Prescription for change - Texas State Universitygato-docs.its.txstate.edu/university-news/HillViews/Hillviews_Issue_SP2011.pdfOn the Cover: Maria Gomez (front), Amanda Dush, Melissa

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COVER STORYTexas State University welcomed its initial 98 students this fall into the St. David’s School of Nursing in Round Rock. Surrounded by a state-of-the-art facility, the students are set to receive a quality education that pairs rigorous coursework with real-life experiences.

Texas State University has undergone numerous changes in the last decade as the university continues to elevate its curriculum, facilities and campuses to meet the needs of its student body and the state of Texas. From the St. David’s School of Nursing to an invitation to join the Western Athletic Conference, excitement is building as the university looks forward to its next horizon.

contents

Letter from the President 3

Campus Happenings 4

Faculty Spotlight: Marla Erbin-Roesemann 14Nursing school director leads inaugural class

Making it to the big time 18Texas State receives WAC invitation

Coach Fran back on the Bobcat sidelines 26Nationwide search brings familiar face back to Texas State

Student Spotlight: Melanie Ferrari 28ASG president sets stellar example

Leading with culture 30University reaches diversity milestone

Alumni Spotlight: 2010 distinguished alumni 34Four men represent the best of Texas State

Honor the past, claim the future 38Campus Master Plan sets stage for university’s growth

6

Letter from the

Presidentur theme for this issue of Hillviews is change. Change is

something that is with all of us on a daily basis, of course,

but we want to tell you about some of the changes taking

place at Texas State. Both the San Marcos and Round Rock campus-

es are changing. The curriculum is changing. And the student body

is changing. Students are the same energetic, intelligent people we

have always attracted, but they

have their own style and culture.

It’s quite exciting to be a part of this.

And Hillviews itself is chang-

ing. With this issue, you will no-

tice that it is a bit smaller, and we

hope that you notice a sharper

focus. Whereas the former Hillviews

came to you twice a year, you

will now see it four times a year.

Change is happening so quickly

that we want to communicate

with you more often. I encourage you to check the university’s web-

site, txstate.edu, to keep up with our daily news and to look for us

on the social media listed at the bottom of the home page. Alumni

can follow activities of the Alumni Association, their classmates and

local alumni chapters through txstatealumni.org.

This is proving to be another interesting academic year — full

of surprises, progress, accomplishments and change. Join us in

person whenever you can, but if you cannot, read about us in Hill-

views and online.

Texas State University–San Marcos

President Denise M Trauth

The Texas State University System Board of Regents

Charles Amato Chairman, San Antonio

Donna N Williams Vice Chairman, Arlington

Ron Blatchley Bryan | College Station

Kevin J Lilly Houston

Ron Mitchell Horseshoe Bay

David Montagne Beaumont

Trisha Pollard Bellaire

Michael Truncale Beaumont

Chris Covo Student Regent, Texas State

Brian McCall Chancellor

Hillviews is published quarterly by Texas State University-San

Marcos Circulation: 25,000 copies distributed to friends of Texas

State Hillviews is written and designed by KBGTexas, San Antonio

Contact: T Cay Rowe, editor, Texas State University-San Marcos,

601 University Drive, San Marcos, Texas 78666-4613; phone

512 245 2922; fax 512 245 3817; e-mail [email protected];

website ua.txstate.edu/UA-departments/Hillviews.

hillviewshillviewsvol 41 no 1 | Spring 2011

On the Cover: Maria Gomez (front), Amanda Dush, Melissa Price, Ariza Mira, faculty member Cheryl Rowder and Joslin Ruiz are part of the inaugural class and faculty utilizing the new technology and simulation labs at the St. David’s School of Nursing.

hillviews hillviewsSpring 2011 www.txstate.edu2 3

Freeman Ranch will also house an associated on-site

FARF laboratory that will include a decomposition

processing suite, cold storage facilities and teaching

and conference rooms.

“Giving our students the opportunity to see how

our research and teaching methods are applied by re-

nowned organizations is something we take pride in,”

says Michelle Hamilton, assistant professor and mem-

ber of the forensic anthropology faculty. “We hope the

students form relationships through these opportu-

nities that will lead to continued learning and career

advancement in the future.”

TExAS STATE ExPANdS PARTNERSHiP wiTH ALAMO COLLEgES

When students can’t come to campus, it’s up to the

campus to go to them. That’s the theory behind the

Alamo University Center (AUC), a partnership among

Texas State, Alamo Colleges and four San Antonio-

area universities.

When the FBI’s Evidence Response Team — the agents

who identify partially decomposed, dismembered

or mummified human remains — needed training

on latent fingerprints and large-scale body recovery,

they turned to the Texas State Forensic Anthropology

Research Facility (FARF) at Freeman Ranch. The 26-acre

FARF is one of only two outdoor human decomposition

research facilities in the world that offers such training.

Faculty from the FARF and students from the univer-

sity’s anthropology program participated in the FBI

exercise. Research into questions relating to time of

death, the postmortem interval and decomposition

rates for human remains under various topographical

and climate conditions are conducted at the facility.

Campus Happenings

FBi specialists receive forensic training for

disaster rescue efforts

Texas State, St. Mary’s University, Texas A&M

University-San Antonio, the University of the Incarnate

Word and Wayland Baptist University’s San Antonio

campus are bringing more than 20 degree programs

together in Live Oak to share facilities and provide

one-stop academic instruction and support services

for students in a number of disciplines.

Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Debbie

Thorne explains the partnership as a way to expand

higher educational opportunities in San Antonio.

“We’ve developed a strong relationship with Alamo

Colleges, and now, working with other San Antonio

universities, we’re able to provide a number of degree

options that might not otherwise be available.”

Texas State is offering three programs at the center:

bachelor of applied arts and sciences, master of science

in interdisciplinary studies and master of education in

technical education.

BREAkiNg gROUNd ANd BOUNdARiES With $785 million in capital construction either under

way or on the drawing board, Texas State is experienc-

ing unprecedented growth. And, according to Pro-

vost Perry Moore, the university is gaining more than

simply buildings.

“Our growth brings greater prestige and additional

revenue to the university. The larger we are, the great-

er impact we have across the state.”

Texas State’s growth is also good for the commu-

nity. New structures, like the Performing Arts Center,

will enhance and strengthen the university’s relation-

ship with the city of San Marcos, and additions to the

101-acre Round Rock campus will complement that

city’s goal of providing quality higher education op-

portunities, according to Moore.

And, most importantly, students benefit from the

university’s expansion. The Undergraduate Academic

Center, scheduled for completion in October 2012,

will house the Personalized Academic and Career

Exploration (PACE) initiative, a one-stop location for

freshman advising, career planning and mentoring.

