TSUS regents express appreciation to City Council
SAN MARCOS, TEXAS — The San Marcos City Council Friday received a strong vote of confidence and gratitude from the Texas State University System (TSUS) Board of Regents.
Meeting in Alpine on the campus of Sul Ross State University, the regents passed a motion expressing their thanks to the City Council for its willingness to continue working to reach an agreement about the placement of two city water wells.
In addition, the regents authorized Southwest Texas State University President Jerome Supple to ask the council to appoint two city representatives to meet with counterparts from SWT and the TSUS. That group could work together as necessary to resolve remaining issues and develop a final draft contract concerning the water wells.
The two wells are located on city-owned land adjacent to Comanche Street at the site of SWT’s proposed Art/Technology/Physics Complex. The city and the university have been involved in negotiations that would allow construction of the new building, while also ensuring that the city’s water supply remains intact.
The San Marcos City Council will consider the water well issue at its Monday meeting.
In other action, the regents authorized the university to begin offering a major in jazz studies under the bachelor of music degree program. The new program is designed to offer a broad preparation for students seeking careers in jazz or commercial music.
Currently, the University of North Texas and the University of Texas at Arlington are the only Texas schools offering degree programs in jazz.
The regents also authorized SWT to begin offering a five-year integrated accounting major that merges the existing bachelor of business administration with a major in accounting and the master of accountancy program. The move will allow students to complete both degree programs simultaneously and will qualify them to take the certified public accountant examination after completing 151 hours of coursework.
The board also gave the go-ahead for SWT to establish the Institute for the History of Texas Music. The institute’s mission will be to collect, preserve and make available important archival materials related to Texas music.
The institute will work within the framework of the university’s Center for the Study of the Southwest, the Southwestern Writers Collection, the Fire Station Studio and the public history program. It will offer one undergraduate course, organize a variety of educational programs and promote public outreach related to Texas music.
In other SWT related action, the board:
• Authorized the university to purchase the BMC West property on Ranch Road 12 pending the approval of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The facility will be used for a new print shop and as warehouse space.
• Authorized the university to offer its existing master of social work program at the University of Houston at Victoria.
• Awarded a contract to Andco Industries of Greensboro, N.C., for $513,803 for the campus exterior signage project and formally renamed several campus buildings to more accurately reflect their use and to complement the signage project.
• Authorized the system administrative office to create and fill the positions of vice chancellor of academic affairs and director of planning and construction at the system level.
• Acknowledged gifts to the university of $5,000 or more.
-- SWT received $1.3 million in cash, equities, securities and mutual funds from the estate of Reed B. Parr for the Parr Unrestricted Endowment and for the Parr Music Scholarship.
-- The university received $351,575 from the Roy and Joann Cole Mitte Foundation for the Mitte Scholarship program.
-- Shares of stock and securities valued at $115,835 were donated by Mr. and Mrs. Jim H. Dotson to establish the Dotson Family Scholarship.
-- The Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation donated $100,000 for SWT’s Albert Alkek Library and for faculty technology development.
-- Shares of stock valued at $54,263 were donated by Mr. and Mrs. Frank M. Austin Jr. to fund the Mary Jo Austin McCormick Scholarship for Poetry.
-- The El Paso Energy Foundation gave $54,000 as a matching gift for the cash value of two insurance policies given to SWT by Richard Baish.
-- Shares of stock valued at $50,026 were given by Bob Bullock for the Jack Martin Faculty Fellowship in Political Communication.
-- CenturyTel donated $25,000 for the Century Telephone of San Marcos endowed scholarship fund.
-- The university received $25,000 from the estate of Emmie Craddock for the Craddock endowed scholarship fund.
-- Wallace Dockall donated $25,000 in cash and securities for the new athletic facility.
-- Reliant Energy Entex donated $15,000 in support of the Centennial Campaign.
-- Christus Santa Rosa Health Care donated equipment valued at $10,000. The equipment is used to evaluate respiratory function.
-- The C.P. Snider Construction Co. donated $10,000 to establish the Paul and Jo Snider History Endowment.
• Approved a 1999-2000 operating budget of approximately $180 million for SWT.
• Authorized the university to employ Croslin and Associates of Austin to design the renovation of the University Service Center at a fee of 8 percent with the total project cost not to exceed $5.4 million.
• Authorized the university to hire HLM Design of Dallas to conduct a feasibility study for the modification of Jackson Hall, College Inn and The Tower to meet building code requirements.
• Approved preliminary plans for the third phase of the utility system expansion project and authorized the university to prepare specifications and plans and advertise for bids. The project cost is estimated at $5.5 million.
• Authorized a purchase order of $732,199 to A/R Contracting of America for roof replacements on several academic buildings.
• Authorized a purchase order of $390,938 to Port Enterprises for roof replacement at Butler and Lantana halls.
• Formally accepted the west campus utility extension project.
• Approved a water line easement to America National Power to install water lines along McCarty Lane.
• Authorized a contract for $189,848 with Texas Disposal Systems for solid waste collection and disposal. The contract is for one year with a provision for three one-year extensions.
• Authorized the university to negotiate an agreement with the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority for the transport of surface water.
• Amended an earlier board motion to change the sources of funding for the Admissions Center expansion project.
• Approved internal audit reports, class reports, and routine budget amendments and personnel matters.
The Texas State University System includes Angelo State University in San Angelo, Lamar University-Beaumont, Lamar University Institute of Technology in Beaumont, Lamar University-Orange, Lamar University-Port Arthur, Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, SWT, Sul Ross State University in Alpine and Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College in Uvalde.
Members of the nine-member board are Pollyanna A. Stephens of San Angelo, chair; Floyd Nickerson of Plano, vice chair; Patricia Diaz Dennis of San Antonio; Dionicio “Don” Flores of El Paso; John P. Hageman of Austin; James A. “Jimmy” Hayley of Texas City; Thomas M. Moeller of Beaumont; Nancy R. Neal of Lubbock; and Macedonio “Massey” Villarreal of Missouri City. Chancellor Lamar Urbanovsky manages the system’s office in Austin.