With the transition of the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV) to the Texas A&M University System set to officially take effect Sept. 1, Dr. Jim Nelson, Texas A&M University System associate vice chancellor of academic affairs, detailed Texas A&M University-Victoria’s (TAMU-Victoria) progress so far and hopes for the future.

“The transition has been going phenomenally well,” Nelson said. “There’s a lot of moving parts, but between what the system has provided and what the community is helping on, all of those pieces are coming together.”

The unwavering community support for the transition shown by residents and local leaders will strengthen TAMU-Victoria’s relationship with local businesses and industries looking to grow in the region, Nelson said. The university will provide new degree plans designed to educate students in important economic fields with strong presences in the area.

“One of our goals is that we can get local young men and young women studying with us, becoming employed within the region and staying within the region,” Nelson said. “We want young men and young women that grew up here and have been a part of the community to get their education here, become employed here and remain a part of our economy.”

Current UHV students will be mostly unaffected by the transition, Nelson said. Degree programs will remain unchanged, faculty will remain and tuition costs will not change. The biggest transition students will experience is the university’s name. Students who will graduate soon will have the option to receive a TAMU-Victoria or a UHV diploma.

“From a recruiting standpoint, especially within this region, the Texas A&M University System name carries a lot of weight,” Nelson said. “It’s going to help attract more students.”

Students who apply to the Texas A&M University flagship campus in College Station and are not admitted will be able to take advantage of the university’s Program for System Admission (PSA). The PSA program will allow students the opportunity to enroll at TAMU-Victoria for one year with the intention of achieving guaranteed admission to the flagship campus following program completion.

“When a lot of those students come to study at TAMU-Victoria, probably half will remain with the university,” Nelson said. “It’s no secret we’ve had declining enrollments for the last few years. Being a part of the system is going to help our enrollments.”

An industry advisory panel is working to develop the skill-set for TAMU-Victoria’s new agriculture program. The panel will ensure the skills required by the regional industry are met in the agribusiness degree program.

New engineering degree programs are being worked on and will most likely be introduced in the fall of 2027, Nelson said. A new aviation program with a professional pilot track and an aviation management track is being approved and implemented as well.
The search for TAMU-Victoria’s first president is ongoing. A sole finalist will be announced around October. The announcement will be followed by the mandatory 21-day waiting period, after which the Texas A&M University Board of Regents will vote on the candidate. The new president will start in the position on Jan 1, 2026.

Jag Fest, a city event, family event and university event celebrating the transition, will take place September 4 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in DeLeon Plaza.

“We want to TAMU-Victoria our university,” Nelson said. “By our I mean the city, the county, the region and the university community itself. We want to look at this as our child as we’re going forward.”

Michael Milliorn is a news reporter for the Victoria Advocate. He can be reached at michael.milliorn@vicad.com.