Message from the President

I am writing in response to statements reported to have been made by Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson at a forum on April 28. I have spoken directly to the sheriff and he assured me his words were not aimed at UTA and were taken out of context.

As president, I care deeply about our students, faculty and staff, and want them to know how important their safety and well-being is to me and to university leadership. Our campus is, and must continue to be, a welcoming and secure environment for learning, scholarship and research.

The UTA Police Department (accredited by two national agencies) is committed to upholding the highest standards of service to our community. Incidents of reported crime dropped 40 percent between 2014 and 2015 and the trend continues.

We are exceptionally proud of the positive impact UTA has on our communities. The diversity of our student population, and the international engagement we bring as a top national research university, strengthens the North Texas region and drives our economy.

UTA continues to serve as a powerful venue for sharing ideas, experiences and world perspectives that enrich our entire community, and this will always be a strength and source of pride for the university and its more than 200,000 strong alumni.