What is the RELLIS Campus?
The RELLIS Campus was named for the six Aggie core values of respect, excellence, leadership, loyalty, integrity and selfless service. The mission of the RELLIS Campus is to provide a collaborative environment for multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional teaching, research and workforce development instruction committed to blending industry expertise with innovative research and a polytechnic education. The collaborative nature of the RELLIS Campus as shown below offers unique opportunities for students and faculty. The concept is for one campus to have the ability to shift ideas from laboratories to the marketplace while providing new and multiple pathways toward a college degree.
When was the RELLIS Campus formed?
In September 2015, the 2,000-acre tract known as the Texas A&M University Riverside Campus was transferred to The Texas A&M University System and was renamed the RELLIS Campus. That was the beginning of the RELLIS transformation.
Why is the Texas A&M University System investing in this initiative?
The Texas A&M University System has long been a standard bearer of growth, service, academic success and research. The Texas A&M University System is investing in the RELLIS Campus to provide System members and industry partners unique opportunities for cutting edge research, technology development and quality education. Further, The Texas A&M University System is committed to expanding educational and research opportunities beyond institutional boundaries to support the 21st century education and research needs of the state and nation.
Does the RELLIS Campus have a master plan?
Yes, a masterplan for the RELLIS Campus has been prepared by The Texas A&M University System.
View the document using 3D FlipBook: RELLIS Campus Master Plan
Download the high-resolution file: RELLIS-CampusMasterPlan_FINAL.pdf (PDF 195 MB)
How is the RELLIS Campus being transformed?
The transformation will focus on eight functional elements as shown in the following figure. These elements are: Research Centers, the Historic Campus, the Training Campus, the Education Campus, Secure Industry Laboratories, Joint Research Facilities, the Testing Area and Storage Activities.
This transformation will include the development of world-class research centers focused on areas of exploration such as cyber-physical systems and robotics, advanced material sciences, autonomous transportation systems and vehicles, chemical process safety and industrial distribution innovations to name only a few. These research centers will allow faculty, students and private-sector partners to collaborate on cutting edge research and technology development activities while benefiting from the use of the proving grounds and testbeds that will be available at the RELLIS Campus. These testbeds and proving grounds will afford large-scale testing of the technologies developed through these collaborations in a safe and controlled environment.
A foundational element of the RELLIS transformation is the new education campus, which is the home of the RELLIS Academic Alliance. It will provide the state-of-the-art resources needed to support the education and training programs that will be offered by the education partners.
Underpinning the improvements that will be made to the RELLIS Campus is the intent to develop and provide a “living laboratory” environment throughout the campus for the development and refinement of new and emerging technologies. To this end, as each of the elements of the RELLIS Campus transformation will be designed to include the necessary features and flexibilities to support the insertion and testing of new technologies as part of the education and research collaboration that forms the foundation of the RELLIS Campus experience.
In what way is the RELLIS Campus a new model for higher education?
This new model is built around relationships. In many ways, the educational system is being turned on its side. Instead of a vertical ranking of institutions, the RELLIS campus turns the system sideways and draws from the strength of each institution at a single location. Faculty from the member institutions and agencies will be able to collaborate more easily because of their proximity, and that will further be enhanced through the industries that establish programs at the research park. It is all about opportunities for the students, faculty and the industry partners.
What is the role of the private-sector in this innovative educational model?
The goal would be that opportunities for research and job training become available to the students through the partnerships with industry. There is no better preparation for a career than to have some experience through an internship, whether within the industry or on a research program.
What is the mission and vision for the RELLIS Academic Alliance?
The mission of RELLIS Academic Alliance is to provide multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional teaching, research and service collaboration committed to combining industry expertise and innovative research on a premier state-of-the-art campus supporting the needs of Texas and the global community. In the context of this mission, the educational programs at RELLIS are envisaged to focus on collaboration beyond institutional affiliation. RELLIS will serve as the model for the future of higher education by redefining relationships between higher education institutions and those of business and industry to cultivate powerful opportunities for life-changing and industry-shaping innovations.
Why is RELLIS being called a 21st century polytechnic campus?
In the context of the offerings that are available to students, RELLIS is a 21st century polytechnic campus. Polytechnic campuses provide career-focused education in the arts, social and behavioral sciences, engineering, education and the physical and natural sciences. On a polytechnic campus, students engage in active applied learning and research necessary to advance society and industry. This is the mission of the education program at RELLIS.
