Texas State To Expand Round Rock Campus Programs, Services

ROUND ROCK, TX — Texas State University is expanding services and academic programs on the Round Rock campus, school officials announced.

The aim is to bolster the university's mission to serve as a hub of health professions research and education and meet the workforce needs of Texas, officials wrote on their website. The news comes after a Sept. 4 welcome event on the Round Rock campus for faculty, staff and students that included a reception; activities hosted by student organizations and university departments; a meet and greet with Bobcat cheerleaders and Texas State mascot Boko; and an address by Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Gene Bourgeois.

During his address, Bourgeois began his address thanking students, faculty, and staff for their hard work and dedication on the growing Round Rock campus, before providing various university updates and announcements. The provost outlined the breadth of the expansion plans.

"We are speeding up a transition to move the dean’s office; the Department of Health Information Management; and the Radiation Therapy program to Round Rock," Bourgeois said. "To accommodate this move and the additional 150 students it will bring to this campus, we are exploring renovations here in the Avery Building and small renovations in the Nursing Building. The goal is to move these three units to Round Rock by fall of 2021.”

Enhancing Services and Amenities

Bourgeois recapped recent facilities upgrades, including renovations in the Avery Building for IT and the Student Affairs Division, upgrades to the Testing Center, and new food service options. He went on to share upcoming construction, programs and services:

• This semester, the university began offering recreational services in Round Rock. When the new multipurpose recreation field next to Willow Hall opens later this fall, the school is now poised to offer intramural sports leagues and activities.
• Construction began this month on a new full-service Recreation Center in this building (Avery), scheduled to open in spring 2020, including group exercise classes and personal training.
• More construction planned in 2021 will center on a new Campus Services Building to house the University Police Department; Distance Learning; IT; Facilities; and other offices.
• The university also is adding a new admissions counselor and financial aid adviser.
• Bobcat Days are slated for a re-design, and weekly campus tours will be added with the hiring of student tour guides this fall.
• The Common Experience will plan at least one event here each semester, and will work to live stream more events throughout the year.
• This fall, the University College Hispanic Serving Institutions program will host financial literacy workshops.
• The Graduate College is hiring a second research coordinator to expand its funding services to graduate students. In addition, the Graduate College is bringing its International Research Conference for Graduate Students to Round Rock on Nov. 7.
• The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs will deliver workshops to Round Rock faculty on human subjects research and how to seek research funding.

Community Impact

Bourgeois shared testimonials about how the health professions programs and clinics on the campus are “changing the lives of patients in need of critical health care” while giving students “one-of-a-kind, hands-on learning opportunities" designed to prepare them for careers.

“A recently widowed patient who participated in the Restoration of Speech and Voice in Parkinsons program was able to improve her voice enough to talk and make friends in her new senior living facility for the first time,” Bourgeois noted.

The Texas State Sleep Center has served more than 300 patients with diagnostics and treatment of sleep disorders since moving to the Round Rock Campus, the provost noted. The physical therapy clinic had in excess of 1,300 visits in its first year.

Research with Relevance

The provost told those gathered the research conducted at the campus has the potential to help address some of the greatest challenges in education and healthcare. To that end, Bourgeois ticked off the universities resource:

• This campus is a home base for a NASA STEM Engagement and Educator Professional Development Collaborative, led by faculty in the College of Education who work to inspire young students to study and ultimately pursue careers in STEM fields, with an emphasis on encouraging students from traditionally under-represented groups.
• In the Department of Respiratory Care, research explores how clinicians can improve treatment of patients with acute lung injury.
• The Department of Communication Disorders is exploring new speech therapy methods that help bilingual children.
• The Department of Physical Therapy is researching cultural elements that contribute to health.
• To help address the epidemic of type two diabetes among children, the university's St. David’s School of Nursing developed a tool to evaluate the effectiveness of a statewide diabetes screening program, and distributed it to over six thousand Texas school nurses.

Strategic Planning

Two of the university’s academic programs launching this fall will offer classes on the Round Rock Campus: are a bachelor's in health sciences and the master's in data analytics and information systems, the provost noted.

“Strategic planning for the Round Rock Campus will be an important part of updating the University Plan," Bourgeois said. "We are working to innovate in the delivery of our academic programming, to meet the needs of our students. The deans are investigating the possibility of delivering more of Round Rock’s degree programs in a hybrid form — combining in-class and online instruction.”

Leadership Structure

"We updated the leadership structure of the Round Rock Campus, following the retirement of Dr. Edna Rehbein in July," the provost told the gathering. "Dr. Rehbein was a great asset to this university and this campus, and I applaud her many years of service to Texas State. She played a vital role in the evolution of this campus. I am pleased that Dr. Mary Ellen Cavitt agreed to serve as the interim Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs for the Round Rock Campus.”

Dr. Mary Ellen Cavitt now leads a new Executive Leadership Team, which includes representatives from each of the university’s divisions: Eli Soto from Information Technology; LaTonya Henry from Student Affairs; Yvonne Rhodes from University Advancement; and Joel Soto from Finance and Support Services. They will work together to address issues, coordinate activities and share information across divisions to enhance Round Rock operations.

Open Forums

President Trauth and the President’s Cabinet will be on the Round Rock campus at least once a month to meet with faculty, staff, and students, Bourgeois said. In addition, the vice presidents will each host an Open Forum to provide information from their respective divisions and take questions. The sessions to be live-streamed and archived will feature.

• Bourgeois, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, September 12, 2019, Nursing Building 114.
• Ken Pierce, Vice President for Information Technology, September 19, 2019, Willow Hall 125.
• Eric Algoe, Vice President for Finance and Support Services, October 2, 2019, Avery Building 252
• Dr. Barbara Breier, Vice President for University Advancement, October 9, 2019, Nursing Building 114
• Dr. Joanne Smith, Vice President for Student Affairs, October 14, 2019, Willow Hall 125

President Voices Support

Texas State President Denise Trauth wrote about the lure of the university's health care offerings and its appeal among working adults in an Aug. 12 university-wide email:

"As I have said on many occasions, I believe that the Round Rock Campus is a focal point for many of our academic programs that appeal to working adults as well as our programs in the health professions,” Trauth wrote. “The President’s Cabinet and I are committed to supporting all students, faculty, and staff on the Round Rock Campus, as they are an extremely important part of Texas State.”

In her annual convocation address to faculty and staff on Aug. 20, Trauth spoke about the university's role in the community: “Our students, faculty, and staff on the Round Rock Campus are an integral part of the Bobcat community. As we update the University Plan, strategic planning for the Round Rock Campus will be an important part of the process."