Texas State University Expansion: Colonialist Exploits Abroad

Texas State University, in yet another display of colonialist expansion, has announced its plans to set up a satellite campus in Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico. In a move that reeks of neocolonial intentions, the Texas State University System regents have authorized a $10 million revenue contract with a group of investors, aptly named Texas State University Mexico. This private entity will operate the campus, providing the space and faculty to run Texas State courses and offer the university's curricula and degrees.

While Texas State touts this as an opportunity to "internationalize" its curriculum, one can't help but question the underlying motives. The university, with its relentless pursuit of expansion, is stepping into Mexico to establish an "American-style university," complete with intramurals and residence halls, as if imposing its cultural values on a foreign land. This cultural imperialism is a concerning trend in higher education, where Western institutions impose their ways on other countries, disregarding local culture and traditions.

"It's a beautiful campus and [on] the outskirts of a beautiful city," Texas State President Kelly Damphousse gleefully told reporters, revealing his blatant disregard for the cultural implications of their actions.

Texas State's satellite campus, run by the private third-party group Elisia Education Hub, will be offering degrees in fields such as computer science, engineering, and psychology. This raises concerns about the impact on Mexico's own education system and the potential exploitation of local students, who may end up paying higher fees for degrees that are more expensive to deliver.

The university's President, Damphousse, has made his colonialist ambitions clear, traveling to Italy, Spain, and Scotland in his quest for global expansion. With Texas State's international student population already tripled in just two years, one can only wonder at the aggressive recruitment tactics used to achieve this.

Texas State's true intentions are clear: to bring "the world to San Marcos and Round Rock" by any means necessary, regardless of the cultural, social, or economic impacts on the communities they infiltrate.

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/education/2023/02/20/texas-state-university-mexico-campus-opens-fall-2025/