Today@Sam: Approval For Two New Degrees Among Actions Of Board of Regents

New degrees, new standards for transfer students, a new building to house a portion of the forensic science program, a new intercollegiate sport and a holiday schedule were all approved Friday for Sam Houston State University.

• The forensic science facility will be a garage-like structure costing about $115,000, with a small pond, and will be used for the study of body decomposition in the unique climate of East Texas.

Item: Regents OK Performing Arts Center

The May 2 Huntsville Item (as well as Today@Sam) reports that SHSU has been given the go ahead by the Texas State University System Board of Regents to begin construction on a $38.5M Performing Arts Center:

The Regents unanimously approved the project during a Thursday morning conference call. The project had been submitted for approval twice previously but withdrawn for further work.

Construction could begin as early as September 2008, pending approval of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Bond Review Board. The Coordinating Board meets in late July. Completion of the center is estimated in the fall of 2010.

The new building will be constructed on the parking lots just north of the Music Building and Theatre Center, uniting the three into a Fine Arts Complex.

Item: Regent - Best facilities possible wanted for SHSU

Reporter Kristin Edwards writes that Texas State University System Board of Regents member Dora G. Alcala gave a special presentation Friday afternoon [October 5] as part of the Grassroots speaker series at Sam Houston State University.

As she addressed the audience in the Olsen Auditorium, which more than filled the available seating, Alcala discussed the merit of higher education, family values and work ethic.

“We on the board always want to see our students getting a very good education,” she said. “I know that’s happening here because of the university’s enrollment.”

In the short term, Alcala said the board hopes to maintain the best facilities possible at SHSU. “We want to make sure the students have the best facilities and a good learning environment,” she said. “I’d like to see them have a new music building, because we have a lot of music makers and they deserve the best facilities.”

Alcala served two terms as mayor of Del Rio and has received several state awards during her career. She was appointed to the board in July 2004 by Gov. Rick Perry.

Regents: Buildings Named, etc.

During the recent meeting of Boards of Regents of the Texas State University System, the group approved changing the name of the Visitor and Alumni Center to the John R. Ragsdale Visitor and Alumni Center in recognition of the gift of $1.25 million from Ragsdale, a 1959 graduate.

The regents also approved changing the name of Academic Building V, which is under construction, to College of Humanities and Social Sciences. At a cost of $30 million and with 150,000 square feet of space, it will be the largest academic building on campus and is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2008.

Other building news included the relocation of the university's telecommunications operations at a cost of $4.2 million. The equipment, including phone, computer and Internet functions, is currently located in the small building on the edge of the university's new landscaped mall area between the student center and Lee Drain Building (think the small, northern half of the old post office). The relocation of these functions will be completed by July 1, 2008, so that the building can be demolished and the mall area completed. With that exception, the mall is scheduled for completion early this fall.

In other news, Sam Houston State University President James Gaertner will give his annual state-of-the-campus message Wednesday, August 22 in the Criminal Justice Center Killinger Auditorium.

Regents Approve New Building, Academic Changes

Design documents for a new $30 million home for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences were approved Friday by Sam Houston State University's governing body.

The Texas State University System Board of Regents took the action during a meeting held in Austin. Construction [on Academic Building Five] is expected to begin this spring with an estimated completion date of fall 2008.

The 150,000 square foot building will also house additional faculty offices as well as other academic and administrative functions, including Accounts Payable, Purchasing, Business Office and Human Resources. It will be located in the area south of the Smith-Hutson Business Building and east of the Lee Drain Building.

The regents also approved a total project cost not to exceed $1.825 million for mechanical renovations to the Belvin-Buchanan dorm, which was built in 1936. After plans were prepared for the project and a cost initially approved, it was discovered that additional work of up to $250,000 in cost was needed. That project is expected to be completed this summer.

Today@Sam: Regents Approve Five New Degrees

Five new degrees, one each in finance, forensic science, and victim studies and two in multimedia authoring, were approved Thursday by Sam Houston State University's governing board.

Bobby K. Marks, Sam Houston president, was also authorized to continue negotiations with the city of Huntsville toward an agreement to build a golf course on university property.

