Fenves: Better housing, more scholarships in UT's future

In the decade since Gregory L. Fenves joined the University of Texas as a dean, the college has improved its graduation rate, built a medical school and slowly but surely improved its football team.

On Wednesday, now-UT President Fenves touted these accomplishments and more during his annual State of the University address. While the last 10 years have seen the campus grow in academic and extracurricular excellence, there's more to be done, Fenves said, including facing the challenges that come with being in a rapidly expanding city.

Finding affordable housing close to campus is becoming more difficult as Austin grows and businesses move in. UT currently has about 7,400 spaces on campus for more than 50,000 students, a ratio that worked when Austin was an affordable college and government town, but it now means many students are forced to find housing far from campus.

"It's clear that we need to take action to make university housing more widely available," Fenves said in his address Wednesday. "But this isn't a problem that we can solve quickly. It will require careful planning."

UT soon will begin working with a consulting firm to study student housing. Eventually, Fenves said, the goal is to offer university housing to all first-year undergraduate students — about 9,000 spaces. 

In the meantime, the university is working on getting 700 new spaces at the 2400 Nueces apartment building ready for fall 2020, and University Housing and Dining is planning a replacement for the old Creekside Residence Hall, which could add at least 600 new spaces.

"If a student can't afford to live in Austin, that's a barrier to success," Fenves said. "And as a university with a history of denying equitable access to qualified students, it's our responsibility not to build barriers, but opportunities for students from all backgrounds."

Earlier this summer, in another effort to remove barriers, UT announced that starting next fall it would completely cover the tuition of students whose families earn $65,000 or less a year. On Wednesday, Fenves announced a new $50 million matching gift program, dubbed the Texas Challenge, to further increase financial aid for students.

"Every dollar our alumni and friends contribute will go directly to student scholarships, helping to reduce educational costs for highly qualified UT students with financial need," Fenves said.

While Fenves touched on the many accolades and programs UT has acquired in recent years, including a supercomputer and a partnership with the U.S. Army Futures Command, he also addressed the recent scandals that have put UT in national headlines. 

Earlier this year, UT men's tennis coach Michael Center was fired after federal authorities charged him in connection with the nation's largest-ever college admissions scandal. And last week, a UT audit revealed a former law school employee's fraud scheme cost the college nearly $1.6 million.

"These lapses by individuals compromised our ability, as an institution, to carry out our mission," Fenves said. "And in doing so, undermined the public trust."

On Monday, Fenves announced a new initiative, Honor Texas, which will focus on starting robust conversations about ethical conduct among university faculty and staff. The Honor Texas program encourages faculty to act with integrity, honesty, trust, fairness and respect. Part of those values is shining a light on misconduct, according to the Honor Texas website. Fenves said there is not a timeline to the initiative, and that it’s going to be a continuous effort to change the culture of the university.

"There is only one way to make progress in this area," Fenves said. "It begins with dialogue and a commitment to improve. And then, an understanding of accountability can take hold within each individual."

Fenves spoke to a crowd of about 200 people at the B. Iden Payne Theatre for less than an hour Wednesday, before ending with a call to action. The newly formed Council for TEXAS impact will be tasked with thinking deeply about the future and identifying key areas where UT can have the most impact on Texas, the nation and the world, Fenves said. A key part of that will be hearing from the campus community at a series of forums held in the coming months.

"I want you to bring your boldest ideas," Fenves said. "I want to hear your voices."