The successful relationships between individual students and faculty members are responsible for the university’s recent awards and recognitions, Chancellor Victor Boschini told students and faculty at the University Convocation and Founders’ Celebration Thursday.

For the first time ever, the university was ranked as a top 20 “Up-and-Coming National University” in a U.S. News & World Report list, he said. In addition, the university has repeatedly been acknowledged as a top 100 University in the magazine’s Best Colleges list, moving up 11 slots from last year, he said.

Boschini said he attributed the success to the university’s “teacher scholar model,” a strategy for building relationships between faculty and students.

However, awards and recognition were just some of the accomplishments the university made since arriving in Fort Worth 100 years ago, he said.

“TCU continues to be an overachiever,” Boschini said.

This year the university had over 14,000 applications for a goal of 1,600 new students, Boschini said. The new students also set a new high in SAT and ACT scores and the student retention rate has improved, he said.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the university’s return to Fort Worth and its 138th academic year, Boschini said.

After a fire at the Waco campus, TCU relocated to Fort Worth, receiving the city’s offer of 50 acres of land, $200,000 dollars, connections to city utilities and a street car, Boschini said.

According to Impact Data Source, an Austin consulting firm, the estimated financial impact of the university on the city has been $454.6 million, Boschini said.

“I think this is quite a return for the $200,000 dollar investment,” he said.

In spite of the country’s financial challenges the past few years, the university reached its goal of raising $250 million in May 2010, two years ahead of schedule, Boschini said.

Currently, the university has set a new goal of raising $100 million specifically for scholarships and has already raised $62 million, he said.

Renovations to Amon G. Carter Stadium, set to begin at the completion of the fall 2010 football season, have been paid for solely by donation, Boschini said.

The School for Classical and Contemporary Dance building will also be renovated.

The university continues to reach and set goals for 2011, he said, making his personal theme for the year, “honor thy teacher.”

“I think so many great teaching moments happen at Texas Christian University, and I think we just all need to be more aware of those,” Boschini said.

Each year the chancellor recognizes a faculty or staff member for the Wassenich Award for Mentoring in the TCU Community, and the Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Achievement as Creative Teacher-Scholar. This year the Wassenich Award was given to Ron Pitcock, the university director of prestigious scholarships.

Bill Moncrief, senior associate dean of the Neeley School of Business, received the Chancellor’s Award to a standing ovation.

“I didn’t go to school here, but I’m a Frog inside and out,” Moncrief said.