In other business, the regents awarded a contract to Spaw Glass Construction of Houston for the $10 million renovation of the Lowman Student Center, a project that is expected to begin this fall and be completed in about two years.

In other action, the board approved purchase of 9.62 acres of land at Bowers Blvd. and Sycamore.

Regents Award Building Contract; Approve Facelift For Sam's Museum

A contract for a new $8.7 million classroom/office building and the first stage of a $1 million Sam Houston Memorial Museum exhibits renovation were approved Friday by the Sam Houston State University board of regents.

The new four-story building will contain 62,000 square feet of space for the departments of history, library science, and psychology, as well as a computer laboratory, testing center, honors laboratory, and reading, writing and learning enrichment center. It will contain a 300 seat lecture hall. The construction contract was awarded to ICI Construction Inc., of Spring. Work is expected to begin about Aug. 1, with completion in the fall of 2001.

Southwest Museum Services of Houston was hired to begin the first phase of a project estimated to eventually cost $1,050,000, to completely re-design the exhibits area of the Sam Houston Memorial Museum. The first phase will cost $250,000 and will be limited to the rotunda area.

The centerpiece of the rotunda will be a scaled-down copy of David Adickes' 67-foot statue of Sam Houston, located on Interstate 45 in south Huntsville. Also in the rotunda will be dioramas depicting Sam Houston as a youth, Houston at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, and Houston as president of the Republic of Texas.

Regents Approve Fees, Other Business

New fees and rates in housing, for meal plans, the general use fee, and for a new Saturday MBA program, as well as two construction and renovation projects were approved Friday by Sam Houston State University's governing board.

Most room rates will increase about $75 per semester, or 8.8 percent. The rate for White Hall, which was $845 prior to the renovation now underway, will increase to $1,500 per semester. The renovation is expected to be completed by July.

The new White Hall two person suite arrangement reduces the facility's overall occupancy and brings it more in line with apartment-type off-campus housing in amenities and cost.

The board also authorized the construction of a metal building for the Phase II Agricultural Mechanization Center, which will provide 4,325 square feet of new space for tractor/equipment repair instruction, hydraulics/electronics/power train instruction, tool storage, and a steam cleaning room. Construction is expected to be completed by early summer, at a cost of $299,900.

The board authorized the university to employ Dabhi Engineering Associates, Inc. of Houston to design safety improvements for Johnson Coliseum, including emergency lighting for a safe evacuation of people from the building if necessary, and installation of a back-up generator. Additional safety items will include automatic smoke and heat detectors and upgraded alarm system, all at a cost of $211,000.

Regents approve plans for new building

Preliminary plans for the construction of a new $8.5 million General Classroom Building at Sam Houston State University were approved Friday by the university's governing board.

The Austin architectural firm of Graeber, Simmons & Cowan presented the preliminary plans and were directed to prepare detailed plans and specifications for bidding and construction contract award at a future board meeting, possibly in February 2000.

Construction on the site formerly occupied by Departmental Dorms could start in the spring of 2000 and is expected to take 18 months to two years for completion.

Plans for occupancy of its 61,070 feet of space include the Departments of History, Library Science and Psychology, the Academic Enrichment Center, a Computer Services lab, a testing center, the Honors Program, classrooms and lecture hall.

SHSU was also authorized to employ Molina Walker Architects, Inc. of Houston to design a metal building for the industrial technology program. With an estimated project cost of $600,000, the new building will replace the existing Woods Laboratory, which was built in 1945, and another building that dates to 1910-1915.

The old buildings have such defects as a cracked concrete slab and inadequate heating, cooling, ventilation and electrical capacity. The new building will be near the Agricultural Mechanization Center Building and will contain approximately 8,000 square feet.

Also in the construction area, preliminary plans for a $299,000 metal building for use in the Agricultural Mechanization Center, also prepared by the Molina Walker Architect firm, were approved.

Today@Sam: Regents Approve Projects

Contracts for projects totaling almost $20 million, including a new $5.6 million home for the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT), were approved this week by Sam Houston State University's board of regents.

The Graeber, Simmons and Cowan architect firm of Austin was awarded a contract to design the student-approved Lowman Student Center renovation project, which is expected to cost $10 million. The regents also approved increasing student center fees to $60 per long semester and $30 per summer semester, beginning this fall.

