Blinn College Strengthens Educational Options
Published Jan 24, 2008
About 10,000 students are enrolled at Blinn College in Bryan. That campus and Brenham’s offer free wireless Internet access.
Blinn College funnels more students to four-year universities than any other Texas junior college, and plans call for expanding specialized programs such as technology and workforce education.
Blinn continues to fulfill its state-mandated role of providing the basics for higher education from its four campuses, says Margie Kovar, public information director. “That’s what Blinn has built its reputation on,” she says. “We have the largest transfer rate in the state, and we’re very proud of that.”
Two of the campuses are in The Research Valley. The home campus is in Brenham, and the largest campus is in Bryan, where nearly 10,000 of the college’s 14,000 students are enrolled.
Blinn’s technology education was expanded in recent years in response to market needs, particularly in the area of health, where vocational and registered nurses, radiological assistants, physical therapist assistants and dental hygienists are in high demand.
President Donald E. Voelter says Blinn is now challenged to expand its role in workforce training. “We’re really trying, but that’s expensive and it’s hard to do,” he says. “We do get tuition and fees, but the startup costs are tremendous for these programs.”
New facilities are being built or planned to keep pace with the college’s growing list of programs. Some projects in the long-range planning phase – and expected to be implemented over the next decade – include student housing, a new classroom building and an agriculture building in Brenham. A band hall is a strong possibility in Brenham, and recreation centers might be added to both the Brenham and Bryan campuses.
“The Bryan campus is in pretty good shape, because all those buildings are new, but we always have to look at what the students want and try to accommodate them,” Voelter says.
The “wow factor” recently rose at both these campuses when free wireless Internet access became available.
Story by Kelli Levey
Photo by Stephen Cherry
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