Room Named For COE Leaders

Today@Sam reports that over the summer a room in the Garrett Teacher Education Center was named after two long-time leaders in the Sam Houston State University College of Education:

The Dr. Genevieve Brown and Dr. Beverly J. Irby Center for Research in Educational Leadership highlights “the importance of two women in educational leadership who worked to ensure a legacy for future students,” according to Sheryl Serres, assistant professor of counseling.

A ceremony was held over the summer to formally recognize their accomplishments. Among the attendees were faculty members, community members, and representatives of numerous school districts.

Construction & Demolition

To begin the New Year, some news about a number of construction and demolition projects scheduled in the upcoming months and years. First, a recent Request for Proposal (RFP) noted the university’s intention to remove the following eleven structures:

• Layer and Breeder Building
• Swine Building
• Poultry Lab
• Recital Hall
• Four wood framed residences located at corner of 15th Street and Avenue J
• One manufactured home (double wide trailer) located 104 Fraser
• White House (wood frame home) located at 127 Wire Road
• Old Ranch Hand House (wood frame residence located at Gibbs Ranch)

The RFP notes the Swine Building and Layer and Breeder buildings each have a one underground waste collection tank that must be pumped and completely removed from the site. 

Upcoming Events

As noted on the website of the Office of the President:

Teacher Education Center - Building Dedication & Naming in Honor of Eleanor and Charles Garrett [News]

• What: Ceremony, followed by reception
• When: Friday, August 6, 2010 at 10:30 a.m.
• Where: Teacher Education Center

Performing Arts Grand Opening

• What: Ceremony, followed by reception, tours and performances
• When: Thursday, September 30, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.
• Where: Performing Arts Center

Today@Sam also notes Dr. James Gaertner will be the commencement speaker for graduation ceremonies occurring Saturday, August 7, 2010.

SHSU Names TEC in Honor of Alumna, Husband

From Today@Sam:

The Texas State University System Board of Regents has approved the university’s request to name its Teacher Education Center in honor of alumna Eleanor Garrett and her husband, Charles, in recognition of her lifelong support of elementary, secondary, and higher education.

The TSUS regents approved naming the building the Eleanor and Charles Garrett Teacher Education Center in appreciation of a noteworthy gift to the university’s Share the Vision Capital Campaign from the Garretts. A formal dedication and naming ceremony is scheduled on campus August 6.

The Teacher Education Center at Sam Houston State University was built in 1976. The facility is approximately 87,000 square feet and houses faculty and staff offices, teaching labs, classrooms and service areas for the departments of curriculum and instruction; office of the dean; educational leadership and counseling; and language, literacy and special populations; and the adjoining Counseling Education Center.

February 2005 Regents Report

Today@Sam identifies the construction and renovation projects  totaling over $42 million that were approved by the Texas State University System Board of Regents, including a bell tower, a new visitor's center, a performing arts center, and a new apartment-style residence hall:

"Basically the projects are just going into design," said John McCrosky, assistant director of facilities planning & construction. "The plan is to tear down small houses McCray and Aydelotte and guest apartments and put up new apartment style dorms. The new complex is going to try and have equal amount of parking spaces, hopefully more than 85% parking for residents. The housing building costs will total $15 million."

The bell tower is projected to be built in front of the administration building and has been budgeted up to $600,000.

"[The board of regents] approved it in the past and they just approved more money to be spent on it," said Frank Krystaniak, director of public relations. "A [contribution] was made by Ron Blatchley of College Station."

The performing arts center is expected to cover up to 75,000 square feet and will contain a concert hall, recital hall, rehearsal halls, practice rooms for individuals and ensembles, classrooms, dance studios, dressing rooms, a scene and lighting shop, computer lab for scene design and dance choreography, a recording studio and office space for faculty and staff.
"The visitor's center will go into construction on March 14th, over Spring Break," said McCrosky. "The total cost will be over $3.2 million."

Additional projects approved by the board of regents will include surveillance cameras for Sam Houston Village and a lowered cost for the Introduction of College Studies course.

What was approved?

• $20 million for a performing arts center
• $15 million for a student apartment complex
• $3.3 million for visitor and alumni center
• $917,000 for phase one design of a recreational area along the Trinity River
• $900,000 for renovation of the Teacher Education Center's first floor design
• $725,000 for renovations and elevators for the Bowers Stadium press box
• $550,000 to design electrical and air conditioning modifications to Belvin Hall
• $455,000 to replace the roofs on the Lee Drain Building and a portion of the Evans building

Houstonian: First floor of Education Center to be renovated

From the Houstonian:

The Teacher Education Center [TEC] of Sam Houston State University is planning on renovating the first floor by next year.

