2007 Centennial Commission Update
PreK-16 Educational Collaboration
Recommendation – “Solicit business community input on the needs of graduates of teacher preparation programs.”
UTEP has partnered with global business solutions provider, Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP) in designing a new initiative to respond to the need for more and better prepared math and science teachers. Known as the Math and Science Teachers (MaST) Academy, this innovative program has received a $600,000 gift from ADP to support the establishment of the academy and create the ADP MaST Scholars and ADP MaST Mentor Teachers programs. The academy is led by UTEP’s College of Science in partnership with the College of Education and area school districts. Students attend professional development seminars and work with mentor teachers, and must participate in a 15-week field experience in high school classrooms. Selected ADP MaST Mentor Teachers receive stipends and professional development support to gain up-to-date teaching skills.
Recommendation – “Promote and market the bilingual environment in the El Paso area as an opportunity to recruit and prepare bilingual teachers from across Texas and the nation.”
UTEP’s College of Education hosted its 14th Annual “Bilingual Educators Emphasizing and Mastering Standards” (BEEMS) Conference in March. With a theme of “Leading English Learners to Success,” this year’s conference featured internationally known experts in English as a Second Language and bilingual education. The Conference has consistently brought to the UTEP campus more than 900 educators, administrators, parents and bilingual-education advocates from throughout the United States and Mexico. This year’s conference also featured a one-day binational education summit organized by the Hispanics for Opportunity Progress Education (HOPE), a nonprofit public policy group. The focus of the summit was on two key education policy issues: improving teacher knowledge, skills and performance, and improving literacy among elementary students, with the intention of beginning to develop policies that improve knowledge and resource sharing across the border.
Undergraduate Education
Recommendation – “To attract students who work and have families (as is the case with many university stop-outs in El Paso), the committee recommends the development of courses and eventually entire programs that can be completed without disrupting students’ other life commitments. For example, short compressed courses …”
Criminal Justice is one of the most sought-after degrees at UTEP, and many CJ majors are concurrently employed full time in law enforcement. To meet their needs, the Departments of Criminal Justice and Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) have worked together to develop an accelerated Criminal Justice degree plan. Courses are offered for credit through PACE and taught by faculty from the Department of Criminal Justice. The courses are offered in a mini-mester—rather than a semester-long—format, with intensive classes taught over an abbreviated period of weeks. Although the accelerated degree program is geared toward members of the police force and others already working in law enforcement, it is open to all interested students as well.
Another curriculum innovation, the Bachelor’s in Multidisciplinary Studies degree, has proved its value to many UTEP students, especially those whose personal and employment responsibilities have fragmented their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree. By re-packaging their previous academic work, often completed at other institutions, students discover that they are far closer to completing a degree at UTEP than they expected. Since its establishment in June 2006, 170 students have already graduated with BMS degrees, and 270 students were registered as BMS majors in spring 2007.
Graduate and Professional Development Programs
Recommendation – “Develop model programs to encourage Mexican-Americans and other minority students to pursue graduate education.”
UTEP’s Cooperative Pharmacy program, distinguished nationally by its majority-Hispanic student population, has partnered with UT Austin in a $2 million grant to establish the nation’s only Hispanic Center of Excellence in Pharmacy. Awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the grant seeks to help Hispanic students succeed in medical fields and increase the number of Hispanic faculty in biomedical and health sciences at U.S. colleges and universities. The center addresses the issue of underrepresentation of Hispanic enrollment in Pharmacy programs through a focus on student success, faculty excellence, and cultural competency. Initiatives include a four-week summer program for early admission students, more active advising and recruiting from area high schools, mentors for Hispanic faculty, faculty/student research, a Spanish for Pharmacists course, a community service learning experience for advanced pharmacy students, and a support program for pre-pharmacy students who are transitioning to pharmacy school.
Recommendation – “Establish a culture of dynamic creativity and flexibility in the provision of advanced educational opportunities, including integrating professional and graduate education, providing licensure and other professional certifications and training, and experimenting with non-traditional course timing and delivery formulas.”
UTEP introduced a program that will prepare students for careers in intelligence analysis in federal agencies, corporations and non-governmental organizations. The Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence is funded by an initial grant of $500,000 from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The program includes graduate and undergraduate studies, as well as a four-week summer program for high school students. At the undergraduate level, a certificate in Intelligence and National Security, requiring 18 semester hours, will be offered. Graduate students can earn a graduate certificate in homeland security that is being offered for the first time in fall 2007. A graduate certificate and master’s program in intelligence and national security will be developed in the near future.
Health Professions Education/Health and Biomedical Research
Recommendation: UTEP should support the implementation of the four-year medical school at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center-El Paso.
