Spring Break
NT Dallas campus may receive new building
Jasma Johnson
Issue date: 10/30/07 Section: NEWS
As the NT Dallas campus grows, administrators are considering adding a new building.
The current NT Dallas building sits on 264 acres near Interstate 20 and Houston School Road. A $25.5 million state bond made the construction of the building possible.
"The growth, which exceeds our projections, has nonetheless put an enormous amount of pressure on our facilities and office space," said Greg Tomlin, director of marketing and news information for NT Dallas. "We are at a crossroads in looking for an alternative space solution that keeps the campus centered."
When the fall enrollment reaches the equivalent of 1,000 full-time students, the campus will receive state appropriations, which will then provide funding for new infrastructure, according to a Sept. 12 NT Dallas press release. Once that number is met, plans for a new building will go into effect.
The fall full-time equivalency numbers reached 815.4, which is a 32.2 percent increase over the fall 2006 equivalency of 616.7, according to the press release.
"In a sense, we are building the plane while we're flying it, adding new faculty and programs," Tomlin said.
The steady growth of students is forcing NT Dallas' faculty and Vice Provost John Price to find alternative classrooms and office space. The campus will have to start offering some of its courses to local community colleges, according to the press release.
"The colleges that we talk to would probably be Cedar Valley and Mountain View," Tomlin said.
One of the outcomes leading to the growth of the campus was the increase in the campus' graduate degree programs, according to the press release.
"A new building is absolutely necessary because we are offering new classes and have more prospective students interested in taking classes at the Dallas campus," said Gloria Bahamon, director of student services for the campus. "Overall, we are growing fast; without a second building we are extremely limited in space every semester as we grow."
But even with the need for a second building, school officials are looking on the bright side.
"This is a nice problem to have, brought on by success," Tomlin said. "The faculty and staff have done their jobs so well that our student population grew faster than anticipated or projected."
The current NT Dallas building sits on 264 acres near Interstate 20 and Houston School Road. A $25.5 million state bond made the construction of the building possible.
"The growth, which exceeds our projections, has nonetheless put an enormous amount of pressure on our facilities and office space," said Greg Tomlin, director of marketing and news information for NT Dallas. "We are at a crossroads in looking for an alternative space solution that keeps the campus centered."
When the fall enrollment reaches the equivalent of 1,000 full-time students, the campus will receive state appropriations, which will then provide funding for new infrastructure, according to a Sept. 12 NT Dallas press release. Once that number is met, plans for a new building will go into effect.
The fall full-time equivalency numbers reached 815.4, which is a 32.2 percent increase over the fall 2006 equivalency of 616.7, according to the press release.
"In a sense, we are building the plane while we're flying it, adding new faculty and programs," Tomlin said.
The steady growth of students is forcing NT Dallas' faculty and Vice Provost John Price to find alternative classrooms and office space. The campus will have to start offering some of its courses to local community colleges, according to the press release.
"The colleges that we talk to would probably be Cedar Valley and Mountain View," Tomlin said.
One of the outcomes leading to the growth of the campus was the increase in the campus' graduate degree programs, according to the press release.
"A new building is absolutely necessary because we are offering new classes and have more prospective students interested in taking classes at the Dallas campus," said Gloria Bahamon, director of student services for the campus. "Overall, we are growing fast; without a second building we are extremely limited in space every semester as we grow."
But even with the need for a second building, school officials are looking on the bright side.
"This is a nice problem to have, brought on by success," Tomlin said. "The faculty and staff have done their jobs so well that our student population grew faster than anticipated or projected."
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