Counseling Center Receives ‘Top 100’ Recognition For Artwork

News today from Today@Sam about the "Emerald Castle” in the Powell Health and Counseling Center being recognized as a “Top 100” artwork by CODAworx:

February 2015 Regents Report

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

New SHSU Student Health Center Broke Ground Saturday

Brief news in the Houstonian (Oct. 14) that the old King Hall site will have new life:

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:

Student Health Center Relocates, Expands Services

A brief look inside the new Student Health and Counseling Center in the Houstonian (Sep. 4):

May 2014 Regents Report

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

SHSU Counseling Center Understaffed, Overcrowded

The Tuesday March 25 edition of the Houstonian discusses the overcrowded Counseling Center and the excitement the new Health and Counseling Center brings:

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:

Student Health and Counseling Center Will Break Ground In October

The Houstonian reports today that SHSU plans to begin the "active construction phase" of the new Student Health and Counseling Center on October 21:

Today@Sam: August 2013 Regents Report

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

Call for Student Health and Counseling Center Art

Sam Houston State University's Department of Facilities Planning and Construction invites artists to submit proposals for art for new the Student Health and Counseling Center.  SHSU, in consultation with the SHSU Art Committee and Lawrence Group Architects, has targeted the following potential art opportunities within the new building:

Preparation Begins For Student Health And Counseling Center

Construction prep-work is underway along 17th Street as the lawns of Belvin-Buchanan and Elliot halls are dug up to prepare for the new Student Health and Counseling Center, according to the July 16 Houstonian:

Student Health and Counseling Center Plans Underway

Plans for the new Student Health and Counseling Center are underway according to yesterday's Houstonian:

The team met Jan. 9 to explain to the potential architects and contractors the bidding process. The architects and contractors have to submit documentation talking about previous projects that they have done and how they can contribute to the project.

The construction management team met Wednesday and looked through what people have submitted to see what their qualifications are, according to SHC director Sarah Hanel.

Hanel said on Jan. 25 the university will meet and announce the short list of companies they would like a presentation from and an opportunity to interview. By Feb. 7 the interviews will be complete and the most qualified contracting and architectural company will be selected on Feb. 8.

Jan. 25 they plan to break ground at the old King Hall location. This is across the street from their current location.

"A lot of the Health Centers traffic comes from new Lone Star Hall and a lot of the freshman dorms surrounding us as well as Old Main Market," according to Hanel.

The estimated breaking of ground is in October of this year and the building is hoped to be finished in the summer of 2014.

Health Center and LSC Renovations Approved

The October 18 edition of the Houstonian reports that students voted to increase student fees to build a new Student Health Center and expand the Lowman Student Center.

The approval of the health center came through a landslide 74.6 percent in favor with 21.93 percent against and 1.72 percent not participating. Students also approved the LSC expansion with 63.48 percent approval.

Construction on the 28,000 square-foot Health Center is anticipated to begin in the early summer of 2013 and is scheduled to be completed by fall 2014.

Student Health and Counseling Center Project

Today@Sam reports that during Homecoming 2012 students will have the opportunity to vote for two referendum items, including fee increases that would benefit students through the Student Health and Counseling Construction Project.  To fund the new construction, requests have been made to increase the Medical Service Fee, paid by students as part of their semester tuition, from $38 to $75.  Voting takes place Tuesday, Oct. 16 and Wednesday, Oct. 17.

The Student Health and Counseling Center Expansion Project would provide an approximately 28,000-square feet, two-story building that would house a combined Student Health Center and Counseling Center in the empty lot previously occupied by King Hall.

Built in 1965, the current Student Health Center currently serves a student population that is 222 percent larger than the 5,743 enrolled students that made up SHSU’s student body at that time; despite this large growth, the facility has had no additions or structural changes. The current Counseling Center is located between the Drain and Farrington Buildings.

Campus Expansion Possibilities

Now with Smith-Kirkley Hall out of the way, the Houstonian reports that the campus turns its eyes on how to the use that piece of prime real estate as well as re-think the Student Health Center expansion:

Several possible updates to campus facilities at Sam Houston State University are in the pre-planning stage, according to university officials who met with students last week.

Associate Vice President of Student Services Keith Jenkins told members of the Student Government Association that potential updates to campus include an expansion of the Lowman Student Center, a new Health Center and updates to Pritchett Field and the University Camp.

