Underdeveloped area around NW Campus now teeming
by Meredith Waites, Reporter

(Part two in a series on the growth and changes around the campuses.)
    NW Campus started with a labor strike that delayed the original opening for the fall semester of 1975.
    The labor unions went on strike around March and did not settle until September.
    The school used temporary facilities at Boswell High School, Castleberry High School and Meacham Field.
    Offices for professors and employees were in the River Oaks Shopping Center, as well as in mobile homes, converted barbershops, washaterias and spare corners.
    Classes at Boswell included business administration, English, government, history, math and sociology.
    Journalism, mid-management, math, office occupations, sociology, Spanish, ROTC, art, reading, psychology, biology, business administration, data processing, English, government, physical education, history and agriculture business met at Castleberry.
    Classes at Meacham Field were auto body repair, aeronautic technology, auto mechanics, English, horticulture, math and small-engine repair.
    However, since the campus had to open in spring of 1976, this designated NW as a bicentennial campus.
    "This campus was born in a historical fashion," Dr. Michael Saenz, the original and current NW president, said.
    With the spring of 1976, the NW Campus was ready to open officially.
    New professors were added, and the enrollment for that spring was 995.
    Last fall the campus had grown to 5,259 students.
    Technology has played an important role in the growth of the school.
    Dr. Gloria Mills, division chair of business and science division, said the biggest aspect of development of the campus has been the introduction of technology.
    This aspect has made education more accessible to students.
    Technology is also important because the business aspect of the college is processed electronically.
    In the fall of 1976, 10 instructional television courses were offered. Currently, 29 instructional television courses are offered.
    Internet classes have been added throughout the years to assist students, as well. NW students have 166 internet classes available.
    A positive change also has occurred to improve health issues.
    The rule of eliminating smoking has helped to bring a healthier environment for students, Mills said.
    "This was a significant change," she said.
    Dr. Laura Wood, department chair for social sciences and professor of history and government, says it is interesting to see the development that has occurred over time.
    "The past five to 10 years have seen development," she said.
    Wood believes that enrollment is affected by Carswell Air Force Base and Lockheed Corporation.
    "Many students are either a part of these organizations or relatives of employees," she said.
    When events such as the Gulf War occur, the NW Campus enrollment is affected, Wood said.
    Development of academics has occurred over the years at the NW Campus.
    Eduardo Aguilar, associate professor of arts, was the only art instructor in the past 27 years on the NW Campus until recently.
    Aguilar started teaching in the spring of 1976.
    When Aguilar first started at TCC, he taught music, theater and visual arts in a developmental program.
    The program was slowly phased out.
    With this program no longer in existence, Aguilar could teach his specialty of drawing and design. At the time, there were just enough students to teach these classes.
    "Over the years, art appreciation has always been popular," he said.
    Currently, NW Campus offers 13 sections on campus and three online sections for art classes.
    "The programs we are very strong in are drawing, painting, design, sculpture and ceramics," he said
    New art equipment has been added over the years, but classroom space has remained the same.
    "The unique aspect about the NW art department is the beautiful view of the lake. This is such an important part of this campus," he said.
    The science department has seen a tremendous amount of growth, as well. " 
   The department originally consisted of three professors and has currently grown to eight full-time professors with many adjuncts.
    Dr. Kenneth Griffin, professor and chair of life and physical science department, has witnessed these changes.
    "The unique aspect of the science department in the beginning was that we all could teach in two fields. We have always had the materials we have needed," he said.
    Mills said the sciences are still growing.
    More classes are being offered, especially in chemistry, biology and geology.
    Ron Morgan, assistant professor of health and physical education, has seen development occur in his area to provide better equipment and facilities.
    Among the additions to the facilities are new cardio equipment, weight machines and video surveillance.
    Morgan reported bad leaks in the gym. These were fixed.
    When a dance program was added to the physical education department, a dance floor was installed.
    A computer lab, testing centers and computers for adjuncts have updated the technological aspect for physical education.
    Three adjuncts teach online physical education classes. NW Campus is the only campus to teach online wellness courses. Morgan looks forward to more changes in the future
    . "One consideration is dividers to separate the gym into sections," he said.
    This could benefit students and teachers with multiple classes at the same time.
    A unique aspect of the NW Campus is its architectural design, which contains sloping roofs that provide an intake of fresh air.
    "If you stand back and look at it, it is a very interesting type of architecture," Saenz said.
    The Association of American Institute of Architects featured the NW Campus in its publication in 1976.
    The campus first contained buildings A, B, C, D, M and N. Over the years, the B2 building has been added.
    The aviation department and police academy have been added as well.
    The unique architecture continues to grow with the current addition of a new building for the fire service training department, which opened last fall. "All the exercises will be set off with computers for the fire training. This will help make classes and tests more accurate," Saenz said.
    Development continues to occur. Two new pools are being built with benches around them. Plans for the future contain an outdoor amphitheater, which will seat 1,000 people and also contain a grass area to seat people.
    Research has been conducted and drawings have been made for this project, Saenz said.
    "There are not any other amphitheaters in Tarrant County like this one. It might be the first," he said. The area that surrounds the NW Campus has seen growth with highways, businesses and residential development over the years. Griffin remembers that when the campus originally opened, Highway 820 did not exist. People had to use alternative roads instead of the now major highway to arrive at the campus.
    Dr. Alicia Luppinaci, department chair of management, has seen changes in the area.
    More retail businesses have opened, and more homes have been built.
    With this development, more congestion exists. The administration hopes that local developments will lead to increased enrollment. Almost 4,000 homes have been purchased since 1997, and another 3,600 homes are projected over the next three years.
    The area near the NW Campus is a gateway to three lakes: Eagle Mountain, Lake Worth and Marine Creek.
    Many of the developments are around these bodies of water. The retail and commercial development is growing because this market area is one of the development hot spots for Tarrant County, according to a market overview made for the Star Village Commons.
    The Lake Worth area witnessed 19 new business openings in 2001.
    Star Village Commons, a major shopping center, opened in 2001. The area around this center contains a new Home Depot, Star Bank of Texas and a restaurant site. The Star Village Commons consists of a 23,767 square-foot, 8-screen movie theater, and a 40,343 square foot area of multi-tenant retail space. Restaurants and other retailers continue to move to this area.
    The area should continue to grow because of affordable housing and accessibility to downtown Fort Worth, Alliance Airport, Lockheed Corporation and the Highway 114 employment corridor, according to an area analysis made by Star Village Commons.