By Juan Montoya
Remember when the voters of the Texas Southmost College decided that they had a bellyful of the dismal graduation and retention rates, the high tuition and fees charges students there, and the ostentatious lifestyles of the administration at the so-called UTB-TSC "partnership?"
They elected candidates for TSC board that vowed to change things around and take the college district back to the mission of providing local students with an affordable education and a first rung up the education ladder.
Even while there is no denying that the planned accreditation of TSC as an independent entity by August 25, 2015 will probably not happen and the Texas Legislature will have to pass an extension, initial course completion numbers and graduation and persistence rates while the college has been operationally independent are encouraging.
No more TSC "transfers" to the UT System that amounted to about $1 billion over the course of the "partnership."Or a 17 percent graduation rate for UTB-TSC students over six years that the "partnership" had achieved.
Or the less than 50 percent retention rate for freshmen.
Or students of the poorest community in the United States paying the highest tuition and student service fees of any community college in the State of Texas.
UTB's Garcia – for all this heavy lifting – collected a salary of $340,000 a year.Well, it's a credit to the instructors and academics at TSC that the rates for students in these categories have improved.
Now the completion rates are comparable to the rest of it peer institutions in Texas, as are the graduation and persistence rates, according to the THECB Accountability System.
The The Higher Education Accountability System is used to track performance on critical measures that exemplify higher education institutions' missions. The System is modeled on the state's higher education plan, "Closing the Gaps by 2015."
Its major focus is on the four Closing the Gaps target areas of participation, success, excellence and research.
This, coupled with the fact that Texas A and M partnered with TSC to create a two year engineering program, bodes well for local students. It also sends a signal to the former UTB president and the UT System that TSC will no longer be tied down to it and the restrictions such a partnership placed on local initiatives.
Tercero was hailed as the financial expert who would lead us down the accreditation road without a hitch. Well, not quite. At least two glitches have delayed the accreditation and few people believe that it will be attained by Aug. 25. The accreditation committee will be here Aug. 18-20. TSC cannot reasonably expect a decision on accreditation five days after the committee members leave town.
Tercero's contract, by the way, was extended and her salary raised by the 4.5 percent raise, the same as all other employees.
There have been some differences between some board members and Tercero. These differences led to three board members walking out of the meeting where she was given the extension and the raise in protest. With the new extension, she will be here for at least three more years.
Her critics say that she ignored the board when it instructed her not to purchase 1,000 Dell computers and to purchase in increments as they were needed. Tercero, they say, went ahead and bought the 1,000 anyway and has at least 300 left over. Technology being what it is, the computers may be obsolete by the time they are sold.
We have listed the number of deans and educational administrators who have left TSC, some complaining about her micromanagement style. So far, Tercero has the unlimited support of TSC President Kiko Rendon, Ed Rivera, and Dr. Reynaldo Garcia. Others are not as accommodating and are not reluctant to put her feet to the fire.
"We didn't go through all of that (the dissolution of the partnership) to watch TSC fail," said a TSC supporter. "It doesn't matter who's president. We expect them to perform and follow the board's directives."
23 comments:
TSC should specialize in training custodians and garbage collectors. There are jobs in the Big City in both of those fields! ja ja ja
Da Blimp is saying a TSC diploma is the equal of those awarded by DeVry Institute. Aha ha ha. Aha ha ha. That Blimp is sooooo Pendejo. UT-B was DeVry, buey! TSC is Porter High School II!
LUPE
Julieta was greedy and while her salary was in excess of $300,000 per year, her faculty and staff suffered and were among the lowest paid in the UT System. Julieta moved faculty positions to serve her in administration and paid them well to serve her, while the faculty still in the classroom suffered. Julieta learned well from the Kardenas Klan about how to lie to the public. Academics and community were sacrificed to serve herself. Julieta is a failure and her name should be removed from a BISD school. Of course that will never happen as long as Tony Martinez and United Brownsville are empowered.