Also approved was a $3.9 million contract with Williams Industries of Houston for renovation of the Administration Building. Preliminary work on that project, which totals $4.7 million, has been underway for several months. Completion is expected in the summer of 2000.

The LEMIT contract was awarded to Beck-Ford Construction Inc,. of Houston, with construction scheduled to begin in June and completion scheduled in the fall of 2000. The new building will be constructed on what is now a parking lot north of the Beto Criminal Justice Center hotel.

The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas was created by the Texas legislature in 1969 to develop the administrative, analytical, and executive skills of current and future law enforcement officials. Located first in Austin, it was moved to Sam Houston State University in 1993.

Public administration, management issues, the political, legal, and social environments of policing, and advanced technical issues are studied in detail. It is the largest and most sophisticated statewide preparation program for police management in the United States.

A contract for $299,900 was also awarded to Molina Walker Architects, Inc. of Houston for Phase II of the Agricultural Mechanization Center near Holleman Field. Gerald B. Harris & Associates, Inc. of Huntsville was also awarded a contact to design parking lots totaling 100 spaces on the north and south central boundaries of the campus.

Today@Sam: Regents OK Renovations, Fees

Contractors were hired for renovation projects totaling more than $2.6 million and increases in room and board rates and tuition-general use fees were approved Thursday by Sam Houston State University's board of regents.

J & M Contracting Co. of Huntsville was awarded a $2.2 million contract for renovation of White Hall, which was built in 1963 and will house 143 students when the project is completed prior to the 2000 fall semester. The project includes the renovation of plumbing, electrical and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems as well as alterations to the floor plan to provide suites instead of individual rooms. The suite concept was adopted based on student approval of a prototype suite constructed by the Physical Plant Department.

In other action, Area Wide Mechanical, Inc. of College Station was awarded a $260,000 project for mechanical renovation of the Belvin-Buchanan and Elliott Residence Halls. That work is scheduled to be completed prior to the 1999 fall semester. The project will replace air handling equipment associated with the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in the buildings.

A $165,000 contract was also awarded to Prime Contractors Inc. of Houston for mechanical renovations in the Lowman Student Center, including building heating equipment and ductwork in the Burger King food service area.

Today@Sam: New Degree Sought

A new degree program in Sam Houston State University's College of Business Administration, to take advantage of increasing demands for computer systems specialists, was approved Friday by the university's regents.

In other board action concerning SHSU, the addition of air handling equipment associated with heating, ventilation and air conditioning in Belvin-Buchanan and Elliott dorms, was approved, bringing the total for mechanical renovations in the halls to $260,000.

Today@Sam: Regents Approve Degrees, Study Abroad

Sam Houston State University's board of regents has approved four new degrees, new study abroad programs in Italy and France, construction and renovation projects totaling $7.8 million, and the purchase of $600,000 in computers.

The board on Thursday also approved preliminary plans for construction of a building to house the $5.6 million Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas. Molina Walker Architects, Inc. of Houston was authorized to prepare final plans and to take bids for the award of a construction contract in February, 1999.

Also approved were plans for a $2.2 million renovation of the university's White Hall dormitory, prepared by Shah, Smith & Associates, Inc., of Houston. The architects were also authorized to prepare final plans and to take bids for award of a construction contract in February. In addition to infrastructure repairs such as plumbing, electrical, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, living areas will be arranged into suites composed of two adjoining rooms.

Authorization was also given to demolish the Hathorne House, a small dorm which according to the university's consulting experts has serious structural problems.

No action was taken on renovation of the Administration Building, which is undergoing internal demolition authorized earlier by the board to determine its structural condition.

Today@Sam: Regents Vote Approval for Administration Building Work

Preliminary plans for the $4.7 million renovation of the Administration Building on the Sam Houston State University campus were approved Friday, but not without considerable discussion concerning the merit of spending that much money to fix up an old building.

Work on the project, the last major academic building renovation on the SHSU campus, could begin in early fall if Ferro-Saylors, Inc. architects of Houston find no serious structural problems and the SHSU regents continue to support the project.