The addition of new residence halls will make cam-

pus housing more accessible — an important benefit

with enrollment reaching a record high of more than

32,500 in fall 2010.

5hillviewswww.txstate.eduSpring 2011hillviews4

ON CALL New nursing school writes the prescription for caregiver shortageON CALL


hen the first cohort of students

graduates from the St. David’s

School of Nursing in 2012, they’ll

be among the pioneers who

helped turn Texas State’s Round Rock campus into

one of the state’s foremost training grounds for

healthcare professionals.

The school welcomed its initial 98 students this fall

into a new facility that houses the latest innovations

in nursing education. The 79,000-square-foot Nursing

Building will serve as a focal point for future growth

and help meet the state’s growing need for healthcare

professionals, says Ruth Welborn, dean of the College

of Health Professions.

“We have a new facility, new staff, new technology

and we have the excitement of the students. This is a

state-of-the-art nursing school using state-of-the-art

technology to prepare students for the 21st century.”

USiNg THE BEST TO PROdUCE THE BEST Acceptance into Texas State’s nursing program is highly

competitive, and the curriculum follows stringent state

and national accreditation standards. Students must

reach junior-level status before entering the program

and will attend five semesters at Round Rock, including

one summer session, before receiving their bachelor of

science in nursing.

Twelve full-time faculty and seven staff members work

closely with students, making sure each receives a quality

education that pairs rigorous coursework with real-life ex-

periences graduates will encounter in healthcare. Students

will also work with some of the best interactive technologies

W NURSiNg PROgRAM OUTCOMES

At the completion of the nursing program, a graduate of the School of Nursing at Texas State University will be able to:

• Facilitate safe, holistic and effective patient / family-centered care outcomes through use of evidence-based research and other science-based frameworks to promote and maintain health and prevent disease.

• Demonstrate professional accountability and responsibility for nursing judgments and actions within an ethical and legal framework, utilizing the most current knowledge.

• Demonstrate leadership in the provision and coordination of safe, cost-effective and high-quality nursing care.

• Advocate for patients, families, communities and the nursing profession, applying values and utilizing an ethical framework, critical reasoning and cultural competence.

• Utilize information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, educate, mitigate error and support decision making.

• Provide entry-level professional nursing care to clients across the lifespan in a variety of healthcare settings.

available to simulate clinic and hospital environments.

“Most schools that are renovating existing buildings

aren’t able to accommodate the kind of technology

we’re using,” Welborn says. “We don’t have just one little

closet-sized room where students can interact with it —

we have a whole floor of simulation labs. It’s very rare

that you see a nursing school with this number of state-

of-the-art learning tools.”

Among those tools are 40 computerized manikins

that stand in for patients during training sessions. The

“The nursing school and other programs in Round Rock were strategically placed to benefit

a broader region.”


robotic patients can describe their symptoms and tell

students where it hurts — sometimes in languages

other than English. Faculty members can program the

manikins to simulate health emergencies from cardiac

arrests to diabetic strokes.

“They’re not real patients, but they come awfully

close,” Welborn adds. “We have one that can simulate a

real birth every 15 minutes. When you give them injec-

tions, the flesh on their arms feels like real flesh.”

Students can work in six clinics designed to simulate

real healthcare facilities, from a critical care unit and a

maternal childcare unit to surgical and home health-

care settings. In-house camera equipment allows

instructors to videotape students’ routines so that

they can critique their own performance. The school

also employs actors who stand in as patients during

interactive diagnosis sessions.

“The faculty is great and represents a diverse set of

backgrounds and levels of experience,” says student

Paige Greene, who serves as president of the Student

Nursing Association. “Nursing is a dynamic profession,

and the St. David’s School of Nursing will prepare us not

only to know how to answer the needs of ill individuals

but also teach us prevention practices and the impor-

tance of healthcare promotion.”

Located 15 minutes north of Austin, Texas State’s

Round Rock Higher Education Center serves one of the

state’s fastest-growing areas. The Nursing Building is

the second facility located on campus.

The three-story building provides a high-quality

environment for classroom and laboratory learning. The

exterior is landscaped with native vegetation and pro-

vides shaded seating areas for meeting, socializing and

studying. A courtyard paved with a labyrinth provides a

relaxing setting in what can be an intense environment.

Once the Nursing Building completes its LEED Silver

certification for sustainable building, it will be the first

structure on Texas State’s San Marcos or Round Rock

campuses to achieve an internationally recognized

LEED green building designation.

“Everything is new here,” Welborn says. “We have a

new and innovative curriculum, we have great new fac-

ulty from all across the country, and we have a beauti-

ful building that provides a great learning environment.

The students are walking around campus in their Texas

State maroon scrubs looking energized to be here.”

MAkiNg AN iMPACT ON AN iNdUSTRy ANd THE NATiON

The creation of Texas State’s nursing program comes

as the state and nation grapple with pressing shortages

of healthcare professionals — especially nurses. Even

though there are 2.6 million registered nurses, making

nursing the nation’s largest healthcare profession, de-

mand is set to outstrip supply as baby boomers age and

healthcare practitioners retire.

Texas has 646 registered nurses per 100,000 popu-

lation, compared to the national average of 825. The

number of new nurse graduates within the state must

increase by an estimated 25,000 by 2020 to meet the

rapidly growing demand. More than half of all health-

profession students in the United States are currently

enrolled in nursing programs.

Understanding the need for the coming genera-


tions of medical professionals, President Denise Trauth

sought the support of the St. David’s Foundation, which

four years ago made a $6 million donation to launch the

school. The Texas Legislature provided additional funds

through Tuition Revenue Bonds for the building and

$2 million for start-up costs. Terry and Vernetta West-

brook, Scott & White Healthcare and Central Texas Med-

ical Center also made generous contributions.

James LeSage, Fields Professor of Urban and Regional

Economics, has followed the trends in healthcare em-

ployment and expects graduates from the Round Rock

campus to play a key role in meeting the demand for

skilled nurses not only in Texas but across the nation.

“The nursing school and other programs in Round

Rock were strategically placed to benefit a broader

region. Some of our graduates will likely stay in the

area, but many will take jobs across the state and

even the country.”

The city of Round Rock is also likely to benefit from

the school’s expansion as it generates growth and em-

ployment. The multiplier impact from added visitors

alone will have long-term effects on the economic sta-

bility and prosperity of the surrounding area.

And, if Welborn has her way, more growth is heading

to the Round Rock campus. On the horizon are nursing

graduate programs in specialized areas that address

a variety of emerging healthcare trends from man-

agement of sensitive records to dealing with changes

brought by the federal healthcare reform bill.