Every wonder why administrators, both public school and college, warrant such hefty salaries in probably the poorest region in the state. The answer is simple...the valley has a culture of corruption whether it be drug dealers or the educated in suit and ties. It is the valley way; it's called GREED. It is time for someone to "flush" these turds down the toilet. Oops; that would mean the whole valley would go down the drain. That would leave a huge hole in the ground.
Wouldn't have to worry about building anymore fences. The illegal aliens would simple fall into a pit of shit where they all belong.
Any kind of degree from tsc is worthless outside of the RGV.
Importa madre, tenemos Space XXX... http://www.businessinsider.com/the-bad-news-could-get-worse-for-elon-musks-spacex-2015-7
Poor Dr. Rey made a fool of himself at the meeting, talking about the laptops. Three years later the laptops are good lets sell three year old laptops to the students and yes more expensive than at the store. Nothing worse than an OLD FOOL.
Just found out that Adele from TSC will run for Congress against Vela. If she ain't got $250K to spend , forget it! Probably she has been smoking Colorado Weed. Her consultants too. That woman is deportable according to Sen. Teodoro de la CRUZ and Cong.Gomert, Cong. Farenthal, Cong. King. Go girl. Go spend some money.
Correction : it's Farthanthat .
Adele's platform will mirror the same old Republican Party crap the party has been preaching .
Adela is not running for Congress she has five years left on the TSC board. Brownsville with its little people with little minds love to start rumors.
Ed Rivera the social climber. Have you notice people are tired of your conversations because you are so full of yourself. Yup we don't care to know how much money you make and how influential you think you are. Mr I want to be appointed county judge. You don't have what it takes to make meaningful decisions. Go tell your friend the blimp to write some personal attack against Adela to make you feel that you are better. You are not Ed people are on to you. Eres mielda mr Harvard graduate.
We are fortunate to have a Harvard graduate as a TSC board member. Great job, Ed!
the two above comments at 309 AM and 203 PM written by Adela and Ed respectively I'm sure.
Hahahahah ED. We are fortunate to have a Harvard graduate as a TSC board member. Great job, Ed!
sign ED Rivera The Harvard Graduate. you forgot where you came from. MIELDA ED.
No hombre, Las Nalgas Maximas did everything she could to try to keep TSC from getting accredited and she still is. That is why it is taking longer than planned. Was it sabatoge from the start? Somehow the records got shredded? Right. Just sour grapes over being fired by the TSC board and envy of Tercero taking half of her empire. Now she sits in Cueto Building playing until the $2 million buy out runs out ala her buddy the old chancellors consolation prize? She was never about the town but about lining her pockets and filling her kid's. Must bee working because they all look pretty well fed. No, vato?
Keep up the good job for TSC, Ed! Brownsville needs more qualified people like yourself!
Don't argue with success. Ed is doing a great job with TSC.
Pendejos, TSC will not get accredited due to the idiot majority. Ed Rivera dropping names and wanting to fit in follows Kiko blindly. It is no secret that Ed has a crush on Kiko and therefore he does what is asked of him. Ed would be so much happier coming out of the closet and have meaningful things to contribute other than comparing his wealth, income, education and friends.
Kiko is a Mexican fresa who is a thief and has defrauded some of his vendors while he had a contract at the Sports Park. Him being chair is the only thing that keeps him visible. Pinche fresa pobre.
Dr. Ray is a corrupt senile idiot who got his cousin to be TSC's lobbiest in Austin. Otro pinche rata "decente".
Art Rendon is simply going on for the ride and the business. Feds are wathing you Art.
What is all this talk giving a shit about Ed? One wine and cheese party and he would be nodding to bringing Juliet back from the grave.
Ed Rivera for TSC board president!
11:43 definitely is Adela can you tell how she singled out certain board members. All the TSC posts turn into the board members bashing each other every time. Highly educated board members acting like children.
Keep up the good work Ed! Brownsville is behind you!
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