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Choice as ‘Next Generation University’ recognizes growth and excellence
When it comes to defining a new era in higher education, UT Arlington is among the nation’s elite.
The University is one of six institutions nationwide to be named a “Next Generation University” in a study published by the New America Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on public policy issues. The foundation created the list to recognize universities that are “models for national reform” and are committed to world-class research while increasing enrollment and graduation rates as state funding diminishes.
The selection follows a period of significant enrollment growth and rising academic and research achievements. Spring 2013 enrollment reached a record 33,790 and has increased 35 percent in the past five years. The University conferred more than 9,400 degrees in the 2012–13 academic year and awarded more than 4,500 in May alone.
Based on analyses of federal education data, site visits, and interviews with UT Arlington leaders, the report lauds the University’s use of online courses to attract students, specifically citing the College of Nursing.
“Thanks to the online operations, UT Arlington now operates the nation’s largest public university nursing school, with thousands of registered nurses who have two-year degrees streaming into the institution’s bachelor’s degree program,” states the report, which was funded by a grant from the Lumina Foundation.
Its authors include higher education strategists and an editor-at-large for The Chronicle of Higher Education. Other “Next Generation Universities” are Arizona State University, the University of Buffalo, the University of Central Florida, Georgia State University, and the University of California, Riverside.
