Spring Break
NT Dallas campus pushes for autonomy
NT Dallas
Jasma Johnson
Issue date: 9/18/07 Section: NEWS
The NT Dallas campus is taking the first steps toward establishing itself as an independent public university. In order to do this, the school needs to reach a certain level of enrollment.
Under the requirements of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, when the campus reaches an equivalency of 1,000 full-time students, it can be classified as an individual university. Once that goal is reached, the university can add more programs, receive funding from state appropriations and be able to grant degrees, said Philanda Morgan, NT Dallas marketing assistant director.
"The NT Dallas campus opened up in 2000 with the hopes of becoming its own university and also to address workforce needs in the Dallas area," Morgan said.
In June 2003, the education board dropped the requirement of enrollment from 2,500 credit hours to 1,000 for colleges that want to become separate organizations, she said.
The amount of hours a student is enrolled in does not matter; full-time equivalency combines all of the credit hours students take, Morgan said.
To calculate student full-time equivalency, the total credit hours of currently enrolled students are added and then divided by 15.
The campus reached 815.4 full-time equivalent students this semester, a 32.2 percent increase over the fall 2006 figure of 616.7, according to an NT Dallas press release. The final census for fall 2007 is taken on the semester's 12th day of classes.
Online classes count toward full-time enrollment, but are not included in the full-time equivalency numbers, said Raul Hinojosa, recruitment coordinator, in an e-mail.
"About two years ago a meeting was held and most students knew nothing about the FTE [full-time equivalent] enrollment even though it is included in all our student publications," Morgan said.
This change can be an adjustment for some students, Morgan said, but with it comes new opportunities.
Some may like NT Dallas' affiliation with the Denton campus, and others may think it is exciting being a part of the first public university in Dallas, Morgan said.
"The idea of NT Dallas becoming the first university [in Dallas] is good because it will bring more businesses to the area such as restaurants," said Carmen Ruiz, Dallas graduate student. "It's also an affordable university and if my daughter attends NT Dallas she will not be far away from home."
Under the requirements of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, when the campus reaches an equivalency of 1,000 full-time students, it can be classified as an individual university. Once that goal is reached, the university can add more programs, receive funding from state appropriations and be able to grant degrees, said Philanda Morgan, NT Dallas marketing assistant director.
"The NT Dallas campus opened up in 2000 with the hopes of becoming its own university and also to address workforce needs in the Dallas area," Morgan said.
In June 2003, the education board dropped the requirement of enrollment from 2,500 credit hours to 1,000 for colleges that want to become separate organizations, she said.
The amount of hours a student is enrolled in does not matter; full-time equivalency combines all of the credit hours students take, Morgan said.
To calculate student full-time equivalency, the total credit hours of currently enrolled students are added and then divided by 15.
The campus reached 815.4 full-time equivalent students this semester, a 32.2 percent increase over the fall 2006 figure of 616.7, according to an NT Dallas press release. The final census for fall 2007 is taken on the semester's 12th day of classes.
Online classes count toward full-time enrollment, but are not included in the full-time equivalency numbers, said Raul Hinojosa, recruitment coordinator, in an e-mail.
"About two years ago a meeting was held and most students knew nothing about the FTE [full-time equivalent] enrollment even though it is included in all our student publications," Morgan said.
This change can be an adjustment for some students, Morgan said, but with it comes new opportunities.
Some may like NT Dallas' affiliation with the Denton campus, and others may think it is exciting being a part of the first public university in Dallas, Morgan said.
"The idea of NT Dallas becoming the first university [in Dallas] is good because it will bring more businesses to the area such as restaurants," said Carmen Ruiz, Dallas graduate student. "It's also an affordable university and if my daughter attends NT Dallas she will not be far away from home."
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