Who is participating in the education programs at RELLIS?
The System’s 11 universities, its agencies and Blinn College are collaborating to provide relevant academic and workforce training programs and conduct state-of-the-art research.
Who is guiding the education program offerings at RELLIS?
An Academic Steering Committee has been appointed. The members of the steering committee are representatives of each System institution and agency and its educational partner, Blinn College. Further, an External Academic Advisory Council is being appointed to help ensure that the programs offered are relevant to the public and private sectors.
Can I take courses from different universities for my degree?
Yes. The way in which you can build your degree and certificate programs is shown in the figure below. Because of this flexibility, you can build a degree program that best suits your career interests. The important thing is that you talk with your academic advisor to ensure that you select appropriate courses and are satisfying the degree requirements.
Is there a strategic plan for the educational programs at RELLIS?
Yes, a strategic plan for the academic and training programs offered through the RELLIS Academic Alliance has been prepared by the Academic Steering Committee. The strategic plan for the educational programs will be posted in the near future.
What is the relationship of the academic programs to 60x30TX?
The goals of the academic and training programs at RELLIS, and the structuring of those programs, is directly related to the 60x30TX initiative. The primary objectives of that initiative are: by 2030, at least 60 percent of Texans aged 25-34 have a degree or certificate; by 2030, at least 550,000 students in that year will complete a certificate, associate, bachelor’s or master’s degree from an institution of higher education in Texas; by 2030, all graduates from Texas public institutions of higher education will have completed programs with identified marketable skills, and by 2030, undergraduate student loan debt will not exceed 60 percent of first-year wages for graduates of Texas public institutions. The report about the 60x30TX initiative can be found at: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/reports/PDF/6862.PDF
When will the training and education programs begin at RELLIS?
Many training programs are already available at RELLIS through many partners. For a listing of upcoming hands-on training opportunities, visit https://rellis.tamus.edu/academicalliance/academics/training.
The first academic degree programs are anticipated to begin at RELLIS in fall 2018. Degree programs can be found on our website: https://rellis.tamus.edu/academicalliance/programs/academic-degrees/
How do students apply to study at RELLIS?
Students who wish to pursue a baccalaureate degree at RELLIS will apply to the system institution offering the degree program and concurrently apply to Blinn College. Students who satisfy the appropriate admission criteria will be admitted to Blinn College and will receive [deferred] admission to the system institution. Students pursuing a graduate degree will apply with the system institution offering the degree. Students pursuing an associate’s degree will apply to Blinn College. In all cases, students must satisfy all of the admission criteria for the institution and the degree program to which they are applying.
Where will students studying at RELLIS be enrolled?
The students will be admitted to and enrolled at Blinn College or one of our Texas A&M System Universities and will be taking courses from those institutions. RELLIS is the location where the courses will be offered.
Will the students studying at RELLIS be “Aggies?”
No, not in general. The students will be enrolled at one of the system institutions, but will be studying at RELLIS. A student would be considered an Aggie and be eligible for the Aggie Ring and the other benefits of being a student at Texas A&M University only if they are admitted to and enroll in a degree program offered by Texas A&M University.
Will the costs be different at RELLIS than at the home campus?
Most likely the cost will be different for a degree program at RELLIS than for the same degree program on the home campus. The tuition and fees for study at RELLIS will be consistent for all of the degree programs. That tuition and fee structure will be determined independent of the tuition and fees on the home campus. The target is the tuition and fees for the entire degree program do not exceed the median of the tuition and fees across The Texas A&M System.
Will the student services be the same at RELLIS as at the home campus?
For the most part, the student services provided at RELLIS will be the same as students have available on the home campus.
Who will have access to RELLIS opportunities?
Opportunities on the RELLIS campus will be made available to all students at participating institutions based on their interests and the private sectors’ needs. It is too early to state specifically how these relationships will work and the breadth of the opportunities that will be afforded to the students. The Texas A&M University System is continuing to work on those relationships.
What is the impact of RELLIS offerings on the PSA program?
Offering academic degree programs by a system institution at RELLIS will have absolutely no impact on the PSA program. The PSA programs involve the courses a student not admitted to TAMU would take his or her freshman year in hopes of being admitted to TAMU. No first-year courses will be offered by the System institutions at RELLIS. A student in the PSA program would have to study at the institution’s home campus or other site at which that institution offers first-year courses.