By News and Internal Communications

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – MARCH 16, 2025 – Building on a decade of student success, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the City of Brownsville have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a joint Task Force of the Future.

This initiative aims to enhance the student experience on the Brownsville Campus by:

• Reducing Student Travel between Brownsville and Edinburg.
• Expanding Academic Programming to allow students to complete more full degrees in Brownsville.
• Allocating Resources Equitably to support undergraduate, graduate and medical programs.
• Enhancing Student Life by aligning academic offerings with workforce needs.

As UTRGV approaches its 10th anniversary, the university celebrates notable achievements since its launch in 2015. By building on the foundations of UT Brownsville and UT Pan American, UTRGV has increased enrollment to nearly 34,000 students (the ninth largest in Texas), improved first-year retention and raised four-year and six-year graduation rates – all while maintaining lower average total academic costs than the legacy institutions.

As UTRGV approaches its 10th anniversary, the university celebrates notable achievements since its launch in 2015.

UTRGV President Guy Bailey said that this partnership with the City of Brownsville comes at a pivotal moment in the university’s evolution.

“This task force will strengthen the remarkable progress we’ve already achieved in Cameron County, particularly on the Brownsville Campus,” Bailey said. “I want to thank Senator Adam Hinojosa and Brownsville Mayor John Cowen for their collaboration and for sharing our vision of continually enhancing student success at UTRGV.”

As a staunch advocate for expanding educational access and workforce development in the Rio Grande Valley, Senator Adam Hinojosa played a key role in facilitating the MOU between UTRGV and the City of Brownsville. He emphasized the importance of collaboration and shared responsibility in creating meaningful opportunities for students throughout the region.

“This Memorandum of Understanding is more than just an agreement – it’s a commitment to ensuring our students have every opportunity to succeed right here in the Rio Grande Valley,” Hinojosa said. “By bringing local and state stakeholders together, we’re demonstrating what can be accomplished when we all invest in the future of our communities and the next generation of Texans.”