UT Austin: State of the University 2019

[View this email in a web page]( [The University of Texas at Austin Office of the President]( [UT Austin Campus and Tower] Dear Longhorns, Yesterday, I delivered my annual [State of the University address](. The speech highlighted accomplishments from the past decade at UT, while looking ahead to our next 10 years. I announced the formation of the [Council for TEXAS Impact]( which will bring together faculty members, along with students, staff members and alumni, to think deeply about the future and identify key areas where UT can have the most impact on Texas, the nation and the world. I discussed how the university is approaching the housing challenges many UT students face in Austin. We will soon begin working with an experienced consulting firm to conduct a study of student housing. And their recommendations will inform our plans with the eventual goal of being able to offer university housing to all first-year undergraduate students. I also reflected on the leadership of Chairman Kevin Eltife and the UT System Board of Regents, who in July established a $160 million endowment to expand financial aid for middle- and low-income UT Austin students as part of the [Texas Advance Commitment](. This is a major step forward for affordability and access in Texas. Further, with the support of our alumni, we have now established the [Texas Challenge]( — a $50 million matching gift program to increase the Regents’ commitment. And I introduced [Honor Texas]( a new initiative designed to sharpen our focus on ethical conduct. In the coming months, we will hold ethics and leadership discussions on campus and circulate a campus-wide survey. My hope is that every unit on campus has meaningful conversations about ethical conduct and expectations. On Saturday night, Longhorn Football will take on Oklahoma State at DKR to kick off Big XII play. I can’t wait to see the team in action at home again, just two weeks after a hard-fought game against LSU that captured national attention. Finally, as a reminder, we will be holding a naming ceremony at the William C. Powers, Jr. Student Activity Center at 6 p.m. on Friday in honor of President Bill Powers. I hope to see you there. The state of our university is a reflection of an extraordinary Longhorn community that spans every region in Texas and is present in towns and cities the world over. I couldn’t be prouder to be your president and serve this remarkable university. Sincerely, [President Fenves Signature] Gregory L. Fenves President [twitter icon]( [@gregfenves]( [The University of Texas at Austin]( [Contact Us](mailto:president@utexas.edu?subject=Message from the President) | [Unsubscribe from similar email communications]( The University of Texas at Austin 110 Inner Campus Drive, Stop G3400 Austin, Texas 78712-3400 © 2019 The University of Texas at Austin