Houstonian: Just trying to get to class

Handicap accessibility seems to be a priority to some at Sam Houston State more than others. Robert Santos, an SHSU sophomore who is in a wheelchair, said he has made several strides to make changes on this campus. His biggest request for about six months has been to get remote control doors placed in the buildings with emphasis on the Drain and the Communication buildings.

Doug Greening in Physical Plant commented that ramps and curb cuts are higher on the list of priorities than automatic doors. "There is no law that requires automatic doors to be placed in the facilities," he said. He also said automatic doors are very costly. "As the price goes down we possibly will get more doors installed."

"It's funny how they (the school) have money to do all of this other stuff on campus but they can't get anything done about the making the buildings more accessible," Santos said.

Houstonian: Sam Houston Museum gets national accrediation

The Sam Houston Memorial Museum has been awarded the highest honor a museum can receive--accreditation by the American Association of Museums. Accreditation certifies that a museum operates according to standards set forth by the museum profession, manages its collections responsibly and provides quality services to museum visitors. Of the 8,000 museums nationwide, only some 750 are accredited.

The Sam Houston Memorial Museum is one of only four accredited museums at Texas universities, joining facilities at the University of Texas, Texas Tech and Baylor.

"We hope the people of Texas share our pride in having earned this prestigious honor," said Patrick Nolan, director of the Sam Houston Memorial Museum.

Today@Sam: Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies for LEMIT Building

Dignitaries assemble to cut the ribbon marking the official opening of the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas headquarters building Thursday afternoon. The three-story, 30,000 square-foot facility on the Sam Houston State University campus houses a state-of-the-art distance learning center, teaching amphitheater, computer lab, tiered classrooms, traditional classrooms, seminar rooms and staff office space. The institute was created in 1987 to provide a means to develop administrative, analytical and leadership skills of law enforcement executives and senior managers.

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.

May 2000 Regents Report

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, according to Today@Sam:

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.

February 2000 Regents Report

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

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.