University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Last updated
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
UT Rio Grande Valley seal.svg
Former names
Texas Southmost College (1930–1995)
Edinburg College (1932–1952)
Pan American College (1952–1971)
Pan American University (1971–1989)
Pan American University at Brownsville (1988–1989)
University of Texas Pan American (1989–2015)
University of Texas Pan American at Brownsville (1989–1991)
University of Texas at Brownsville (1991–2016) [1]
MottoDisciplina Praesidium Civitatis (Latin)
Motto in English
"The cultivated mind is the guardian genius of democracy" [2]
Type Public research university
EstablishedJune 14, 2013 (as UTRGV)
Parent institution
University of Texas System
Accreditation SACS
Academic affiliation
Endowment $103.771 million (2020) [3]
President Guy Bailey
Provost Luis H. Zayas
Academic staff
1,239 (Fall 2015) [4]
Administrative staff
1,338 (2015) [5]
Students32,419 (Fall 2021) [4]
Undergraduates 27,124 (Fall 2021) [4]
Postgraduates 5,073 (Fall 2021) [4]
Location, ,
United States

26°18′16″N98°10′27″W / 26.304551°N 98.174165°W / 26.304551; -98.174165
CampusMidsize City, 665 acres (2.69 km2)
Other campsuses
NewspaperThe Rider
Colors   Orange
  Gray [6]
Nickname Vaqueros
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division IWAC (FCS, starting in 2025)
Mascot Vaqueros
Website www.utrgv.edu
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley logo.svg

The University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is a public research university with multiple campuses throughout the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas. It is the southernmost member of the University of Texas System. The University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 after the consolidation of the University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College and the University of Texas–Pan American. [7]

Contents

In the fall of 2019 the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley enrolled 29,619 students, making it the ninth-largest university in the state of Texas and the fourth largest (student enrollment) academic institution in the University of Texas system. In 2018, UTRGV was also one of the largest universities in the U.S. to have a majority Hispanic student population; 89.2% [8] of its students are Hispanic, virtually all of them Mexican Americans. [9]

It is classified in 2020 among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". [10]

History

On December 6, 2012, the University of Texas System Board of Regents approved a proposal to merge, eliminating both the University of Texas–Pan American and the University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College. This led to the creation of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The new institution was planned to include a medical school and have access to the Texas Permanent University Fund (PUF). [11] Texas Governor Rick Perry signed SB 24 [12] into law, approving the creation of the new university in June 2013. In December 2013, the UT System Board of Regents voted to name the new institution the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV).

Guy Bailey was selected as the founding university president. [13] Bailey, in turn, selected Havidan Rodriguez as the founding Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs (EVPAA) and Janna Arney as Deputy President. [14] In late August 2017, Rodriguez resigned his position as provost/EVPAA to become the 20th president of the University at Albany, SUNY. [15] After his resignation was approved, Bailey appointed Patricia Alvarez McHatton as the interim provost and vice president for academic affairs.

In November 2014, the UT System Board of Regents approved the "Vaqueros" as the athletic nickname for University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. They also approved the official colors of blue, green, and orange. [16]

The university officially opened on August 31, 2015, with UT System chancellor Bill McRaven, U.S. Representative Rubén Hinojosa and Texas State Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa attending the flag-raising ceremony. [17] McRaven said, "One hundred years from now, Texas will look back and say that this day changed Texas forever." [17]

To honor the largest donation in the history of higher education in the Rio Grande Valley, the College of Business and Entrepreneurship was named Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship. Robert C. Vackar, CEO of Bert Ogden Auto Group, donated $15 million in the form of an endowment to the college. [18]

Campuses and buildings

The university's property totals 550 acres. UTRGV owns 105 buildings; the properties include:

Students and employees with dependent children may live in the Village Apartments in the Edinburg Campus or the Casa Bella Apartments on the Brownsville campus. [19] The Village Apartments is zoned to [20] the following Edinburg CISD schools: De La Viña Elementary School, [21] B. L. Garza Middle School, [22] and Edinburg North High School. [23]

Academics

Rankings

Academic rankings
National
Forbes [24] 458
U.S. News & World Report [25] 227 (tie)
Global
THE [26] 1201-1500
U.S. News & World Report [27] 745 (tie)

UTRGV offers 64 bachelor's, 49 master's, and 4 doctoral programs (in addition to 2 cooperative doctoral programs). [28] For the academic year 2015–2016, 92.7% of enrolled students came from the Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy counties. The ethnic enrollment is 89.2% Hispanic (Fall 2017). [8]

