The Texas A&M Health Science Center was formally added to Texas A&M University on Monday in connection to a move that was authorized in August by the University System Board of Regents.
The move followed a multi-step process of approvals with the complete execution of the transition expected to be completed in the next year.
“Today marks the culmination of nearly one year of careful planning and coordination aimed at placing Texas A&M in a unique collaborative and competitive position that realizes the extensive academic and scientific opportunities made possible through the merging of two leaders in biomedical education and discoveries,” said University President R. Bowen Loftin in a statement. “Together as one, we are now poised to offer a new model for education and research in the health sciences for the state of Texas.”
Senior economics major, Marsh Miller, is a student worker in the Office of Research and Graduate Studies in the Health Science Center. He said from his experiences students in the Health Science Center will enjoy gaining more access to luxuries and rewards available to other A&M students.
“The main difference for students regarding the merger with the Health Science Center is students will now be able to order Aggie Rings, sports passes and participate in Texas A&M organizations,” Miller said. “I believe it is great for the students and adds a lot of high-income alumni for the University.”
The Board of Regents approved the establishment of the center in September of 1997 and began operation in September of 1999.
Loftin looked back on the early days of the Health Science Center in 1999 to compare how far the two programs have come to this merger.
“Our institutions have enjoyed a strong working relationship since the Health Science Center’s inception in 1999, with numerous joint projects and several of its programs housed on main campus,” Loftin said. “So while we officially welcome our new faculty, staff and students to the Aggie family [Monday], this transition actually represents a strengthening of the already robust academic experience and research environment.”
The Health Science Center now has campuses in Dallas, Temple, Houston, Round Rock, Kingsville, Corpus Christi and McAllen.
“Over the coming months we’ll be working to appropriately integrate systems and processes across a number of departments, while maintaining the Health Science Center’s distinct organizational identity as a health-related institution of the state,” said E.J. Pederson, interim executive vice president and chief executive officer for Texas A&M Health Science Center, in a statement. “Bringing the health science center under the University umbrella creates prospects for interdisciplinary programs in health and life sciences, as well as allowing extended research collaborations across the expansive Texas A&M network of scientists.”
The six colleges within the Health Science Center include the Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry, the College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the School of Graduate Studies, the Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy and the School of Rural Public Health. Other units include the Institute of Biosciences and Technology and the Coastal Bend Health Education Center.