Just thought I'd put in a plug for this. It's today from 2-8 out at the RELLIS campus. Just an introduction to the new stuff that's going on.

They've got food trucks and a beer/wine garden. Bunch of different exhibitors.

My research center based out of TAMU-CC, Lone Star UAS Center, is out here. We've got some drone static displays. And we'll be flying several of our various other quadcopters.

Just to make sure I have this right, and please correct me if not;

RELLIS is a College Station campus that allows students to finish degrees they started at system universities like CC, Tarleton, Prairie View, West Texas A&M, etc, and the student actually gets their degree from the *system* school, not TAMU??

If correct, why in the bloody hell is that a good deal? Do these students get to buy Aggie sports passes, use the rec center, etc, and generally pretend to be Aggies in College Station for a year or two? In other words, John Sharpe monetizing the "College Station experience"?

If I'm right, I would bet money these are the same adjunct professors who teach at TAMU so the students are basically doing "TAMU-lite" and getting a degree from a crappy institution.

Please tell my I'm wrong about RELLIS. I hope I'm wrong.

Jack Cheese said:

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Just to make sure I have this right, and please correct me if not;

RELLIS is a College Station campus that allows students to finish degrees they started at system universities like CC, Tarleton, Prairie View, West Texas A&M, etc, and the student actually gets their degree from the *system* school, not TAMU??

If correct, why in the bloody hell is that a good deal? Do these students get to buy Aggie sports passes, use the rec center, etc, and generally pretend to be Aggies in College Station for a year or two? In other words, John Sharpe monetizing the "College Station experience"?

If I'm right, I would bet money these are the same adjunct professors who teach at TAMU so the students are basically doing "TAMU-lite" and getting a degree from a crappy institution.

Please tell my I'm wrong about RELLIS. I hope I'm wrong.

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Even if you're right, you're being kind of a jerk to the people trying to get a decent education and improve themselves.

Jeez.

And also you sound British

Jack Cheese said:

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Just to make sure I have this right, and please correct me if not;

RELLIS is a College Station campus that allows students to finish degrees they started at system universities like CC, Tarleton, Prairie View, West Texas A&M, etc, and the student actually gets their degree from the *system* school, not TAMU??

If correct, why in the bloody hell is that a good deal? Do these students get to buy Aggie sports passes, use the rec center, etc, and generally pretend to be Aggies in College Station for a year or two? In other words, John Sharpe monetizing the "College Station experience"?

If I'm right, I would bet money these are the same adjunct professors who teach at TAMU so the students are basically doing "TAMU-lite" and getting a degree from a crappy institution.

Please tell my I'm wrong about RELLIS. I hope I'm wrong.

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I have no idea about that.

What WE do at RELLIS involves working with TEEX/TEES to provide support that involves UAVs. I know that at least one AERO prof has a lab out on the campus working with students to do UAS work. And since I have an AERO degree from A&M, I think that's a worthy goal.

I also think that helping out the sister schools is a worthy goal to help out the A&M system.

rwtxag83 said:

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Even if you're right, you're being kind of a jerk to the people trying to get a decent education and improve themselves.

Jeez.

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Because I think they are getting ripped off? That's really their business, not mine, but I would hope that A&M isn't offering a program like the one I have described.

I think these system schools are being set up as feeders for the College Station campus. I don't see any evidence that they are being built into self-sustaining universities in their own right. None of them are near the level of UTD, for example.

It was a too hot out there for the early part maybe it cooled off later. The A&M System Office was out there due to the "encouragement" of the Chancellor. Too bad it was during college football game time.

Jack Cheese said:

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I think these system schools are being set up as feeders for the College Station campus. I don't see any evidence that they are being built into self-sustaining universities in their own right. None of them are near the level of UTD, for example.

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I work directly with TAMU-CC and I can personally attest that it's self sustaining.

I also know numerous Tarlton grads. That school is also self sustaining.

Maybe I'm a jerk but none of you has explained why these system schools should offer a College Station degree program. It is cashing in on parents' nostalgia for College Station for their kids who couldn't get into TAMU. Prove me wrong.

