If branded as a “polytechnic university,” Texas A&M University-San Antonio will model itself as a campus that incorporates interdisciplinary sciences, engineering, industry partnerships, and project based learning.
The term “polytechnic” was a topic of discussion on the April 20 Strategic Planning Meeting held in the Vista Room in the Central Academic Building.
Seated at round tables throughout the room, faculty and staff exchanged opinions on the initial drafts that included the university’s mission, core values and vision.
Strategic Planning Committee member Leonard G. Love, associate professor of strategic management, elaborated on the importance of a vision for A&M-San Antonio.
“One of the things a vision should do, is it should be something that inspires the members of the university as well as those outside of the university,” he said. “It tells who we are and what we’re doing, and it should be something that guides the activities of the university.”
A segment of A&M-San Antonio’s drafted vision reads, “A&M-San Antonio will become an urban polytechnic university that embraces all students, especially those from the historically underrepresented communities we serve.”
The university’s drafts come after a six week period of researching feedback from the community town hall meeting held on March 3. The meeting took into consideration responses from faculty, staff, students, local school districts, and leadership within the Alamo Colleges.
Though the committee has not officially agreed on the name “polytechnic,” James Nelson, Director of Texas A&M University System Academic Engineering Activities, said this model would “fit beautifully” into future engineering plans for A&M-San Antonio.
Nelson gave the descriptions of the potential pathways for an engineering degree at Texas A&M-San Antonio, which gives students the option to begin as early as high school by following a developed curriculum or through the Alamo Colleges. As a third pathway, A&M-San Antonio would honor transfer degrees from the A&M Engineering Academy in College Station.
Holly Verhasselt, committee member and assistant vice president for Academic Affairs, also spoke on the anticipated measures of success with the polytech-model.
“The idea of industry partnerships, programs in interdisciplinary sciences, management, education, touch on the programs we have here,” Verhasselt said. “It opens up doors for opportunities for multidisciplinary experiential learning and civic engagement.”
Towards the end of the meeting, President Matson urged committee members to consider the idea of A&M-San Antonio as a Hispanic serving campus for future discussion, and pressed the question of whether it is a part of the university’s responsibility and birthright.
