UT Tyler Breaks Ground on Longview University Center Expansion

July 10, 2024 | Hannah Buchanan

The University of Texas at Tyler broke ground on the expansion of the UT Tyler Longview University Center. The 10,144-square-foot annex will add a 65-person classroom, multipurpose lab space, nursing skills and health assessment labs, along with centralized study spaces. The new facility allows for the expansion of bachelor’s and graduate degree programs in Longview and Gregg County.

“This expansion will allow us to introduce new nursing and science programs and increase our
presence in Longview, helping meet education needs and provide more support for health care
services across the region,” said UT Tyler President Julie V. Philley, MD.

The new building will particularly contribute to the continued growth and expansion of the nursing
program, which is projected to see an increased enrollment by 20 percent minimally over the next
two years, according to Dr. Rodney Ellis, UT Tyler LUC director.

“We are excited about this new facility, which helps with our collective impact and projected
growth on the nearly 50 acres on the campus,” Ellis said. “We look forward to being an anchor for
growth in northeast Longview as more and more public and private investment is made here,
spurring continued economic development in the area.”

The LUC expansion will also provide shared classroom space for LUC-Kilgore College partnership
general education programs and dual enrollment instruction for the UT Tyler University Academy
campus in Longview.

Project completion is set for fall 2025. The first phase of road work has already been completed,
Ellis added.

The Longview University Center offers students in Longview and Gregg County cost-saving convenience, greater flexibility in scheduling their classes and reduced travel expenses, all while receiving a UT Tyler degree. LUC currently offers nursing and industrial technology degree competition courses as well as education and business management courses.

For more information, contact Ellis at rellis@uttyler.edu, or visit uttyler.edu/academics/colleges-schools/longview/index.php.

With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to nearly 10,000 students. Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.