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Representative’s Renderings by Lily Berrios
Hello there, SCUP Southern region members and guests! Welcome to our April newsletter. As usual, it is my pleasure to greet you and give you an overview of activities and initiatives in our region and at a national level. First, congratulations to Lewis Godwin, the newly elected SCUP Southern Regional Representative. His term will start in July of 2011 and will end in July 2014. He is part of a new slate of officers elected in February. Joining him is another Southern region leader, Nancy Nusbaum, who was elected SCUP Secretary/Treasurer. For more information about those positions, look on the SCUP website. On March 16, we held our first metro mini of this year at the University of Louisville, KY. With the theme of “Strengthening Our Capacity to Serve—An Update on the KYCPE Summit of 2010," 36 participants gathered to hear a summary and follow-up to the 2010 summit held in September 2010. Institutional presenters included folks from the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, University of Louisville. We also had the opportunity to tour the Center for Translational Research. My thanks to University of Louisville’s staff for their hospitality. See photos below.
Meanwhile, the 2011 Southern conference committee has been hard at work preparing an exciting program, including opportunities to explore San Antonio. Visit our website to see more details. Also, remember that there will be grants available for institutional members to help offset travel or registration. Our next metro mini will be at Valencia Community College. Please see Bob Gunn's report for details. There is much more to share so please read on. Lily Berrios REGIONAL SPONSORSSCUP’s Southern Region is proud to present our sponsors. Thank you sponsors for your continuing support and participation: Partner Gold Silver Bronze Sponsors as of April 18, 2011 SCUPers, please contact our generous sponsors for information about their services and products and let them know how much we appreciate them. Note to potential sponsors: You can also contact Gita Hendessi gita@hendessiassociates.com or Lewis Godwin lewis.godwin@gpc.edu. 2011 METRO MINI CONFERENCESBob Gunn, Special Events Chair, bgunn@clarknexsen.com. The Southern Regional Council is planning the next metro mini events to be held in various areas of the region. Professional Development Assistance Grants will be available to help with registration fees and travel costs. Contact Lily Berrios, lilyb@sizemoregroup.com for more information. Suggestions for these one-day events should be sent to Bob Gunn, Special Events Chair, bgunn@clarknexsen.com. The date for our next metro mini is August 16, from 9:00AM to 4:30PM. It will be held at the Special Events Center on the Valencia College West Campus. Our topic will be "The Changing Face of Higher Education in Florida – More Conversations in Learning". SCUP 2011 Southern Regional ConferencePlanning is under way for the SCUP 2011 Southern Regional Conference that will be held in San Antonio, TX. Details are presented below. Please make plans now to join us this fall. SCUP 2011 Southern Regional Conference The examples of the Alamo were very influential in developing this year’s theme of "Surviving the Battle: Reshaping the Future". The Alamo fighters were from various states and countries, but were still able to join together, make sacrificial decisions, and take a stand for what was important—freedom and independence. Many institutions are facing a similar battle for their very survival! While the Alamo waited for help that never arrived, campuses are actively seeking new strategies and partners for future success. Surviving the battle is their new mission. Institutions today are being stretched beyond their structural limits due to a lack of available resources. As a result, some privates have been sold to for-profits while others have partnered with competitors to achieve their visions of educating students and creating new knowledge. Many are considering creative funding strategies such as in-kind services or new fees to fund a capital project because state appropriations are inadequate. And now with the focus on college completion, philanthropic foundations have entered the discussions about survival and outcomes. It appears that all are converging across previous lines in the sand to accomplishing a specific goal. But is it working? How are diverse parties motivated to simultaneously look toward each other to create a single vision and outcome? What are we learning from these attempts? How are the mission and the traditional values of an institution affected when dissimilar parties attempt to converge? This conference in San Antonio is an exciting location for presentations that demonstrate the successes and failures of planning convergence in reshaping the future—forging previous competing factions into a team, seeking funding from unique sources, designing singular projects that resolve multiple needs, creating a for-profit component in a non-profit institution, and merging scattered efforts toward a definite value or a common view—while maintaining what is most valued. AWARDS REPORTTim Fish, Awards Coordinator, timfish@coopercarry.com SCUP offers an awards program that recognizes excellence in planning, design and implementation efforts of firms and institutions, as well as the achievements of individuals whose lives and passions involve higher education. The time has passed for entries for this year, but it is not too early to begin planning for your entries for 2012. For more information go to: www.scup.org/page/membership/awards COMMUNICATIONS REPORTJohn