He added that over the years, students have expressed interest in having carpeting in the LSC Ballroom, a bowling alley and an eating area in the LSC.  The expansion of the LSC will be up for a vote in October. In the meantime, Jenkins said the university is going through what he called a "pre-planning" phase to meet with different departments on campus to get input about the expansion. However, Jenkins had concern about the time limit given for planning. He said that the university is being given three to six weeks of time for pre-planning for what would normally take three to six months.

Next, Jenkins discussed another item going on the student referendum in October. Another potential plan for university expansion is a new student health center. Originally, the plan was to use the existing site to expand the health center, but with King Hall also on the list of buildings to be demolished, Jenkins said it was a "strong possibility" that the new facility could be built on that site.  Jenkins said all research and student input have been gathered for the student health center and graphic renditions of what the building may look like will be available to students by August 22.

SGA Treasurer Jimmy Williams expressed concern over congested parking around the areas of planned construction. While Jenkins could not give a definite answer, he said some ideas in discussions of the LSC expansion were to use the hilly topography of campus to build parking underneath the building to address parking issues, similar to the parking at Sam Houston Village.

"There is no finality to any of these ideas," Jenkins said. "These are just new ideas off the press.

Other proposed plans Jenkins discussed were of a new special event center near the coliseum to house the alumni center, parts of the academic advisement center and a new ballroom.   Other potential construction plans include a new dining facility and residence hall on the south side of campus with new property purchased by the university.

Then, Jenkins updated SGA on other smaller-scale updates to campus facilities. He noted that the university is installing artificial grass on Pritchett Field to combat previous problems with last year’s drought that caused an "unplayable" field.  The field, which costs around $1.1 million, will accommodate club sports, intramural teams and intercollegiate soccer teams. He said it will be completed by September 1.

Next, Jenkins confirmed the University Camp, the home of Bearkat Camp, will be under construction this fall to meet demand from student organizations to have a retreat site close to campus.  "There will be overnight accommodations for 200 people, a swimming pool and one large meeting room and we’re expanding the dining hall all for student organizations to utilize," he said.

Lastly, Jenkins said the Agriculture Facility [on] I-45 will be moving to Gibbs Ranch on 75 North. Once the move is complete, there will be more room for more sports fields on the I-45 spot.

Collaboration to improve Student Health Center

The Houstonian reports on the student focus groups that met recently to discuss the Student Health Center:

Several students representing different clubs and organizations on campus were asked to attend. This group included representatives from the nursing program, Program Council, Bearkat Learning Community and Student Activities.

The overall consensus of the building was that it was nice, but nothing defined the building as the SHC. Some students believed it was vacant for the longest time

“The front of the building is not even facing the traffic of campus,” Tobias Steen, junior psychology major, said.

The combining of the Counseling Center and SHC was also discussed. About two thirds of the students knew there was a counseling center and about half knew where it was.

According to [Associate Vice President for Student Services Ken] Jenkins, [architectural programmer Terry] Phillips will take the students’ opinions and along with Tim McGreggor, another architectural programmer, they will draw up possible plans for the SHC. The plans will be shown to the students and a student referendum will be put on the ballot around homecoming for students to vote on whether or not they approve the expansion.

This same process will occur for the Lowman Student Center expansions which is planned to start discussion in May.

Student Government Association Supports Expansions

The April 12 edition of the Houstonian reports the Student Government Association voted on legislation to support expansion of student service buildings. Both Senate Resolution S12-08, "A Resolution in Support of The Health Center and Counseling Center Expansion" and Senate Resolution S12-09,"The Lowman Student Center Expansion" passed.

Student Health Center asks SGA for Help

The March 6 edition of the Houstonian discussed the representatives from the Student Health and Counseling Center speaking to the Student Government Association on proposed resolutions:

Drew Miller, Ph. D, executive director of Student Counseling and Health Services, and Sarah Hanel, Director of Student Health Center, presented the Senate with ideas to expand their facilities and combine their services. With a growing student population, the Student Health and Counseling centers are experiencing overcrowding and are having to turn away students on a daily basis with a lack of staff and facilities.

The SHC is due for expansion during the 2013 fiscal year. The expansion will allow for the building of a drive-thru/walk-thru pharmacy, psychiatry/mental health and a wing dedicated to women's health services. There is no request for an increase in student fees at this point.

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.