We live in a society that says everybody deserves a trophy. Think of it this way, Rellis is the equivalent to an A&M participation trophy. Thanks for paying to play.

We need way more doers and less thinkers but our public school system thinks dreams should become realities. Now look we have socialists and more liberals that believe we have many different genders. When you stop the cream from rising to the top of a herd it isn't as strong. Set back and enjoy your new world my friend.

It's being billed as an EXPERIMENT.

"You've got 300,000 people here who don't have access to a four-year degree unless they're in the top 10% of their class," Hallmark said, referring to Texas A&M's automatic admission for the highest-achieving high school students. "And that means that a whole lot of very qualified students don't have that access to a four-year degree."

It isn't our responsibility to explain it to you. Go find out for yourself.

74OA said:

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It's being billed as an EXPERIMENT.

"You've got 300,000 people here who don't have access to a four-year degree unless they're in the top 10% of their class," Hallmark said, referring to Texas A&M's automatic admission for the highest-achieving high school students. "And that means that a whole lot of very qualified students don't have that access to a four-year degree."

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Once again a failed matrix. A&M was much more productive when it obtained well rounded individuals. Some time work
Ethic and common sense play a roll.

Can you imagine if you could only hire a candidate from the top 10 percent of university performers. I doubt we could build a house with those guys.

We need to go back to finding who fits best in which major. Not all students or majors are then same.

La Fours said:

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It isn't our responsibility to explain it to you. Go find out for yourself.

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Exactly. Thank you.

Turf96 said:

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74OA said:

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It's being billed as an EXPERIMENT.

"You've got 300,000 people here who don't have access to a four-year degree unless they're in the top 10% of their class," Hallmark said, referring to Texas A&M's automatic admission for the highest-achieving high school students. "And that means that a whole lot of very qualified students don't have that access to a four-year degree."

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Once again a failed matrix. A&M was much more productive when it obtained well rounded individuals. Some time work
Ethic and common sense play a roll.

Can you imagine if you could only hire a candidate from the top 10 percent of university performers. I doubt we could build a house with those guys.

We need to go back to finding who fits best in which major. Not all students or majors are then same.

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Agree. That well-rounded individual should also know the difference between roll and role.

74OA said:

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It's being billed as an EXPERIMENT.

"You've got 300,000 people here who don't have access to a four-year degree unless they're in the top 10% of their class," Hallmark said, referring to Texas A&M's automatic admission for the highest-achieving high school students. "And that means that a whole lot of very qualified students don't have that access to a four-year degree."

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The whole thing sounds like a win - win to me. As the research footprint continues to expand, a lot of these kids will have access to the research, and that will do nothing but enhance their experience.

Many kids who are never even in the possibility of getting into A&M in CS can get a degree, a great education experience and go do some productive things with their life.

Not sure why anybody would want to paint this in any kind of negative light. Unless that person is a jerk. Then it's pretty easy to understand how/why they would do that.

Because a piece of paper with Corpus, West Texas A&M, Commerce, etc is not the same as a diploma from TAMU. It just isn't. I think these students are getting charged a ton of money (same $$ as TAMU, especially if they're at RELLIS) for not the same value. It's a ripoff. I know it hurts to hear negative things about our dear alma mater, but the current administration is squeezing dollars out of students and selling an experience in College Station more than a valuable education. It ain't right.

And yes, I'm correct about what they are doing over there. Guess that makes me a jerk. I'm okay with that.

rwtxag83 said:

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74OA said:

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It's being billed as an EXPERIMENT.

"You've got 300,000 people here who don't have access to a four-year degree unless they're in the top 10% of their class," Hallmark said, referring to Texas A&M's automatic admission for the highest-achieving high school students. "And that means that a whole lot of very qualified students don't have that access to a four-year degree."

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The whole thing sounds like a win - win to me. As the research footprint continues to expand, a lot of these kids will have access to the research, and that will do nothing but enhance their experience.

