By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez
As originally published by Texas Border Business newsprint edition September 2017
Yes, Texas A&M in full swing, they have initiated classes as of August 28, this according to Rick Margo, the interim director of the local program.
While the Texas A&M University Higher Education Center is under construction on a 100-acre tract of land in the new master-planned community Tres Lagos in northern McAllen, Rick Margo said that Texas A&M University is renting office space at the Technology Campus of South Texas College.
Currently, they are teaching interdisciplinary engineering in the process of establishing a stand-alone four-year University in McAllen, Texas.
He said that South Texas College has been very accommodating until their new building is ready for occupation in the summer of 2018.
They rented classrooms and workspace for faculty. Margo said that 38 enrolled freshmen from Brownsville to Roma are studying their interdisciplinary engineering majors.
“This is face to face with five full-time faculty members that were hired to spark the program.” He continued, no video or online classes, this is face to face instruction.”
The students are enrolled in Engineering, chemistry, and math. Also, they are taking history, film class and English.
Margo said that in summary, the enrollees went through the same experience as if they were in College Station in engineering. However, they’re in McAllen studying and preparing for a great future.
Are they considered Aggies? “Yes, they’re Aggies, they have the same course work, they’re all admitted Aggies.”
By attending Texas A&M McAllen branch, the new students are saving money because they don’t have to travel outside the Valley. They’re commuting in and out locally, and some of them are renting apartments.”
Margo said, “Texas A&M vision is to educate in the state, the region of Texas and the out of state students.” He continued, “Our mission as a state institution, is obligated to reach out to different areas of the state.”
Margo is a seasoned executive with Texas A&M wearing two hats. Aside from being interim for the current program, he is also the director of the prospective student center to the office of admissions at Texas A&M. “We’ve been on 23rd Street and Dove in McAllen for about 15 years.” He said, “My job there is to recruit Aggies, students from the Valley to go to College Station.”
The vision of the Texas A&M is to continue the recruiting of new aggies and give local students the choice to stay in McAllen and get the same Texas A&M University education.
Also, Margo said, “The purpose is to educate these students and then hopefully they’ll stay here and contribute to the economy of the Valley.”
The Texas A&M McAllen branch started strong with 38 new aggies, but will that number increase? “That’s the plan,” Margo said. “Because next year there will be two more majors that have been approved.” He continued, “We’re going to start offering a four-year degree in public health next fall in 2018, and a degree in food systems industry and management to the college of agriculture and life sciences.”
Texas A&M University is one of the same with UT Austin, and both are the leading flagship state institutions in the state. According to Margo, with federal designation tier one status, which means the Federal Government ranks colleges and universities and gives them different tiers. We happened to be tier one along with our friends in Austin, which means they based it on faculty staff, research money, enrollment, opportunities after graduating.”
It is important to note that the reputation of Texas A&M is around the world. “Reputation for research, the funding coming in for research, the faculty, the students’ opportunities when they graduate, but not only that, also the opportunities students have while at Texas A&M,” Margo finished.