In 2017, Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education magazine ranked UTRGV 3rd in the country in awarding bachelor's degrees to Hispanic students. [29]

Financial aid

In 2017, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley was ranked No. 6 (out of 56 Texas universities) for lowest student loan debt in the state of Texas. [30]

Colleges and schools

Eleven colleges and schools formed the academic foundation for UTRGV, including: [31]

UTRGV College/School founding
College/school
Year founded

School of Medicine
2015
College of Medicine and Health Affairs*
2016
College of Health Affairs
2015
College of Sciences
2015
College of Liberal Arts
2015
College of Fine Arts
2015
College of Engineering and Computer Science
2015
Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship [18]
2015
College of Education and P-16 Integration
2015
Honors College
2015
Graduate College
2015
University College
2015

Academic accreditation

UTRGV inherited the academic accreditation of its legacy institutions. [32] The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. [33]

UTRGV was notified on December 6, 2016 that it was being placed on a 12-month probation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). The probation came about because of the complexity of a transition that involved the separation of UTB/TSC, the separate accreditation of TSC, and the formation of UTRGV. The probation-removal decision by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees was announced in December 2017, [34] and the SACSCOC Board of Trustees on December 11, 2017 announced that it had removed the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley from probationary status. This decision was based on the university successfully addressing the Statewide Single Audit for FY 2017 conducted by the Texas State Auditor's Office. [35]

The UTRGV School of Medicine received preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education in October 2016. [36] In May 2016, the School of Medicine received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to offer a medical residency program in psychiatry. [37]

Proposed expansions

Legislation to establish a law school in UTRGV was introduced by representative Eddie Lucio III in November 2014 but did not pass in the Texas Senate. [38] On May 21, 2019, the Texas House of Representatives approved House Bill 103 during the 86th Legislative Session, whose author was Representative Armando Martinez; it calls for the establishment of a public law school in the Rio Grande Valley. [39]

Student life

Student body composition as of May 2, 2022
Race and ethnicity [40] Total
Hispanic 93%93
 
White 2%2
 
Foreign national 2%2
 
Asian 1%1
 
Other [lower-alpha 1] 1%1
 
Economic diversity
Low-income [lower-alpha 2] 69%69
 
Affluent [lower-alpha 3] 31%31
 

Athletics

The merged university inherited UTPA's Division I membership; most of the athletic facilities are located in Edinburg. They have membership with the Western Athletic Conference.

On November 19, 2016, the UTRGV Women's Volleyball Team defeated the Utah Valley Women's Volleyball team, making them the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Volleyball Champions of 2016. [41]

Mascot

The choice of a new university nickname was met with some contention from members of the communities of the two merged schools. [42] UTPA supporters, the larger of the two merged schools, argued for keeping the UTPA nickname, Broncs, while UTB supporters wanted a nickname new to both merged schools. UTPA Alumnus Alex Del Barrio created a petition to "Say No To Vaqueros" that garnered over 11,000 signatures after the announcement was made. [43] Several local city councils also passed resolutions in support of one option or the other. [42] President Guy Bailey recommended a new nickname, Vaqueros, to the University of Texas System Board of Regents on November 5, 2014. [44] The suggestion for Vaquero was inspired by the UTPA student Studio Art projects, where the Toro and Vaquero were the most popular projects. [45]

Bailey also recommended school's athletic colors be UT System orange, green (formerly the secondary color of UTPA), and blue (formerly the secondary color of UTB). [44]

The announcement to the decision generated a swift and mainly negative reaction from some UTPA supporters on social media. These supporters, displeased that the Broncs was being moved to the wayside, determined the name was culturally insensitive, racist, and sexist. [46] [47] Nevertheless, the UT System Board of Regents approved the recommendation the following day, [48] making Vaqueros the fifth NCAA Division I nickname that is a Spanish language word after the Cal State Northridge Matadors, UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, San Diego Toreros, and New Mexico Lobos. Bailey considered the decision "final" following the approval by the board of regents. [49] About 500 students protested against the Vaquero mascot on the UTPA campus on 13 November 2014. [50] A petition calling for Bailey's immediate resignation garnered more than 700 signatures. [51] Articles of impeachment were filed against the Student Government President Alberto Adame and Vice President Carla "Fernanda" Pena by Jonathan Lee Salinas (Senator at Large '14–'15) partly for their roles in the mascot committee, though the impeachment process was ended due to insufficient evidence. Following the protests, the UT System issued a press release supporting the "Vaquero" decision. [52]

At the height of the controversy in November 2014, Texas legislator Terry Canales suggested he was considering filing a bill requiring UTRGV to abandon the Vaquero nickname. [49] Canales submitted HB901 in January 2015. [53] If passed, the legislation would require UTRGV to hold a student election for the athletics nickname, with "Broncs" and "Ocelots" on the ballot.

