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For the previous few months, Stephen F. Austin State College has been velocity courting.
The 11,300-student college in East Texas Piney Woods has 4 contenders: Texas A&M College System, Texas State College System, Texas Tech College System, and College of Texas System, all vying for the college to affix their ranks.
Ever since SFA leaders introduced at first of the autumn semester that they finally wished to affix a system, a subcommittee of members of the college’s board of trustees have been wooed by these system leaders. Their first assembly was in Nacogdoches, the place SFA is situated. And this week, one other spherical of conferences with every system occurred in Dallas.
SFA is one in all solely two public universities in Texas that aren’t a part of a system. The opposite is Texas Southern College, the traditionally black college in Houston.
Earlier this month, the 4 programs responded to a protracted listing of requests — a kind of greater training compatibility questionnaire, if you’ll — submitted by school, workers, alumni and college students.
SFA Performing President Steve Westbrook advised professors that the conferences this week had been aimed toward clarifying responses to these questionnaires.
“Some had been extra particular than others,” he advised a college senate assembly final week. “We’re attempting to develop a type of extra holistic, apples-to-apples comparability in some areas…so we all know the true which means behind a number of the verbiage.”
Of their responses, all 4 programs boasted of further companies and advantages the SFA may entry, akin to tutorial and analysis databases, financial contracts, and expert authorities relations groups that might defend the SFA on Capitol Hill in Texas. Additionally they all reassured the SFA that it might be capable of retain its college title, colours and loggers id. Much like different universities inside a system in Texas, the programs additionally mentioned the SFA would retain decision-making management over hiring, curriculum, and tutorial packages.
However the programs have additionally tried to distance themselves from one another.
The Texas State College System has defended its hands-off method as a system and the dearth of a flagship college beneath its umbrella as a method of claiming it treats all universities within the system equally. The Texas Tech College System highlighted its dedication to rural universities and its current expertise bringing Midwestern State College beneath its fold.
Wealthier college programs have flashed their cash — and their entry to the Everlasting College Fund, belongings created by oil and fuel revenues from 2.1 million acres of land in West Texas that fetch billions {dollars} per yr.
The Texas A&M College System thought of a brand new, state-of-the-art constructing for SFA’s forestry program and supplied SFA as a possible department for a number of the system’s companies, such because the Texas Division of Emergency Administration. They emphasised well being science teaching programs and famous that A&M already manages SFA investments.
The College of Texas system additionally waved greenback indicators: $1 million extra for annual scholarships and $5.5 million to spice up school salaries, in addition to its STARS system program that gives seed funding for analysis tools, labs, and different capital expenditures. He additionally highlighted psychological well being assets for college students.
On Friday, SFA representatives are anticipated to submit 4 separate studies to the college’s president assessing the programs’ responses and sharing the strengths and weaknesses of every system’s arguments. The college report contains suggestions from professors, division chairs, and deans.
Professors say there’s a sense of tempered pleasure on campus about becoming a member of a system. However there’s additionally a marketing campaign inside the Nacogdoches group in opposition to the concept. An advert within the native newspaper, The Every day Sentinel, reads: “Be a part of a scheme? Unhealthy for you. Unhealthy for SFA. A button that claims “Get the Details Jacks”, leads to a website who says it is important the SFA maintains its independence and management and calls the bids ‘weak’ and says lecturers will lose their jobs.
“A number of system choices promise to commit $1 million per yr to extend enrollment with an eventual objective of 15,000 college students,” the web site says. “These are paltry numbers given the SFA’s annual price range.”
In response to the SFA, enrollment fell 5% this fall from final yr to 11,327 college students. Between 2019 and 2021, college enrollment decreased by 7.5%.
A school survey printed in January confirmed that 73% had been in favor of becoming a member of a system. The survey was taken throughout a tumultuous time at SFA. In April, Previous President Scott Gordon and the Board of Administrators “mutually agreed” to separate, lower than a yr after the board sparked outrage by awarding Gordon an $85,000 pay increase as the college handled COVID-19-related enrollment declines. Gordon repaid the pay rise, however this created pressure between school and principals and prompted questions from school and workers in regards to the college’s monetary scenario. Some say uncertainty and mistrust of the board persists.
At the moment, the SFA board has not introduced that it’s going to decide at its board assembly on October 30-31, however will think about studies from every part of the college at the moment. Westbrook advised the school that the board would subsequently name a particular assembly particularly to debate its determination, which may embody remaining impartial. Texas lawmakers make the ultimate determination.
“If there’s something left on the desk unaffiliated that we are able to entry if we had been affiliated, it is essential to have the ability to decide that and quantify it,” Westbrook advised the school at a board assembly on Tuesday. October 12.
Disclosure: Texas A&M College, Texas Southern College – Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland College of Public Affairs, Texas Tech College, Texas Tech College System, Texas A&M College System, Texas State College System, and College of Texas System have been monetary supporters of Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan information group that’s funded partly by donations from members, foundations and company sponsors. Monetary supporters play no function within the journalism of the Tribune. Discover a go well with list here.
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