North Texas Keeps Growing...

[North Texas Shep]

Why does everyone want us to have more students? Please, explain.

[Snowy]

Why does everyone want us to have more students? Please, explain.

it comes down to a finance equation really. When selling bonds to fund academic buildings and such, you need money to pay interest and the bond principal. That money has to come from somewhere and generally it's a percentage of tuition ("tuition revenue bonds"). You're able to borrow more money now because you have projected increases in enrollment that allow for more money to be collected and eventually paid back to the bond holders. 

 

So basically in the end more students = more present and future money while allowing the institution to take care of financial commitments from previous years easier. 

[North Texas Shep]

it comes down to a finance equation really. When selling bonds to fund academic buildings and such, you need money to pay interest and the bond principal. That money has to come from somewhere and generally it's a percentage of tuition ("tuition revenue bonds"). You're able to borrow more money now because you have projected increases in enrollment that allow for more money to be collected and eventually paid back to the bond holders. 

 

So basically in the end more students = more present and future money while allowing the institution to take care of financial commitments from previous years easier. 

In doing this, are we not just overcrowding the crowded? The last classes I took at UNT were full of people. My employees tell me now they are even worse. My concern is class size, which when smaller can equate to a better education. Being able to borrow more should not be more important than a quality education. Do I want UNT to compete at the highest level in athletics? Of course. I am a season ticket holder and a donor. Above all else I want UNT to be able to give my kids the best education they can get when they follow in their parents foot steps. Snowy, I get the financil part of it. Really, I do. However we should strive to be the best on the field and the best in the classroom.  Forcing more students into an already crowded campus is not the answer. 

Lastly, I hate SMU and can not wait for our beloved team to F'ing destroy them today! See you guys at the game. 

[Cerebus]

Nor should it. The current arrangements that were recently established to allow students to share classes between the two flagship campuses should be the extent of things.

University administration is expensive and the cost of it has exploded over the last decade.  There is no reason why there has to be two of them in Denton.   The THECB wants it to happen, it will happen, even if it takes another 20 years.  That is the time scales they work at.

The recent arrangements are the equivalent of raising the temperature a few degrees after you put the lobster in.  It's going to get boiled.  

 

 

Why does everyone want us to have more students? Please, explain.

THECB wants to relieve enrollment pressure at UT and aTm.  NT, TT and UH are the campuses they want to direct more students to.  They have been pumping money into facilities at those schools to prepare them.  Think of all the new non athletic buildings on campus in the last decade, think those where out of the kindness of a bureaucrats heart?  Again, this is the time scale that THECB works at.

UNT is actually behind on our numbers, they wanted us to be at 40k by now, but part of that is no one expected UTA/UTD enrollment to grow so fast.  Our goal is still 45k ASAP.

Edited September 12, 2015 by Cerebus

[DallasGreen]

THECB still wants UNT to get to 45K ASAP.  The university had better figure out parking before adding any more enrollment.  Students are furious as the parking lots are WAY over subscribed.   

Parking is always an issue on campus, but this semester the buzz is very angry.   UNT will lose students if this doesn't get resolved soon.

 Fouts will  be dozed for a multi-story parking garage sooner than later. Answer to parking is live on or near campus and use the buses. Simple as that. Also no cars for freshman helps. Maybe that needs to apply to sophomores as well.

[Matt from A700]

Can confirm. I graduated in August and both my roommates talk on a daily basis about the hour or so a day they spend looking for parking. As much as I love our school and how it's growing, the infrastructure is not growing at a comparable rate and it will be difficult to support more and more students without such changes.

Agreed. Thankfully I can take the bus to class from my apartment this year. But before they construct anymore dorms they need to construct a residential parking garage or something, by Kerr and Maple.

[Christopher Walker]

 Fouts will  be dozed for a multi-story parking garage sooner than later. Answer to parking is live on or near campus and use the buses. Simple as that. Also no cars for freshman helps. Maybe that needs to apply to sophomores as well.

First and probably only time I'll +1 DallasGreen.

[Elvis]

There is large brand new garage near those dorms already. No one uses it, so no need for more garages, they are very expensive and students will not pay what they cost to build to park in them. Also there is ample parking behind the Apogee stadium, except for game days. Problem is, everyone expects parking right by the building they need to go to. Move all parking to the outside of campus and use the space in the middle of campus for the badly needed additional buildings.

[Rudy]

I wish UNT would stop letting so many students in. We have way too many. Smaller class size is the way to go. True it equals money and that is great, but it does not equal a better product (graduate in this case). I do however, like that more students have pride in our university and in our athletics.

LOLZ, wut?

It doesn't seem to be an issue at Arizona State.