“Very soon, we’re going to have a major demand for

healthcare services as 32 million uninsured Americans

gain coverage,” Welborn says. “A lot of that is going to

be in primary care, and nurses will play a significant

role in the type of assessment and care those patients

will receive. We need to be ready for those changes

and many others.”

Welborn adds that in the coming years, the entire

College of Health Professions will make the leap to new

facilities on the Round Rock campus. Programs now

housed in San Marcos that will move include health ad-

ministration, health information management, physi-

cal therapy, clinical laboratory science, communication

disorders, respiratory care and radiation therapy.

Concentrating healthcare professions in close prox-

imity will allow faculty to lead collaborative research

projects and help students simulate the kind of real-

world teamwork that goes on in major hospitals and

healthcare centers.

“What we’re seeing now in Round Rock is just the be-

ginning,” Welborn says. “This has the potential to evolve

into a dynamic center that’s preparing the new genera-

tion of healthcare professionals and responding to the

healthcare needs of the entire state of Texas.”

UPCOMiNg EVENTS in ROUNd ROCk

March 25 Noon – 1 p.m.

Nursing Information Session

April 30 Starting at 9:30 a.m.

Bobcat Days at the RRHEC

May 20 Noon – 1 p.m.

Nursing Information Session

June 25 Starting at 9:30 a.m.

Bobcat Days at the RRHEC

Facts about the Nursing Building:

• Located in Round Rock, part of the Round Rock Higher Education Center.

• 79,000 square feet, three stories.

• Features high-tech simulation manikins.

• Wi-fi available throughout the teaching, study and meeting spaces.

• Houses Basic Skills, Medical-Surgical, Critical Care, Maternal-Child, Health Assessment, Standardized Patient Exam and Home Care laboratories.

• Five state-of-the-art labs are equipped with bedside computers with Internet access, digitalized video and computer-assisted instructional software, and other interactive software.


Faculty Spotlight

Marla Erbin-Roesemann finds her passion in the unplanned

arla Erbin-Roesemann never meant to be

a defender of and educator in the nursing

profession. She never even meant to be a

nurse. It all began in 1972 when a counselor told her she

might be happier in one of the University of Michigan’s

smaller colleges. That advice, along with her mother’s

suggestion that she would make a good nurse, changed

Erbin-Roesemann’s career path from law to medicine.

As she oversees the first class of students at Texas

State University’s St. David’s School of Nursing and re-

cruits another 100 for the second class in August 2011,

the school director and nursing professor shares her

passion for inspiring new nurses.

“My motivation began with having my parents be

proud of me,” Erbin-Roesemann says. “Although my

mother was very intelligent, she didn’t have the oppor-

tunity to attend college and was determined that her

children would get this opportunity. That became a ma-

jor motivator in my life.”

A master’s in nursing health services administration

beckoned after her undergraduate education, but the

requirement for two years of practical experience led

her to the West Coast for a hands-on nursing job. Upon

returning to Michigan, Erbin-Roesemann moved up the

career ladder as a nursing supervisor, head nurse and

director of nursing in a clinical setting. Shortly after get-

ting married, she pursued her doctorate at Michigan’s

School of Nursing and began her 12 years of teaching.

“My motivation since becoming a nurse is to move

my profession forward,” she says. Three years ago, while

dean of nursing at Clarkson College in Omaha, Neb., she

was given a chance to further that goal by launching a

nursing program at Texas State. “I am not sure I believe

in fate, but it certainly seems like it was meant to work

out this way.”

The first class will graduate in 2012 and help allevi-

ate a massive nursing shortage facing Texas. The state is

expected to need about 25,000 new nurses by 2020 to

keep up with the demand to replace retired nurses and

care for a growing aging population.

“At various stages in my education, I could have de-

cided to choose a different path, but I always came back

to nursing,” Erbin-Roesemann says. “It became part of

who I was and who I am. I made a commitment to make

sure it continues to be a respected profession.”

Nurses, she says, must have a strong theoretical and

scientific basis for the ever-changing practice of nurs-

ing. While caring is a necessary component of the prac-

tice, she says it’s not sufficient.

“Nursing is not junior medicine. Nursing school is

not a path to medical school,” Erbin-Roesemann says.

“Nurses are the ones who are by the bedside of patients

24 hours a day. They make critical, sometimes life-sav-

ing decisions every day.”

The mission of Texas State’s nursing program is to pre-

pare healthcare professionals to meet the needs of pa-

tients as the industry continues to advance and evolve.

Erbin-Roesemann says the most important thing is

“Nursing is not junior medicine. Nursing school is not a path

to medical school. Nurses are the ones who are by the bedside of patients 24 hours a day.

They make critical, sometimes life-saving decisions every day.”

M making sure students have pride in what they do — a

responsibility that rests on the shoulders of educators.

That is exactly what Erbin-Roesemann plans to do for

Texas State’s nursing program. She sees her role as one

of accommodation. She believes that to be a director of

a program in its growing phase you must be able to deal

with switching gears frequently and smoothly. Everyone

must be committed to scholarship, teaching and service

— the foundation of the nursing school’s success.

“Our first goal was to successfully admit the first class

of students,” she says. “This was no small feat. The staff,

faculty and I have worked tirelessly to come up with

policies, procedures, programs and, most importantly,

the people to make sure we can provide all students

with what they need to succeed.”

Whether dealing with stitches or surgery, staffing or

students, one component that has remained constant

through her career is her passion, something she hopes

is translated through her teaching and leadership.

Two of Erbin-Roesemann’s goals are to involve the fac-

ulty and staff in providing the community with continu-

ing education opportunities and service and to increase

research and grants.

“Personally, I am interested in conducting research

with nurses and exploring aspects of their jobs that are

exciting and keep them in nursing,” she says.

Students say Erbin-Roesemann is known for putting in

long hours and stays very visible at the Round Rock campus.

The school’s director recently inspired students with

the first of her regular town hall-style meetings, with

only her and the nursing students, to hear any concerns.

“She is very attuned to the students’ needs,” says

Gremar Corpuz, a junior with a registered nurse mother

and a pediatrician brother.

“The way you educate makes a difference,” Erbin-Ro-

esemann says. “This isn’t the same kind of training pro-

gram many in my generation and before went through.

We don’t train nurses. You train monkeys. We educate.

We are looking at the science behind the profession.

Nursing is more than just going in and doing it. It’s cru-

cial to know why you are doing it. That is how we are

educating nurses differently today. We are always en-

couraging students to ask why.”

-QUiCk FACTS-Marla Erbin-Roesemann

• Earned her bachelor of science in nursing, master of science in nursing health services administration and doctorate from the University of Michigan.

