Prairie View, TSU getting big increase in funds from state.


PV-PRIDE

Well-Known Member
Prairie View, TSU getting big increase in funds
from state

By RON NISSIMOV
Copyright 2001 Houston Chronicle

A promise by Texas to spend more money on the state's two historically black
public colleges has significantly increased the level of funding the two schools will
receive during the next two years.

The Legislature approved spending $114 million on Texas Southern University for
2002 and 2003. That's $27 million, or 31 percent, more than the school in central
Houston received in the previous biennium.

The Legislature also allocated $106 million for Prairie View A&M University for
2002 and 2003, which would be $32 million, or 43 percent, more than it received
for 2000 and 2001.

Most of the increased spending comes from $25 million each university will
receive in the next biennium as part of an agreement to address federal concerns
over discrimination in the state's higher education system.

The federal government believes that Southern states have historically
underfunded predominantly black public universities.

The schools also receive funding from other sources, including tuition, grants and
private contributions.

Prairie View, in Waller County, also receives money from the Texas A&M
System.

The Legislature also authorized TSU to issue $79 million in bonds for construction
projects over the next biennium, and $68 million for Prairie View. The bonds are
guaranteed by revenues from student tuition, but they will be paid by the state over
a 20-year period.

The presidents of both universities said the funding will strengthen the schools by
enabling them to build new facilities and create new academic programs.

"The funding will assist in the transformation of the entire landscape of the
university, both physically and academically," said TSU President Priscilla Slade.

She said, with the increased funding, TSU will build a new science building and
child-care center, and add a wing at its law school. In addition, the money will help
attract top-notch researchers, renovate the Leland Jordan School for Public
Affairs, improve its teacher education program and allow the school to offer
graduate degrees in urban planning and environmental policy, she said.

Charles Hines, president of Prairie View, said the funds will allow the campus to
construct a $26 million architecture and arts building, a $15 million juvenile justice
building, a $12 million electrical engineering facility, and $15 million on general
renovations.

"We're very happy Prairie View is beginning to receive increased funding so we
can do a better job and assist Texas in its mission to educate its people," Hines
said.

Prairie View also will receive significant funding in the next biennium from the
Texas A&M System. The system authorized a $36 million general obligation bond
for a $30 million nursing school in downtown Houston and a $6 million student
center at the Prairie View main campus.

Last year, then-Gov. George W. Bush signed an agreement with the U.S.
Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights pledging that Texas would
spend $385 million more on the schools over 20 years. If the Legislature funds the
expenditures, the federal government has agreed to end federal monitoring in 2010
of desegregation in the state's higher education system, which began in 1981.

Slade and Hines both praised State Sen. Rodney Ellis and State Rep. Garnet
Coleman, both African-American Democrats who represent the TSU area, for
pushing for increased funding.

Coleman said the federal agreement called for the Legislature to spend an extra
$23 million on each school in the upcoming biennium, but the Legislature approved
$25 million for each. He said the Legislature approved the additional $2 million to
make sure the Office for Civil Rights money would not be used as a justification to
decrease other state funding. Finally, Coleman said, a rider was attached to the bill
saying that it is the Legislature's intent to continue such extra funding for many
years.

"Not only did we say spend more money this session than we were required under
the OCR agreement, but we're saying to future legislatures, `Continue this funding
in perpetuity,' " he said.

Ellis, who was chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, pointed out that in
February 2000 he marched with the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Coleman and other
officials from TSU to the nearby University of Houston to underscore how the
state has historically spent more money on predominantly white universities.

"I'm just proud to have been able to play a role in helping TSU and Prairie View
get their rightful place in Texas higher education," he said.
 
Let's hope that the financial mess that Texas is in now will not hurt the funding. Texas went from a large surplus two years ago to an upcoming if not actual shortfall.

BTW I am not hatin' on the EEs (electrical engineers). But why are they getting $12 million dollars for contruction? What about the others?
 
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Awwwwwww EB...

Of course you know that EEs are the ONLY major on PV's campus. It's the prezys (all of'em) cash cow of sorts. It's the ONLY thing that truly matters. :rolleyes:

They certainly do get a lot of unnecessary funding. I remember vividly helping place a 300K$ grant from AT&T into the <b>COMPUTER SCIENCE and MATHEMATICS depts</b> @ PV during the mid 90s and somehow, the EEers stuck their paws into it and spent the lions share. (SOBs)

A 12 mill $$ upgrade to what friggin' EE area? "L", they're probably already overfunded. Maybe Hines needs to overinflate some of those EE profs salaries or something...:rolleyes:
 
Charles Hines, president of Prairie View, said the funds will allow the campus to construct a $26 million architecture and arts building, a $15 million juvenile justice building, a $12 million electrical engineering facility, and $15 million on general
renovations.

Prairie View also will receive significant funding in the next biennium from the Texas A&M System. The system authorized a $36 million general obligation bond for a $30 million nursing school in downtown Houston and a $6 million student
center at the Prairie View main campus.
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sounds great, but again folks get left out in the dark....communication students had to picket just to get its problems out...I guess they get the general renovations as a result :rolleyes:

Architecture? Damn....they could upgrade or add on to their existing building....conserve space

EE?.............that new looking building their in isn't good enough? 12 million dollars..damn

Juvenile Justice? Don't have that many students for a 15 million dollar building. Once the student center opens they could save a few bucks and renovate old Harrington Science for them.

nursing.....I never toured the old building, but I'll agree with this for now..but $30 million bucks for a building?

student center...it was supposed to open by December....I graduated and it was just being demolished...


BUT AGAIN..................................................where does athletic facility upgrades come in? I know scholarships can't come from this state money....the state will watch this like a hawk
 
Question is, will Hines have a "Town Meeting" to discuss this with students. I wasn't suprised to see Architecture getting its share. But what about the other majors that are in need of help? Why strengthen what is already strong and leave the rest of the school by the wayside. The CS department needs professors but I bet not a cent of that money will go to it.
 
Re: Awwwwwww EB...

Originally posted by Panthro
Of course you know that EEs are the ONLY major on PV's campus. It's the prezys (all of'em) cash cow of sorts. It's the ONLY thing that truly matters. :rolleyes:

They certainly do get a lot of unnecessary funding. I remember vividly helping place a 300K$ grant from AT&T into the <b>COMPUTER SCIENCE and MATHEMATICS depts</b> @ PV during the mid 90s and somehow, the EEers stuck their paws into it and spent the lions share. (SOBs)

A 12 mill $$ upgrade to what friggin' EE area? "L", they're probably already overfunded. Maybe Hines needs to overinflate some of those EE profs salaries or something...:rolleyes:

First I think that they got some money from TI. Also, I am not armed with statistics nor am I hating on the EEs. (I really don't. :cool:) But other engineering majors have brought in some huge research dollars. I know some of the profs inside ME that have done so. But I still wonder about the $12 million dollar upgrade. I remember reading about the communication students.

I am going to carefully re-read the info on the funding for PV and the statements by the feds. But correct me if I am wrong. A huge portion of that money is going into building a lot of new buildings. Now, I realize that most if not all HBCUs need new facilities. But there are the issues of faculty salaries and keeping non-White high school students in Texas. If I read it correctly last year, the salaries when comparing or contrasting PV to A&M show a huge gap. Also, some of that money could be used to keep Black students and other students of color in Texas. So I am wondering what will be done about those issues.

I could be wrong but am wondering.

There are other issues that I am wondering about but will discuss it in the private forum.
 
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