LU Convocation - quotes from Dr. Evens

[coachacola]

Lamar has prepared and submitted its 2016-2017 legislative appropriations request, Evans said, adding that once again the school will seek funding for a new science and technology building.

 

“It’s a bit pricier than the last time we proposed it,” he said. “But, two years have passed, some things have changed, our university is larger and, quite frankly, we simply need the space. We came close in the last session and hope that this session will deliver the much-needed facility.”

 

“Enrollment ties directly to revenue. As of this morning, we have registered 14,600 students — 153,000 credit hours. These figures represent a four percent increase in student headcount, and a 14 percent increase in credit hours over last fall.”

 

Evans said that Lamar has targeted the southern part of Houston for an intense recruiting initiative.

 

“We are going to continue to maintain our traditional recruiting efforts in the markets that we currently focus on,” he said. “We suspect to see significant enrollment gains yet again next fall. We’ve already seen some signs of the efforts that we’ve been putting in the south part of Houston with the composition of this fall’s entering class.”

 

This coming year will also see construction continue around campus, Evans said.

 

“I’ve been telling you that they are going to start construction of the administration/ honors college building relatively soon,” he said. “Here I am telling you that they are going to start relatively soon. They did demolish the Brook-Shivers old dorm complex, and we are in the process of getting primary approval by the regents this upcoming meeting, to break ground and get that project moving along. We are excited about that project.

 

“Across the street will be an entrepreneurship facility. It’s funded out of the land office fund and we are excited about that as well. So, if you take those two buildings, you add a new softball complex that we are going to break ground for near the soccer stadium — that whole corridor coming into Lamar will become a gateway. There will be a gateway-archway that will be on Rolfe Christopher Drive.”

 

There will also be several renovation projects on campus, Evans said.

 

“Most of you have seen the Ty Terryl track is desperately in need of renovations,” he said. “Our track team has not been able to train on it because of the injuries that they had been receiving.

 

“The other facility that is desperately in need of renovations is the Setzer Center. We are in the process of completing the negotiations of the food and beverage contract. In the process of doing that, we are able to secure some resources that will fund the much-needed renovations. It will be renovations — we will not level that building. It will accommodate well-known retail food franchises; some of those will also be located elsewhere on campus outside the Setzer Center, and then we’ll do an entire remodeling of that building. It will become a showcase building, something that we can be proud of.”

 

http://lamaruniversitypress.com/?p=132

[Big T]

I will be graduating in the Spring so I won't be able to see any of these new renovations that are fixing to start. However, I am extremely excited to see the direction the University is going in. Dr. Evens seems to have a vision of what he thinks Lamar needs and is doing everything with in his power to get it accomplished. It's a very exciting time to be a Cardinal!

[geezer]

I don't know how anyone could make it happen, but finding some way to upgrade the neighborhoods and businesses in the University area could make a huge difference to the college experience.

[LU4LIFE]

I don't know how anyone could make it happen, but finding some way to upgrade the neighborhoods and businesses in the University area could make a huge difference to the college experience.

That would make a huge difference but unfortunately that will never happen