UNT System

MeanGreenTexan · June 28, 2011

Would it be advantageous for UNT to attempt to absorb TWU and/or Midwestern State into our system? I guess it would need to be approved by those two schools' BORs, as well as ours, but has this ever been brought up before? Hopefully y'all can enlighten me.

Legend500 · June 29, 2011

The issue of merging UNT & TWU has been around since, seemingly, the beginning of time. The only real stumbling blocks are 1) the TWU administration, which wants to remain independent, and 2) the fact that the campuses aren't connected. The last attempt came via Domingo Garcia's (and to a lesser extent the Democratic Caucus') attempt to massively expand the UNT system by adding the Federation of North Texas Universities - TWU, UTA, UTD, UTSMC, MSU & TAMUC. Ambitious though that was, there was a lot of smoke around the specific issue. If UNT made it an issue (instead of putting their muscle behind the law & pharm schools), it could probably get done. Right now, there's no real movement, however, the addition of the MD degree to the UNT system could change that, as the Legislature starts to look at combining schools in the next session. TWU's excellent nursing program didn't want to be affiliated with a non-MD university.

MSU is the result of a turf battle between the UNT and TTU systems. Plus, as the school adds a strong liberal arts resume to whichever system it joins, it duplicates UNT's expertise and lies somewhat outside TTU's area. Again though, if UNT pushed, it could probably get done.

Such a merger would be unprecedented, however. It would over a short period, create the largest university in Texas.

Edited June 29, 2011 by Legend500

bdan2002 · June 29, 2011

The issue is the fact that the state of Texas really does not want any "independent" institutions. There has been talk for years to merge Midwestern Stat University with UNT - which I do think is going to happen in the near future. The thing with TWU is, they do have other campuses, but are not being allowed to be called an offical system. The word on the street is, that is they were to have to merge with another system - that TAMU would want to merge (which they have tried to do before). But I don't think that would really fly. I either see them merging with us down the road.