The mascot design was revealed in February 2015. [54] The logo features an orange faced rider in green on a navy blue and green horse. The logo features an outline of Texas in the negative space between the legs of the horse. [55] [56]

In June 2019 the new design for the Vaquero mascot was revealed. The new costumed version was voted on and created by UTRGV students. [57]

Notable alumni (including UTPA and UTB/TSC)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edinburg, Texas</span> City in Texas, United States

Edinburg is a city in and the county seat of Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 100,243 at the 2020 census, and in 2022, its estimated population was 104,294, making it the second-largest city in Hidalgo County, and the third-largest city in the larger Rio Grande Valley region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Texas System</span> Public university system in Texas

The University of Texas System is a public university system in the U.S. state of Texas. It includes nine universities and five independent health institutions. The UT System is headquartered in Downtown Austin. It is the largest university system in Texas with 250,000+ enrolled students, 21,000+ employed faculty, 83,000+ health care professionals, researchers and support staff. The UT System's $42.7 billion endowment is the largest of any public university system in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southland Conference</span> American collegiate athletic conference

The Southland Conference, abbreviated as SLC, is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The Southland sponsors 18 sports, 10 for women and eight for men, and is governed by a presidential Board of Directors and an Advisory Council of athletic and academic administrators. Chris Grant became the Southland's seventh commissioner on April 5, 2022. From 1996 to 2002, for football only, the Southland Conference was known as the Southland Football League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Texas–Pan American</span> Public University in Edinburg, Texas

The University of Texas–Pan American (UTPA) was a public university in Edinburg, Texas. Founded in 1927, it was a component institution of the University of Texas System. The university served the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas with baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees. The Carnegie Foundation classified UTPA as a "doctoral research university". From the institution's founding until it was merged into the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), it grew from 200 students to over 20,000, making UTPA the 10th-largest university in Texas. The majority of these students were natives of the Rio Grande Valley. UTPA also operated an Upper Level Studies Center in Rio Grande City, Starr County, Texas. On August 15, 2014, Dr. Havidan Rodriguez was appointed interim President of UTPA, the institution's final leader.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UTRGV Baseball Stadium</span> Baseball stadium in Edinburg, Texas, US

UTRGV Baseball Stadium, originally Edinburg Stadium, is a stadium in Edinburg, Texas. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home of the UTRGV Vaqueros of college baseball. It was also the home to the Edinburg Roadrunners of the Texas–Louisiana League/Central Baseball League/United League Baseball. The Roadrunners disbanded before the 2014 season. The stadium, which opened in 2001, holds 4,000 people, expandable to 14,000-16,000 for concerts and other special events. It includes a 17.8' x 13.6' diamondvision scoreboard and luxury boxes.

The UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros men's basketball team, or UTRGV Vaqueros, represents the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg, Texas, United States. The school's team competed in the Western Athletic Conference through the 2023–24 season, and will move to the Southland Conference after that season. They play their home games at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. The Vaqueros are one of 45 Division I programs to have never appeared in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.

The Texas–Pan American Broncs were the varsity athletic teams representing University of Texas–Pan American in Edinburg, Texas in intercollegiate athletics. The university sponsored 15 teams including men and women's basketball, cross country, golf, tennis, and track and field ; soccer and volleyball for women only; and baseball for men only. The last varsity sport to be established for the Broncs was women's soccer, added for the 2014 season, with men's soccer added in 2015, the year that the merger took place. The Broncs compete in the NCAA Division I and are currently members of the Western Athletic Conference.

The UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros baseball team, or the UTRGV Vaqueros, is the varsity intercollegiate baseball team of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, an NCAA Division I institution with several campuses in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, United States. UTRGV was formally founded in 2013 with the announced merger of the University of Texas–Pan American (UTPA), with its main campus in Edinburg, and the University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB) in Brownsville, with the merged university beginning operation in the 2015–16 school year. The Vaqueros compete in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), play home games at UTRGV Baseball Stadium in Edinburg, and are coached by Derek Matlock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Texas at Brownsville</span> Defunct university in Brownsville, Texas, U.S.