• Previously served as dean of nursing at Clarkson College in Omaha, Neb.

• Nursing education teaching experience spans more than 12 years.

• Inducted in 1980 as a member of Sigma Theta Tau, nursing honor society.

• Published works appear in the Journal of Nursing Law and Nursing Economics.

• Serves on editorial boards for the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing and the Journal of Advanced Nursing.


nbelievable” was a favorite word of national

championship-winning coach and former Ath-

letics Director Jim Wacker. Current Athletics Di-

rector Larry Teis thought it was appropriate to use that

word the day the Western Athletic Conference (WAC)

officially announced Texas State University would be

moving up to the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision

(FBS). It is a goal Wacker had when he brought Teis on

board in the late 1990s.

Pointing to the sky Teis says, “There is no doubt that suck-

er is up there, looking down on us saying, ‘Unbelievable.’”

After a two-year transition from Football Championship

Subdivision (FCS) to FBS, the Bobcats will be eligible to

compete in a bowl game in the 2013-14 football season.

However, for the university, the step up means much more.

It puts Texas State on par with prominent research schools

across the country that are also members of the FBS.

“Enrollment will go up and our prestige will go up,”

President Denise Trauth explains. “It should also help us

attract research.” Big-time athletics programs, she says,

draw donors, students and faculty members who bring

their research along with them.

“This is all about the focus on excellence for Texas State

University,” adds Reagan Pugh, a 2008 graduate and for-

mer president of the Associated Student Government

(ASG). His administration brought forth the referendum

that raised the student athletics fee that helped fund im-

provements to assist in the university’s move to the FBS.

“Texas State has been striving for excellence in its un-

dergraduate programs, its graduate programs and its

doctoral programs,” Pugh says. “It only makes sense that

we would do the same thing with athletics. While we

have a history of excellence in athletics, it was time to

take the next step, and that next step is the FBS.”

TiME TO ENgAgEFollowing the Nov. 11 announcement that Texas State

would join the WAC, the last remaining suite in the newly

“U

remodeled Bobcat Stadium sold while demand for club-

level seating also picked up.

Football and athletics are the carrot to get alumni back

on campus. The goal is to introduce alums, once engaged,

to the other improvements that have been made, from

facilities to new programs, research, art and academics.

“People are obviously excited about this,” says Derrich

Rodriguez, a 2000 graduate, president of the San Antonio

chapter of the Alumni Association and a member of the

Bobcat Club Leadership Committee. “One of the things

the move to FBS does is attract more alumni back to

campus where we hope they will open up their wallets.

Sports always seems to be the common thread at any

school. It is one of the best ways to bring people back to

their alma mater and get them engaged.”

Being involved in the WAC instantly raises the profile

of Texas State. The announcement was reported across

the country in media outlets like USA Today, Sports Il-

lustrated and ESPN. Alumni, who may not have thought

about the university in years, were now seeing their

school splashed across the airwaves and Internet. Once

the Bobcats start playing in the WAC, televised broad-

casts and coverage in other media will extend that

reach, not only to alumni but also to potential students

who will see all the campus has to offer.

PREPARiNg FOR FBSTexas State has spent almost $45 million since 2001

building new athletics facilities and renovating existing

ones. Another $37 million in improvements is under way

and scheduled to be completed by 2012. An additional

$17 million is slated for projects scheduled to start after

that. When all the dust settles and everything is com-

plete, Texas State will have spent more than $99 million


upgrading and building new athletics facilities.

Teis has been shepherding these changes since Wack-

er hired him in 1999 as associate athletics director over-

seeing facilities. He says the improvements make the

campus more enticing to new student-athletes and help

re-engage alumni.

“Bobcat Stadium is the biggest thing you see driving

down I-35. It’s the entrance to the campus. The entire De-

partment of Athletics is the first thing you see with our

administration building and the football, baseball and

softball stadiums. Administrators like to say athletics is

the front porch of a university. For us, it literally is.

“A football game is the easiest way to engage the

greatest number of alumni,” Teis continues. “Universi-

ties across the country build homecoming and parents’

weekend around football games. They don’t build them

around anything else.”

TiMiNg wAS EVERyTHiNgGoing back more than a decade before the Nov. 11 an-

nouncement of Texas State’s invitation to join the WAC, the

path to the FBS was paved with preparation and good for-

tune. The school was fortunate that there was a collective

interest from all constituencies about moving up to the

FBS, and, equally fortunate, there was a place for it to go,

thanks to a recent wave of conference-jumping.

“I’m glad we had all the steps in place when this con-

ference shake-up happened so Texas State was given a

chance,” Teis says.

Once Wacker returned to Texas State as athlet-

ics director, the work began on building consensus

for pushing the university toward becoming an FBS

school. Wacker started building enthusiasm for im-

proving facilities, and when Trauth arrived in 2002, she

expanded the improvements.

Becoming an FBS school was yet another step in the

overall pursuit of excellence the university was trying to

achieve. The improvements, both inside the classroom

and out, began to become visible throughout the uni-

versity and to all of its constituents. The fuel was there; all

it needed was a spark.

Enter Pugh and Alexis Dabney. The two were the re-

spective president and vice president of the student

body for the 2007-08 school year.

“We were fortunate to be in office at a time when all

parties that were interested in pushing to become an FBS

school were ready to link arms and move forward,” Pugh

says from Mission, S.D., where he teaches English on the

Rosebud Indian Reservation in the Teach for America

program. “The alumni, community, faculty, staff and stu-

dents were all ready to pull in the same direction.”

Texas State had to formally state its intentions — at least

internally — to move to the next level of the collegiate

strata. That meant garnering support, raising money, set-

ting goals and finding the right opportunity. To do that,

Trauth enlisted the Board of Regents, which required the

student body’s approval of an increase in the athletics fee

to raise funds to finance an FBS-type program.

“Essentially, they looked at us and said, ‘If you want

this, you’ve got to rally the troops,’” Pugh says. “We had to

get kids to believe in the vision of it, and that was a huge

obstacle that we had to jump over. We went around to

300 student groups and organizations, including the

ones that didn’t care about sports, and showed how this

would benefit the university academically.”

The ASG called student government organizations

across the state, particularly in Texas — where football is

king — to ask about the role sports play in raising the

profile of those universities. It’s all about perception.

“Whether it is a good thing or a bad thing, football,

particularly if you are an FBS school, does more for the

perception people have about your school than if you

had a law school or a medical school, especially if you

are in the state of Texas,” Pugh says.

The ASG was able to get the issue on a spring ballot,

and students turned out and agreed to charge them-

selves more, winning 80 percent of the vote. Trauth says

that vote enabled the university to get into an FBS confer-

ence, and it gave itself a deadline of 2013.