Russell, Communication Chair, john.russell@angelo.edu Greetings and we hope all of you are having a great spring. The SCUP Southern Regional Council works hard to provide you with timely and helpful news and information from your local area. Our communication coordinators work hard to bring you the most up-to-date information available. We currently have several opportunities for any of you interested in working on the newsletter. I invite anyone interested in working as a communications coordinator to contact me. We have several vacancies and need persons to represent Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and the Virgin Islands. I would be happy to discuss the duties of this position and the typical time commitments. SCUP Southern Region News is published by the SCUP Southern Region Council to inform members and friends about SCUP’s Southern Region’s plans, activities, and issues. You will note in the following articles that members of the southern region periodically contribute articles and information to the SCUP Southern Region Newsletter. Planned publication dates are January, April, August, and November. Feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone who might be interested. Then invite them to join SCUP so they can get their own newsletter each quarter. We have a great newsletter for you this month with a lot of timely information from your states. Please thank the communications coordinators for their hard work. If you have ideas that would help make this newsletter better, please let me know. I hope you enjoy this newsletter. Special thanks go to SCUP staff for their technical assistance with SCUP Southern News and for emailing it to regional members, SCUP officers, and other friends interested in the mission and activities of SCUP. MEMBERSHIP REPORTAlan Travis, Membership Coordinator, alan.travis@usg.edu SCUP’s Membership Committee has been developing strategies associated with retention and recruitment of members. We have been working with two task forces: Emerging Leaders and Emerged/Senior Leaders. The purpose is to understand how SCUP serves or could serve the constituency new to planning and those that are recognized leaders in planning. The task force information that is being gathered will have influence on future membership strategy and programming particularly on a regional level. In the Southern region we are in the process of articulating a membership committee which would not only welcome new members but actively promote SCUP to potential members; volunteers and ideas are welcome! Please feel free to contact Alan Travis, alan.travis@usg.edu—we are here to help! New Members from the Southern Region since February:
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REPORTWatson Harris, Professional Development Coordinator, wharris@mtsu.edu Does your institution need a refresher in strategic planning? Then invite the SCUP Planning Institute to your campus and experience an integrated, interactive approach to planning designed with your campus in mind. Workshops have been given in Wisconsin, New York, Texas, Oklahoma, and Virginia. Two institutions in the Southern Region, Texas A&M University at Kingsville and Northeastern State University in Oklahoma, have already hosted the Planning Institute. If you are interested in learning more about the SCUP Planning Institute, visit the SCUP Planning Institute page. Although the Southern Region is hosting very successful regional conferences and metro-minis, we may not be reaching you. If you have ideas about bringing these learning and networking opportunities closer to you, whether through state and/or local events, please send your ideas to me at wharris@mtsu.edu. VOLUNTEER REPORTCindy Holt, Volunteer Coordinator, holt_mkt@bellsouth.net WE NEED YOU!!!! SCUP has a variety of volunteer opportunities for members. We need program reviewers, conveners, committee members, state communication coordinators, etc. at both the Southern Regional and the International levels. Volunteering is a great way to network and to learn more about what others are doing in higher education. Get involved!!! Send me an email today at holt_mkt@bellsouth.net and become a volunteer for SCUP!!! NEWS FROM STATE AND AREA COMMUNICATION COORDINATORSALABAMANeed Volunteer! ARKANSASNeed Volunteer! FLORIDAMarilyn Etheridge, metheridge@juneaucc.com Education officials meet about Medicaid privatization Education officials are meeting with Gov. Rick Scott to discuss ways to safeguard state teaching hospitals under proposed plans to overhaul Florida's Medicaid program. Teaching hospitals provide a safety net for Medicaid patients who have trouble getting appointments with Medicaid doctors. Those hospitals receive more than $100 million annually in federal matching funds. State University System Chancellor Frank Brogan will talk with Scott about protecting those funds and making sure Medicaid patients have access to faculty physicians. The Republican-led legislature is looking to privatize the Medicaid program statewide, warning it's taking over the state budget. Medicaid costs are expected to top more than $21 billion next year. Senate gives final OK to teacher pay and tenure A sweeping bill that will overhaul how public school teachers are paid, evaluated, hired, and fired cleared the Florida Senate and continued its speedy passage to the desk of Gov. Rick Scott. The bill was passed 26-12, along party lines. With its passage, the bill became the second major legislation approved by the full Senate, which signed off on a proposed Constitutional amendment that would guarantee Floridians wouldn't have to purchase health insurance or pay a tax penalty, as mandated in the federal healthcare reform packaged approved by the U.S. Congress last year. The teacher pay and tenure legislation, Senate Bill 736, would tie new teachers' pay to evaluations based primarily on student performance on exams; award annual, instead of three-year, contracts, and end the practice of basing layoff decisions on seniority. "This bill ought to be a teacher's dream, to be able to get paid for student success," said Sen. Stephen Wise, a Jacksonville Republican and lead sponsor of the legislation. Highlights of key accomplishments in 2010 in the state university system: Florida A&M University, Tallahassee: FAMU's College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences was awarded $14 million to enhance its infrastructure, thereby increasing cutting-edge research. Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton: The U.S. Department of Energy announced the selection of FAU's Center for Ocean Energy Technology as the third national center [Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center] focused on developing ways to tap the power of oceans as a source of clean, affordable energy. Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers: After just 12 years of operation, and for the first time, FGCU was ranked amid the top 50 public regional universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report's annual listings. Florida International University, Miami: FIU’s team, composed of students from the College of Architecture + the Arts and the College of Engineering and Computing, was one of 20 teams in the world selected to participate in the 2010-2011 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon. Florida State University, Tallahassee: The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory was funded by a $17.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation. New College, Sarasota: Forbes.com ranked NCF the 15th best public college in America. University of Central Florida, Orlando: UCF was ranked third in the nation by the IEEE Patents Scorecard for the strength and impact of patents. [The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence.] University of Florida, Gainesville: UF broke ground on the Florida Innovation Hub, a business super-incubator in Gainesville [to open Fall 2011], and its Research and Academic Center at Lake Nona in Orlando [to open in 2012]. University of North Florida, Jacksonville: Transportation and Logistics students defeated 14 universities to win the national 2010 Operation Stimulus Case competition at the 28th Annual Denver Transportation Forum. University of South Florida, Tampa: USF established what is believed to be the nation’s first School of Global Sustainability as an academic program. University of West Florida, Pensacola: UWF opened its School of Science and Engineering Building, which has a LEED Gold Level certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. LOUISIANAJohn Russell, john.russell@angelo.edu Louisiana Regents Want to Cut 460 Degree Programs The Louisiana Board of Regents said that it wanted to shutter or consolidate some 460 programs that graduate few students. Many are graduate programs such as sociology and animal and dairy sciences. Colleges had to appeal this recommendation by the end of February, with the Board to make the final decisions by the end of April. Louisiana Regents Approve Combining Two New Orleans Universities The Louisiana Board of Regents voted in favor of a controversial plan that would “consolidate” the University of New Orleans and the historically black Southern University at New Orleans, but stopped short of merging them. The two universities would become “urban research” and "metropolitan” units, respectively, under a new University of Greater New Orleans. The two universities would have separate accreditation, admission standards and faculty governance. Delgado Community College would be houses under the “metropolitan” unit and is to be called a university college. The state legislature would have to approve the proposal by a two-thirds vote for the consolidation plan to take place. SOUTH CAROLINAJennifer Pearce Aldrich, pearcej@musc.edu South Carolina Community Colleges - Feeling the Squeeze as State Funds Dry Up South Carolina’s decrease in state aid is one of the steepest in the country. In the past, state appropriations accounted for a majority of the community college budgets, but by the end of the 2009 fiscal year, 55 percent of two-year college budgets came from tuition dollars, and state support had dropped significantly. This year, enrollment continues to increase at some technical colleges by as much as 30 percent, where the state is spending much less on higher education. The president of Midlands Technical College, Marshall (Sonny) White, Jr. has been planning for how his institution would operate if state appropriations ceased to exist. Currently the college receives only 10 percent of its operating budget from the state, a decrease from 40 percent in 2000. Mr. White began scaling back costs two years ago in areas such as: eliminating courses with small enrollments; stopping classes on Friday afternoons to increase savings on maintenance staff and utilities; and requiring all full-time faculty members to teach one additional course each semester, thus preventing layoffs and furloughs. Actions were also taken by the state’s technical college system to alleviate the effects of some of these state cuts, such as allowing campuses to charge variable tuition ($140 to $221 per credit hour), and charging full-time students more for credit hours above 12 per semester. These actions allow the institutions to charge more for programs that need more expensive equipment and technology, as