Blinn College

Blinn College is a public community college in Brenham, Texas, with additional campuses in Brenham, Bryan, Schulenburg, and Sealy. While Brenham is Blinn's main campus, with dorms and apartments, more than 65 percent of its students attend the Bryan campus.[2]

Blinn College
TypePublic community college
Established1884
ChancellorMary Hensley
Students18,977
Location
Brenham
,
Texas
,
United States

30°9′35″N 96°24′26″W
ColorsBlue and white
NicknameBuccaneers
Websitewww.blinn.edu
Blinn College
Blinn College
Blinn College
LocationRoughly bounded by Third, Jackson, Fifth, Green, College, and High, Brenham, Texas
Area16 acres (6.5 ha)
Builtc. 1840 (1840)
ArchitectMultiple
Architectural styleLate 19th and 20th Century Revivals, Early 20th Century Movements
MPSBrenham MPS
NRHP reference No.90000446[1]
Added to NRHPMarch 29, 1990

History
Main Building, Blinn College
Main Building in 2016
Location804 College Ave.,
Brenham, Texas
Coordinates30°09′35″N 96°24′19″W
Area1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1906 (1906)
Built byC.W. Raper
ArchitectCharles H. Page
Architectural styleSpanish Revival, Texas Commercial
Part ofBlinn College (ID90000446[1])
NRHP reference No.78002998[1]
RTHL No.8303
Significant dates
Added to NRHPDecember 6, 1978
Designated CPMarch 29, 1990
Designated RTHL1962

Blinn was established as Mission Institute in 1884 by the Southern German Conference of the Methodist denomination. It became coeducational in 1888 when it began admitting women. In 1889, the institute's name was changed to Blinn Memorial College in honor of th Reverend Christian Blinn of New York, who had donated a considerable sum of money to make the school possible. In 1927, the Board of Trustees, under leadership of President Philip Deschner, organized a junior college. In 1930, Blinn merged with Southwestern University of Georgetown, Texas. In 1934, a new charter was procured by the citizens of Brenham, and a private nonsectarian junior college was organized as Blinn College with nine regents as the board of control. In February 1937, all connections with Southwestern University and the Methodist denominations were severed.

On June 8, 1937, voters in Washington County levied a property tax for the creation of a public junior college district. Blinn thus became the first county-owned junior college district in Texas. The college continues to operate as one of the largest of some fifty public community college districts in Texas. After some early struggles (including the campus nearly closing in 1946 due to fiscal issues), the college began to grow and do well under the leadership of Dr. Thomas Morris Spencer, one of the early public junior college pioneers in Texas. When he left the college in 1957 it was on a firm fiscal footing.

The Bryan campus was established in 1970, and by the early 1980s, a third campus opened in College Station. In 1997, the Villa Maria Road campus opened consolidating the programs that were located in the Townshire Shopping Center in Bryan and the Woodstone Center in College Station. The third Brazos County site, located in the former Bryan post office, continues to house the dental hygiene, radiologic technology, and workforce education programs. The original three buildings on the Bryan campuses were expanded to six, and in 2002, the former Schulman Theater was purchased and converted to classroom space, known as the College Park Campus (CPC). The Schulenburg campus opened in 1997 and Sealy in 2005.

Texas A&M University is constructing a Riverside Campus adjacent to Texas State Highways 47 and 21. It is known as the RELLIS Campus, meaning "Respect", "Excellence", "Leadership", "Loyalty", "Integrity", and "Selfless service". Blinn College will maintain a presence at RELLIS to partner with other institutions and organizations.[3] Blinn had planned to establish a new campus off Sandy Point Road and Farm to Market 2818. By joining the RELLIS campus instead, Blinn expects to save from $10 to $12 million. In addition to construction, Blinn officials project a $5.7 million cost for furnishings for the campus. The total projected cost to Blinn will exceed $34 million. Vaughn Construction will spearhead the project.[4]

