KOLKHORST’S BILL TO TRANSFER UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON – VICTORIA TO TEXAS A&M SYSTEM PASSES SENATE
Legislation from State Senator Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) to authorize the transfer of the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV) campus to the Texas A&M University System has unanimously passed the Senate.
Senate Bill 2361 intends to transfer the powers, responsibilities and oversight of UHV to the Texas A&M system and rename the campus to Texas A&M University-Victoria. With the change, Texas A&M would add a 12th university to its system.
Kolkhorst said in a release that the move would allow Victoria and the Crossroads region to better align degrees with industry in the area, including engineering, agriculture and other industrial degrees, while also advancing traditional degrees like business and teaching.
Kolkhorst said, “This is an opportunity not only for the Crossroads region but also for Texas. With the agricultural and petrochemical sectors experiencing rapid growth, an educated workforce is essential to support these industries. Texas A&M is a global leader in agriculture, engineering, and STEM fields, making it the perfect choice for workforce development.”
The transfer has received letters of support from local government officials and business leaders, as well as Governor Greg Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and the Texas A&M Regents. Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp thanked Kolkhorst for her work in facilitating the transfer, saying, “The Texas A&M University System will turn Texas A&M-Victoria into one of the premier campuses in Texas.”
The bill now moves to the Texas House, where State Representative AJ Louderback (R-Victoria) is sponsoring the companion bill. If signed by the governor, the transfer will become effective September 1st.
Interestingly, this article doesn’t say how UH feels about this. I’m assuming they are for it, but it would be nice to get some clarification.