Letter from UNT-Dallas President John Ellis Price to UNT-Dallas colleagues regarding his resignation
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July 24, 2012 Dear UNT Dallas Colleagues: I take this opportunity to personally inform each of you that I have made the decision to end my tenure as president on August 31, 2013, the end of my current contract. When my contract ends, I will have served this institution for 12 years. In that time, I will have accomplished the main objectives that I came to UNT Dallas to do – to create an independent university, to achieve initial accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and to provide the university with a strong foundation for future success. Two years ago, we became the first public, four year university in the City of Dallas – we should all be proud of this great achievement. A month ago, we were notified by SACS that our application for separate accreditation has been approved, which authorizes SACS to assemble a visitation team and schedule a university visit as early as Spring 2013. We have grown from a branch campus with 55 students to an institution that offers 19 undergraduate and graduate programs with more than 2,000 students who attend classes in state‐of‐the‐art facilities on our 264‐acre campus. The success of this transformation belongs to all of us. Our excellent faculty and staff helped make these dreams come true through hard work and dedication. We are on a solid course now to become a model for higher education in the 21st century. When I was offered this position, I said I would only do so if I could lead the creation of a different kind of university with truly innovative approaches. I am extremely proud of the work that we have accomplished over the past 11 years and believe that UNT Dallas has an extremely bright future ahead of it. Our work with the 21st Century Commission, Bain & Company, the Research Advisory Panel and UNT Dallas leadership to create the proposed New University Model has put UNT Dallas at the forefront of the discussion about how the barriers to cost, quality and access in higher education can be broken down. I have worked with these exceptional minds to develop the conceptual framework for our New University Model and will leave it to you and the new leadership to determine the best ways to implement it. I am confident that you will make it a success. Building a university from the ground up has been a once‐in‐a‐lifetime career challenge that presented me with growth opportunities that educators are rarely given. This university is on its way to great things and I am a stronger professional because of my experience at UNT Dallas. More importantly, my time here has given me the opportunity to work with extraordinary minds and committed, talented people, including faculty, staff and UNT System leadership who have great ideas and a passion for higher education. I feel like now is a good time to move on to my next career challenge and opportunity. I am not sure at this time where my career path will go after I end my tenure as president, but I know my experiences here have prepared me to pursue any number of opportunities. My first love has always been teaching, research and consulting, however, I might possibly even consider a presidency at an established university. For now, I am focused on the next year. We still have a lot of work to do and I am committed to work every day to ensure that UNT Dallas is positioned for success long after I leave.
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I look forward to and embrace the challenges and milestones that lay ahead over the next 13 months and will continue to work diligently with UNT Dallas leadership, faculty and staff, and UNT System leaders to propel this university forward. I am grateful for the opportunities to serve as the founding President of UNT Dallas and to create a legacy that will benefit future generations to come. I am also truly grateful for the opportunity to work with such an outstanding team of faculty and staff who are dedicated to our students and the success of this university. I am thankful to UNT System Chancellor Lee Jackson and the UNT Board of Regents for their continued support of my career at UNT and UNT Dallas and for the opportunities that they have provided me. I will work closely with them to ensure an orderly and smooth transition to the new leadership. Thank you for your dedication, support and hard work every day to make UNT Dallas a great university. It has been my tremendous honor to serve and work with each of you. A news release to announce my departure will be distributed externally later today – I will forward it to you this afternoon. Please know that each of you have my best wishes for continued success. Sincerely, John Ellis Price President