Welcome to The University of Texas System, one of the finest systems of public higher education in the world. Established by the Texas Constitution in 1876, the UT System includes nine universities and five health institutions.

As Chancellor, my job is to help UT academic and health institutions be as successful as possible. Success starts, of course, with our students – all 256,000+ of them. UT institutions award more than one-third of the undergraduate degrees in Texas and 63% of the state’s medical degrees. So for us, job one is to make sure that the aspiring scholars of Texas have broad, affordable access; that our faculty and the education our students receive is of the highest quality; and that we provide tools that give every student the best chance to earn a degree in a timely manner. I’m pleased to say UT institutions have innovative, nationally recognized initiatives in place to help students achieve their dreams. But we can always do more. And we will.

The second element of our institutions’ success is research, which drives innovation that improves and, in many cases, saves lives in Texas and around the world. The UT System is regularly ranked among the top 10 most innovative universities in the world, is among the top three nationally in patent applications, and is the state’s top and nation’s second-ranked leader in federal research spending. Research is key to the competitiveness, health and prosperity of our state, and we are committed to growing our research enterprises in ways that serve Texas and Texans.

We rely on the support of the business and philanthropic communities, our elected officials, and most of all, the people of Texas, for everything we do.

Last but not least, UT institutions are playing, and will continue to play, a leading role in delivering high quality health care. UT’s health care professionals serve more than 2.4 million unique patients each year, train the caregivers of tomorrow, and lead the charge to find new treatments and cures for the diseases that afflict so many of our neighbors, family and friends. UT institutions are an indispensable part of Texas’s health care infrastructure, and we are determined to create a healthier future for our state, our nation and the world.

Those are some of the basic elements that will define the success of the UT System and its institutions in the years to come. But it’s important to note that we can’t do any of it alone. We rely on the support of the business and philanthropic communities, our elected officials, and most of all, the people of Texas, for everything we do. So you can rest assured that my colleagues and I are going to be working hard to earn your support, confidence and trust in the years to come.

James B. Milliken
Chancellor
Lee Hage and Joseph D. Jamail Regents Chair in Higher Education Leadership