well as for popular courses. The state is facing a budget shortfall of close to $900 million in the next fiscal year. Some legislators seem optimistic that when the revenue stream begins to pick back up, they can start correcting some of the budget cuts. However many feel that this funding is not coming back. Clemson Students are Helping Mazda with New Ideas Because students haven’t been influenced by the corporate world yet, the Japanese automaker Mazda is turning to some Clemson University automotive engineering students for some fresh thinking. These students are brainstorming features of a future Mazda car as part of the Deep Orange program at the International Center for Automotive Research (ICAR) in Greenville, Clemson’s automotive engineering school. Last year, graduate students from the school converted a BMW 1 series hatchback into a brand new car powered by a combination of gasoline and electricity. This year, the Deep Orange team is being directed by Mazda. Jeremy Barnes, director of product and corporate communications for Mazda North American Operations in Irvine, CA, said that they gave the students certain parameters, such as the walls of a box and as much freedom to fill the box anyway they see fit. This is a way of picking their brains and getting to see their perspective. South Carolina College of Pharmacy (SCCP) Ranks High in NIH Funding The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy released rankings showing the college to be No. 3 nationally in percent of research faculty with NIH funding. The college also ranked 17th overall in the nation, of more than 120 colleges of pharmacy. Since 2005, when the college was formed integrating the pharmacy colleges at the University of South Carolina and the Medical University of South Carolina, NIH funding has been steadily increasing. More than 50 percent of SCCP’s research faculty is funded. University of South Carolina Ranked No. 1 Value College in the State According to The Princeton Review’s 2011 rankings, USC is listed among the 50 best value colleges nationally, and No. 1 in the state. USC was the only SC school to make the list this time around. Based on institutional data and student opinion surveys from 650 colleges and universities, the list takes into account academic quality, financial aid opportunities, and cost of attendance. USC’s Honors College, Greek life, southern tradition, school spirit and championship victories in baseball and football were also commended by The Princeton Review. NIH Awards a $16 Million Federal Grant to Expand Biomedical Research Programs Ten South Carolina colleges and universities have been named recipients of a $16 million Federal grant from the National Institutes of Health, focusing on the expansion of biomedical research programs. USC-Columbia will receive the largest amount ($4 million) to be used for the overall management of the grant program and to provide access to laboratory, computational facilities and bioinformatics to the nine other schools. Along with USC, Clemson University and the Medical University of South Carolina will work with Furman University, Claflin University, USC-Beaufort, Winthrop University, the College of Charleston, Francis Marion University and the South Carolina State University to enhance the research capabilities of faculty and students. Some of the research will focus on improving Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, stroke, brain cancer, heart disease and epilepsy. This Federal grant follows a $17 million research grant that South Carolina schools received five years ago. OKLAHOMANeed Volunteer! TENNESSEETeresa Hartnett, thartntt@memphis.edu TN Colleges, universities solidify credit transfers Starting this fall, the state is introducing a new academic blueprint for transfer students. Community college students will be handed a list of classes tailored to their majors and the university they hope to attend. If they follow the blueprint, those classes will transfer with them to the university, and they'll enter as a junior with all the prerequisites they need. Tennessee has two separate higher education governing systems, 13 community colleges and 11 public universities. U. of the South Cuts Price by 10% for Next Year Sewanee, as the university is known, will cut its tuition, fees, and room and board by 10 percent, or about $4,600, for the 2011-12 year. "I'm confident it's the right thing to do," said John M. McCardell Jr., the university's new vice chancellor and president, who took office in July. And, he said, Sewanee is responding to how families view college in light of the weak economy. "It is based upon a belief that the public now is looking for the best possible education at the best possible value." TEXASCarr Hornbuckle, carr@pflugerassociated.com St. Philip's College using $75,000 grant for green job training St. Philip's College recently won $75,000 in federal funding to pay for a green job training program to allow high school students from the Harlandale, Comal, and North East school districts to earn a college degree and a high school diploma at the same time. The duel credit program is free and the students will study alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydrogen fuel cells, college officials said. UNT approves $2 million budget for wind turbine project Regents for the University of North Texas (UNT) recently approved a $2 million budget and agreed to hire an architect or engineer for a project to construct three 125-foot wind turbines to provide some of the electricity for a new stadium currently under construction. The State Energy Conservation Office awarded UNT a $2 million grant to pay for the project estimated to save the university