According to the local daily, University of Texas at Brownsville President Juliet V. Garcia will be in Austin today to ask the UT System Board of Regents for more than $151.6 million from the state to build a new campus.
But she is going up to Austin knowing that the Regents are considering at least four sites for the UTB campus, and that nothing is guaranteed, not even the much ballyhooed "urban university" campus pushed by Brownsville Mayor Tony Martinez.
And actually, in the bigger scheme of things, $151 million is just a drop in the bucket for the oil-and-gas wealthy UT System. But getting them to fork it out is easier said than done.Since 1994, the UT System has dodged a $15 million rental fee they owe TSC, and no relief to pay for this debt is in sight, despite the fact that during the 22-year life of the "partnership," UTB received an average $53 million in annual transfers from TSC.
The plans – as outlined by the daily from the Regents' agenda – are for "546,000 gross square feet of buildings and will include classrooms; a library and information technology center; student and administrative support services; space for music instruction and performance; a physical education building; a physical plant with campus safety, security and emergency operations spaces, and a thermal energy plant and infrastructure..."
If the regents agree to the proposal – and there are no guarantees – the funds will come from tuition revenue bonds sold by the university, or in this case by the University of Texas System to the state, Steve Collins, associate vice chancellor for governmental relations of the UT System told the Herald.
If the regents agree to the proposal – and there are no guarantees – the funds will come from tuition revenue bonds sold by the university, or in this case by the University of Texas System to the state, Steve Collins, associate vice chancellor for governmental relations of the UT System told the Herald.
In other words, the tuition-revenue bonds are loans made to the school which will then be repaid from the students' tuition payments over time.
It's been some seven years, according to a UT source, since the state issued funds to multiple schools. That was in 2006 when a total of $1.8 billion in bonds were issued which included $846 million toward the UT System.
Rep. Rene Oliveira, D-Brownsville told the Herald that such bonds have not been approved more recently due to state budget shortfalls. But with increased shale oil income rolling into the state's coffers, he said it's time for the UT System to step to the plate and fork over the dough.
Rep. Rene Oliveira, D-Brownsville told the Herald that such bonds have not been approved more recently due to state budget shortfalls. But with increased shale oil income rolling into the state's coffers, he said it's time for the UT System to step to the plate and fork over the dough.
“We need to start growing the new UT Brownsville and that has to happen independently of the medical school and the super university.”
But not to worry, UTB Provost Alan Artibise said recently. The UTB ain't going nowhere .
“We are here to stay; we’re not going to become a satellite to Pan Am,” Artibise told the Herald. “The board is committed to building a new campus for UTB. Some people say we’re not going to be here anymore. That’s simply not true. There’s no sign at all in that direction.”
Well, there you are. No money, no honey.
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