“Who would have thought it would happen so fast?”

Pugh says.

The speed of this invitation is due largely to the con-

ference swapping that happened in summer 2010. Ac-

cording to NCAA rules, Texas State will formally begin the

transition to FBS in June 2011.

NExT STEPSTexas State’s move into the WAC was made possible

by the departure of programs like Boise State, which is

joining the Mountain West Conference after the 2010

season, and Fresno State and Nevada, which will join

Boise State in 2012. Texas State hopes to emulate Boise

State’s rise to prominence following its move from the

Big West Conference, an FCS conference, to the FBS

a decade ago. Since then, Boise State has become a

“We’re going to ask a lot from our donors. We are

going to another level, and our fans have to go with us. Our students have already

committed to making that trip.”


dominant football program, thanks in large part to its

higher profile. Karl Benson, commissioner of the WAC,

believes Texas State could one day perform at a level

similar to Boise State.

“I would love to compare us to Boise State,” Rodriguez

says. “From an enrollment standpoint, we’re larger than

it is, but in some respects we are similar. More than any-

thing, I think they would be the benchmark for us.”

Teis says there is a lot of work left to do. It will require

commitments from the community and the alumni.

“Ticket prices are going to go up,” he says. “We’re going to

ask a lot from our donors. We are going to another level,

and our fans have to go with us. Our students have al-

ready committed to making that trip.”

Some of the work includes continued expansion of

Bobcat Stadium, which will push its capacity to 30,000

seats. The school also needs to raise money to fund 22

more football scholarships. Currently it offers 63 but

can now offer 85.

“Texas State is moving at such a fast pace, and we

need to get alumni involved so the school isn’t stuck

with the bill all the way through. Whether it’s by provid-

ing a big gift or just buying a ticket, the school needs

our support,” Rodriguez says.

The university has garnered support from multiple

fronts. It stretches from the Fields family, who made the

department’s largest gift of $6 million in 2009, to the stu-

dents who voted in 2008 to increase the athletics fee each

year up to $20 per semester hour through 2013-14. Teis is

hopeful the news of these investments and the physical

changes on campus will encourage more alumni to offer

their support for the program and the school overall.

“We will get more alumni involved,” Rodriguez says.

“We have a lot of strong support from those who have

purchased season tickets and suites. Once alumni see

what we’ve been doing and what we have planned, they

can’t help but get excited.”

THE dRiVENOVEMBER 2007

• University President Denise Trauth’s Athletics Task Force sets the benchmarks to obtain FBS status.

FEBRUARY 2008• Student referendum passes to increase student fees

to support athletics. • San Antonio businessman Darren Casey donates

$1 million, the largest gift to athletics to date.

APRIL 2008• Darren B. Casey Athletic Administrative Complex,

an annex to Strahan Coliseum, is dedicated.

MARCH 2009• Bobcat baseball and softball stadiums open after

$8 million renovation.

SEPTEMBER 2009• Addition to Bobcat Stadium is dedicated as the

Jerry D. and Linda Gregg Fields West Side Complex as the couple’s $6 million gift to athletics is announced.

AUGUST 2010• Lighting in Strahan Coliseum is upgraded to meet

NCAA standards for nationally televised games.

SEPTEMBER 2010• Groundbreaking is held for the track and field facility. • Texas State announces construction of Bobcat

Stadium’s North Side Complex.• Athletics Academic Center opens with academic

and certification staffs, study and tutoring areas.

OCTOBER 2010• Soccer completes Phase II of facility upgrades with

addition of teaching theatre, training and weight rooms. Phase I, which included locker rooms and field improvements, was completed in 2009.

NOVEMBER 2010• The Western Athletic Conference announces its

invitation to Texas State, UTSA and Denver for the 2012 season.

JANUARY 2011• Dennis Franchione is named head coach of the

Bobcats football team.

hillviews Spring 201124

fter a nationwide search, Texas State Univer-

sity has turned to a familiar face to lead the

school’s football program into the next stage of

its evolution — the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).

Dennis Franchione will again be on the sidelines when

the Bobcats begin preparations for their 2011 campaign,

the final season before moving into the Western Athletic

Conference (WAC). Franchione coached the Bobcats

from 1990 to 1991 and compiled a 13-9 record.

Franchione quickly became a finalist after the univer-

sity hired a national search firm to assist in finding the

Bobcats’ next head football coach. “When we looked at

all of the candidates and looked at the direction that this

university wants to go, I think in the back of all of our

minds we wanted someone who has been there,” Athlet-

ics Director Larry Teis says. “It’s easier to go where you’re

going when you’ve been there before. Knowing that

[Franchoine] has been there before — and been success-

ful — made him rise to the top.”

Franchione cut his coaching teeth at small schools

in Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee before moving up

to the NCAA with the Bobcats. The next step was the

FBS with New Mexico, where he coached from 1992 to

1997 and led the Lobos to their first bowl appearance

since 1961. He then moved to Texas Christian University,

where he coached NFL Pro Bowler LaDainian Tomlinson.

TCU won a WAC co-championship under Franchione in

2000 when the school went 10-1. He followed that up

with two years at the University of Alabama before mov-

ing to Texas A&M for five seasons. Following a couple of

seasons as a radio analyst for ESPN Radio, Franchione is

back in maroon and gold.

“Having done ESPN, I have been to a lot of game sites

and Thursday practices and watched how different

coaching staffs work,” Franchione says. “I learned some

things that I’ll adopt, and it will make me a better coach.”

Franchione’s hiring came just weeks after the WAC an-

nounced it would extend an invitation to Texas State,

along with the University of Texas at San Antonio. Both

will join the conference in 2012. “Coach Fran” gives the

university a familiar, and successful, coach on the side-

BACK BOBCAT SIDELINES

Coach Fran ONTHE

say that we got all three.”

The move to the FBS and the hiring of Franchione have

generated excitement among Bobcat fans, Teis says. “We

have seen an immediate impact with the local and state-

wide media wanting to visit with Coach Franchione to

discuss Texas State football. We have also fielded calls

inquiring about season tickets, the Bobcat Club and club

seats at the stadium. Better yet, opposing teams in the

FBS level are contacting us to play because they see our

commitment to putting a quality team on the field.

“As we always say: It’s a great day to be a Bobcat.”

lines as it moves into college sports’ highest level.

“I told the team during a meeting that we’re FBS now,”

Franchione says. “We’ve been given a nice jump in clas-

sification, but that requires a lot more work both on and

off the field. It’s not like we’re easing into it. We have Wyo-

ming and Texas Tech right out of the gate.”

