FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2005

UH System at Sugar Land
Contact: Eric Gerber
713.743.8189 (office)
713.617.7130 (pager)

SUGAR LAND, May 3, 2005 – On most evenings, classrooms at the University of Houston System at Sugar Land (UHSSL) teaching center are filled to capacity and temporary structures have to be used to accommodate the overflow. When you consider the student population is projected to keep growing by as much as 10 percent a year, it’s clear that something needs to be done.

And something is.

A $4 million gift from the George Foundation will launch the “Building Futures Together” campaign to support construction of a new academic building at the UHSSL site that will be shared by the UH System and Wharton County Junior College (WCJC).

“We firmly believe that providing an opportunity for students to earn college degrees without having to leave Fort Bend County is a great way to invest in the future of this community,” said William A. Little, chairman of the George Foundation’s board of trustees. The George Foundation was established by Albert and Mamie George in 1945 as a private charitable trust for religious, charitable and educational purposes for the use and benefit of the people of Fort Bend County.

“Since the George Foundation was the lead donor for our original UH System at Sugar Land facility – named the Albert and Mamie George Building – it is especially gratifying that the foundation is continuing its support with this remarkable contribution,” said Jay Gogue, president of the University of Houston and chancellor of the UH System.

The George Foundation gift and composition of the 16-member “Building Futures Together” campaign committee will be formally announced at a lunch and media event at 11:30 a.m., Thursday, May 5, at UHSSL.

“By combining the educational resources of these two institutions, this new building will allow students to complete a bachelor’s or master’s degree at a single site,” said Tim Hudson, president of the University of Houston-Victoria, which oversees administration of UHSSL. “Along with the convenience, the efficiency of sharing facilities and basic services will save money, and those savings can be passed along to our students and to the taxpayers.”

UHSSL is a teaching center that offers junior, senior and graduate courses leading to more than 30 bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the four UH System universities. Established in 1996, UHSSL offers multiple methods of instruction including face-to-face, instructional television, online, broadcast TV and videotape purchase.

In spring 2004, UHSSL enrolled 2,408 students, and WCJC had 2,283 at its own Sugar Land campus. Assuming a conservative growth rate of 6 percent, the two institutions’ combined enrollment will reach 8,000 within a decade. To meet that level of expansion, university officials and community leaders must begin preparing now, Hudson said.

“The George Foundation shares the vision of Wharton County Junior College and the UH System to provide expanded educational access,” said Betty McCrohan, president of WCJC. “This generous gift not only benefits the students at each institution, it also contributes to the development of our community through a well-trained, well-educated workforce. Our success wouldn’t be possible without the foundation’s continued support. For that we are truly grateful.”

The “Building Futures Together” campaign, which plans to raise an additional $2.5 million of the overall $30 million needed for the project, will be chaired by Mike Piwetz, vice president of process, Fluor Corp. Additional funds will be raised from a variety of other sources, including the state Legislature and area municipalities.

Piwetz will be joined on the committee by Brij Agrawal, president and chief executive officer, VKC 1, LP; Betty Baitland, superintendent, Fort Bend ISD; Mike Baldwin, president, Provident Engineering; Bob Brown, chairman of the board, Fort Bend EDC; Jim Heitzenrater, chief executive officer, Methodist Sugar Land Hospital; Bill Jameson, president, WJ Interests, LLC; Diana Miller, owner and broker, New Home Builders; Randy Miller, vice president, marketing, Tyco Valves and Controls; Thomas Randle, superintendent, Lamar Consolidated ISD; Gene Reed, president, E.E.Reed Construction; David Shaw, president, Sugar Land Rotary; Joan Smith, ethics and compliance manager, Shell Global Solutions; Jim Sturgeon, executive vice president, Texas State Bank; David Wallace, mayor, city of Sugar Land; and Daniel Wong, president and chief executive officer, Tolunay Wong Engineering.

Hudson, McCrohan and Little are scheduled to speak at the by-invitation event. Joining them on the dais will be Leroy Hermes, vice chairman of the UH System Board of Regents, and P.D. (Danny) Gertson III, chairman of the board of trustees for WCJC.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM
The University of Houston System is the state’s only metropolitan higher education system, encompassing four universities and two multi-institution teaching centers. The universities are the University of Houston, a nationally recognized doctoral degree-granting, comprehensive research university; the University of Houston-Downtown, a four-year undergraduate university beginning limited expansion into graduate programs; and the University of Houston-Clear Lake and the University of Houston-Victoria, both upper division and master’s-level institutions. The centers are the UH System at Sugar Land and the UH System at Cinco Ranch.

ABOUT WHARTON COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE
Wharton County Junior College, a public, two-year, comprehensive community college, enrolls about 11,060 students per year. The college offers a wide range of postsecondary educational programs, including an Associate in Arts degree, Associate in Applied Science degrees, certificate and certification programs, distance learning programs, continuing education programs, and workforce development programs. The college operates three campuses in Sugar Land, Richmond, and Wharton, with extension centers in Bay City, El Campo, and Palacios.

ABOUT THE GEORGE FOUNDATION
The foundation has funded capital projects for education, health care, preservation, recreation, and human services along with operating grants, matching funds, and scholarships. Projects and organizations supported by the foundation include the Oak Bend Medical Center, George Memorial Library, T. W. Davis Memorial Park, Lamar Consolidated ISD, Fort Bend County Museum Association, City of Richmond parks and Fort Bend County Courthouse restoration. Other projects funded have included Brazos Bend State Park's George Observatory and Challenger Center, Richmond State School, Fort Bend Family Health Center, and Fort Bend ISD. The foundation has established financial-aid programs for Fort Bend County students to 19 Texas colleges and universities. In addition, the foundation, in conjunction with the Fort Bend Museum Association, has developed a major outdoor museum, the George Ranch Historical Park.

For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.