Photo Courtesy East Williamson County 
Pending final negotiations, Texas A&M University Central Texas will join the East Williamson County Higher Education Center in spring 2014 with plans to offer full bachelor's degree and master's degree programs.
Since the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 2074 in 2007, paving the way for EWCHEC's construction, Texas A&M Central Texas has planned to join the institution. The college was not an official part of the center when it opened in August because it was going through the process of earning accreditation as a university. Having received the designation in June, the wheels are now in motion to facilitate a Texas A&M Central Texas branch on the Hutto campus.
"It's really always been an expectation that with the development of the higher education center in Hutto and the development of Texas A&M Central Texas ... we would [collaborate]," said Mark Nigliazzo, president of Texas A&M University Central Texas. "We're in the process right now of working with [Texas State Technical College] Waco in trying to ... make this absolutely official in terms of our relationship with EWCHEC."
EWCHEC is already home to Texas State Technical College and Temple College, which offer classes, technical certifications and associate degrees in a variety of subjects, including welding, culinary arts, criminal justice and more. The addition of Texas A&M Central Texas will introduce bachelor's degrees to the center, with the possibility of MBA programs in the future.
