Mike Godfrey, general counsel for the A&M System, reviews the proposed site map of Texas A&M University-San Antonio with members of the community.
SAN ANTONIO —Texas A&M University System Chancellor Michael D. McKinney hosted a meeting the evening of May 1 at the South San Antonio High School auditorium to update the community on the progress of Texas A&M University-San Antonio and honor 10 scholarship recipients.
“We no longer have a dream, we have a plan,” McKinney said to the audience of approximately 300 people, which included family members of the late Sen. Frank Madla, who championed the creation of the campus for many years. McKinney added, “This was one of Frank’s dreams for a long, long time. Building the campus was my commitment to him, and now it’s my commitment to you.”
“You are an integral part of the history of this campus,” McKinney said in thanking the many city and school officials, community leaders and legislators and who have worked to bring the new university to the city.
The proposed university currently operates as a center under Texas A&M University-Kingsville. The Texas A&M University-Kingsville System Center-San Antonio holds classes on the Palo Alto College campus and in a facility the A&M System recently leased from the South San Antonio ISD.
“We have to go where the students are, where there is a need for higher education,” McKinney said. “The quality of life in South San Antonio will grow only to the extent we educate our young people to provide economic benefits. A college education provides both personal economic development and community economic development.”
McKinney said the primary focus now is increasing student enrollment. “The key to growing enrollment is bringing in high-quality faculty to build programs. We already have 12 programs, and our plan is to add four this fall and 13 in 2008,” he said.
The A&M System has received $10 million for the center from the Texas Legislature ($5 million per year) for the 2008-09 biennium. An increase of $6.7 million over the previous biennium, most of this funding will be used for hiring new faculty, increasing the programmatic offerings at the center, and other operating expenses. “It’s a cascade effect,” McKinney said. “We have to do one thing to do the next. The funding is most important. It will help us build a great university.”
McKinney said Texas A&M University-San Antonio will become a destination of choice. “We are going to build a campus that is planned from the very beginning to one day serve 25,000 students,” he said.
A&M System officials are working with developer Triple L Management and the City of San Antonio to finalize site details for the permanent campus. The System has selected a 694-acre site owned by Triple L, located south of Loop 410 between Zarzamora and Pleasanton roads. A 580-acre site will be used for the university’s main campus, plus 10 acres for entrance frontage along Loop 410. An additional 104 acres farther south will be allocated for the Irrigation and Technology Center, which provides education, testing and research to improve water conservation.
Triple L Management also has committed $1 million toward an endowment supporting student scholarships through the recently established Texas A&M University-San Antonio Foundation. “Our goal is to raise $8 million to ensure that all 1,500 students have scholarships and to build support for our faculty,” said McKinney. “Every bright young person in Texas should have the opportunity to get a college education.”
McKinney recognized the 10 recipients of a new scholarship funded by the A&M System for graduates of South San Antonio ISD schools. The students received certificates and recognition from McKinney; Ron Durbon, superintendent of the South San Antonio ISD; Manuel Lopez, president of the South San Antonio ISD school board; and Carolyn Green, interim executive director/dean of academic and student affairs at the A&M System Center in San Antonio.
In 2000, Texas A&M University-Kingsville began offering courses at the Texas A&M University-Kingsville System Center-San Antonio on the campus of Palo Alto College. Enrollment has grown to 547 full-time equivalent students. The Texas Legislature authorized the creation of Texas A&M University-San Antonio in 2003 and has authorized $40 million in tuition revenue bonds for its development.
In December, the A&M System entered an agreement with the South San Antonio ISD to lease space in a school building. The space is enabling the A&M Center in San Antonio to more than double classroom capacity and provide additional infrastructure needed for its continued growth.
The A&M System Center in San Antonio currently offers degree programs in criminology, English, history, mathematics, psychology, sociology, accounting, applied arts and sciences, computer information systems, management, interdisciplinary studies and kinesiology. In fall 2007, the following programs will be introduced: marketing, M.Ed. in early childhood education, M.Ed. in special education, and alternative teacher certification.
Contingent on adequate legislative funding, the following degree programs are planned for spring 2008: biology, communication, political science, finance, M.A. in psychology and M.A. in sociology. The following programs are planned for fall 2008: computer science, master of public accountancy, MBA, M.S. in bilingual education, M.S. in special education, M.S. in kinesiology and M.S. in reading.
As part of a recent building lease agreement with South San Antonio ISD, the A&M System agreed to provide 10 scholarships per semester to academically qualified students who have graduated from the South San Antonio ISD and are attending or will attend the A&M Center and/or Palo Alto College. The scholarships provide full funding for one semester for the recipients’ tuition, fees and books. The students are required to maintain a minimum 2.5 grade point average to remain eligible or be considered for the scholarship for subsequent semesters.
Recipients of the scholarship for the Spring 2007 semester are Janie Campos, Rosalina Castillo, Lois Chapa, Martha Lambaria, Norma Lucero, Melissa Pantoja, Elizabeth Penalver, Genaro Rocha, Elvira Vasquez and Stacy Ybarra.
