in February of this year, UNT achieved one more milestone toward establishing a full university in Dallas when area business and civic leaders met the community goal of raising $2.6 million in private contributions to supplement the legislative appropriation.

BY RODDY WOLPER rwolper@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• Pohl says thank you for inauguration, festivities
• Regents approve admissions policy modifications
• Goven named interim vice provost for research
• Tornado season: Keeping an eye on the sky
• McTee receives Guggenheim Fellowship to write symphony
• TAMS student to participate in Presidential Classroom
• Elm Fork Explorer's Camp registration deadline nearing
• Totten receives Dewey Medal from ALA
• Staff awards presented

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