about $16,000 a year in energy costs. UNT used $200,000 of the funding to conduct a feasibility study that indicated the noise level of the turbines would be 55 decibels, within the 65-decibel level of a normal conversation, said Richard Escalante, vice chancellor for administrative services. TAMU-Kingsville awarded $3.8M grant to address student needs Texas A&M University-Kingsville will be awarded more than $3.8 million over the next five years to help enhance student retention and develop student employment as part of overall student success. The funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Education's Strengthening Institutions-Hispanic Service Institutions Program. This year's funding amount will be $760,000. The first of the two programs are aimed at helping students overcome obstacles to success as early as their freshman year by offering supplemental instruction and more. The second is a student internship program in which 15 students will be helped to develop skills necessary for their chosen profession and to learn more about job opportunities in that area. Del Mar officials, too, say the program is important to help students achieve their educational goals. ACC purchases Macy's property at Highland Mall in Austin The Austin Community College District, in partnership with an Austin investment company, recently paid $5 million for the Highland Mall Macy's property, which includes the two-story building and accompanying 12.8 acres. ACC purchased Macy's - and the neighboring Dillard's property in May 2010 - to make room for expansion that includes more space for instruction, Continuing Education programs, administrative offices and perhaps a conference center. ACC officials have long-term plans to expand programs and services so that the college can meet increases in enrollment. In fall 2010, more than 44,000 credit students were enrolled at ACC. That number is projected to rise by 10,000 students by 2020. Blinn College, Sealy officials to discuss satellite campus Officials of Blinn College and the city of Sealy are scheduled to meet on Jan. 12 to discuss the decision by college officials to allow their lease at a former outlet mall in Sealy to expire in May. Blinn officials are eyeing trimming up to $8 million from the college budget. The director of the satellite campus in Sealy said the college will continue to operate at its current location until the end of the spring semester. Sealy officials are working on a plan to keep Blinn College operating in Sealy, the mayor said. The chairman of Blinn College also said college officials are looking at a way to keep the campus open and believe college officials can find a lease for less than the current $100,000 lease that expires in May. ACC celebrates opening of Gallaudet University Center Austin Community College has been named a regional center for Gallaudet University, a private school in Washington, D.C., that specializes in serving students who are deaf or have hearing impairments. This week, ACC celebrated the opening of Gallaudet University Southwest Regional Center, which will serve students in Texas, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Utah. The center, located at ACC's Riverside campus, is one of six regional centers in the country. The centers offer extension courses, training workshops and a variety of support services for people who are deaf and people with hearing impairments, their families and the professionals who work with them. UTEP, Texas Tech form partnership on research, education Officials with The University of Texas at El Paso and Texas Tech University recently signed formal documents stating that the schools will work together to better health research and education at both institutions. Years ago, when the schools offered different health programs, there was no need to cooperate. UTEP had the nursing school while Texas Tech had part of its medical school. Now that Tech is starting a nursing program and UTEP is moving into medical research, the universities wanted to tell everyone - especially the Texas Legislature -that they will be partners. Stephen F. Austin State University to furlough staff for four days Confronted with shrinking revenue, Stephen F. Austin State University regents recently approved furloughing employees four days this spring and summer in an effort to save about $600,000. The furloughs will impact all 964 full-time and part-time staff members, but does not include 666 faculty members, noted Dr. Baker Pattillo, president of SFA. Employees with remaining vacation or compensatory time will be able to use that time on April 21, April 22, May 27 and July 1, all of which are close to a weekend or holiday when class is not in session, Pattillo said. The remaining $400,000 of the $1million in budget reductions required will be divided among the offices of academic affairs, finance and administration and university affairs, with academic affairs taking a $200,000 reduction. While current contracts prevent the university from furloughing faculty members, new contracts to be issued to faculty members in the future most likely will be rewritten with provisions for furloughs for faculty members, Pattillo said. UT-Dallas gets $460,000 toward tech curriculum center The University of Texas at Dallas will receive $460,000 to create a Texas Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (T-STEM) Center. The center, funded by the Texas High School Project and the Texas Education Agency, is charged with finding ways to improve teaching the STEM subjects so that an increasing number of Texas students go into STEM-based careers. Texas Tech to build new $45 million residence hall Texas Tech University regents