Flagship status awaits, but we have to work for it

The University of Houston reached a milestone on Tuesday that will further propel our academic institution into the top tier of colleges. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching awarded UH the highest level of recognition pertaining to research. UH was classified as a “very high research activity” institution.

This classification is the equivalent to flagship status. This goal was achieved before President Renu Khator and most others expected, but before any complacency sets in everyone at UH must remember that the road ahead is still a lengthy one.

The University of Texas and Texas A&M have been Tier One institutions long before Tuesday. This means that we can’t fall victim to anything that will be detrimental to our newly achieved status and hard work. As our progress continues into the future, we must remain tenacious in our efforts to bolster the name of UH.

To truly accomplish flagship status, the University has to keep increasing alumni donations, increase the number of doctorates awarded and raise academic standards and performance.

Reaching the level of prestige that Texas and Texas A&M have means continuing to emerge as the smartest college in Texas. Taking pride in our school has a lot to do with this. Alumni with pride are more likely to give back to their alma mater once they become successful. Undergraduates with pride often choose to stay within their university to achieve a graduate degree.

With many top ranked programs, the University is beginning to offer exciting paths for not only current and local students applying to college, but to those from outside of Houston as well. The University of Houston Law Center is currently ranked 60th among other Tier One law schools by U.S. News and World Reports. The C.T. Bauer College of Business is ranked 18th in the U.S. for Executive MBA programs, according to a Financial Times 2010 report.

UH has many accomplishments to be proud of — including our new flagship status. If we continue to be tenacious in our efforts to build a sense of pride and strive for better performance each year, UH will continue to transform Houston and Texas for the better.