By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
The newly rebranded Southwest Texas College took another step towards shaking off its two-year college status and taking a giant step to becoming a four-year degree program.
This past year, college officials took the word “Junior” out of the school’s name as it positioned itself to take a step towards becoming a four-year institution.
According to Connie Wooldridge-Buchanan, vice president of the Del Rio Campus, who addressed the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce’s monthly lunch meeting in August, one of the keys to becoming a four-year college is a tax base of over $6 billion in Real, Uvalde and Zavala counties.
She shared good news during the Sept. 11 meeting when she sent a follow-up to her earlier presentation. “Our three-county tax base reached a valuation of $6.5 billion dollars this year,” she said in a letter to the chamber members that was read at the beginning of the meeting. “If the value remains above $6 billion next August (2025), we will start the two-year process to offer bachelor’s degrees.”
Buchanan’s confidence is sky-high, as she’s got the start date already nailed down and what four-year degrees will be offered.
“Beginning in Fall 2027, as we aim to elevate our college’s excellence, a student could begin work on earning a bachelor degree in education, business or nursing with our institution,” she wrote.
However, the college staff isn’t sitting on its laurels waiting for 2027 as they continue to grow the junior college offerings.
“In Uvalde, we’re introducing new programs such as diesel technology specialized in heavy equipment program and surgical technology,” she wrote. “In Eagle Pass, we’re adding cosmetology and heating, ventilation and air conditioning.”
Del Rio isn’t being left out.
In Fall of 2025, Del Rio will offer new accreditations in welding, construction science and power line technology.
This fills a gap as Sul Ross State University (SRSU) is transitioning to more of an online focus in Del Rio. SRSU rented space from then-Southwest Texas Junior College and several community leaders said they are looking to own here versus rent.
