UT President William Powers said he will continue to focus on the goals he set for the University and he hopes to continue forging ahead.
First, he said 2008 will likely be a record-setting year for University fundraising.
In 2005, UT raised about $158 million. In 2007, the University raised about $258 million, the second highest amount raised within one year in the University's history, surpassed only by the year the Jackson School of Geosciences received $285 million.
"We had a very large gift to music," Powers said. "We've had very substantial gifts to undergraduate studies and across the campus. I think we will surpass the year we booked the Jackson gift."
Increased University fundraising is one of Powers' goals that has made progress this year. Powers said another big accomplishment is the continuation of curriculum reform and undergraduate studies.
"I think we've made tremendous progress on the undergraduate curriculum," he said. "We're going to have half of the first-year students in the signature courses in the fall, and most of them are going to be small seminars."
Powers said the University has also had success in diversifying students and faculty. The entering class in the fall was the most diverse in UT's history, and the University has added a significant number of minority faculty in the past two years.
He said he was pleased with the efforts the administration and college deans are making in supporting individual departments, such as the funding given to the history department last year and funding distributed to the English department this year.
"We are going to do our best to continue that, and hopefully at some point we won't have to do it one department at a time," he said.
Powers said the administration's final accomplishment is something that occurs behind the scenes - aligning the budget. The Policy and Planning Advisory Council has made significant progress in lining up budgets with University goals and aspirations, he said.
"We are on the road for aligning the budget," he said. "It's the part of the iceberg beneath the water, but I'm very pleased with the progress we're making on that."
UT also had three faculty members elected to the National Academy of Sciences, a success no other campus in the nation achieved this academic year. Additionally, two UT students were named as Truman and Rhodes scholars.
"Our UTeach program is being used across the country, and we have the most powerful laser in the world," Powers said. "I can't take credit for these, but they are very important steps forward for the campus."
The upcoming academic year marks UT's 125th birthday. Powers said it will be a nice hallmark to see how the University has evolved since the 100-year point.
"I think we've made huge strides forward since then," he said. "For the last two years, they've just been nice strides."
