Regents award contract for SWT athletic facilities

Date of release: 06/08/01

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS — Athletic facilities at Southwest Texas State University will undergo a major facelift soon, thanks to action taken Friday, June 8, by the Texas State University System Board of Regents.

Meeting in Beaumont on the campus of Lamar University, the regents awarded a construction contract of $7.5 million to Bartlett Cocke L.P. of San Antonio for the two-part project. Included is a new end zone facility at Bobcat Stadium that will house the football and track programs, a weight room, a training room, office and meeting space and a hall of honor that pays tribute to legendary SWT athletes.

The project also includes the conversion of a gymnasium in Strahan Coliseum to office space for the volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball programs. The project is scheduled for completion in July 2002.

In other action, the regents agreed to two property transactions that are the first steps toward the construction of two privatized student housing complexes on the SWT campus. The regents accepted a gift of property, known as the Satterwhite property, adjacent to the current central receiving warehouse across Aquarena Springs Drive from Bobcat Stadium. The property will be leased to the Texas State University System Foundation, which will contract with Capstone Development for the development of a 660-bed apartment complex for student housing, a 1,170-car commuter parking lot, two recreation fields and the relocation of the central receiving warehouse.

The regents also authorized SWT to lease the vacant property adjacent to Bexar Hall on the university’s west campus to the TSUS Foundation in partnership with American Campus Communities of Austin for a 400-bed student residence hall complex and associated parking areas.

In other SWT related action, the regents:

  • Redesignated the Department of Social Work as the School of Social Work, subject to final approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
  • Authorized the university, subject to final Coordinating Board approval, to add a master of science degree with a major in applied sociology, a bachelor of science degree with a major in applied mathematics, a bachelor of science degree with a major in biochemistry, a bachelor of arts degree with a major in music (The university currently offers bachelor’s degrees in music education and music performance.), a master of science degree with a major in wildlife ecology, a bachelor of public administration degree and a certificate in water resources policy.
  • Authorized the university to extend its on-campus authorization to offer a master of science in interdisciplinary studies with via distance learning.
  • Awarded a contract of $1.5 million to Texas Industrial Mechanical of Austin for chiller replacement and cooling tower upgrades.
  • Reauthorized the university to purchase property at 713 Aquarena Springs Drive.
  • Acknowledged gifts to the university of $10,000 or more.
  • Bill and Sally Wittliff of Austin donated additional items to the Southwestern Writers Collection valued at $132,000.
  • The Roy and Joann Cole Mitte Foundation donated $125,675 in support of the Mitte Scholars Program.
  • The university received $74,990 from the estate of J. Lloyd Rogers for the NEH Challenge Grant.
  • The university received gifts of equipment and instruments valued at $58,350 from Larry N. Britton for the Institute of Environmental and Industrial Science.
  • The university received a gift of equipment valued at $54,600 from Lucent Technologies for the materials physics program
  • The 100 Club of Central Texas donated $50,000 to establish the James Moritz Scholarship.
  • CenturyTel of San Marcos donated $25,000 for sponsorship of the SWT Celebrity Golf Classic.
  • Priority Personnel contributed $15,000 for sponsorship of the SWT Celebrity Golf Classic.
  • The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company donated $11,000 in support of the Texas School Safety Center.
  • The university received $10,587 from the sale of 250 shares of Mellon Financial stock donated by Carol Fredericks for the Darrell and Barbara Piersol Scholarship Endowment.
  • The university received $10,000 from Chuck Nash Chevrolet-Oldsmobile-Buick-Jeep Co. as the first monthly payment on a $90,000 pledge in support of the SWT athletic program.
  • Harry Lucas contributed $10,000 in support of the Bing Math Program and the Honors Math Program.
  • Mike R. Young donated $10,000 for geography scholarships.
  • The Texas Instruments Foundation contributed $10,000 as a matching gift for the gift from Bob and Sue Shrader.
  • Adopted a resolution in recognition and appreciation of the honor brought to the university and the TSUS by Michael Hennessy, named a Piper Professor for 2001.
  • Approved the lease of 700 square feet of space in the LBJ Student Center to First Call Wireless for the sale of wireless communication equipment.
  • Extended the electronic identification system agreement with Diebold Inc. for one year.
  • Accepted the financial report for the first six months of fiscal year 2001 for the Aquarena properties.
  • Approved routine budget adjustments, course fees, personnel matters, out-of-country study programs, curriculum reports and 12th class day reports.

The Texas State University System includes Angelo State University in San Angelo, Lamar University in Beaumont, Lamar Institute of Technology in Beaumont, Lamar State College-Orange, Lamar State College-Port Arthur, Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, SWT, Sul Ross State University in Alpine and Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College with centers in Uvalde, Del Rio and Eagle Pass.

Members of the nine-member board are Nancy R. Neal of Lubbock, chair; Dionicio “Don” Flores of El Paso, vice chair; Patricia Diaz Dennis of San Antonio; John P. Hageman of Austin; Dan S. Hallmark of Beaumont; James A. �Jimmy� Hayley of Texas City; Pollyanna A. Stephens of San Angelo; James L. Sweatt III of DeSoto; and Macedonio “Massey” Villarreal of Houston. Chancellor Lamar Urbanovsky manages the system office in Austin.