Statement by UT System on Texas Southmost College Board of Trustees' Decision Not to Sell Real Estate
AUSTIN – The following statement from University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D.,
was issued today (June 26) regarding Texas Southmost College Board of
Trustees’ decision not to sell any real estate for future use by The
University of Texas at Brownsville.
Statement from Chancellor Cigarroa:
“The University of Texas System proposed to Texas Southmost College
(TSC) an “Educational Village” concept with facilities owned and
operated separately by TSC and the University of Texas at Brownsville
(UTB) campus alongside one another within the historic Ft. Brown
campus.
“At a meeting of the TSC and UT System transition teams in Brownsville on Monday (June 25), TSC representatives announced that the community college district would not sell any real estate at this time or in the next three to five years, and that leasing facilities for use by UTB is the appropriate solution.
“The UT System stated early in the transition team negotiations that leasing facilities is not in the best interest of UTB’s educational mission as it is not conducive for a prosperous and growing four-year university. The UT System’s priority remains to build a vibrant four-year university campus that one day can rival the best universities in the state. Doing so on borrowed land and with leased facilities does not allow UTB to appropriately advance its educational mission. Without access to land for expansion in Ft. Brown, the proposed ‘Educational Village’ would not be practical; therefore, the UT System will move quickly to evaluate alternative sites in Brownsville for future expansion of the main UTB campus and build the required infrastructure necessary to accommodate its students by Fall of 2015.
“Transition activities in preparation for the separation of the two institutions will continue as before, through the interim period until the August 31, 2015 termination date.”
Statement from Chancellor Cigarroa:
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| Francisco G. Cigarroa |
“At a meeting of the TSC and UT System transition teams in Brownsville on Monday (June 25), TSC representatives announced that the community college district would not sell any real estate at this time or in the next three to five years, and that leasing facilities for use by UTB is the appropriate solution.
“The UT System stated early in the transition team negotiations that leasing facilities is not in the best interest of UTB’s educational mission as it is not conducive for a prosperous and growing four-year university. The UT System’s priority remains to build a vibrant four-year university campus that one day can rival the best universities in the state. Doing so on borrowed land and with leased facilities does not allow UTB to appropriately advance its educational mission. Without access to land for expansion in Ft. Brown, the proposed ‘Educational Village’ would not be practical; therefore, the UT System will move quickly to evaluate alternative sites in Brownsville for future expansion of the main UTB campus and build the required infrastructure necessary to accommodate its students by Fall of 2015.
“Transition activities in preparation for the separation of the two institutions will continue as before, through the interim period until the August 31, 2015 termination date.”
23 comments:
What "educational goals" can't be continued in leased space???? If leasing from TSC was good enough before, why not now???? Sounds like Juliet has put on her Kardenas Klan hard hat is wants to intimidate TSC by suggesting this tactic by UT System. But, we must remember too, that UT System did lease from TSC before and refused to pay the rent....12 million dollars. UT and Juliet are not trustworthy tenants.
As a TSC/Pan American University at Brownsville graduate, I recall Pan Am Edinburg leased the Ridgely building and classrooms throughout the TSC campus to provide upper-level and graduate courses. We even shared the Library.
So in essence, Cigarroa is stating that UT Austin is too good to do the same thing?
Lets just wait and see who blinks first! Tally Ho the fox! The game is afoot!
Oh really. UT A&M just today said the school and a Community College in Ft Worth have agreed to "lease
buildings" for graduate and a law school ! !
Someone, please call every Aggie in Cameron County. Tell them TSC buildings are availale.
juliet and cigarroa are up to tricks and senator lucio, state rep oliveria and jr lucio need to call them ! !
do you have the "balls" to do something right for the voters of Cameron County ?
I have it on reliable information that UT has already selected land to the north of Brownsville, and have agreed on the price. No contract signed yet, but expect that soon.
They want to "break it off" in TSC and it looks like that just may be what happens.
As I understand it, due to the language of the lease contract, collection of any money owed to TSC by UT is not enforceable and it is highly doubtful that UT will honor the contract. Maybe some other university system will be interested in setting up house down here.
(What "educational goals" can't be continued in leased space???? If leasing from TSC was good enough before, why not now????)
Because it's not a partnership anymore pendeja. They want to be a real university now just like the pendejos like Kiko and Adela wanted their community college. If the goals of the community college are so different, why even accept the concept of an educational village?
When is someone going to sue Juliet Garcia for exploiting the institution she once ruled and then wanted to destroy?
I thought that selling buildings would save the taxpayers money...by TSC giving up debt...now thats what everyone was complainig about...in the first place right??? Sounds like TSC just wants to be a bully...
Vote for Adela Garza for Congress!
Ok so let me see if I understand this correctly:
THE TAX PAYERS supportS the existence of TSC with our tax DOLLARS.
