Tier one, tier one, tier one

Over the past few semesters, all the talk among administrators is about the importance of UTEP reaching Tier-one status. While I know it is an important step for the university, the talk of becoming a tier-one university is getting out of hand.

University officials took the discussion to another level when they claimed that the opening of the new UTEP Tech Store was one more step in achieving Tier-one status. Although it is cool to have a tech store on campus, I'm not really convinced this would even play a factor in becoming a tier-one university.

While UTEP and the seven other emerging universities in the state hope the Texas Legislation will lower the requirements to reach Tier-one status, as of right now, we still are way behind. One of the biggest challenges UTEP is facing is reaching the number of Ph.D.s awarded annually. The requirements right now is 200 for Tier-one status, but according to an official UT El Paso document in 2007-2008 the university only graduated 35 Ph.D.s.

This is just one criteria that UTEP needs to meet, others include a certain amount of research funds universities must get annually, which is almost double of what we get. According to the same document, in 2007-2008 UTEP's total research expenditures were $47.9 million with a projected number of $55 million in 2010. In order to achieve the goal for tier one, UTEP would need to get $100 million. Also, graduation rates play a factor in reaching tier one, and as a commuter school we are behind in that category too.

I just hope the university doesn't forget about the current students that won't be here when the university does reach Tier-one status. While university officials say the tuition increases UTEP has seen in the past couple of years are not very big, they must remember that El Paso is a relatively poor community and while it may seem minimal to some people here, it is not for a majority of the students.

The new student health center and the construction of the College of Health Sciences/School of Nursing Building are important parts of reaching tier-one, the university needs to take a step back and not reach so far as to claim the tech store is a giant leap in the journey to tier one.

UTEP hopes of becoming a tier-one university seems to be in the best interest of the students, but I and many other students are getting sick hearing about it. UTEP is a long way away for reaching tier one and not everything that happens on campus should be used as an example of UTEP reaching it.

Let me know what your thoughts are on reaching tier one. Are you sick hearing about tier one everyday or do you believe that this subject should be in the spotlight. Send your comment to prospector.utep.edu.

Aaron Martinez may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.