Dear Alum,

A college education will always be a good investment. Beyond the intangible benefits, it helps you land a good job, advance in your career and earn more money over your lifetime. It may soon be key for survival in the job market. Some estimates show that by 2020, 65 percent of jobs will require some form of college education.

Public universities are the backbone of a college-educated workforce, educating a majority of students, providing an affordable education and creating opportunities for people from all walks of life.

We exist because of the public and to serve the public.

As a public university, we understand our role in helping the state to operate within its means and to be a good steward of the public's resources. We are focused on careful fiscal management and investing in strategic initiatives to meet the needs of our students and industry in a rapidly changing world. For instance, in the past few years, we've launched a new biomedical engineering program -- one of the fastest-growing areas in engineering -- and a new 11-month M.B.A. program that cuts the typical time it takes to earn an M.B.A. by more than half.

We can do this, in part, because the state has maintained a stable source of funding for higher education. It has made a difference. We've made significant progress with high-impact hires, more programs ranked in the Top 100, and a growing number of graduate students earning UNT degrees. Together, this led to our designation as a Carnegie-ranked top-tier research university. We were one of four institutions in Texas elevated to Tier One status, which is unheralded in the country and is tied to the investments the state has made in its emerging research universities.

As this legislative session continues, we are hopeful for a positive outcome that will allow us and our higher education peers to continue our momentum and build on our success.

UNT Proud,
Neal Smatresk
President
@UNTPrez