Photo by Amy DenneySouth University student Stephanie Vasquez, Chamber of Commerce representative Rene Campos, President Marie Neal, South Chancellor John T. South, III, and student Cambrian Pichon assist in cutting the ribbon March 5.
When South University opened its Austin campus in November on Parmer Lane, the institution was following the city's trend of investing in higher education, said state Rep. Larry Gonzales, whose District 52 covers Northwest Austin, at the university's dedication March 5. Gonzales said businesses relocating to Austin do so because they know this is where the workforce is located. He also acknowledged the region's leaders who decided education would be a priority.
"It's not an accident, and we're not lucky. We're smart," Gonzales said.
Since opening classes to students in early November, 57 undergraduate and graduate students have enrolled in South University, which offers associate and bachelor's degrees in information technology, business administration, criminal justice, health care management, psychology or a master's degree in business administration.
The university was founded in 1899 by John Draughon as Draughon's Practical Business College. The family of Chancellor John T. South III acquired the university in 1974 and changed the name to South College in 1986. The institution became a university in 2001.
