University of Houston-Victoria
Regional Outreach Center
Existing Item
Requested Biennial Funding: $ 900,000
Description and Justification
UH-Victoria researched barriers to educational attainment and published the results in a document entitled "Children at the Crossroads." Regional presentations of the findings were made, entitled "Community at the Crossroads," resulting in the formation of the Victoria Business and Education Coalition (VBEC) whose mission is to identify and remove barriers to educational attainment in order to develop an educated work force. These accomplishments were recognized as a "best practice" by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. An awareness and motivation campaign called Letting Education Achieve Dreams (LEAD) received ATCU's "Excellence in Higher Education Award." LEAD reaches over 12,000 K-12 students per year through school and college campus visits in addition to adult motivation presentations, mentoring programs, youth leadership conferences and a number of other related activities. Additionally regional outreach provides grant facilitation services and continuing education courses. As a result of these activities, local chambers, ISDs, community colleges, and nonprofits are collaborating. UHV seeks exceptional item funding to expand and enhance regional outreach activities aimed at increasing the educational attainment level of the region, which currently produces college graduates at half the rate of Texas.
Factors Impacting Strategy
State, university, local, and private funding have made the current efforts successful as evidenced above. Without continuation of this funding, efforts may need to be abandoned, leaving a void since no other comprehensive program exists in the region to address the severe shortfall in educational attainment, a primary goal of the State's "Closing the Gaps" initiative. UHV's service region produces college graduates at half the rate of Texas, and Texas ranks in the lowest quartile of the nation.
Program Development/Nursing
New Item
Requested Biennial Funding: $ 940,000
Description and Justification
UHV has conducted a feasibility study of the need and demand for a registered nurse (RN) to bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program in its service area. The results of the study indicate both the need and demand for a BSN program. In FY05, the university will hire a consultant to write a request to the Board of Nurse Examiners (BNE) seeking the authority to formally propose the program. Assuming that all processes go smoothly, the first classes will be offered in fall 2006. BNE guidelines require that the director and staff support are hired at least a year prior to the beginning of the program, and that the first-year faculty are hired nine months before. Thus, in FY06, the faculty and staff will be employed but will not be producing credit hours. Formula funding for the program will not be allocated for the FY06-07 biennium. So funding for faculty, staff, and operations will also be required for the FY07 academic year. Without special support, the university will not be able to afford the program.
Factors Impacting Strategy
The need for nurses with a bachelor's degree in our service area is great. Most units in the major area hospitals do not have supervising nurses with bachelor's degrees. In addition, other health-care providers have great difficulty attracting BSNs to their organizations. With this funding, the University of Houston-Victoria would be able to meet the need of the health-care industry for nurses with formal education in management and community health issues.
Center for Mexican-American Studies
New Item
Requested Biennial Funding: $ 400,000
Description and Justification
UHV seeks funding to create a Center for Mexican-American Studies that would conduct four types of activities: (1) academic instruction, with a major and minor within the bachelor of arts in humanities program and a graduate concentration in the master of arts in interdisciplinary studies degree program; (2) research to promote understanding of the demographic, social, and economic changes impacting the Mexican-American population in the region; (3) sponsorship of educational and cultural events open to the public as well as to the UHV; and (4) outreach activities in cooperation with community leaders to promote educational, economic, and cultural opportunities for Mexican-Americans. The center would be staffed by a director and clerical person, and would use the existing full-time faculty of UHV and hire part-time faculty as needed.
Factors Impacting Strategy
According to the 2000 U.S. census, 34 % of the population of the 15-county UHV service area is Hispanic (124,058 of a total of 361,570). Of Hispanic adults in the area, only 8 % have received any level of college degree. Currently, UHV has no academic program that concentrates on the Mexican-American population. It has no courses in its inventory on Mexican-American history, literature, or culture.
With this center, the university could offer concentrations in the Mexican-American studies in its bachelor's degree in humanities and master's degree in interdisciplinary studies. It could also sponsor research on Mexican-American culture, and assist local organizations in their efforts to improve the quality of life for the Mexican-American population. Given the limited resources available to the university, without this special item the center will not be economically feasible to begin.
Tuition Revenue Bonds
Existing Item
Requested Biennial Funding: $ 6,054,450
Description and Justification
This request is for a continuation of the current Special Item that provides for retirement of the tuition bonds as authorized in prior legislative sessions. Exceptional item funding is also being requested to provide estimated debt service on the three Tuition Revenue Bond projects being requested in Schedule 10A. These projects are for the following new facilities: UH System at Sugar Land Academic Building; Student and Administrative Support Services Building; and Regional Center for Economic Development Building. The projects total $40,776,000 of which we are requesting $24,356,000 in tuition revenue bonds. Funding in the amount of $16,420,000 will come from a variety of other sources. It is assumed that 20-year bonds will be issued at 6 % interest starting in the second year of the new biennium.
Factors Impacting Strategy
The obligation has been incurred and the UH System is legally responsible for the payment.