UTEP has been working closely for the past year with the leadership of the newly established Texas Tech four-year medical school in El Paso to help them achieve their goal of enrolling an initial student cohort in 2009. To that end, UTEP employed a distinguished physician-researcher to serve as the University’s day-to-day liaison to the TT-El Paso medical school. Three draft MOU documents have been completed and presented to Texas Tech for review: a joint Institutional Review Board (IRB) to facilitate collaborations between UTEP and TT faculty researchers; and MOU’s for joint and adjunct faculty appointments at the two institutions. In addition, the director of UTEP’s Medical Professions Institute has completed a draft of a grant proposal for a cooperative UTEP/TT Early Medical School Admissions program for talented high school graduates in El Paso County who would complete their pre-med preparation at UTEP. Biomedical and health sciences faculty and administrators at UTEP have also participated actively in TT’s faculty recruitment efforts during the past year by hosting candidates on the UTEP campus and socially, and have met with current TT faculty to explore opportunities for research synergies and collaborations, including coordination of scientific equipment acquisitions and joint pursuit of external grant funding.
U.S.-Mexico Border and International Programs
Recommendation – “UTEP should develop new models based on relationships with nearby Mexican and other international institutions so that increased numbers of students and faculty may participate and other collaborative activities can be developed.”
SABEMOS (Science Across Borders for Educators in Mexico to promote Outstanding Schools), is a joint, bi-national collaborative project between the University of Texas at El Paso and the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM). Established this past September, the project is funded by a grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development through the TIES (U.S.-Mexico Training, Internships, Exchanges, and Scholarships) Program. The goal of this innovative partnership is to develop the skills of SABEMOS Scholars in science/literacy education. Twelve full scholarships will be awarded to teachers in the State of Chihuahua, enabling them to earn Master’s degrees through study at UTEP and ITESM. These scholars will then each be assigned 10 teachers who work in remote rural/indigenous communities in Mexico, enabling them to advance their professional development and impact the education of thousands of children.
An earlier TIES grant to UTEP supports the U.S.-Mexican Partnership for the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Control of Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases: Training, Research and Community Outreach. The partnership program between UTEP and the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (UACJ) is focused on building Mexico’s capacity to prevent, diagnose and control tuberculosis. Grant funding provided seven full scholarship awards to students in Ciudad Juárez to obtain their Master’s degrees in Health Promotion at UTEP. Short-term training for current faculty and bi-national workshops in TB prevention and control have also been offered.
Regional Economic Development
Recommendation – “Partner with key space and defense security industries in research and outreach.”
Following a highly competitive proposal process, The University of Texas at El Paso was selected as a member of a consortium of research organizations and universities to manage the Army’s High Performance Computer Research Center. The consortium, which was awarded a contract valued at $215 million by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, also includes High Performance Technologies, Inc., NASA Ames Research Center, Stanford University, NMSU, and Morgan State University. The program will focus on several research areas, including lightweight combat systems survivability, computational nanotechnologies and biosciences, battlefield network and information sciences, advanced algorithmic development and other high-performance computing technologies. UTEP will benefit with increased student research activities, new high-performance computing systems, and the support of research collaborations.
Recommendation – “Support a proactive collaboration that facilitates the creation of value-added jobs through sustaining and expanding current business enterprises by providing information on key business trends nationally and internationally.”
The Institute for Policy and Economic Development (IPED) at UTEP launched an online tool designed to show job and industry growth in the Paso del Norte region. The Paso del Norte Industry Cluster Project, as the Web tool is known, helps individuals and businesses access information about current and forecast job market conditions in the region. The result of research conducted by IPED, the tool is offered online as a resource for business developers, public administration planners, and other professionals. It provides information on jobs throughout the region, including El Paso, Las Cruces, Juárez, Doña Ana County, southern New Mexico and the upper Rio Grande area. Users are able to find the number of jobs that are expected for a specific industry up to the year 2015, and search specific jobs or job categories to determine average entry-level wages and average overall wages and to compare those averages with national averages for the same jobs. Area residents will benefit from training programs refined by the Upper Rio Grande @ Work System to match expected critical skills and better placement into in-demand industries. Numerous economic development groups are benefiting from the research results, including both Desarollo Económico de Ciudad Juárez and Plan Estratégico de Ciudad Juárez. In June, this Paso del Norte Industry Cluster Project received a national award for excellence in policy analysis and research by the Council for Community and Economic Research.
El Paso’s Quality of Life
Recommendation – “Schedule competition in all sports programs with Top 25 teams as well as with the following regional teams—University of NM, NMSU, BYU, Baylor, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, UT Austin, U of A, and Arizona State.”
UTEP has entered into an agreement with The University of Texas at Austin for two games to be played during the 2008 and 2009 football seasons. UTEP will host UT Austin at the Sun Bowl for the first match-up, tentatively scheduled for September 6, 2008. The Miners will travel to Austin for the second game, set for September 26, 2009, to play at Texas Stadium. The 2008 game should bring major benefits to the University of Texas at El Paso: the Athletic Department anticipates a record-breaking Sun Bowl crowd for this premium game, and both UTEP and the City of El Paso will receive national exposure through print media and live television coverage. In addition, the UT System Chancellor’s Council has announced plans to hold a meeting in El Paso in conjunction with this long-awaited intra-UT System football competition. The visibility UTEP will derive from both games will serve as a valuable recruiting tool for the coaching staffs in all UTEP sports.
