The Victoria College, 1925-2000: A Tradition of Excellence

When the faculty members convened in
January 1991 to start the spring semester, they
were told that the college had ended its association
with the University Interscholastic League.
The announcement brought cheers from the
assembled faculty who, for years, had campaigned
for the college to drop its sponsorship.
Instructors criticized the loss of critical class
time and dissatisfaction with being put into a
position of “volunteering” their free time to
judge events. If a tear was shed by a single faculty
member over the loss of the college’s participation,
it was not evident. 22
Preparations for the decennial reaffirmation
visit by the Southern Association of Colleges
and Schools began in earnest in January 1991.
Dr. Ben Burdine, chair of the Division of Social
and Behavioral Sciences, was picked by
Goodson as chairman of the Self-Study Steering
Committee. In a presentation at a faculty meeting,
Burdine informed the assemblage that the
process would take two years, and he provided
each member a performance time line. In addition
to Burdine, the steering committee was
composed of Morris Azbill, Audley Dry, Vera
Johnson, Marilyn Morris, Dr. Dale Pigott, Dr.
Julia Riggs, Dr. C. F. Schneider, Dr. Joe Sekul,
Dr. Geraldine Talley, and board member
Catherine McHaney. 23
Open house was held for the new Language
Building on the evening of April 18. The $1.7
million, two-story structure offered an “up-todate”
teaching and learning facility for both students
and faculty members. Recognizing the
necessity for the building, Goodson commented,
“We are getting some badly needed classroom
space. Our college has had steady growth
and the University of Houston-Victoria has also
had substantial growth. The Language Building
will provide immediate relief to the overcrowding
problems of both schools.” 24
Stating the obvious in introducing the Tech-
Prep Cooperative Program to the public in
August 1991, Tom Walton, director of
Technical-Vocational Education, remarked, “A
lot of kids leave high school without any preparation
for what lies ahead of them. Not all will
be going off to college and all too often they
have had no vocational or technical training to
prepare them for a job.” The new program was
✯
Victoria College’s Marie Alaniz
addresses a question at a financial aid
seminar in Goliad.
A New Chief, A New Era ✦ 187