"We are very excited about it," said Dr. Mary Robbins, who is the chair of the Language, Literary and Special Populations Program.

According to the article in Today@Sam, "a preliminary plan for [the] $1 million renovation of the TEC was approved Friday by SHSU's board of regents."

Robbins feels "fortunate to have the university's support" and help in obtaining the money for the buildings renovation. According to Robbins, the TEC building was designed in the 1970s for programs that are no longer in existence. Two of the earlier programs, (Early Childhood Lab School and Young Childhood Special Education Lab School), are no longer offered at SHSU.

The renovation is estimated to begin sometime this spring, and should be finished before the end of summer. All of the work will be done indoors, so the construction team will not have to worry about facing obstacles such as bad weather.

The plans include adding five additional classroom spaces on the first floor. The first floor will be designed to get as much natural lighting as possible. "You feel like you are walking into a dungeon when you walk onto the 1st floor," said Robbins. She explains that half of the floor is underground. "It will be nice to have light," states Robbins. She confirms that the light setting on the 1st floor will also be updated.

Regents Approve Preliminary Plan for Renovation

Today@Sam reports that a preliminary plan for a $1 million renovation of the Teacher Education Center was approved Friday by the Texas State University System Board of Regents.

The preliminary plan prepared by PDG Architects of Houston is for the renovation of the first floor of the Teacher Education Center for use by the Language, Literacy and Special Populations program. The Teacher Education Center was built in 1976, and the first floor was originally designed for laboratory schools for pre-kindergarten, children with disabilities, and speech therapy programs. None of those programs currently exist and the space is not functional for use by other programs.

In other business, the board authorized the university to sell five lots of undeveloped real estate located in Texas City with an estimated value of $12,813. The property was given to the university as a gift in August 2003 from Ronald P. Mafrige. The proceeds from the sale will go into the existing Ron Mafrige Endowment Fund at the university that will support scholarships and enrichment programs for the College of Business Administration.

Houstonian: Five campus construction projects to bring 'extra space' to SHSU

From the Houstonian:

One of the projects is Sam Houston Village, a new dormitory located across the street from Jackson-Shaver with a $19.3 million price tag. Physical Plant Director, Doug Greening, described the rooms as "efficiency apartment style" similar to those found in Bearkat Village, though they will not include a full kitchen. The facility will also include a parking garage underneath the main structure and enough rooms to accommodate 250 students. It is scheduled to open next August.

An addition to the Smith-Hutson Business Building costing $8.3 million will provide more classrooms and offices for use by the College of Business Administration. Greening said that this addition will help "to bring the college under one roof" since they are "scattered around the campus. They really need the extra space." The addition is scheduled to be completed by January 2005.

SouthPaw, a new eating facility located across from Academic Building 3 costing $2 million, will feature a Subway, Pizza Hut, Java City and Home Zone. SouthPaw is in its final stages of completion and is scheduled for an early February opening.

The two final projects are the $1.4 million addition to the Teacher Education Center that will open in the spring of 2005 and a $6.7 million addition to the Health and Kinesiology Center (HKC). The addition to the Teacher Education Center will feature a new counseling facility where counselors can, according to Greening, "interact with their clients and also view them by camera or by one-way mirror."

"[The HKC addition] will have an outdoor pool that will probably not be covered, a climbing wall and expanded weights facility," said Greening. "We're hoping to have an end of the year or early 2005 opening."

May 2003 Regents Report

Sam Houston State University's board of regents approved preliminary plans for $30 million in construction projects this week during their regular quarterly meeting, according to Today@Sam:

The largest of the four construction projects is an $18 million 60,000 square feet science facility that was first planned as an addition to the present Farrington Building, but which is now planned for the corner of Ave. J and Bowers Boulevard. The new facility will house the chemistry and forensic science programs, while physics will remain in the Farrington Building. Construction is expected to begin in about February 2004 with completion in late spring of 2005. Under the approved plans prepared by Watkins Hamilton Ross Architects, Inc. of Houston, the first floor of the Farrington Building will also be renovated. The second and third floor Farrington renovations will be deferred until funds become available.

The regents also approved preliminary plans prepared by F&S Partners of Dallas for the $6.7 million Recreational Sports Building to be attached to the present Health and Kinesiology Building.

"The construction of a new Recreational Sports building is one of the more exciting new facilities in the planning process for our campus in that it will impact so many students who are involved in intramurals and fitness activities," said Keith Jenkins, assistant dean of students. "It will create a whole new dynamic use of the existing facility let alone the new features."

