Bailey, Zayas hail rise in UTRGV’s prestige
Information Systems Associate Professor Xuan Wang (from left), Engineering and Computer Science Dean Ala Qubbaj and Social Work Assistant Professor Lin Jiang put their V’s up for a selfie during Fall Convocation last Tuesday at the Performing Arts Complex on the Edinburg campus. Aura Velasquez/THE RIDER
UTRGV held its Fall Convocation last week to celebrate the accomplishments of its eight-year history and acknowledge its rise to the No. 1 ranking among all Texas universities by Washington Monthly.
“Would you have believed eight years ago, we’d be where we are right now? … It was a new adventure,” UTRGV President Guy Bailey asked the audience of about 180 faculty and staff gathered last Wednesday in El Gran Salón on the Brownsville campus.
Bailey spoke about the accomplishments that led to rising growth and recognition of UTRGV as a top public university.
“We made a commitment to our students,” he said. “We were going to do things differently. … We’re going to graduate students at a higher rate with little or no debt, and here we are today. … I think we’ve accomplished a lot of what we wanted to do. People around the country are beginning to see that.”
UTRGV is ranked 6oth among all public universities in the nation and No. 1 among all Texas universities by the Washington Monthly. Bailey acknowledged this as a huge accomplishment considering the vast number of universities in the nation and how the university has risen from its first ranking in 2020 at 86th.
Other rankings recognized were No. 1 ranked among all public Texas universities by Degree Choices, No. 1 among all large Texas universities by Third Way, No. 6 among all public Texas universities, No. 1 top performer in social mobility among all public Texas universities by U.S. News and World Report and No. 1 in fastest-growing doctoral public university in Texas by Chronicle of Higher Education.
Bailey said that since 2016, UTRGV has added 16 new bachelor’s, 15 master’s and five doctoral degrees, plus four professional programs; and more are expected to be implemented.
He said the implementation of several programs has created opportunities for students to gain education in program areas previously not available in the Rio Grande Valley.
In an interview with The Rider, Bailey spoke on the future of UTRGV.
“We are doing very well, but we want to do better,” he said. “We won’t be where we want to be until the vast majority of our students graduate and without debt. … We’ve made great progress in doing that, and that’s why we provide so much economic value.”
Bailey said he wants UTRGV students to do things they might not be able to do if they were to graduate with college debt, such as buying a house.
“That’s the way we will transform the Rio Grande Valley,” he said. “Providing these opportunities for students is something we want to continue to expand.”
Luis Zayas, who joined the university in June as provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs, led the convocation, saying he wanted to dedicate his first convocation by recognizing the students, and the schools and colleges that lead the next generation of leaders, thinkers and innovators. He presented a video of several UTRGV school and program administrators and students speaking about accomplishments achieved during UTRGV’s history.
Zayas said that aside from UTRGV’s educational programs, students in athletics and extracurricular programs make an important contribution to the university and bring a sense of belonging, spirit and identity.
“It’s how the public gets acquainted with the university, our schools and faculty and, ultimately, students,” he said.
Football Head Coach Travis Bush, representing the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, spoke about his time at UTRGV and the future of the football program, and what it brings not only to UTRGV but also the Rio Grande Valley.
“We’re all here for the purpose of enriching the lives of students and making a difference,” Bush said. “Truly this [football program] will enrich the culture of UTRGV and provide our students with new opportunities for growth and development given the total campus life that they see across the country.”
The football program is scheduled to start its inaugural season in Fall 2025.
Douglas Stoves, associate dean for Student Rights and Responsibilities, presented the UTRGV Chess Team as a nationally renowned competing team and cornerstone of the community in area curriculum, after-school and recreational programs.
Stoves also recognized the UTRGV Chess Team’s three national championships and 15 title players, four of which are grandmasters and 11 international or FIDE masters.
Provost Zayas concluded the convocation by thanking the faculty and staff for the work they do at the university.
“We are here for our students,” he said. “Everything we do needs to be focused on the students, and how we can continue to rank in [the] social mobility of first-generation families becoming multi-generational college-educated families. And together they will inspire the Valley and provide economic development and leadership.”
Fall Convocation on the Edinburg campus took place last Tuesday in the Performing Arts Complex.
