The dire state of the Art Building is apparent. The interior’s lighting is dim and the floors are cracked. Water run-off stains line the drab outside walls of one of the first buildings on UTSA Main Campus.

The Art Building’s dilapidation, when compared to the relatively new, refurbished states of the engineering and biosciences buildings, indicates where higher educational priorities fall, with liberal and fine arts receiving the short end of the stick.

In recent years, UTSA has shifted its focus toward bolstering its science, technology, engineering and mathematics departments. The UTSA College of Sciences received a total of $30,605,958 in research expenditures for the 2013 fiscal year — more than all the other colleges combined.

No doubt UTSA invests heavily in certain areas in order to prepare students for a world that values math and science above non-scientific degrees. However, focusing more attention and resources on STEM research instead of allocating funds to improve all colleges, UTSA risks short-changing students who pay thousands of dollars to receive the Top Tier education it promotes.