UTEP’s Neighborhood
Recommendation – “Collaborate with the Texas Department of Transportation and the City of El Paso on arterial and interstate access to the areas.”
The first segment of a Surface Transportation Program Project submitted to the Texas Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Planning Organization last year has been approved. This project provides for the development of a loop road around campus, which will benefit both UTEP and the nearby hospital district. The new section of Sun Bowl Drive completed last August provides an excellent example of a loop road’s potential to increase safety and attractiveness of the campus and the surrounding neighborhood. In addition, UTEP continues to work with TXDOT on improved access to I-10 and links to Loop 375. The proposed link to Loop 375 would provide an alternative route to I-10 for students traveling from El Paso’s far east and Mission Valley areas to the UTEP campus.
Recommendation – “Develop and implement a Transportation Plan addressing parking, transit, pedestrians, and campus links within the Integrated Campus and Expanded University/Neighborhood District.”
UTEP has contracted with a shuttle bus company, which has operations on college campuses across the country, to provide Miner Metro bus service to UTEP students, faculty and staff. New and larger buses will begin operating in spring 2008, and two new bus routes have already been implemented. The first provides service to the north side of campus, running along Sun Bowl Drive with a stop at University Avenue and Oregon Street near the Hilton Garden Inn. The second route circles the entire perimeter of the main campus, providing stops closer to the Academic Services Building and the Library. Moving the routes to the campus perimeter improves the flow and safety of pedestrian traffic in the main campus walkways and provides for more efficient operating schedules. Students no longer have to cross Sun Bowl Drive at University Avenue, which eases traffic congestion exiting I-10 at Schuster. The clockwise direction of the routes, utilizing mostly right-hand turns, provide for greater passenger safety. Connecting points are marked for those who wish to transfer from one route to another. In addition to these new routes, the university continues to offer a shuttle run, instituted last year, from Rim Road and Hawthorne Street to Arizona Avenue and Campbell Street for students who take classes at both the main campus and the College of Health Sciences/School of Nursing.
UTEP’s Image
Recommendation – “UTEP should develop a clear and consistent message that encapsulates its vision, mission, and key goals. This message should be communicated through integrated marketing.”
A good example of integrated marketing occurred in conjunction with the recent space flight of UTEP Distinguished Alumnus and NASA astronaut John “Danny” Olivas. During Danny’s launch and ride on the International Space Station, UTEP transformed the Mine Shaft in the Union into “Miner Mission Control.” Miners of all ages stopped by to cheer on Danny as he proudly unfurled his UTEP flag, wore his UTEP shirt and awakened to the Miner fight song on the Space Station, and signaled the Miner pick to us during his spacewalk. Once back on earth, Danny spent several days visiting UTEP and the elementary, middle and high schools that he attended in El Paso; while at UTEP he was honored at the annual Minerpalooza celebration, in a campus parade and during halftime ceremonies at the UTEP-UNM football game. The overall marketing theme for the entire visit was to impress upon El Paso youth and their families the importance of pursuing higher education, with special emphasis on the fields of engineering, math, and science. The visit was supported by a website dedicated to Danny, which includes a page highlighting some of the other UTEP graduates who are an important part of the U.S. space program….“from engineers to computer scientists…dozens of talented UTEP alumni have gone on to successful careers at NASA.” University Communications also supported media attendance at a number of Danny’s public appearances and coordinated a media availability which resulted in extensive coverage of his visit in both print and television.
Alumni Relations
Recommendation – “The University must continue to develop innovative ways of communicating with its alumni. In addition to getting involved for individual and/or social connections, today’s alumni expect the University to focus on lifelong learning opportunities, health and fitness interests, and family issues. The committee also recognizes the growing impact of the Internet and other virtual services on how we serve, support, and communicate with alumni, students, friends, donors, and funding sources. Thus, current communication strategies (e.g., postcards, NOVA, Horizons, e-mails, etc.) must be continually reviewed to ensure that they are the best means to communicate with all constituencies. In addition, pioneering educational programs should be considered such as an alumni college (e.g., development of lifelong learning projects by partnering groups such as the Alumni Relations Office, the Alumni Association, the Professional and Continuing Education Office, and Career Services.) The committee believes that future success in engaging and involving alumni hinges on the University’s ability to communicate with and serve students and alumni with diverse interests, needs, and backgrounds.”
The Alumni Relations Office (ARO) has taken a number of steps to engage UTEP alumni in campus activities. The office is utilizing more frequent email blasts and e-letters to get the word out to alumni and friends about UTEP news and events. On behalf of the UTEP Alumni Association, the ARO is working in partnership with Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) to offer discounts to Alumni Association members. The ARO is looking at new ways to take advantage of the PACE course catalog to highlight the Alumni Association, the benefits of membership, and the role the Association plays in supporting the University. In conjunction with Career Services, the ARO has highlighted the online career mentoring program, and alumni are being asked to volunteer as mentors to students and recent graduates in their fields. Establishment of a Parents Association, to build closer ties to the parents of our students, is also being explored. The ARO has received initial approval to create a Membership and Marketing position, which will be responsible for promoting the Alumni Association, its role in supporting the university, and the benefits of membership.