Looks like Blinn will get some competition in Brazos County

7,642 Views | 28 Replies | Last: 7 yr ago by SumAggie
pacecar02
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http://today.tamu.edu/2016/05/02/chancellor-john-sharp-announces-150-million-research-campus-and-education-center-at-former-bryan-air-base/
Dr. Teeth
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quote:
Sounds like it'll be a satellite campus for our satellite campuses. Almost like getting an online degree, but doing so by going to a building with a bunch of other people getting an online degree.
Sounds a lot like this: http://www.utcoursesonline.org/programs/about.html

Things like this are what the System should be doing instead of diluting the flagship.
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FlyRod
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A lot of folks (including many state politicians) argue that universities should be "more like businesses." So maybe this is...being competitive?
Mathguy64
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I am not "talking bad" about anybody. I am merely pointing out that in the grand scheme of things - the "big school" (TAMU) is trying to get into the market of the "little school" (Blinn).

If I was the Blinn trustees.... I'd be rather upset due to the amount of money they have poured into infrastructure in Bryan.


They poured a lot of Bryan derived money into the campus in Brenham and continue to do so today. They better hope the pipeline doesn't get shut off or they will be between a rock and a hard place.
Scruffy
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quote:
quote:
I am not "talking bad" about anybody. I am merely pointing out that in the grand scheme of things - the "big school" (TAMU) is trying to get into the market of the "little school" (Blinn).

If I was the Blinn trustees.... I'd be rather upset due to the amount of money they have poured into infrastructure in Bryan.


They poured a lot of Bryan derived money into the campus in Brenham and continue to do so today. They better hope the pipeline doesn't get shut off or they will be between a rock and a hard place.


True.
Instead of building up their largest campus, they are building dorms and improving that campus. Blinn did kind of screw the pooch with that, and they don't offer "in-county" tuition.
carpe vinum
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Had Brenham not dug in their heels so vehemently a few years ago with the us vs. them mentality there would not be the rift we see today. Now Brenham has a real problem whether they realize it yet or not.
Scruffy
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Had Brenham not dug in their heels so vehemently a few years ago with the us vs. them mentality there would not be the rift we see today. Now Brenham has a real problem whether they realize it yet or not.


Very true.
Mathguy64
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Had Brenham not dug in their heels so vehemently a few years ago with the us vs. them mentality there would not be the rift we see today. Now Brenham has a real problem whether they realize it yet or not.


Yeah. I'm pretty sure they are clueless.
carpe vinum
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It's unfortunate. Brenham is LOADED, and could have been a good, mutually beneficial, ally. Blinn had some great leadership retire and pushed out. The new gameplan could very well work against their best interests. It is what it is.
skipster
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I worked at Blinn and was in administration. We tried for years to let the top dogs know what could happen over here in Bryan. They would not listen. Look at there recent board meeting minutes - they continue to spend big buck on the Brenham campus. Yes some is from donations etc but geez they need to learn to not run the entire school of Bryan revenue. Distance Learning will also start having more of an effect on their enrollment. From my calcualtions their debt service in 3 to 4 years is going to be very interesting -- any significant decreases in enrollment will put them in financial disaster. I am not big on Sharp but I believe he just got tired of waiting for Blinn to do something - most of the programs he is proposing will be true jobs that are real.

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95_Aggie
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They don't care that they are clueless?
Mathguy64
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quote:
quote:
Yeah. I'm pretty sure they are clueless.

I know some folks pretty high up over there. I'm pretty sure they don't care.
I do too. Its not that they don't care. They do care. But all they care about is the bubble of Washington County and as long as they money rolls in and they can look good to the people in WaCo who are their friends and who they see every day in HEB or Home Depot or at dinner at a restaurant or at their local pharmacy, that's what's important. And that's all that's important.