recently approved construction of a new $45 million residence hall to provide an additional 500 beds to its housing capacity. Plans also call for a 20,000-square-foot dining hall and a new parking lot, said Rick Francis, chairman of the facilities committee of the board of regents. To make room for the new residence hall, university officials also agreed to demolish the Exercise Studies Center and approved $6 million to renovate and add a 10,000-square-foot addition to the former print shop building to house staff of the Exercise Studies Center. The new housing residence is expected to open in fall 2012. Demolition of the Exercise Studies Center should begin in June of this year, university officials said. UT Southwestern leaders may be first to register for EHR funds The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas was one of the first Texas medical centers to implement electronic medical records, and medical center leaders plan to be among the first to register for a federal electronic health record (EHR) incentive program, which opened for registration in early January. Eligible health care professionals and hospitals can receive Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments when they adopt certified EHR technology and successfully demonstrate "meaningful use" of the technology to improve quality, safety and effectiveness of care. UT Southwestern has electronic health records in all university hospitals, as well as ambulatory and inpatient settings. Blinn College backs off merger talks with Texas A&M System Blinn College officials recently decided to end their informal discussions with the Texas A&M University System on the possibility of the community college joining the university system. The discussions ended after Blinn officials determined the benefits of joining the system would not offer relief soon enough to help the college with declining revenues, said Cathy Boeker, executive administrators of external affairs for Blinn. The state of the economy is immediate and must be addressed now and a merger is a long involved process, Boeker noted. If Blinn officials reconsider joining the A&M System, she predicted college officials most likely will seek a vote from the community before pursing further merger discussions. Alamo Colleges considering public-private venture with developer Alamo Colleges officials and a Cleveland-based development company are considering pooling resources to build a mixed-use development around San Antonio College. The college would provide 4.4 acres of land, which is now used for parking, while the development company would pay for the construction of new homes, retail space, a 1,000-car parking garage and 100,000 square feet of academic space for the San Antonio College. Higher Education seeking billions in tuition revenue bonds for construction, renovation Texas lawmakers returned to Austin in January and were presented a "wish list" of much-needed higher education construction and renovation projects. The projects, which totaled more than $3 billion, need legislative approval. Many of the institutions requested funding tied to Tuition Revenue Bonds (TRBs). TRBs were first authorized in Texas in the early 1970s. These bonds service the debt through tuition charges that students pay. TRBs can be used for purchases, construction, improvements and renovations and for infrastructure projects. Lone Star College adding two new buildings, renovating others Officials of Long Star College-Kingwood recently updated plans for a new 62,000-square-foot Student-Conference Center and a new 23,000-square-foot Music Instructional Building. The college also plans to expand and renovate the Student Fine Arts Center and the Performing Arts Building, said Dr. Bill Coppola (pictured), executive director of Academic Partnerships and Initiatives. The new, two-story Student-Conference Center, scheduled for completion this fall, will include offices and areas for student services and activities as well as space for a conference center. The Music Instructional Building will feature five classrooms, 10 student practice rooms and eight faculty offices, Coppola said. Health Science Center researchers get $1.19M in research grants The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio recently received $1.19 million in state grants to fund two cancer prevention programs. The grants are funded through the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, which was created in 2007 by voters. Almost $900,000 will go toward a program researching the health benefits of exercise to cancer survivors. Participants will receive complete physicals and individualized fitness programs, under the program of Stacey Young-McCaughan. A second grant of nearly $300,000 will fund an HPV vaccine education program that aims to prevent cervical cancer. The program, created by Deborah Parra-Medina, targets Latinas living along the Texas-Mexico border. Texas A&M System plans to merge research administration The Chancellor of the Texas A&M System recently announced plans to consolidate research administration now performed by five university organizations with a goal of increasing efficiency and cost savings. The administration of research generates large amounts of paperwork, including the issues associated with writing and receiving grants as well as overseeing the contracts and budgeting of millions of dollars in funding associated with the additional overhead money the organization receives with each grant. The consolidation plan is expected to save between $2.7 million to $3.8 million based on the average cost of $60,324 per employees of the five research administration organizations now operating within the A&M