University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College

The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, frequently abbreviated UTB/TSC is an educational institution located in Brownsville, Texas, on the land once occupied by Fort Brown. It is a member of the University of Texas System. The institution was formed from a partnership between Texas Southmost College and the University of Texas-Pan American at Brownsville. Since the partnership in 1991, the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College has been a growing force in South Texas higher education, providing unique opportunities for more than 17,000 students coming from various walks of life. Through this unique partnership between UTB and TSC, students receive the hometown flavor of a community college, while at the same time the rigors of a four-year institution. The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College Partnership offers Certificates, and Associate, Baccalaureate, and Graduate degrees in liberal arts, the sciences, and professional programs designed to meet student demand as well as regional, national, and international needs^[3].

The UTB-TSC campus continues to grow physically with the additions of the International Technology, Education, Commerce Campus (formerly Amigoland Mall), the Education and Business Complex (Fall 2006), and Recreation, Education and Kinesiology Center (Spring 2009). The university student population continues to grow, with the latest figures at 17,247.^[2]

History

Texas Southmost College

Texas Southmost College (TSC) was established in 1926 under the name "The Junior College of the Lower Rio Grande Valley." It admitted its first class on September 21 of that same year. In 1931, its name was changed to "Brownsville Junior College." In 1950, the institution was given its current name.

University of Texas-Pan American at Brownsville

In 1973, Texas Southmost College formed a partnership with Pan-American University, now known as The University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA). The partnership allowed Pan-American University to establish a four year university in Brownsville. The resulting independent institution was referred to as Pan American University at Brownsville. In 1989, Pan American University joined the University of Texas System, creating the University of Texas Pan-American at Brownsville (UTPA-B). Brownsville sought a University directly under the UT System and in 1991 the University of Texas Pan-American at Brownsville became The University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB).

University of Texas at Brownsville-Texas Southmost College

After UTB was created, a 99 year partnership was established between UTB and TSC allowing TSC students to seamlessly transition to the four year University without reapplying. The university has academic colleges including business, education, liberal arts and nursing. UTB-TSC's funding comes from both the college tax district as well as the State of Texas. After failure to pass a 2002 multi-million dollar bond, the TSC tax district voters successfully passed a $68 million bond issue^[4] to construct additional classrooms ($28 million), double the library ($14 million), Workforce Training Classrooms ($17 million), Center for Early Childhood Studies ($4 million), and Center for Alzheimer's, Diabetes, Cancer, and Heart Disease ($5 million). Dr. Juliet V. Garcia has served as UTB-TSC President since its inception; Dr. Garcia is also the first Hispanic woman to be the President of any university in the United States..

Campus

UTB-TSC's campus sits on 524 acres (2.3 km²) of land in the southern part of Brownsville, Texas. A resaca or oxbow lake flows through the heart of the growing landscape. The university's unique architecture plays off the campus' rich history in Fort Brown. Many of the oldest buildings on campus remain from the old U.S. Army outpost. The university has also acquired many buildings in the surrounding area, including a former Holiday Inn hotel complex, the Amigoland Mall, and many historic buildings of downtown Brownsville. The university continues to expand.

Notable Buildings

On-Campus

• Art Building [1]
• Arnulfo Oliveira Library^[5][6]
• A.A Champion Hall [2] [3]
• Building 23 Married Officer's Quarters [4]
• Cavalry Barracks [5]
• Cleve H. Tandy Hall
• Education & Business Complex (EDBC)[6] [7] [8]
• Eidman Hall
• Gorgas Hall [9] Front View Gorgas Back View
• Life and Health Sciences Building [10] Tree of Life [11]
• Old Morgue
• Mary Rose Cardenas North and South Halls south Cardenas Fountain
• Recreation, Education & Kinesiology Center^[7][8]
• Regiment House [12]
• Rusteberg Building [13]
• Smith Amphitheatre
• Old Cotton Gin [14]
• Science Engineering and Technology Building (SET-B)[15]
• Student Union [16] [17]
• University Boulevard Library^[9]
• The Village at Fort Brown, formerly Holiday Inn/Ramada [18]

Off-Campus

• Andres Cueto Building^{[citation needed]}
• International Technology Education and Commerce Campus (ITECC)
• Young House^[10]

Trivia

1. UTB-TSC is the only accredited university in the United States to also house a foreign consulate.^[11]

Undergraduate

• College of Applied Technology and General Studies
• College of Liberal Arts
• College of Science, Mathematics, and Technology
• School of Business
• College of Education
• School of Health Sciences

Graduate

• College of Graduate Studies
  • Master of Arts
  • Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Master of Public Policy and Management
  • Master of Science
  • Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Master of Business Administration
  • Master of Education
  • Master of Science in Nursing
  • University of Houston Cooperative Doctoral Program
  • Doctoral of Education

Notable academic programs

UTB-TSC is home to academic centers and programs that receive local, state, and national recognition.

• Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy Research focuses on astrophysical source modeling, gravitational wave data analysis, and the phenomenological astrophysics of gravitational wave sources.
• Center for Biomedical Studies was established to conduct biological and medical research on regional health issues and biotechnological approaches that may contribute to regional development.
• The Center for Civic Engagement strives to create an engaged campus that connects faculty, staff, students, and external partners to revitalize the surrounding community.

Athletics

The University of Texas at Brownville competes in the Red River Athletic Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

The Scorpion Women's Volleyball team was ranked #18 in the NAIA,^[12] but lost the standing after a bad 2008 season.

In 2009, under new head coach Todd Lowery, formerly of National American University, the Scorpions have begun to shine again, currently holding a #12 ranking in the NAIA.^[13]

In soccer, the Scorpions play their games at the Recreation, Education and Kinesiology Center field, pending construction of their own athletic field. In two years with the NAIA, each soccer team has lost only two games in Brownsville, the men's loss coming against St. Thomas University in 2007 and the women's loss coming against conference rival Texas Wesleyan University in 2008.

In men's soccer, the team has a 12-0 conference record in two years.

• Baseball^[14]
• Men's Golf^[15]
• Women's Golf^[16]
• Men's Soccer^[17]
• Women's Soccer^[18]
• Volleyball^[19]

The University of Texas at Brownsville is also widely regarded for having one of the strongest Chess Programs in the nation. In 2010, UTB-TSC placed 2nd in the Final Four of College Chess, hosted by the same institution. ^[20] As of 2010, the UTB-TSC chess team features 3 Grandmasters and 2 International Masters. The team is coached by Grand Master Ronen Har-Zvi. ^[21]

Greek Life

• Tau Kappa Epsilon^[22] - Colony# 861^[23]

• Sigma Psi Delta ^[24]

References

• Chilton, Carl Jr. (2001) "The First 70 Years: A History of Higher Education in Brownsville"

1. ^ ^{a b} http://www.utsystem.edu/news/FastFacts.html
2. ^ ^{a b} Figure includes 11,362 enrolled at UTB/TSC and 5,703 students enrolled in dual enrollment classes, which are offered at high schools. (http://blue.utb.edu/collegian/PDFs/pdf091709.pdf)
3. ^ www.utb.edu
4. ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20041015021029/www.utb.edu/bond.htm
5. ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20070927014548/http://library1.utb.edu/aboutus/oliviera.htm
6. ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20070929094501/http://www.utb.edu/snow2004/08+library.jpg
7. ^ http://blue.utb.edu/vppa/vp/bondprojects/rekcenter.html
8. ^ http://www.utb.edu/sa/campusrec/Pages/default.aspx
9. ^ http://blue.utb.edu/vppa/vp/bondprojects/library.html
10. ^ http://blue.utb.edu/development/
11. ^ http://portal.sre.gob.mx/brownsville/index.php?option=displaypage&Itemid=53&op=page&SubMenu
12. ^ http://naia.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/111407aab.html
13. ^ http://naia.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/092909aaf.html
14. ^ http://blue.utb.edu/sa/athletics/baseball/index.php
15. ^ http://athletics.utb.edu/golfmen/index.html
16. ^ http://athletics.utb.edu/golfwomen/index.html
17. ^ http://athletics.utb.edu/soccermen/index.html
18. ^ http://athletics.utb.edu/soccerwomen/index.html
19. ^ http://athletics.utb.edu/volleyball/indexvolleyball.html
20. ^ http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/articles/texas-110846-chess-college.html
21. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronen_Har-Zvi
22. ^ http://www.tke.org/
23. ^ http://www.myspace.com/tkecolony861
24. ^ http://orange.utb.edu/sigmapsidelta

External links

• University of Texas at Brownsville-Texas Southmost College
• CGWA: Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy
• The Collegian Online
• Student Affairs
• Student Life
• Faculty Web Pages
• UTB/TSC List of Departments
• Arnulfo L. Oliveira Memorial Library
• John H. Hunter Room Archives & Special Collections
• List of Registered Student Organizations
• UT System Fast Facts

Coordinates: 25°53′57″N 97°29′30″W / 25.899143°N 97.491544°W

Categories: Red River Athletic Conference | Public universities in Texas | Two-year colleges in the United States | Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools | American Association of State Colleges and Universities | Universities and colleges in Texas | University of Texas System | Education in Brownsville, Texas | Educational institutions established in 1991