Many kids who are never even in the possibility of getting into A&M in CS can get a degree, a great education experience and go do some productive things with their life.

Not sure why anybody would want to paint this in any kind of negative light. Unless that person is a jerk. Then it's pretty easy to understand how/why they would do that.

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"Here's how it works: Students come to RELLIS and begin taking classes in their desired program through Blinn College (the campus currently offers 54 programs, including medical, criminal justice, computer and business degrees). After earning an associate degree, they walk the 50 feet across the road to take upper-level courses offered by one of the other Texas A&M System institutions, like Prairie View A&M or Tarleton State University. For students who can't get into the flagship Texas A&M campus but want to stay in the area, it's a simpler way to get a four-year degree, administrators said."

To me, it reads that RELLIS is simply offering the last two years of a four year degree in B/CS so that Blinn grads don't have to go to the expense and disruption of relocating to University System colleges all over Texas to finish up.

The final two years of courses at RELLIS are the same as offered at the various System colleges and are administered by the System colleges just as though the kids were physically at Tarleton, Prairie View, etc..

RELLIS students don't get an A&M "flagship" degree, but do get a diploma from a reputable A&M System college. For students for whom enough money is a real handicap, or working adults whose jobs and families are in the area, this is a real plus.

So what are we complaining about?

Jack Cheese said:

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Do these students get to buy Aggie sports passes

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maybe they will go to the slaughter on Saturday and fill the stands

Quote:

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So what are we complaining about?

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Some people will complain about a wet dream.

Moy said:

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Quote:

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So what are we complaining about?

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Some people will complain about a wet dream.

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Well, to be fair, a wet dream meant there was no woman involved...

Jack Cheese said:

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Just to make sure I have this right, and please correct me if not;

RELLIS is a College Station campus that allows students to finish degrees they started at system universities like CC, Tarleton, Prairie View, West Texas A&M, etc, and the student actually gets their degree from the *system* school, not TAMU??

If correct, why in the bloody hell is that a good deal? Do these students get to buy Aggie sports passes, use the rec center, etc, and generally pretend to be Aggies in College Station for a year or two? In other words, John Sharpe monetizing the "College Station experience"?

If I'm right, I would bet money these are the same adjunct professors who teach at TAMU so the students are basically doing "TAMU-lite" and getting a degree from a crappy institution.

Please tell my I'm wrong about RELLIS. I hope I'm wrong.

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I don't think this is correct at all. I visited RELLIS a couple of months ago as a part of an (unrelated) leadership program. Although I can't tell you what it is exactly, that was never something that was mentioned.

713nervy said:

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Jack Cheese said:

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Just to make sure I have this right, and please correct me if not;

RELLIS is a College Station campus that allows students to finish degrees they started at system universities like CC, Tarleton, Prairie View, West Texas A&M, etc, and the student actually gets their degree from the *system* school, not TAMU??

If correct, why in the bloody hell is that a good deal? Do these students get to buy Aggie sports passes, use the rec center, etc, and generally pretend to be Aggies in College Station for a year or two? In other words, John Sharpe monetizing the "College Station experience"?

If I'm right, I would bet money these are the same adjunct professors who teach at TAMU so the students are basically doing "TAMU-lite" and getting a degree from a crappy institution.

Please tell my I'm wrong about RELLIS. I hope I'm wrong.

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I don't think this is correct at all. I visited RELLIS a couple of months ago as a part of an (unrelated) leadership program. Although I can't tell you what it is exactly, that was never something that was mentioned.

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It is (or will be) part of what RELLIS offers. It's my understanding that eventually TEAM and TEAB students will take their courses out there before transitioning into a full TAMU degree program.

Part of the reason is to also offer students at system schools access to other professors and courses that would benefit them that they otherwise wouldnt have had access to.

They will not be associated with TAMU, will not be able to buy a sports pass, or use the rec (or any other TAMU service (I believe busses will even be requesting ID to board).

We will see how it plays out. Some of it seems great, and parts are becoming a logistical headache already for me at work.