System. The cost savings would mean the elimination of between 45 to 64 employees, according to a consultant's study paid for by regents. Austin Community College moving ahead on solar array The Austin Community College real estate department recently urged the board of trustees to select a design/builder for a $1.2 million solar panel project. The community college received $900,000 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help pay for the solar array panels to be installed on a building that houses automotive, welding and building grade programs. Board members are scheduled to ask for bids for the solar panel project after Feb. 21. J.J. Pickle Research Campus wins $1.6 million grant for solar panels The State Energy Conservation Office recently awarded a $1.6 million grant to the J. J. Pickle Research Campus of The University of Texas at Austin to pay for a new solar cell system designed to reduce energy costs. The grant will pay for 80 percent of the cost of installing two solar cell systems at the research campus, which now buys power from the city-owned utility rather than generating its own power as is done on the main campus of UT. Campus officials originally had planned to use bio-diesel sources to save on energy costs and reduce carbon emissions, but determined that solar panels were more efficient. Installation of the solar panels is expected to be completed in late May. TWU celebrating grand opening of new T. Boone Pickens Institute Texas Woman's University will hosted a grand opening celebration, for the eight-story, 190,000-square-foot TWU T. Boone Pickens Institute of Health Sciences-Dallas Center, which is named for the Texas oilman and entrepreneur who donated $5 million toward the building in 2006. The center will initially house the College of Nursing and the TWU Stroke Center-Dallas and by 2012 add the occupational and physical therapy programs. The center is located in the heart of the Southwestern Medical District at 5500 Southwestern Medical Avenue. The event will also recognize donations from Dallas resident Florence A. Doswell, who gave $3 million toward building the facility and another $2 million to endow two chairs in nursing. In honor of those gifts, TWU has named the nursing school the Houston J. and Florence A. Doswell College of Nursing. "With this facility, we are establishing a new threshold in providing learning environments that create a seamless transition from the classroom to the workplace," said TWU Chancellor Ann Stuart. TWU regents discuss overcrowding in on-campus housing As Texas Woman's University continues to grow in enrollment, the need for on-campus housing has stretched to capacity and beyond. To tame overcrowding problems, university officials want to offer students campus-area apartments, which the university would lease and maintain to the usual standards for security and cleanliness. "We are not in a position to build new housing," said Richard Nicholas, vice president for student life. "There are no more ways to stretch the current facilities." Enrollment has grown 5 percent in the last year, pushing the 1,629 dormitory dwellers closer together. Some two-person rooms now house three, and resident assistants who usually live alone now have roommates. Del Mar College seeks $1 million to train aviation technicians Corpus Christi Business and Job Development Corporation recently approved a request by Del Mar College officials to provide nearly $1 million in sales tax revenue to train aviation technicians. City council members, however, must give final approval before the funding is available. Del Mar officials plan to use the sales tax revenue to renovate an unused hanger at the Corpus Christi International Airport into a training facility for aviation maintenance technicians, said Bud Harris, executive dean for intergovernmental and business relations for the college. Plans call for converting the hanger into 14,400-square-foot aircraft storage area, adding 2,440 square feet of classroom and office space and creating 30 parking spaces. Del Mar officials propose to invest $2 million into the project if the city agrees to lease the space, worth about $900,000, at no charge to the college. Del Mar currently operates a hanger and training facility at its west campus. Texas State releases designs for its new Performing Arts Center Designs for Texas State University-San Marcos' new state-of-the-arts Performing Arts Center were unveiled recently. The facility will feature a 400-seat theater and 300-seat recital hall. There will also be space for rehearsals, staging areas, classrooms and a grand lobby. Also included in the project is a 455-space parking garage. The new building was facilitated by an $8 million gift from Patti Harrison in 2008. Her gift started the wheels of the fundraising wagon turning, with the university coming up with close to $43 million for the balance. Other funds came from the Higher Education Assistance Funds, other gift funding and Texas State University System Revenue Financing System Revenue Bonds. Texas Tech University board OKs chapel on campus Texas Tech University regents recently OK'd construction of a 250-seat campus chapel that will be paid for with two $1.5 million private donations. University officials now want to set up an endowment to fund upkeep costs to the chapel, which is expected to open next summer. Already, requests to book the 7,000-square-foot facility for weddings are coming in, said Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement Kelly Overley. Information above taken from Texas Government Insider, Strategic Partnerships Inc., as permitted, unless otherwise noted. |
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