The TAX PAYERS have footed the bill to build up TSC & UTB
The TAX PAYERS have been paying most of the students parents living expenses I.E. food stamps, housing, medical cost (since many of the students are ANCHOR BABIES OR ILLEGAL ALIEN CHILDREN)
THE TAX PAYERS PAY for the college education via loans, grants, scholarships for the students
THEN THE VERY FEW STUDENTS THAT DO GRADUATE LEAVE THE VALLEY TO FIND REAL EMPLOYMENT AND NEVER BECOME TAX PAYERS FOR THE AREA.
So AS A TAX PAYER WHAT AM I GETTING IN RETURN FOR MY INVESTMENT--CAGADA!!!!!
MAYBE WE'RE BETTER OF WITH NO TSC NO UTB. We the PENDEJOS TAX PAYERS ARE JUST GETTING FU@KED BIG TIME AS FAR AS I'M CONCERN!!!!!!!
Wouldn't selling off certain properties reduce TSC's debt by a considerable margin if they negotiated correctly? Will they instead lease these properties to third-parties, or will they use them for their own purposes? I'm interested to see what they do.
Regardless, as a current student, I feel this, in the long run, could be a good thing for those of us who will be here for a while. The bonds that have tied these two institutions together for all this time might now well and truly cut, and if this catalyzes the evolution that these stagnating institutions need to get to the next, sustainable level, so be it. Screw it all, let's see some progress - some new research-oriented buildings, proper facilities for student life, and so on.
There is, indeed, a bully here, but it is UTB, not TSC.
The taxpayers are on the hook for College District taxes, which includes the millions of dollars spent for bonds to build Reyna Julieta's dream, no matter what. Those will not go away.
It TSC sells buildings and vacant land to UTB, then there is no place for TSC to grow in the years to come. You think UTB would see the land and building back to TSC? There is no chance of that every happening.
So if TSC has a future beyond what it is today (whatever that is), their selling that property would is just plain stupid.
What remains to be seen is, does81 TSC can have the "como" to opperate buildings for which they have no immediate use. TSC is putting their money on the future and I hope that bet pays off. To place their money on little grown and a stagnate future, would not serve the taxpayers of Cameron County well.
UTB wanted everything on their own terms. They wanted to dictate what buildings and what price. They didnt want any of the buildings with debt. When they didnt get their way, they took their ball and ran home to cry to their mommy (brownsville herald)
TSC is smart not to sell. Why would you sell today at $100/sq ft and then have to replace that space in five years when TSC grow. The replacement cost of the space will probably be over $250/sqft. Besides UTB building a new campus at the north side of town is good for the economic development of Brownsville. I think this is best for the community because it will create construction jobs. Go Scorpians!!
@ June 26, 2012 10:02 PM
A community college will never be a university thier roles are completely different. Hopefully now UTB can become better at being a four year university because at this point they have a shitty reputation across this state.
The village concept means that they would both reside in the same area. That is possible just like you are not exactly identical to your neighbor but live in the same neighborhood.
When are pendejos like you going to realize that community colleges educate more than half of the undergraduate students across the state. UTB needs TSC to prepare the future UTB students and be a feeder school to them.
Can the small comminity college aford to mantain all Fort Brown campus and Itec and still be able to lower tuition. T Up to this point with the partnership, TSC was only paying 10% of the maintenance for the buildings and were with the insurance pool of UT System, now the will have to pay 100%. Can they maintain two libraries without books ( most new books belong to UTB), two gyms without equipment ( most furniture and equipment from the bond buildigs belongs to UTB) and the Arts center ( chandeliers and furniture belong to UTB).
Most people do not realize utb has been subsidizing tsc at about $25 million a year. Thats why tsc taxes are $30 million a year less than stc in mcallen. Check it out.
Please do not put your ignorance in print. UTB has not subsidized any but it has done a great job of taking. UTB has overcharged TSC students for over twenty years and used those funds for their benefit on the balance sheet.
The reason TSC taxes are less than STC is because Hidalgo County and Starr County have a larger tax base you pendejo. STC has 30,000 students and educates them at half of the cost per student than UTB/TSC does.
Bullshit
Yes, Hidalgo county does have more people and property values that produce more tax income for STC at a lower tax rate. BUT, amigo, that $30 million still has to be raised somewhere if TSC is going to operate a community college. Forget the 'rate', look up what community colleges in Texas collect in dollars to operate. Either TSC raises taxes to make up that $20 million shortfall or it has to raise tuition and fees. No matter how you cut it, someone, somewhere needs to come up with the money to run the college. Blame UTB all you want, but the facts are the facts....and as the saying goes, you are entitled to your own opinion but you are not entitled to your own facts.
I am confused. Reading these postings as a person from McAllen, I've got to ask: Does Brownsville want to get rid of UTB? Sure sounds like it. We'll be happy to merge it into UTPA over here. It will save lot's of administration costs and Brownsville students can go to the UTPA branch campus in Brownsville, then take the rest of their courses in Edinburg. What's wrong with that?
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