The building will include a 10,000 square feet open area weight room complete with free weights, cardio, and circuit workout machines. Another feature of the new facility will be a heated pool. The existing outdoor swimming pool will be removed. he pool will be designed so that lap swimming and aquatic programming can take place simultaneously. The lap pool will have four lanes with a length of 25 yards and a separate body of water will be used for programs such as water aerobics and innertube water polo. The swimming facility will be covered but will be designed so that the sides can be removed during the summer months. Completing the design will be a sun deck and a separate covered area for socials.

Sam Houston State had an indoor pool for many years, located in the basement of the Lowman Student Center. However, it had continuous equipment breakdowns and was not popular because of the lack of outside exposure. That pool area was converted into a ballroom in the recent student center renovation.

"Attaching the new facility to the existing Health and Kinesiology Building will offer a complete recreational facility for the student body and the entire university community," said Jenkins.

"In 1989 when the student body voted to establish a designated recreation fee, the construction of this type of facility was one of the most requested projects for student use," he said. "The reason being is that the most popular non academic student program on campus was experiencing phenomenal growth and overcrowding in the HKC. Under Dr. Gaertner's leadership, the dream is about to become a reality."

Construction is expected to begin in early 2004 with completion in about one year.

Approval of the preliminary plans drawn up by LAN/Leo A. Daly architects of Houston for the new $4 million baseball and softball facilities means that night games can be played at Sam Houston, which is expected to be a boost for both programs.

Additional features of the new complex to be built east of Bowers Stadium include offices for baseball and softball coaches, an indoor practice facility and weight room, dressing rooms, concessions stands, restrooms, and press box.

The preliminary plans call for seating for 1,000 for baseball and 400 for softball. Construction could begin in the late fall with completion prior to the 2005 baseball season. The new baseball/softball complex represents an improvement in the facilities for both sports, according to Bobby Williams, SHSU athletic director.

The current baseball and softball fields are located away from the main campus. In addition to their lack of lighting, they have no dressing rooms and minimal press box, concession, and rest room facilities.  Gaertner has announced that the new project will also be known as Holleman Field, the name of the present baseball field, in honor of long time SHSU administrator Dewitte Holleman.

The regents also awarded a construction contract to Stephens Construction Services of Texas City for the $1.4 million addition to the Teacher Education Center. The 7,100 square feet addition will provide space for a counseling clinic and offices for the university's new doctorate in counselor education.

Houstonian: Plans set for facility additions

From the Houstonian:

Two SHSU departments are planning to add new sections to their buildings beginning in 2003 and 2004.

The College of Business Administration is planning to create a new addition to the Smith-Hutson Business Building that will roughly double its existing workspace.

R. Dean Lewis, dean of the College of Business Administration, said the construction would extend to the parking lot south of the building, and create new faculty offices and classroom space. A new auditorium that will hold 158 people will also be added next to the existing Ronald P. Mafrige Auditorium.

"We have faculty in three buildings; we have classrooms in two," Lewis said. "We're out of space; that's why we're getting the additions."

The Smith-Hutson Building currently has 45,000 square feet of workspace, but the construction will add an additional 42,000 square feet. The project will cost approximately $38.5 million, and should begin next year.

"It's expected to start by January of '04," Lewis said. "We should be in the building by fall '05."

The College of Business Administration originally planned to renovate the existing building, but after consulting the projected growth estimates for the college, decided new space was needed.

Also scheduled for renovation is the Teacher Education Center, which will have a new wing added to help accommodate facilities for a new doctorate program in counseling education now offered by SHSU.

The funds for the project came from a fund designated for construction purposes. [Dean of the College of Education and Applied Science Genevieve]Brown said the project is still in a bid process, but that construction will probably begin in late spring and the new facility won't be operable before spring 2004.

The new extension will head out towards Johnson Coliseum. Brown said the college's new wing would help expand the amount of clinical help the college provides to the Huntsville community.

Today@Sam: Regents Approve $40 Million for New Buildings

Plans for Sam Houston State University projects, improvements, and equipment totaling more than $40 million were approved Friday by the university's board of regents, as well as a new degree and the division of a department.