“This is a transformational moment for Texas State Uni-

versity as we go to the top tier of intercollegiate athletics,”

President Denise Trauth says. “We knew that we needed

a man with championship experience and a person with

a winning record, but we also needed a person whose

team would be successful in the classroom. I’m happy to

•Offensive coordinator at Tennessee Tech. •Head coach at Pittsburg State.•Head coach at Texas State.•Head coach at New Mexico.•Head coach at TCU.•Head coach at Alabama.•Head coach at Texas A&M.

COACHING EXPERIENCE

•Owns a career record of 187-101-2.•Guided his teams to nine conference

championships and one divisional title.

•Led his teams to nine bowl games.•Recruiting classes ranked among top

13 nationally from 2003 to 2005.

• 1986 Coach of the Year• 1987 Coach of the Year

• 1989 Regional Coach of the Year• 1990 Regional Coach of the Year

HONORS AS A COACH

Birth Date:March28,1951• Birthplace: Girard,Kan.•Alma Mater: Pittsburg State, 1973

Coach Franchione at a glance

•Head coach at Miller High School in Miller, Mo.

•Assistant coach at Mulvane High School in Mulvane, Kan.

•Head coach at Peabody-Burns High School in Peabody, Kan.

•Assistant coach at Kansas State.•Head coach at Southwestern College.

WHAT HE BRINGS TO THE TABLE

A

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics

American Football Coaches Association


This fast-moving Ferrari leads by example

Student Spotlight

LIKE HER NAMESAKE, MELANIE FERRARI MOVES FAST. AND WITH GOOD REASON. SHE HAS A LOT TO DO.

As president of the Associated Student Government (ASG), Ferrari is the chief representative for the entire

Texas State student body, a responsibility she doesn’t take lightly. “I strive to be a transparent president

who stays true to herself and works for what students want and need.”

Even before enrolling, Ferrari knew she’d found her

university when she visited the campus during a con-

vention while attending Devine High School, located

southwest of San Antonio. “I felt like Texas State was the

first place I could be myself,” she explains. “I knew this

would be my home.”

iT’S A BOBCAT THiNgFerrari, who believes in leading by example and “pay-

ing it forward,” started building her leadership resume

early when she joined her residence hall council and

the Residence Hall Association. From there she moved

into other campus organizations and events, includ-

ing New Student Orientation, PAWS Preview, Student

Foundation, the National Residence Hall honorary or-

ganization and Cat Camp. Today, she sits on more than

20 university committees or councils.

But it’s in her role as ASG president where Ferrari has

the most impact. Under her leadership, the ASG’s ex-

ecutive agenda has more than doubled from 10 goals

to 22. Ferrari says it’s a list that should be used to hold

the ASG accountable.

“We recognize we’re being ambitious, but I believe

these will help better the Texas State experience.

I also know the students, faculty and staff will be sup-

portive and give us the resources to make these goals

become a reality.”

Some of the goals, such as creating a transportation

task force, implementing roundtable discussions be-

tween students and administrators, and informing stu-

dents of the student government’s open-door policy,

have already been accomplished.

“One of my proudest accomplishments,” Ferrari says,

“is the creation of the Freshman Council. In the past,

freshmen haven’t had the opportunity to be actively

involved in student government. Now there are 30

freshman representatives.”

PAViNg HER OwN wAyThe senior public relations major is the first member

of her family to attend college and has seen a number

of changes to the San Marcos campus in her time here.

“The most noticeable changes are the construction

and renovations on campus. And I’ve seen a tremen-

dous increase in the level of enthusiasm and pride in

both academics and athletics.”

As for the future, Ferrari wants to build on the base of

service she’s created.

“After I get my undergraduate degree, I would like to

attend graduate school and get my master’s in strategic

communication. Texas State has given me the tools and

connections necessary to succeed as a professional af-

ter I graduate, and I cannot wait to give back as a mem-

ber of our great alumni base.”

Favorite professor? Lisa Furler in Communication Studies.

Best memory at Texas State? When they announced our [ASG] ticket was elected.

Favorite Bobcat sport? Tie between Bobcat volleyball and Bobcat football!

Favorite building on campus? Old Main, my major’s building.

Float the river or go to class? Class, meetings, then river!

10-year goal? Working on my Ph.D. in student affairs and open my own public relations firm.

Maroon or gold? Both!

Favorite study spot on campus? Seventh floor of Alkek Library or rocking chairs in the LBJ Student Center.

Favorite course? Ethics.

hillviewswww.txstate.edu 29

alk, as the old saying goes, is cheap.

Anyone can talk about diversity. As with most things,

walking the walk is more difficult than talking the talk.

That’s where Texas State University has set itself apart

from 90 percent of the higher education institutions in the

United States. It’s not simply talking diversity; it’s living it.

In keeping with its longtime commitment to diver-

sity, Texas State has applied for formal recognition as a

Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) with the U.S. Department

of Education. That designation is expected in the spring.

To be designated an HSI, 25 percent of a university’s

undergraduate enrollment must be Hispanic. With

nearly 7,000 Hispanics among its more than 27,000

undergraduate students, Texas State meets that crite-

rion. Texas State is the largest Texas university currently

listed as an HSI by the Hispanic Association of Colleges

and Universities (HACU).

“Earning HSI status was originally a 10-year goal, but we

LEADING WITH

cultureUniversity reaches milestone of 25 percent Hispanic undergraduates

T

succeeded two years earlier than projected,” President

Denise Trauth says. “Now that we have accomplished this

goal, our next priority will be to become the most suc-

cessful HSI in the state.”

Once the HSI designation is made, the university be-

comes eligible to compete for a wide range of federal

grants. Provost Perry Moore has appointed a campus

committee, chaired by Applied Arts Dean Jaime Chahin,

to explore the new grant opportunities and coordinate

the writing of proposals for those grants.

“For Texas State, achieving HSI status is the right thing

to do with the demographics of the region,” says Joanne

Smith, vice president for student affairs. Texas is already

one of four “minority majority” states and is projected to

be majority Hispanic by 2020.

“Historically, Texas State has focused on retaining stu-

dents,” Smith says. “More recently, we have developed

culturally relevant strategies to assist with the retention

and graduation of Hispanic and other underrepresented

students.” The efforts have paid off with high retention

and graduation rates that are steady across ethnic lines.

Those strategies include “changing the way we engage

students,” says Sherri Benn, director of the Office of Multi-

cultural Student Affairs, which works to support and em-

power groups of students to express and embrace their

cultures. “It is important to adapt and become innovative

in the ways we meet the needs of our minority students.”