The University of Texas at Brownsville was an educational institution located in Brownsville, Texas. The university was on the land once occupied by Fort Brown. It was a member of the University of Texas System. The institution was formed from a 1991 partnership between the two-year Texas Southmost College and University of Texas-Pan American at Brownsville. The partnership ended in 2011 as UTB became a standalone University of Texas institution, and Texas Southmost College returned to being an independent community college. UTB itself offered baccalaureate and graduate degrees in liberal arts, sciences, education, business, and professional programs.

The 2014–15 Texas–Pan American Broncs men's basketball team represented the University of Texas–Pan American during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. This were head coach Dan Hipsher's second season at UTPA. The Broncs played their home games at the UTPA Fieldhouse and were members of the Western Athletic Conference. They finished the season 10–21, 4–10 in WAC play to finish in a tie for seventh place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the WAC tournament to UMKC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine</span> Medical school of University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine is a public medical school of University of Texas Rio Grande Valley located in Edinburg, Texas. It is fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). The UTRGV School of Medicine was established by the Texas Legislature in May 2013. The medical school enrolled its first class of 50 first-year medical students in the fall of 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros</span>

The UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros is a collegiate athletic program that represents the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). The Vaqueros inherited the NCAA Division I status of the Texas–Pan American Broncs and competed in the Western Athletic Conference. In March 2024, it was reported that the Vaqueros would leave the WAC for the Southland Conference, beginning in the 2024-25 academic year.

The 2015–16 Texas–Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros men's basketball team represented the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. This was head coach Dan Hipsher's third season with the UTRGV program, although his first under the "UTRGV" name. The Vaqueros played their home games at the UTRGV Fieldhouse on the university's campus in Edinburg, Texas and were members of the Western Athletic Conference. They finished the season 8–22, 4–10 in WAC play to finish in a tie for sixth place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the WAC tournament to Seattle.

UTRGV Fieldhouse is a 2,500-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg, Texas. It was built in 1969 for one of UTRGV's predecessor institutions, Pan American University, which later became the University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA), and is home to the UTRGV Vaqueros men's and women's basketball teams, as well as the Vaqueros women's volleyball team. The Fieldhouse is also used extensively by the Department of Health and Kinesiology.

The 2015–16 Texas–Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros women's basketball team represents the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. This was head coach Larry Tidwell's third season, but first under the UT-RGV label. The Vaqueros played their home games at the UTRGV Fieldhouse and were members of the Western Athletic Conference. This was the first season for UTRGV as an institution. Before the 2015–16 academic year, the University of Texas–Pan American and the University of Texas at Brownsville merged, forming the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. They finished the season 19–14 and 9–5 in WAC play to finish in second place. They advanced to the championship game of the WAC women's tournament where they lost to New Mexico State. They were invited to the Women's National Invitation Tournament where they lost in the first round to TCU.

Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium is a stadium in Edinburg, Texas. It served as the home of Rio Grande Valley FC Toros of the USL Championship from 2017 to 2023, and currently serves as the home of the UTRGV Vaqueros football team. The stadium has two stands with orange seats covered with a roof and a capacity of 9,735.

The UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros women's basketball team is the intercollegiate women's basketball program representing the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). The school competed in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), part of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), through the 2023–24 season. In July 2024, UTRGV will leave the WAC for the Southland Conference. The Vaqueros play home basketball games at the UTRGV Fieldhouse on the university campus in Edinburg, Texas.

The UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros men's basketball statistical leaders are individual statistical leaders of the Texas–Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros men's basketball program in various categories, including points, three-pointers, assists, blocks, rebounds, and steals. Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, single-season, and career leaders. The Vaqueros represented the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) in the NCAA Division I Western Athletic Conference through the 2023–24 season, and will move to the Southland Conference effective in 2024–25.

The UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros football team will represent the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) in college football. A future member of the Southland Conference in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), they will begin play at that level in 2025, after an exhibition schedule in 2024. They are coached by Travis Bush.

References

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  53. Perez-Hernandez, Danya (January 23, 2015). "Bill seeks election for UT-RGV nickname". The Monitor. McAllen, Texas. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  54. Luca, Greg (February 6, 2015). "UT-RGV releases official Vaqueros logo design". The Monitor. McAllen, Texas. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  55. "University of Texas System selects UTRGV athletic logo". KGBT-TV . Harlingen, Texas. February 12, 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  56. "I see you". Twitter. February 6, 2015. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  57. "The Newsroom – Bringing pride and tradition: UTRGV reveals mascot". www.utrgv.edu. Retrieved 2019-06-17.

Notes

  1. Other consists of multiracial Americans and those who prefer to not say.
  2. The percentage of students who received an income-based federal Pell grant intended for low-income students
  3. The percentage of students who are a part of the American middle class at the bare minimum