The University of Texas at El Paso, or UTEP, is part of the University of Texas System. It lies on the eastern bank of the Rio Grande, in El Paso, Texas. Founded in 1913 as the Texas College of Mines, a mineshaft still exists on the mountainous, desert campus. It is composed of buildings of Bhutanese architecture, with massive sloping walls and overhanging roofs. Although the population of the campus was 99% white, in 1966, basketball coach Don Haskins thrilled portions of the nation by winning an NCAA National Championship with mostly African-American players, including 3 guards, thus breaking an unspoken barrier. By 1967, the Board of Regents authorized that the name of the college be changed from Texas Western College to its present name. In 2004, the now famous 1966 NCAA win is being made into a major motion picture name Glory Road, which is set to release in 2005.
Today, the institution is devoted to educating the diverse population which inhabits this isolated part of the nation.
UTEP will probably propose raising tuition for spring 2004 and the 2004-05 academic year -- taking advantage of legislation passed this summer that allows universities to set their rates in conjunction with their governing boards.
Although UTEP, like other universities, has imposed several cost-saving measures, including freezes on hiring and capital improvements and reductions in staff and administrative costs, UTEP still faces an $8.5 million decrease in funding for the 2003-04 academic year, Natalicio said.
UTEP will consider measures to improve the quality of education, such as a tuition rebate program for students who do not skip semesters or a program to provide savings for students who graduate on time, Natalicio said.
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