SHSU to Break Ground on New Center

The Huntsville Item discusses the new headquarters of the Department of Agricultural Sciences and Engineering Technology and the groundbreaking ceremony on the site location of the new Fred Pirkle Engineering Technology Center, at the corner of Bowers Boulevard and Sam Houston Avenue on Friday (Jun. 12)  at 1:30 p.m.

February 2015 Regents Report

Today@Sam has their report on the quarterly meeting of the Texas State University System Board of Regents:

Big Changes With Board of Regents Approval

The Houstonian (Feb. 18) has a run-down on what's on tap at this quarter's meeting of the Texas State University System Board of Regents:

Permits Outnumber Parking Spaces

News from the Houstonian (Sep. 25) about the cars, the lots, and the stickers:

Technology Building To Take Away Parking

The Houstonian (Sep. 24) talks up a new building and old parking spaces:

SHSU Animal Testing Lab Construction Underway

The Huntsville Item reported (Sep. 9) that the university's new animal testing lab, or vivarium, is being constructed:

2014 State of the University Address

SHSU President Dr. Dana Hoyt addressed the university faculty and staff at the annual State of the University on September 4. The following capital projects were discussed as part of her presentation:

February 2014 Regents Report

Today@Sam has their report on the quarterly meeting of the Texas State University System Board of Regents.  The following Planning and Construction Report comes from the meeting's minutes:

November 2013 Regents Report

Today@Sam has their report on the quarterly meeting of the Texas State University System Board of Regents:

February 2013 Regents Report

Today@Sam reports on the updated Master Plan approved by the Texas State University System Board of Regents during their recent meeting:

The regents approved a 2013-2020 master plan update and authorized SHSU to file the update with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

The most recent SHSU campus master plan for the period of 2009-2020 was approved in 2008. However, new enrollment and academic trends began emerging after the implementation and as a result, the university’s space utilization analysis did not show the improvement expected, SHSU President Dana Gibson told the regents.

“The campus infrastructure needed a comprehensive review focusing on the renewal of existing systems and expansion to serve new facilities,” she said. “A conscious effort has been made to update the master plan and build on the efforts of the 2008 plan as a planning tool to give the university the flexibility to address changing demographics and teaching approaches,” she said.

Among the proposed construction projects, some of which were previously identified, are south district residence facilities, a south dining facility, new academic buildings for nursing and biology, and an agricultural and engineering technology building.

Alumnus Commits $25 Million For Engineering Technology Program

Today@Sam reports that the university has received a $25 million pledge from the founder of Pennsylvania-based Therm-Omega-Tech, Inc. – alumnus Frederick Pirkle (’70 BS, ’74 MA) – to support the university’s engineering technology components within the current industrial technology program and to establish a new engineering technology program.

The gift will provide funding for three areas. A portion will be applied toward the construction of a state-of-the-art academic facility and associated laboratories, including advanced equipment and technology, to house engineering technology and related academic programs. The building will be named The Fred Pirkle Technology Center.

Conversations about the Master Plan

More discussions about the Campus Master Plan from President James Gaertner in today Houstonian:

"We plan to tear down all of the small student housing, like King Hall for example, and build additional student housing. We are going to tear down the LSC and build a new LSC on the same spot, and build new Nursing and Allied Health, Engineering, and College of Business buildings and turn the old business building into general classrooms," Gaertner said. "We also plan to add to the Criminal Justice and Education buildings. There will also be three structured parking garages being built."

"The building schedule depends on our enrollment growth, the availability of funds, certain programs growing at a certain rate, and programs being approved, such as the Engineering and Nursing and Allied Health programs," Gaertner said. "One of the very first projects we will have is going to be new dormitories and student housing because we need a certain number of beds available when we tear down the older houses. We will probably break ground [on the housing project] within the next year and a half or so and then probably after that Allied Health and Nursing."

Chime in with your thoughts or questions about the Master Plan at the katfans forum.

November 2008 Regents Report

Today@Sam has their run-down of the meeting of the Texas State University System Board of Regents:

Each of the component universities in the system is required to submit a revised campus master plan at least every 10 years. The board approved Sam Houston State's current plan in 2000; however, because of the university's rapid growth during the past eight years, administrators decided to update the plan this year.

The plan submitted by JJR, Inc. of Ann Arbor, Mich. calls for new or improved academic space, new residence halls, non-academic structures and a parking garage.

Recommended projects and estimated costs include an addition to the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas building ($15 million); integrated engineering and technology building ($37 million); agriculture complex at Gibbs Ranch ($6 million); biology, nursing and allied health building ($42 million); forensic science building ($24 million); College of Business Administration building ($45 million); and Criminal Justice Center addition ($16 million).

JJR, Inc. suggests building two residence halls --- the first one ($17.5 million) north of Sorority Hill and the second one ($23.5 million) at the site of King Hall --- in response to the projected growth in student population.

A proposed 1,200-space, multi-level parking structure on Bearkat Boulevard would cost $20 million.

Recommended non-academic facilities include a health center expansion ($3 million); a new residence life maintenance building ($2 million); and an alumni center ($10 million) adjacent to Bowers Stadium.