Minutes
Blinn College District
Brenham Campus Advisory Committee Meeting
Thursday, March 20, 2025
12:00 – 1:30 p.m.
The Brenham Campus Advisory Committee met on March 20, 2025, in the Banquet Room of the Student Center, located at 1007 Walter Schwartz Way, Blinn-Brenham Campus.
Committee Members Present: The Honorable John Durrenberger, Mr. Clay Gillentine, Ms. Micah Goebel, Mr. Jon Hill, Dr. William Loesch, Ms. Jamie Rankin, and Mr. Brandon Roznovsky.
Committee Members Absent: None.
Representing Blinn College present at the meeting were: Dr. Mary Hensley, Mr. Leighton Schubert, Mr. Jay Anderson, Dr. Becky McBride, Dr. Clen Burton, Dr. Marcelo Bussiki, Mr. John Chancellor, Dr. Jimmy Byrd, Mr. Myron Dippel, Mr. Richard Bray, Mr. Mark Feldhake, and Ms. Debbie Stevens.
The meeting was called to order by Ms. Micah Goebel at 12:20 p.m.
Approval of Minutes
The minutes of the September 24, 2024, meeting were approved with a motion by Judge John Durrenberger, seconded by Mr. Jonathan Hill.
Legislative Update by Mr. Leighton Schubert, Executive Vice Chancellor
Mr. Schubert offered a detailed explanation of Texas House Bill 8 and its effect on Blinn’s budget. He identified the main components of the bill as (1) the number of credentials of value awarded (e.g., workforce, certificates, degrees), (2) transfer to a university after taking at least 15 semester credit hours at a community college or completion of a co-enrollment program, and (3) dual credit students with completion of 15 semester hours while in high school. Mr. Schubert stated that we are currently working with elected officials in Austin to clarify the language of the bill and are working specifically to change the semester credit hour rule from 1 hour to 30 hours, which will have a positive impact on our transfer statistics.
Mr. Schubert further explained Blinn’s unique tax rate of $0.043 in Washington County compared to the assumed $0.05 tax rate contained in the current Base Tier Funding Formula under House Bill 8. Under the current funding formula, Blinn had a reduction in state appropriations of roughly $875,000 due to Blinn’s tax rate being lower than $0.05. The goal is to amend the funding formula to include the actual tax rate of any community college whose tax rate is lower than $0.05. After discussion, both Mr. Schubert and Dr. Hensley agreed that letters of support from the Washington County community regarding these legislative items would be helpful, and they would provide specific contact information and details at the appropriate time.
Construction (Facilities) Update by Mark Feldhake, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Facilities, Planning, and Construction
Mr. Feldhake presented a status report on current repairs and renovations on the Blinn-Brenham Campus, including the Academic Building interior, Blinn College Park Apartments flooring, and the Wheeler Hall fire alarm system. He also noted completion of Master Plan projects, which included the demolition of Buccaneer Hall, Katherine Atkinson Hall, Lockett Hall, and Spencer Hall, along with the addition of the Texas Department of Public Safety offices in the Student Center. Mr. Feldhake reviewed several ongoing projects that include water heater, roof, and flooring replacement on the Brenham Campus.
Mr. Feldhake then gave an update on these current Master Plan Projects:
- Bryan Administration Building – A $31 million, 46,000-square-foot, two-story building. There is no debt associated with this building, and it is now occupied.
- Central Plant upgrades on the Brenham Campus – We are awaiting Board of Trustee approval in April to replace 25-year-old chillers located on the back of the Bullock Building.
- Waller-Harris County Campus – An 87,000-square-foot, four-story building to be designed by CannonDesign at an approximate cost of $68 million. Mr. Feldhake also noted that Blinn made the cash purchase of the 100-acre tract of land located at FM 2920 and Binford Road in October 2024 and is projecting to begin classes on this campus in Fall 2027.
- Sports Complex Blinn – A $29.5 million project designed by Pfluger Architects that will provide a permanent space for a football practice field, competition soccer and softball fields, relocation of golf from the Bullock Building, locker rooms, training areas, laundry, concessions, and include parking and roadway access. Mr. Feldhake also noted that this project will bring several of these sports back on campus and will help support student services, including intramural activities.
Applied Technology Workforce Community Update by Mr. Jay Anderson, Vice Chancellor of Health Sciences, Technical Education, and Community Programs
Mr. Anderson provided an update on the Hodde Technical Center by reviewing the current student enrollment (211), a 65% increase from Spring 2024 to Spring 2025. Mr. Anderson reviewed the High School Certified Clinical Medical Assistant enrollment from Brenham, Giddings, Burton, and Weimar school districts totaling 41 students and gave updates on ongoing programs at the Hodde Center, RELLIS Campus, and Waller ISD.
Mr. Anderson concluded with general updates about the current and future industry needs for local businesses, new hires, and the current status of scholarship opportunities. Mr. Schubert added that there is already a need for workforce training in Waller and that Blinn not only offers in-person classes at our current location in the Schultz Building in Waller, but we can also provide on-site training for employers. He encouraged the committee to share this information with businesses who might be interested in our offerings.
Enrollment Update by Dr. Becky McBride, Vice Chancellor of Student Services
Dr. McBride shared the current districtwide enrollment headcount of 15,822 (as of 2/11/25), which is just under the final certified headcount for Fall 2024 (15,953). Dr. McBride noted the success of utilizing CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software in texting and email campaigns to both students and parents, and the convenience it offers students for a variety of services. She also shared that our current overall number of 16,000 students will soon be certified and exceed totals between 2021-2024.
Dr. McBride stated that our current retention rate of 83% is the best it has been in the past three years. She also indicated that 79.1% of Brenham students are living on campus, and our 1,208 on-campus housing students represent a housing occupancy of 60%. She concluded by sharing upcoming Preview Day and New Student Registration dates.
The fall meeting will be scheduled at a later date.
With no other business, Mr. Jonathan Hill made a motion to adjourn at 1:14 p.m., seconded by Ms. Jamie Rankin.