The Texas State University System board of regents approved the plans and asked the architects to proceed with detailed plans and specifications for bidding in anticipation of a construction contract being awarded at the August 1998 board meeting.

A representative from Ferro-Saylors told the board that project costs have been increased by the necessity of removing asbestos from the building, the fact that no structural documents exist from when the building was completed in 1916, and the deterioration of the building's terra cotta trim.

When the project is completed it will house offices of the university president, vice president for finance and operations, vice president for academic affairs, the registrar's office, and others.

Bobby K. Marks, Sam Houston president, read excerpts prepared by university master planner Ralph Spencer in which Spencer said that the building is the best example of neo-classical architecture on the SHSU campus, that its style unifies the older "west campus" with the newer buildings to the east, and that the building "should be preserved."

"In an institution as old Sam Houston State University," Marks said, "there is a great feeling of pride in the buildings on campus, especially since the loss of Old Main. Not restoring the Administration Building would be a big disappointment not only to our campus but to the Huntsville community."

Today@Sam: Regents Approve $5.8 Million in Projects

Steps toward construction, renovation, equipment, and improvement projects totaling more than $5.8 million were approved Friday by the Sam Houston State University board of regents.

The largest SHSU project on which action was taken was the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute building, which will be built near the Beto Criminal Justice Center, and is expected to cost $2.87 million. The Molina-Walker Architects, Inc. company of Houston was employed by the board to design the 23,000-square-foot facility.

Another major project acted upon was a $1.3 million renovation of the 308-bed White Hall, a dormitory built in 1962. Shah, Smith & Associates, Inc. of Houston was hired to design the project, which will include major work on the electrical, plumbing and heating/air conditioning systems and modernization of bathrooms. All rooms will be provided with additional telephone and computer connections.

The board awarded a $305,995 contract to J & M Contracting Co., Inc. of Huntsville for Phase III of the Colony Apartments renovation project. Three apartment buildings containing 14 student apartments will be upgraded with paint, carpet, cabinetry, appliances fixtures and other improvements.

The Casa Bella + Barnes Partnership of Austin was employed to design a metal building for a weight training facility, with a project cost of $299,000. The 3,600- square-foot building will replace the Pritchett Field weight room, which was bought in 1982 and has since deteriorated beyond repair.

The same company was also employed to design a metal building for the Forensic Clinical Psychology program, with a project cost of $201,350. The building will be used by SHSU's newest doctoral program, and will be located near the art program complex on the southern edge of the campus.

Today@Sam: Regents Approve Computer Lab Modifications, Vacation Schedule

There will be more computer work stations and fewer dorm rooms on the Sam Houston State campus as the result of actions taken Friday by the university's board of regents.

The Texas State University System board of regents voted in its quarterly meeting to award a $384,600 contract to Prime Contractors, Inc. of Houston for modifications to the computer lab in Academic Building I, and to allow the university to demolish the Malone Apartment Complex and the Agriculture Mechanics Farm Shop.

[SHSU President Bobby K.] Marks said that the Malone Apartment Complex, located on 22nd Street southwest of the main part of the campus, was built in 1958. The complex has exceeded its useful life and the cost to rehabilitate it would exceed reasonable income expectations, he said. The Agriculture Mechanics Farm shop's roof has collapsed and cannot be repaired. That shop is being replaced with a new metal building.

Marks...also reported that the Estill Classroom Building renovation project is behind schedule and will not be open in time for the beginning of the 1997 fall semester. That project, which has delayed moves of the Registrar's Office and Cashier's Office from the Administration Building to Estill, has subsequently caused a delay in beginning the Administration Building renovation.

Today@Sam: Board Approves Expenditures, Food Service Agreement

More than a half million dollars in expenditures, renewal of a food service agreement, offerings for next summer's Mexican Field School, and acceptance of land for an observatory site were all approved Friday by Sam Houston State University's governing board.

The Texas State University System Board of Regents took the actions at a regular quarterly meeting held in Beaumont. Expenditures included:

• $353,495 for a contract with J & M Contracting of Huntsville for phase II of a three-phase renovation of the Colony Apartments, with work on phase II to be completed in the 1997 fall semester;
• $148,610 for a contract with Brazos Urethane Co. of College Station for new roofs and roof repairs to the Belvin-Buchanan and Elliott dorms and the Smith-Hutson Business Building.

