University makes plans for future growth

The administration of A&M-Commerce has implemented a plan to increase enrollment by 1,000 students annually during the next three years.  A complete realization of this plan would raise the university's enrollment to 13,000 students for the 2013-2014 academic year.

With such a sustained growth rate, questions regarding the quality of aspects of student life such as on-campus housing, security and faculty may surface in potential students' minds.

According to Interim Director of Residential Living and Learning Dennis Koch, plans to increase on-campus housing began when President Dan Jones took the reins at A&M-Commerce in 2008.

"Dr. Jones wants to see the university increase in campus housing to give a more residential look to the university," Koch said. "Thankfully, we started this process awhile back as the new buildings will be in line with the growing student population."

As reported in the Sept. 2 edition of The East Texan, construction of a new three-story residence hall began during the summer. The yet un-named 258-bed hall is expected to house incoming freshmen and is slated for completion by the beginning of the Fall 2011 semester.

Additional plans to increase on-campus housing are in the making.

"We are having ongoing meetings to create a plan to be able to accommodate all those that want to live on campus," Koch said. 

University Police Department Crime Information Officer Lt. Jason Bone said UPD has already begun taking measures to meet the desired enrollment increase.

"We have already been putting in some systems that have a growth capability, such as surveillance cameras, mass notification and other technology items," Bone sad. "Everyone has been as forward thinking as possible."

Faculty Senate President LaVelle Hendricks said it will be necessary to hire new faculty and increase the number of class sections in order to accommodate consistent growth.

"The fact that we have the second largest increase in enrollment of all Texas colleges and universities is admirable," Hendricks said, "but at the same time, I think it's incumbent upon the administration to continue to work with the faculty to ensure that we have people in positions to teach these individuals.'

Hendricks is working hand in hand with university administrators.

 "I will be actively engaging with both the president, the provost and the faculty senate so that we can sit around the table to discuss what is the overall plan to make sure we have adequate faculty in place to deal with the numerical growth that we can expect over the years," he said. 

Hendricks said one aspect of the campus he has heard students comment negatively upon.

"The president has made it clear that we have space on campus for parking," he said. "Unfortunately, it's not adjacent to the buildings where students have their classes."

Nevertheless, Hendricks said A&M-Commerce is enjoying exciting times and pointed toward plans such as an expansion of  the Cafeteria in the Sam Rayburn Student Center as wise goals.

"I applaud the administration for looking down the road," he said. "There's a fun flavor in the air."

Koch thinks that A&M-Commerce can fill a need for specific educational demands with its enrollment plan.

"I do believe that this is a goal that we should be working on as there is a need right now in several areas, for example, Veterans and those needing additional training for employment, for more education, and we can accommodate that in an affordable manor for our community," he said. 

Koch said he is optimistic about the potentially widespread impact the plan aspires to.

"Education is the key to making our community, our state and our nation a better place," he said. "I am excited to be part of the solution in which we are providing the educational opportunity for all."