The funding comes from the bill signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott.
Texas Tech University and the Texas Tech University System stand to benefit greatly from funding for higher education from Senate Bill 52, which was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday (Oct. 25).
The bill will help fund renovations and improvements to buildings and infrastructure across the Texas Tech campus. All totaled, the university will receive $80 million, $72 million of which will go toward the main campus in Lubbock and $8 million of which will support the Texas Tech campus in Junction.
“I want to convey my appreciation for the significant investment the state has made in higher education,” said Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec said. “This funding will help Texas Tech advance our academic and research achievements, support the success of our students and make capital improvements on our campuses. The funding will help us renovate and update some of our oldest facilities to better meet the needs of our students and faculty. We are grateful to the Legislature, especially Sen. Charles Perry and Reps. Dustin Burrows, John Frullo and Andrew Murr for their commitment to Texas Tech so we can continue to enhance the educational experience for our students as we grow our research enterprise.”
The Campus Health, Safety and Modernization Project's planned improvements include electrical, plumbing, mechanical and roofing upgrades to several buildings as well as modernizing elevators and making upgrades according to the Americans with Disabilities Act. The funding for the campus in Junction will be used to construct a new facility to support research into Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and make improvements to the existing academic facilities to address needed technology updates and laboratory space that will support the CWD research.
In separate legislation, Texas Tech will receive $50 million in additional support from the State of Texas to enhance academic excellence, student success and research that impacts Texas and the nation.
“I was proud to work with Chairman Greg Bonnen of the House Appropriations Committee to secure meaningful funding to support Texas Tech University's critical infrastructure improvements and $50 million in funding for academic, student and research excellence,” Burrows said. “Texas Tech is a world-class institution and an economic driver for our community and West Texas.”
Senate Bill 52 marks the first state legislation since 2015 that allocates funds toward capital projects in higher education. The oldest building on the main Texas Tech campus was constructed nearly 100 years ago and the average construction date for campus facilities is 1956.
The Texas Tech System received a total of $299.4 million from Senate Bill 52, which allocated $3.35 billion in funding to higher education across the state.
