As Texas State continues to break the enrollment record for the19th consecutive year, President Denise Trauth presented a master plan to the Texas State University System Board of Regents to address the university’s growth.
The plan was unanimously approved. It provides detail of renovations and additions to the San Marcos and Round Rock campuses, as well as STAR Park. The university’s master plan seeks to develop the campus over the next 10 years.
Eric Algoe, vice president for Finance and Support Services, was among four vice presidents that joined Trauth to the Board of Regents meeting. Algoe said the plan was built and constructed by community input.
“We depended on community input from town halls, website submissions, a committee, the mayor, the city manager, staff and faculty,” Algoe said. “It’s difficult to plan for the next decade, but this plan is a good balance between practicality and vision.”
The goals of the master plan include increasing academic and research capacity, enhancing student experience and strengthening pedestrian corridors.
The San Marcos and Round Rock campuses will have an accumulative increase of 1.45 million square feet. Currently in greater need of space are classrooms, teaching labs, offices, study and research spaces. Over the decade, the budget for research is to expand from $47 million to $86 million.
It projects Texas State to host 46,274 students by 2027 compared to 38,808 in 2016. The San Marcos campus will be adding housing, parking and dining spots.
The plan calls for renovating Blanco, Bexar, Sterry, Lantana and Elliot hall, equaling a net loss of 303. Burleson, Hornsby, Arnold, Smith and Butler will be demolished and rebuilt to impact 710 beds. In addition to the renovations of current on-campus housing, a new residence hall, Hilltop, will provide 1,025 beds. Approximately 2,000 parking spots and 200 dinning seats were presented in the plan.
The Round Rock campus, an hour north of San Marcos, seeks to expand the library, add collaborative work space and build onto the Testing Center for Disability Services in the Avery Building. The expansion will ultimately result in moving majors such as physical therapy and respiratory care to the Round Rock campus.
In addition to expanding the San Marcos and Round Rock campuses, the plan calls for upgrades to the Science, Technology and Advanced Research Park, located at 3055 Hunter Road. These upgrades include adding on to lab, office and work space.
STAR Park is dedicated to promoting and supporting innovation, commercialization and entrepreneurship.
In November of 2015, Texas State hired SmithGroupJJR, an architecture, engineering and planning firm, to assist in the development of the master plan. Doug Kozma presented the plan to the Board of Regents prior to approval.
“We believe that Texas State has a great path forward for the next decade,” Kozma said.
Every 10 years, the university president along with his or her delegation proposes a master plan to the Board of Regents. Trauth was accompanied by Dr. Eugene Bourgeois, provost; Eric Algoe, vice president for Finance and Support Services; Kenneth Pierce, vice president for Information Technology and Dr. Joanne Smith, vice president for Student Affairs.
Nancy Nusbaum, associate vice president of Finance and Support Services Planning, was another contributor to the master plan. Nusbaum has been at Texas State for 3 decade-long master plans and will be the director of the innovations to come.
The Texas State University System supports eight institutions by providing services such as legal counsel, accounting, audit, academic program planning, contract administration, government relations and communications services. Among Texas State, the institutions include various campuses of Lamar, Sam Houston State and Sul Ross State.