In addition to focus groups and workshops, weekly

support groups, such as Latinas Unidas for women and

Hombres Unidos for men, encourage students to discuss

their collegiate experiences as Hispanics. In the past, Tex-

as State held a large Hispanic conference, but now, says

Benn, “We have a series of smaller leadership events to

help capture different interests. We are mindful that His-

panic students are not a homogenous group.”

”Texas State is proud of all the students we attract.


And we work hard to have very high graduation rates —

across all ethnicities,” Trauth says.

One of those students is Jessica Salinas, 21, a native

of Mission, Texas, who chose Texas State for its “perfect”

location. The youngest of four and the second to obtain

a degree (in exercise sports science) when she gradu-

ates this year, Salinas says, “I blend in very well here. I

love the people, the administration, the teachers. They

made it home for me. They just gave me so many op-

portunities to want to stay here. Retention-wise, it

worked. They retained me.”

“I believe part of the reason there isn’t the usual gap

in retention and graduation rates in ethnicities at Texas

State is the care we provide to students,” Smith says.

“Even though we have a large student body, students

tell us they don’t feel like a number. They are treated with

kindness and support throughout their Texas State ca-

reer. Diversity is a value at Texas State. We celebrate our

cultures and above all else, care about each other.”

Further, students have a number of ways to become

involved. For Salinas, that meant “giving back” by joining

PAWS Preview, an organization that helps incoming stu-

dents transition into the college environment. “I wanted

new students to feel at home here, to feel as welcome as

I did and still do.”

For Jen Beck, director of retention management and

planning, the HSI designation will “continue to raise aware-

ness of the commitment that Texas State has to serving all

Texans in addition to underrepresented students.”

Texas State’s fall 2010 enrollment breakdown

32,572: TOTAL ENROLLMENT27,448: Undergraduate enrollment7,908: Total Hispanic enrollment6,954: Hispanic undergraduate enrollment

— other facts —

•Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education magazine ranked Texas State University-San Marcos one of the top 100 colleges for Hispanic degree earners. Texas State ranked 13 for bachelor’s degrees and 37 for master’s degrees.

• In 2010, Texas State awarded 1,350 degrees to Hispanic students.

“Diversity is a value at Texas State. We celebrate our cultures and above all

else, care about each other.”


Alumni Spotlight

The four men chosen as Texas State University’s distinguished alumni for 2010 represent a cross section of

the university’s curricula and career paths.

Growing up in Alice, Texas, in the 1940s, John Burris had three goals: become a military officer, get a law degree like his older brother and, someday, return to his first love — ranching.

The Air Force ROTC program at Texas State was Burris’ path to his first goal — but it wasn’t a straight line.

A young man in a hurry, Bur-ris finished high school in May 1952 and was at Texas State in September. In 1955 he began working on his law degree at the University of Texas School of Law, while still an undergraduate at Texas State. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history in 1956. Burris served on the student senate at Texas State and was on the varsity track team. His junior year was an especially eventful one: He married his high school sweetheart, Edith, was named one of the top 10 students and was voted class president.

In 1957 Burris began an active duty stint in the Air Force that lasted until 1960. While serving as a weap-

ons controller in New Mexico, Burris was credited with saving the pilot of an F-86 fighter jet who’d lost his instruments in bad weather. In 1959 he was named Outstanding Controller for the 32nd Air Division and credited with several additional aircraft saves.

After completing his active duty, Burris returned to San Antonio and enrolled at St. Mary’s University to com-plete his law studies while continuing to serve in the Air Force Reserve. He received his law degree in 1964.

Even while pursing a full-time law career in prac-tice with his brother Sam, Burris continued to ranch and advance through the Air Force ranks, serving in a number of command posts and eventually reaching the rank of major general — the highest possible for someone not serving on continuous active duty. The general retired from the Air Force in 1994 and from the bar in 1999.

Three-for-three on his life goals, Burris, true to his word, has returned to his first love, ranching, in Alice.

“I’m very honored to be selected as a distinguished alum,” he explains, “especially to be in the group that’s being named this year. I never expected anything like this.”

JOHN HOwARd BURRiS ’56

It was while he was working on his bachelor of science in educa-tion degree that Gary Lillibridge found his calling. A lifelong Epis-copalian, Lillibridge went on to Virginia Theological Seminary and earned his master of divinity degree in 1982. He was ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church in 1983.

In 2003 Lillibridge was elect-ed bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of West Texas. Three years later he was installed as diocesan bishop where he now oversees 90 congregations, 27 schools, 25,000 members, 200 clergy and a number of social outreach and camping ministries. Along the way, the San Antonio native served as assistant rector of the

Church of the Good Shepherd in Corpus Christi and rector of St. James in Del Rio, Church of the Advent and St. Paul’s in Brownsville and St. David’s in San Antonio. He was archdeacon of the Diocese of West Texas from 1995 to 1998.

Lillibridge has also served as deputy to the Episco-pal Church General Convention, president of the Dioc-esan Standing Committee, member of the executive board and a member of the Commission on Ministry.

In addition to his church service, Lillibridge has held positions on the board of directors for the Browns-ville Society for Crippled Children and on the board of Morningside Ministries and the Good Samaritan Cen-ter. At the national church level, Lillibridge has served on several committees and, in 2009, was appointed by the archbishop of Canterbury to serve on the Wind-sor Report international committee. He and wife Cath-

gARy R. LiLLiBRidgE ’78

hillviewswww.txstate.edu 35

Having a landmark, such as room 224 in McCoy Hall, named after his family is nothing new to Daymon Muehl. He grew up near Muehlsville, a farming and ranch-ing community outside Seguin.

Muehl used his bachelor of busi-ness administration to see the big city during his 34-year career at what is now ExxonMobil. His posi-tions in marketing, sales and ad-

vertising took him from Texas to California, Oregon and Washington before returning to his home state, where he spearheaded the gasoline, motor oil, sales promo-tion, advertising and trademark administration for one of the world’s largest international corporations.

On campus Muehl was president of Pi Sigma Chi fra-ternity, treasurer of the student senate, a residence hall counselor and was named one of the 10 Outstand-ing Students for 1960-61. He’s still a frequent campus visitor, often speaking to the Students in Free Enter-prise and American Advertising Federation competi-

erine were married in 1985 and have three children.“I am humbled I was selected to receive this award,”

Lillibridge says. “I take great pride in the education I received from this university, knowing it helped me

have success in every part of my life. I am eager to see what today’s students will bring to the world.”

Displaying true priestly patience, Lillibridge “chases a golf ball around God’s creation for fun and relaxation.”