When I say they are clueless, they really do not grasp the real truth (or cannot admit to themselves that truth) of just how financially dependent they are on the cash flow from the Bryan campus. And those that have admitted it have left the Board and the Administration.
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The Original AG 76
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I'm a bit confused. Only watching this out of curiosity but isn't Blinn spending a pile of a brand new campus in Bryan?
Is it not enough or am I missing something.
Could someone , without an agenda, give us a Readers Digest version of the Blinn issue.
The Collective
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[This thread was cleaned up in order to keep the discussion free of clutter. We have the General Board for posters that want to derail or clutter threads. -Staff]
bcstx06
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quote:
I'm a bit confused. Only watching this out of curiosity but isn't Blinn spending a pile of a brand new campus in Bryan?
Is it not enough or am I missing something.
Could someone , without an agenda, give us a Readers Digest version of the Blinn issue.
I think the problem that people in Brazos County have with Blinn is that the school here (Brazos County) has the most students and brings in more money than all of the other campuses combined but most of the money made here goes to the main campus in Brenham and it's needed here more.

I'm glad to see TAMU building this campus here to bring more students, more educational options, more jobs and more people to this area. I don't see this as diminishing the value of the main campus at all if anything I think it will give the main campus more value.

This will not be a two-year community college; students attending this campus will be able to attend any TAMU System school. I don't think that means anyone will be accepted I just think it means that if you can't get into the signature school that you really wanted to go to, here is another option where you can still live here and hopefully transfer in the future.

From what I read, this will be more that just a TAMU alternative, there will be robotics, transportation, and other programs for research based here. This will bring in outside companies who want to be near this action. Also retail and I'm sure housing will follow.

I'm totally excited about this! It looks like West Bryan will be booming much more than it already is. Already in West Bryan is the TAMU Health Science Center (Why hasn't it expanded past those two buildings?), Blinn's West Bryan Campus is clearing land, The Bio-corridor/Atlas Town Center area is building up, housing construction is up and now we have this unexpected bonus with the RELLIS Campus announcement.

I read somewhere that TAMU was trying to get Blinn involved with the RELLIS campus but why? Blinn is building its own new West Bryan campus.

Yes, I think the main Blinn campus in Brenham is panicking right now, but maybe this is what was needed in order for them to realize the value of this area. I guarantee you that this new competition will cause Blinn to up the ante here in Brazos County.
AggieJason
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quote:
I'm a bit confused. Only watching this out of curiosity but isn't Blinn spending a pile of a brand new campus in Bryan?
Is it not enough or am I missing something.
Could someone , without an agenda, give us a Readers Digest version of the Blinn issue.


Students attending Blinn in Bryan pay "out of district" fees since they aren't at the Brenham campus. Essentially, the students here are being "taxed" and most of that revenue goes back home (Washington County) vs. being redeveloped into the area hat makes the money (the Bryan campus). Blinn administration doesn't give a **** because their ledgers reflect that Blinn is doing well - not breaking it down by campus or showing the continually growing discord.
RDH80
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Permanent address determines out of district fees.
If a student/family is a property owner in Washington County and pays taxes to Blinn College, then the student is in district.
All other students who do not own, or family does not own property in Washington County, pays out of district fees.
If a student attends the Brazos campus and own's property in Washington county, he/she still pays in district.

And yes, admin doesn't care. Many technical programs at Blinn are not funded appropriately (for example, operating with 25 year old industry technology and equipment) with no intent to update the facility nor the programs.
Very top heavy with administration --- faculty, deans, asst deans etc all being piled on from above while still teaching a full load. Seems a lot like public school.
montegobay
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Just received this email. Wow! Big news!

Dear Blinn College Faculty and Staff,

I am proud to announce that The Texas A&M University System has extended Blinn College an invitation to develop facilities on its recently announced research, development, and education campus.

The Texas A&M University System unveiled plans earlier this month to invest $150 million in the campus to encourage the private sector to develop secure research facilities adjacent to the System's site. More exciting details regarding the RELLIS Campus named after the Aggies' core values of respect, excellence, leadership, loyalty, integrity and selfless service are available in The Texas A&M System's May 2 announcement, including a video tour describing the powerful vision for the RELLIS Campus.

At a special meeting on Tuesday, May 31, 2016, the Blinn Board of Trustees will consider a memorandum of understanding with The Texas A&M System that would allow Blinn College to build facilities on the RELLIS Campus. At that meeting, the board will consider halting construction on its site at 851 N. Harvey Mitchell Parkway in Bryan and developing similar facilities at the RELLIS Campus.

