Sul Ross State University-Rio Grande College will now be known as SRSU International following a unanimous vote of the Texas State University System (TSUS) Board of Regents at its regular meeting last week.

The change applies only to the Eagle Pass, Del Rio and Uvalde instructional sites, reflecting the aspirations of those communities to establish a stand-alone, four-year university along the Texas-Mexico border. The main campus in Alpine will continue to be known as Sul Ross State University.

In 2022, TSUS announced plans for a four-year university in the Middle Rio Grande Region. Following the donation of 100 acres by the Eagle Pass Ranch Partnership, construction is now underway on the first building in Eagle Pass – a Student Center – with future plans to expand facilities and degree offerings.

The motion for the name change reads, in part, “As we continue efforts to build a campus in Eagle Pass, Texas, as part of our efforts to establish an independent university to serve the middle Rio Grande region, it is equally important to create a unique identity. The proposed name change is a crucial interim step as we continue to expand programs and capacity in a manner that is consistent with a university. It elevates the institution from college to university, a significant distinction, and recognizes its geographic bi-national community status while embracing its Sul Ross roots.”

The Sul Ross instructional sites in Del Rio, Eagle Pass and Uvalde, which offer upper-division and graduate courses – and are co-located with Southwest Texas Junior College – were established as study centers in the 1990s and named Rio Grande College.

“This is an exciting time, and a celebration of our work as we progress toward a university in Eagle Pass,” said SRSU President Carlos Hernandez. “This will be a lengthy process and will require patience as we work to better serve the Middle Rio Grande Region in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.”