University breaks ground on new student center, library

University of Houston-Victoria and community leaders shovel dirt Tuesday to mark the ceremonial start of construction of the university’s first student center and a modern library. The three-story, 75,000-square-foot University Commons is scheduled to open in fall 2018. The student center will include a food court, coffee bar, Barnes & Noble bookstore and areas for student organizations and activities. The learning commons will feature public computers, a makerspace, meeting rooms, an outdoor deck and plenty of space for studying. About 150 people attended Tuesday’s groundbreaking, which included speeches, shovel and hardhat photo opportunities and refreshments from Chick-fil-A.

The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.