There are florescent orange warning signs and overturned dirt everywhere, but I see a beautiful campus emerging from the ground.
I have only been here for two years, but this fall it seems that UT has put more effort into making our campus better than they have for as long as I can tell. The “Cone Zone” is basically the entire campus. The Commons in the library is being stripped down and rebuilt, an exciting new dorm has broken ground on Melrose and Andy Holt, the Humanities building continues to be renovated, and of course the UC is experiencing a complete makeover.
Sure, all the detours due to construction can be annoying and all the dirt isn’t exactly alluring, but it all makes me really excited. With all this, I see UT investing wholeheartedly in its future, and that makes me proud beyond measure.
Recently, UT has been making all sorts of efforts to improve itself and push us closer and closer to becoming a Top 25 institution. A lot of it has been superficial: the brand book, landscaping, etc. But this type of stuff makes us look more professional and more like the Top 25 schools we are aspiring to emulate. When people look at the improved website designs that have come as a part of the brand book, they are going to think UT really has its stuff together. Fake it until you make it, right?
But beyond these superficial things, UT is investing in better facilities, new classes, modern classroom equipment, more faculty positions, and more scholarships. All of this was paid for in part by this year’s tuition increase of 8 percent. No one likes tuition increases, but this is the smallest one we have had in a while so we can’t complain too much, especially when we see all the improvements happening around us.
Of course, UT is trying out some new things that are not necessarily favorable. This new “pay for 15 hours even if you are taking 12” thing, going into effect for the incoming class of Fall 2013, is not great. The goal is to encourage students to take at least 15 hours every semester in order to graduate in 4 years. But it will end up taking away flexibility for students and unfairly putting added pressure on those who do not need any more motivation to graduate on time. But that’s a whole separate column.
UT has also been trying out the new slogan, “Big Orange, Big Ideas.” I still think it’s silly. But the point is, UT is trying something. This “Race to Top 25” is not just some sound bite the Chancellor keeps feeding us; it is something the university is actually making positive strides toward, trying whatever it can to get us there.
Next time before you complain about all the construction, think about what it would be like if there wasn’t any at all. What if campus was just like it is now, forever? It would mean that we, the students and faculty — the real meat of the university — would be completely stagnant, our degrees and positions depreciating in value as institutions around us improve their prospects and leave UT in the dust. But as it stands right now, I see my degree becoming more and more valuable by the day, thanks to the work of the administration. They are really thinking about the future of UT in the long-term. Some like myself don’t think they always make the best decisions, but they are conscious of what students want and need. And that’s a beautiful thing.
— Lindsay Lee is a junior in mathematics. She can be reached at [email protected].
