Home of Today's Common Sense

Published Brownsville Herald Dec 6, 2010

In a recent Brownsville Herald “Your Voices” the seriousness and fears about the future of our Community College were clearly identified in a comment entitled “I have a dream, or a nightmare?” I had a nightmare that the University of Texas Brownsville had regressed in becoming “Tamale Tech” once again!
The fear is stated succinctly in the following “Under Tamale Tech will the students still be able to get their master’s or doctor’s degrees, or will they have to travel to Edinburg to get them? I really don’t know. But with no one commenting, how will we ever know what is going on in closed meetings, who is responsible, who needs to be recalled, or simply who needs to resign?”
A group of community leaders should gather to hear this and other concerns and provide guidance and leadership toward the future of the badly needed educational resource so that we gain and don’t lose as a result of this needed resource. Indecision at this tender moment can result in losses to some less responsible opportunists that always seem to circle like vultures above.
The Holiday Season is under way though for some reason the retail excitement I used to see in the ads underwhelms me somewhat but that is more than made up by the political happenings of the last year and cumulated with the local elections that pushed all kinds’ bells and whistles in my head.
First was the instantaneous vast shift in position on the part of the “high and mighty” over the identity and function of UTB-TSC. It now appears that there will be a state operated University if Texas at Brownsville and a separate Community operated Texas Southmost Community College.
The interesting thoughts still to be resolved are when will TSC collect the $10,000 in rents still due from the state, and will the University purchase or lease the buildings that they built using the community dollar and checkbook.
Lastly and something that interests me personally is where will the ITEC Campus fit in. Personally, I would like to see it functionally related more to the community than the University.
International Innovation Center, Business Incubator Services (including programs that consist of a business incubator, and import/export assistance), Financial Services and Banking Programs and Business Plan Competition.
Some years ago I formed a company to assist the Province of Tamaulipas develop the Mexico Port of Mesquital within the city limits of Matamoros on the coast in the south west corner of the city just 20 miles or so from the city center.
The presence of Brownsville Economic Development Counsel, The Consulate of Mexico, UTB/TSC – Students – Faculty – Staff, Offices of: Export Import bank of the U.S., U.S. Export Assistance Center, SBA, Office of the Governor for Economic Development, Other Incubator Tenants, and Other Local Area Having resources in the same local was extremely helpful in developing a clear idea of the goals that we would pursue and services that we provide.
Subsequent to that, the international thinking community that we became a part of contributed to the proposals that we subsequently made; many of which were well thought of by the Mexico Portuaria officials and became part of a document that we would have used to present as a final recommendation had funding not have been withdrawn for the port.
I suggest that when public and civil circumstances improve in Tamaulipas serious consideration will be given to the development of that maritime solution to many issued that would improve the movement of international freight over the shared border with more control, less risk and less cost. Those solutions will evolve more successfully in an atmosphere that is still under continuing development at ITEC.
Perhaps, TSC, could retain its original building on the current UTB-TSC campus for some classrooms and administration functions (to include maintaining building and rental records) and the lands buildings and associated functions in the ITEC area.
One of the more important functions that our University slash Community College has been working towards is to supplement the preparation for university programs in areas where secondary schools have not excelled.
Many of our children may not have been actively motivated towards university preparation at exactly the time they were in high school. Once the reality hits and it is clear that more preparation is needed, the opportunity may well be lost because of the high cost of University level catch-up’s.
Additionally, many of our growing senior community are interested id furthering studies just to expand the possibilities on their senior years.
We must not lose the idea that programs available now for these purposes must not be lost, and programs for professional advancement in the medical and other fields are crucial as well.
As we have seen since the partnership, a Community college is critical for adults who are employed on a full or part-time basis that just were not able or motivated for a university degree and do not possess the large funds necessary for a university level institution. Indeed, 56 percent of all current students enrolled in community college are over the age of 22. The affordable degree programs in these schools represent a way to invigorate a stalled career, or to acquire education toward an entirely new field of employment. Courses may be taken at night, allowing people to continue at their jobs while learning.
An area that has stirred my interest for some time is the development of a community college Political Science program, to study the history and evolution of government rule. Programs in Political Science focus on both political theory and political practice as well as studies of practical needs that fit our particular needs. A graduate in a Political Science program may go on to pursue a career in government, public service, education, or many other fields. Students could accomplish needed studies of local issues to better the community.
I would urge that community meetings similar to those that preceded the partnership be held to advance the ideals of the separate community college and seek suggestions from the community as to what is needed in “our community college”.