On March 31, 2017, groundbreaking was held for the Blinn College educational building being established at RELLIS. Blinn chief executive officer Mary Hensley at the dedication ceremony said: "Today we celebrate a historic, unprecedented partnership that paves a new path for the future of higher education. The RELLIS campus denotes that collaboration and a commitment to student achievement." [5] David Sommer, the president of the Blinn trustees, added that the partnership with TAMU could "set the standard for university and community college collaboration."[5]

Blinn College offers academic transfer courses and these technical programs: Associate Degree and Vocational Nursing, Surgical Technology, EMS, Physical Therapy Assisting, Dental Hygiene, Radiologic Technology, Fire Science, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Development, Legal Assisting, Real Estate, Computer Information Technology, Information Management, and Business (General Business, Accounting, Business Administration and Management, Hospitality Management, Small Business Management). The college also offers noncredit, non-transferable workforce education programs.

Academic transfer

Blinn boasts the highest transfer rate in the state of Texas, sending students to institutions such as Texas A&M University, Sam Houston State University, Texas State University, the University of Texas and the University of Houston. Its transfer rate to four-year universities is 49% compared to the state average of 27%.[6] Blinn transfers more students to Texas A&M University than any other two-year college. Blinn technical students score among the best in the state on board and licensure exams.[7][8]

Blinn and Texas A&M University established the first co-enrollment program of its kind with the TEAM (Transfer Enrollment at Texas A&M) Program.

In 2013, the program was awarded the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's Recognition of Excellence,[9] and in 2014 it received the THECB Star Award.[10]

Community impact
Blinn College Sealy campus

A 2014 study found that Blinn made a $345.3 million impact in its service area, including $239.5 million in added income by former students employed in the regional workforce, $61.3 million in College operations spending and $44.5 million in student spending. The report found that Blinn has made an impact of $247.4 million in Bryan-College Station, $83 million in Brenham, $11.1 million in Schulenburg and $3.9 million in Sealy.[11]

Blinn has also been recognized for its community service. In 2011, Blinn received the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Community Engagement Classification,[12] and in 2012 it was the only community college in the state of Texas to be named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.[13] Each year, Blinn devotes a day to community service, called the Blinn Blitz, and hundreds of students participate in local community service projects.[14]

Athletics

The home campus in Brenham has offered intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and has won 30 national championships since 1987. The Blinn Buccaneers play football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball and volleyball. The football program won NJCAA championships in 1995, 1996, 2006, and 2009, the last of which was won with Cam Newton. The volleyball team won the NJCAA championship in 2008, 2011, 2013 and 2014. The softball team consistently makes the national tournament. Blinn's award-winning cheer and dance teams won the UCA and UDA National Championships in 2014 and 2015.[15]

Notable alumni

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. "Blinn College Fact Book 2006-2007" (PDF). Blinn.edu. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
  3. "Frequently Asked Questions: Rellis Campus: Blinn College". blinn.edu. Archived from the original on September 29, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  4. Steve Kuhlmann (December 15, 2016). "Blinn approves construction deal for RELLIS facility". Bryan-College Station Eagle. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  5. Steve Kuhlmann (April 1, 2017). "Blinn College breaks ground on RELLIS expansion". The Bryan-College Station Eagle. Retrieved April 2, 2017.,
  6. "Blinn College - College Profile". CompareCollegeTX.com. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
  7. "Vet tech students ace national, state exams with 100 percent pass rate". Blinn.edu. 2014-10-30. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
  8. "Nursing grads achieve 100 percent pass rate". Blinn.edu. 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
  9. "State recognizes Blinn TEAM program". Blinn.edu. 2013-08-19. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
  10. "Texas A&M Blinn TEAM Program earns top honors". Blinn.edu. 2014-11-24. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
  11. "Blinn College makes $324.6 million impact on local economy". Blinn.edu. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
  12. "Headline News". Blinn.edu. 2011-01-21. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
  13. "Headline News March 2012". Blinn.edu. 2012-03-21. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
  14. "Blinn students give back with fifth annual Blinn Blitz". Blinn.edu. 2014-04-21. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
  15. "Blinn College cheer and dance teams each win a national title - Blinn". Buccaneersports.com. 2015-04-10. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
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