• Employment of C. F. Jordan, Limited Partners of College Station to design and build the Bearkat Village I and Bearkat Village II apartment style student housing project, at an expected cost of $15 million. The project at the intersection of Bowers Boulevard and Montgomery Road will be the first residence halls constructed since 1962, and will replace several residence halls demolished in recent years because of poor condition or to make room for other structures.
• Employment of F & S Partners, Inc. of Dallas to design a recreation center with a project cost estimated at $6.7 million. It will include a 40,000 square foot addition to provide a new indoor/outdoor swimming pool, weight room, multipurpose room and basketball court. One possible configuration is to connect the addition to the southwest corner of the present Health/Kinesiology Building.
• Employment of Graeber, Simmons & Cowan Architects, Inc. of Austin to design a 32,500 square foot addition to the Smith-Hutson Business Building, with an estimated project cost of $5.8 million. The College of Business Administration has experienced a growth rate of 40 percent over the past five years and projects an additional growth rate of 4 percent per year for the next 10 years. The college is now housed in three buildings and will consolidate into the present Smith/Hutson Building and the planned annex.
• Employment of C. P. Snider Construction Company, Inc. of Austin to design and build a 300-400 vehicle parking structure just north of the Lowman Student Center, at an expected cost of $4.5 million. The facility is expected to provide additional campus parking on a daily basis as well as badly needed parking for events in the student center.
• Approval of the demolition of the Baseball Indoor Practice Facility, which had previously been used as a vehicle maintenance shop, near Holleman Field, at a cost not to exceed $50,000. The board previously approved the sale of $4 million in bonds for construction of a baseball, softball, and dressing room complex in the Bowers Stadium area. Details of that project await further approval by the regents as well as the coordinating board.
• Employment of Brown Reynolds Watford Architects of College Station to design a 5,000 square foot South Campus Dining Facility, at an expected cost of $2 million. SHSU has no dining facility on the south side of the campus. "The existence of 10 south-side residence halls with approximately 600 residents and the hundreds of commuter students parking on the south side justifies a need for this facility," Gaertner told the regents.
• Employment of PDG Architects, Inc. of Houston to design a 5,500 to 6,000 square foot addition to the southwest corner of the Teacher Education Center at an expected cost of $1 million. The space will be needed as the result of approval for the College of Education and Applied Science to offer a Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling Education.
• Employment of Huitt-Zollars, Inc. of Houston to design a Visitors' Center, at an expected cost of $900,000. The Visitors' Center will provide a location for visitors and prospective students to obtain directions or information about the campus, and will be built near the intersection of Sam Houston Avenue and Bowers Boulevard (20th Street). It will include areas for receiving visitors, several private conference areas, offices and support space for staff.
• Approval of preliminary plans for renovation of the Estill Classroom Building, prepared by Huitt-Zollars, Inc. of Houston, at an expected cost of $600,000. With relocation of the Department of History to the new classroom/office building in the spring of 2003, the new space on the southeast corner of the second floor and north side of the third floor will provide space for the payroll and registrar offices.
• Approval of preliminary plans for exterior campus signage prepared by Brown Reynolds Watford Architects, Inc. of College Station, at an expected cost of $500,000. The project will include exterior signage for way finding, directional street signage, parking ot signage, and information kiosks. "Our current system of signage requires updating and modern sign systems will contribute to both our recruitment and retention efforts," said Gaertner.

Today@Sam: President Discusses Campus Progress and Plans

Sam Houston State University President James Gaertner outlined last year's progress and talked about future plans at the university's general faculty and staff meeting on Tuesday morning in Killinger Auditorium.

He also announced plans for campus improvements that are currently in various stages of approval. Among those improvements are a renovation of the Farrington Building which houses chemistry and physics, the construction of a 550-bed residence facility near Bowers Stadium, an addition to the Health and Kinesiology Building which would include a swimming pool, an addition to the Smith-Hutson Building, the construction of a dining facility on the south side of campus, enlargement of the Teacher Education Center, construction of new baseball and softball facilities to include dressing areas, the addition of a three-level parking structure with 450 spaces, upgrading exterior and interior signage, and the construction of a campus visitor's center which would feature state-of-the-art technology.

Gaertner also addressed the proposal to rebuild Old Main, the long-standing university landmark which was destroyed by fire in 1982.

"At this time, I will say that the idea is under serious consideration," Gaertner said. "It would be a wonderful lead item in a capital campaign, and I'm currently listening to comments and concerns that are being made about the idea," he said. "Those who have questioned the feasibility of rebuilding Old Main are concerned that the building would not be identical to the original structure," Gaertner explained. "There are also concerns that the new building would overshadow Austin Hall, which many consider as the authentic historic building on campus," he said. Gaertner said that he had spoken with architects and the general idea is to rebuild with an exterior that is identical to the original building, and have a modern interior for use as an educational facility.