The board also voted to accept the gift of almost two acres of land by Distinguished Alumnus Sam C. Dominey as the location for a new University Observatory. The observatory is now located on the former Country Campus, which was bought from the university by Dominey, and plans for a new observatory in that area and on the donated acreage are underway.

Today@Sam: Regents Approve Three New Degrees

Te first step toward three new degrees for Sam Houston State University was taken Friday by the university's board of regents in a regular quarterly meeting on the Sam Houston campus.

The Board also approved:

• The award of a contract to the Ferro-Saylors Inc. architectural firm of Houston to design renovations to the Administration Building, at an estimated cost of $3.5 million with project completion in approximately two years;
• Plans for a $445,000 renovation to the computer lab area of Academic Building I, with completion expected by the 1997 Fall Semester;
• Prchase of $150,000 in furniture and classroom seating for the Estill Building, now undergoing renovation and expected to be completed in May, 1997;
• Employment of Buchanan/Soil Mechanics, Inc. Consulting Engineers of Bryan to design plans and supervise construction of a 20-acre lake for the Recreational Sports Department on the Gibbs Ranch west of Huntsville;
  Purchase orders for $80,000 to install new floor coverings in the Dan Rather Communications Building, including carpeting as well as other materials depending on usage in various areas of the building.

Today@Sam: $2.7 Million in Projects Get Regent Approval

Work on projects totaling more than $2.7 million was approved by the Sam Houston State University board of regents in their two-day meeting that ended Friday. On Thursday the board voted unanimously to name Dr. Bobby K. Marks, who has served as interim president of SHSU since Oct. 16, 1995, as the only finalist in their search for the university's 11th president.

Other action taken by the Board of Regents of The Texas State University System included:

• Authorizing the university to accept the low bid on replacement of the Bowers Stadium synthetic turf prior to the board's June meeting, at an estimated cost of $1.2 million, so the job can be completed prior to the fall college and high school football seasons;
• Awarding a contract to KRC Enterprises, Inc. of Houston for the $450,000 replacement of the West Plant air-conditioning system chiller unit;
• Hiring Molina & Associates to design modifications to the Newton Gresham Library, the Lee Drain Building, and the Teacher Education Center, with an estimated cost of $430,000, for a media center and doctoral studies laboratories;
• Hiring Swicki Anderson and Associates, Inc. of Bryan to design vent system modifications to the Texas Regional Institute for Environmental Studies (TRIES) laboratory, at an estimated cost of $120,000, with estimated utility savings of up to $4,000 per month;
• Authorizing the university to issue purchase orders for up to $77,000 for a floor replacement project for 38 rooms, public areas and offices in the Mitchell and Lawrence dorms.

Today@Sam: Regents Approve Progress Toward $10 Million in Projects

Phases of Sam Houston State University construction and renovation projects with overall costs of almost $10 million were approved Friday by the university's board of regents. Construction and renovation project approvals included:

• Awarding of a contract for the $4 million Estill Classroom Building renovation before the May board of regents meeting in order to complete the project prior to the start of the 1997 fall semester;
• $48,000 to hire Lee Singletary of Plano to provide final plans for an 18-hole university golf course and pro-shop development with a total project cost of $3 million, contingent upon approval of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board;
• Employment of Lamb and Barger Consulting Engineers of Houston for replacement of the artificial surface on the Bowers Stadium playing field, with anticipated cost of $1.2 million and completion prior to the 1996 fall semester;
• Issuance of purchase orders for the renovation of the Colony Apartments, Phase I, and the Jackson Shaver Apartments, with a project cost of $465,000;
• Preliminary plans for renovation of the University Corner, former site of the Kampus Korner bookstore, at a cost of $328,000;
• Employment of Lockwood, Andrews and Newnam, Inc., of Houston for electrical distribution system upgrades to the King, Elliott, Belvin/Buchanan, Lawrence and Mitchell dorms at a project cost of $281,000;
• Contract award to Collier Construction of Brenham for renovation of the Belvin and Smith halls dining facilities, at a cost of $128,700.