During his 61-year career, “Coach Mac” McDonald has coached more Texas State men’s basketball games than anyone else in the school’s his-tory. His record includes 226 wins, the 1960 NAIA national championship and the 1971 Lone Star Coach of the Year award, but to him, the more im-portant stat is the graduation

rate of his players.Never the most gifted athlete on the team, accord-

ing to him, Vernon McDonald is a testament to hard work and determination. It was his willingness to out-work everyone on the floor that brought McDonald to San Marcos in 1949. By his senior year he’d more than proved himself, going 30-1 as a starting guard on the team that came within one win of taking the small col-lege national championship. McDonald wasn’t even sure he’d get to play that final season after marrying his college sweetheart, Dolores, during his junior year.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in physical edu-

cation in 1952, McDonald went from player to coach as he joined both the basketball and football staffs as an assistant. The Dale, Texas, native received his mas-ter’s in education in 1954 and became head basket-ball coach in 1961.

As if teaching basketball were not enough, McDon-ald began his second academic career in 1977, when he retired from coaching and became an assistant physical education professor.

“This university made me who I am today,” he says, “something I can never repay. Being a part of its suc-cess is a wonderful feeling. I’m proud to be a Bobcat and look forward to seeing what the university will bring in the years to come.”

McDonald retired in 1988, but that’s not the end of the McDonald coaching legacy. His two sons, Lynn and Donny, are both successful high school basket-ball coaches.

Today, Coach Mac oversees the Vernon McDon-ald Endowment Fund, which provides financial as-sistance for basketball student-athletes to attend summer school.

VERNON MCdONALd ’52, ’54

dAyMON MUEHL ‘61

tion teams. Muehl and his wife, Pat, who now live in Wimberley, are also die-hard Bobcat fans, regularly at-tending the university’s sporting events.

The McCoy College of Business Administration pre-sented Muehl with the Beta Gamma Sigma Chapter Honoree Award in 2007 for exemplifying strong busi-ness ideals. The Muehls serve on the Academic Excel-lence Pillar of Texas State’s Pride in Action campaign.

“It’s great to be able to give back to the universi-

ty after everything it has given me over the years,” Muehl says. “When I’ve walked through the halls of the LBJ Student Center and seen the pictures of the distinguished alumni, I have always been proud to be a member of the same university that gave them their success. I am astonished I will be right there alongside them. This is very special to me, some-thing I will never forget.”

Alumni directory coming soon.

Call 877.447.1539 to update your information today.

The Texas State Alumni Association needs YOU! During the next couple of months, Publishing Concepts Inc. (PCI) will be contacting Texas State alumni and friends like you via mail, phone and e-mail to request that you update your information. We understand that you might not want to provide your information to just anyone, so we want you to know their request for your information is legitimate.

For more information about the project and PCI, call 877.447.1539 or visit TxStateAlumni.org/alumnidirectory


Campus Master Plan accommodates Texas State’s growtht’s hard to find a way Texas State University hasn’t

changed in the 112 years since its founding. The

original 11 acres have expanded into 457 on the San

Marcos main campus, 101 acres in Round Rock and 5,038

acres in recreational, instructional, farm and ranch land.

Physical changes have been driven by growth in en-

rollment and study areas. The student body has swelled

more than 100-fold — from the 303 who first attended

Southwest Texas State Normal School in 1903 to the

32,572 who enrolled in Texas State University in fall 2010.

Today’s students can choose from 97 undergraduate, 89

master’s and nine doctoral degree programs available

from nine different colleges at an institution that began

life offering a one-year teaching certificate.

To accommodate recent growth and plan for the fu-

ture, the university adopted the Campus Master Plan for

2006-15 and is now updating the plan for the remaining

years. Projects in the 10-year plan include an Undergrad-

I

STUdENT RECREATiON CENTERThe Student Recreation Center expanded to include an aquatic facility with a six-lane lap pool and leisure pool, an expanded cardio area, new basketball and volleyball courts, an indoor soccer field, a climbing wall, computer lab, snack bar and lounge area and a golf simulator. This state-of-the-art facility provides students with access to equipment and recreation activities that add to the overall campus experience.

2008

2009–2012BOBCAT STAdiUMBobcat Stadium has undergone impressive improvements during the past few years with more on the horizon. The multiphase project includes the Jerry D. and Linda Gregg Fields West Side Complex, which was completed in 2009 and now provides 15 private suites and 450 club seats in a multi-level structure above the press box. In the works are two additional projects that will relocate the existing track to another stadium, projected to be complete this summer, and a North Side Complex, slated for completion in 2012, that will provide approximately 13,500 additional seats, concession space, restrooms, locker rooms, hospitality space, a Strutters gallery and a fan shop.

Honor the Past, Claim the Futureuate Academic Center, a Performing Arts Center and

new residence halls, along with dozens of landscape,

infrastructure and campus identity improvements. And

as it moves into the Football Bowl Subdivision, Texas

State’s signature athletics facility, Bobcat Stadium, is be-

ing renovated and expanded.

While the university continues to move forward, it

looks back with a commitment to sustainability embod-

ied by the gray-to-green initiative detailed in the master

plan. As part of this initiative, impervious surface park-

ing space will be reduced by the addition of parking

garages, and asphalt will be replaced by green space or

buildings — all while increasing parking availability.

In the words of university President Denise Trauth, “We

are what we have been and what we will become be-

cause of our roots in this place, on this hill and with this

city. We pay tribute to all who have loved this place and

still love it, as we honor the past and claim the future.”

PERFORMiNg ARTS CENTERSlated for completion in 2013, the Performing Arts Center will take Texas State’s music, dance and theatre programs to a new level. The center will include a 300-seat recital hall and 400-seat theatre totaling 57,800 gross square feet. The center will be located at one of the main entrances of campus in the space that Falls Hall currently occupies.

NORTH CAMPUS HOUSiNg COMPLExThis 612-bed housing unit taking shape at the corner of Sessom and Comanche will be ready for students by fall 2012.

2010 2012

20132012

NURSiNg BUiLdiNgAugust 2010 marked the opening of the St. David’s School of Nursing on Texas State’s Round Rock campus. Ninety-eight students were greeted by high-tech simulation labs, lifelike manikins and an opportunity to impact and improve the country’s nursing shortage. The facility is designed to meet the needs of the students with a variety of study areas, calming colors and unique artwork.

UNdERgRAdUATE ACAdEMiC CENTERWith a projected completion date of April 2012, the 130,000-square-foot Undergraduate Academic Center will house the Personalized Academic and Career Exploration (PACE) Center that will provide one-stop support and advising for freshmen, four academic departments and the University College.

S th El tiUNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC CENTER Brick Veneer Study03.26.10

South Elevation

ACADEMIC CENTER Brick Veneer Study

GATED ENTRANCESESSOM DRIVEPERSPECTIVE

12


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