University Center at Harlingen aims to open learning opportunities
HARLINGEN — In what is being touted as a "major advance" for the city, the University Center at Harlingen is nearing completion.
The education center will offer 23 bachelor degree programs, 23 master’s programs and two PhD programs. Some classrooms will be set up for correspondence classes with partner universities.
The center, located across the street from Texas State Technical College on Loop 499, is scheduled to be finished at the end of June, with a move-in date of July 15 and a ribbon-cutting in August.
It is a collaborative effort among the city of Harlingen, the Harlingen Economic Development Corporation, Texas State Technical College, Harlingen 100 Education Committee and eight university partners.
These universities are: University of Texas-Pan American, theUniversity of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, Texas A&M Kingsville, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, University of Houston, Our Lady of the Lake University, Wayland Baptist University and Le Tourneau University.
The project was funded by the EDC and TSTC.
The goal of the University Center "is to pull together the resources from different partners and make available opportunities to those that may not have them, without having to leave Harlingen," Lisa Cavazos, executive director of the University Center, said.
Educational programs are scheduled to begin this fall in the new energy efficient building.
Officials said they have worked hard to make the center the only LEED Gold certified building south of San Antonio.
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognized green building certification system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, according to its website.
The building has not yet officially received this recognition, but Chuck Smith, director of engineering for TSTC and project manager for the building, said the center will be the 15th education building in the state to be LEED Gold certified.
Features that make the building LEED Gold include about 449 solar panels on the roof and CO² monitors that efficiently cool rooms inside the building. Plus the project will recycle more than half of construction materials and the building will offer bike racks along with showers and changing rooms and much more.
In his State of the City address in February, Mayor Chris Boswell called the University Center a "major advance" in educational opportunities for the city.
The building houses several classrooms, a digital library, a dedicated computer lab, a large auditorium and faculty offices. The EDC offices will be located at the center as well as the TSTC Corporate College.
The 38,500-square-foot, two-story building had a construction time of one year and all involved are excited for its opening.
Cavazos presented photos and an update to the EDC at its regular meeting last week, and all board members were impressed and looking forward to seeing the completion of the building.
On June 29 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at TSTC, students interested in transferring into one of the four-year programs can gather information in a college-fair setting. From 6:30–8:30 p.m. those interested in the graduate program can learn more information on the center at the Cultural Arts Center.
