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Governor Abbott signs measure transferring University of Houston–Victoria into Texas A&M system
Summary
At a Victoria signing ceremony, Governor Greg Abbott said he would sign and declared law a bill transferring the University of Houston–Victoria to the Texas A&M system; lawmakers at the event said they secured $25,000,000 to start degree programs at the newly named Texas A&M University at Victoria.
Governor Greg Abbott on stage in Victoria said he would sign a bill that transfers the University of Houston–Victoria into the Texas A&M University system, calling the move a "game changer" for the city and region. "Texas A and M at Victoria is now law of the great state of Texas," Abbott said at the ceremony.
The signing, attended by state legislators, regents and local leaders, was presented by Abbott as part of an effort to anchor Victoria in a new "economic triangle" between Houston, San Antonio and Corpus Christi. Abbott said the transfer will help provide a "well trained and well educated workforce" needed by area industries over the next decade.
A state senator who spoke at the ceremony described the effort as more than a single legislative session. She said the push to move the campus took roughly a decade of work and research into how many regional students attend college elsewhere. "He wanted to know how many students, from that region we were leaking," she said, describing data from local partners and regents.
The senator also said the legislature and partners secured $25,000,000 to begin offering degrees on the campus. "In the end, we were able to secure $25,000,000 for this campus so that we can start up all of those degrees that will meet the needs of that region," she said.
Representative Lauderback praised the transfer as a boon for the Texas Gulf Coast, saying the change will raise standards for local students and boost the region's economy. University and regent officials were thanked repeatedly during the ceremony for their work in negotiating the transfer.
Abbott said the newly named campus will be the 12th university in the Texas A&M system and congratulated the city of Victoria and Victoria County on the development. The event concluded with media questions and brief follow-up comments from the governor.
Next steps mentioned at the event were the formal signing and implementation of the law; speakers emphasized collaboration between legislators, the Board of Regents and university leadership on program start-up and campus planning.