Details of this unprecedented partnership between the Texas A&M System and Blinn College are being formalized and must be approved by the Texas A&M System Regents, the Blinn Board of Trustees, and state authorities.

The new campus location would allow Blinn to develop additional science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and other core curriculum offerings, and expand its workforce, technical, and research programs. The new campus will allow students to transfer seamlessly to leading universities throughout the Texas A&M System once academic agreements with the individual universities are in place.

It is exciting for Blinn College to stand at the forefront of such a unique opportunity, one that would establish a national model for collaboration between elite universities and community colleges.

As you know, Blinn College and Texas A&M University have a proud history of cutting-edge, innovative partnerships. Since 2001, the Texas A&M-Blinn TEAM (Transfer Enrollment at A&M) Program has served as the nation's model for a collaborative, co-enrollment partnership between a major university and a community college. The TEAM Program has allowed thousands of additional qualified students to earn their degree from Texas A&M while enjoying the benefits of enrollment at both institutions, and in 2014 the program received the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's coveted Star Award as one of the top educational initiatives in Texas.

Texas A&M and Blinn built upon the TEAM Program's success with the Texas A&M Engineering Academy at Blinn-Bryan and the Texas A&M Engineering Academy at Blinn-Brenham, offering students additional pathways to pursue an engineering degree from Texas A&M and helping to meet the nationwide demand for highly skilled engineering graduates.

We look forward to sharing more information regarding this project at a Frequently Asked Questions web page currently in development. In the meantime, I invite you to read the forthcoming news release regarding this proposal at the Blinn College News Page, and to share your thoughts and suggestions with me at president@blinn.edu.

Sincerely,


Mary Hensley, Ed.D.
District President/CEO
Blinn College
isitjustme
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quote:
At a special meeting on Tuesday, May 31, 2016, the Blinn Board of Trustees will consider a memorandum of understanding with The Texas A&M System that would allow Blinn College to build facilities on the RELLIS Campus. At that meeting, the board will consider halting construction on its site at 851 N. Harvey Mitchell Parkway in Bryan and developing similar facilities at the RELLIS Campus.


I think it is awesome that TAMU and Blinn work together on initiatives like this. The only part I'm conflicted about is halting the campus expansion to 2818/Leonard Road. I was really looking forward to that expansion helping to kickstart West Bryan and a lot of effort/resources have already been put into it. But, the expansion of the TAMU/Blinn relationship to the RELLIS campus could be gold.
double b
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I totally agree and was looking forward to the expansion as well. I live right off of WVM and 2818, and was expecting our property values to go up by a large margin. I guess it could still happen, but with most of the development occurring off of HWY 47.

I still wonder how popular that area will be for a campus since there is virtually nothing around it at this time.
Hammerheadjim
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Not at all...
Blinn leaving 2818 at Leonard opens it up for all manner of big box retail..
AKA HEB
Stupe
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S
Didn't Blinn already purchase that land?
Ag210
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Land purchased, and site work underway
carpe vinum
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That would be good for Bryan, now it will most likely be taxable.
bcstx06
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This is very disappointing. I guess Leonard Rd will stay an old country road for a longer time. What will happen to all of the surrounding developments that were about to happen? There were already apartments slated to be built near there and now none of it will happen.
Orlando Ayala Cant Read
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This is very disappointing. I guess Leonard Rd will stay an old country road for a longer time. What will happen to all of the surrounding developments that were about to happen? There were already apartments slated to be built near there and now none of it will happen.



I was hoping Blinn would go in there as well. Id prefer that than the partnership. However if it doesn't its just a matter of time before something else big goes in over there. HEB anchored retail indeed would seem to be a good fit there.
SumAggie
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quote:
A lot of folks (including many state politicians) argue that universities should be "more like businesses." So maybe this is...being competitive?
state entities wouldn't know what being "competitive" was if you slapped them in the face with it. I throw up whenever I here a government administrator make that remark because they know they CANNOT be "like businesses". Faculty Senate and political correctness won't allow it.
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