You have circumstances like the University of Houston and Texas Southern University, which are virtually across the street from each other. And they've got two separate law schools. Obviously, that's a legacy of a different time. So as we go into the future, does that kind of model make sense?
Over a lifetime, a college graduate earns about $1 million more on average than someone with only a high school diploma.
They are spending an awful lot more money per student than they would if they had 3,500 students. Given the tight state budget, 3,500 is the number is at which you reach certain economies of scale.
We don't have a strategic vision for higher education in Texas. We need to do a careful survey of what we're going to need . . . to accommodate these hundreds of thousands of students we're trying to attract. The kind of laissez-faire system of higher education we've had in the state historically won't get us there.
Achieving widespread college readiness in Texas, which is critical to our social, cultural and economic well-being, will require a sea change in educational practice.
All of these things are possible. We all have the same goals, but we must do it in a way consistent with existing resources.
Are we trying to do too much with limited resources? We want every institution to have an opportunity to be great in regard to its particular mission. That mission may not and probably will not include comprehensive doctoral programs in all cases.
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