By Daniel Yanez | News Editor

The Visual Communication program will hold an open forum Nov. 16 at 5 p.m. regarding the university’s decision to relocate its courses offered at the University Centers at Dallas to El Centro College.

The agreement that A&M-Commerce recently signed with the Dallas County Community College District to relocate its classes and late semester notice about the decision sparked student concern.

“We were informed that the university is shutting down UCD and relocating the Visual Communication program to a much smaller space at El Centro,” Cooper Weinstein, photography and design student said.

Weinstein said the UCD campus has benefited students in the VisCom program to prosper. Weinstein said the group of students has become a part of the Dallas Design Community and the Professional Association for Design by hosting galleries and AIGA meetings.

“We highly encourage everyone come out to voice their opinions,” Weinstein said.

According to Weinstein, University President Ray Keck and other university members will be in attendance.

UCD adjunct professor Vince Sidwell said via comments on The East Texan website that the decision to relocate the UCD courses will pose more problems for the university.

“I am not reacting based on fear of change and I have understanding and respect of the financial issues associated with supporting a remote location,” Sidwell said. “The new location

chosen by the university will reduce enrollment, reduce the quality of the student work, diminish our prestige and place our student body at risk.”

Cora Woodward, an alumna of the university, said the decision was dishonest and a “terrible loss for students.”

“Prospective students were not told about the move happening until recently,” Woodward said. “Prospective students were being given tours of our facility even while they knew they would be moving us. The lack of transparency and dishonesty is appalling.”

“Even though our program is immensely successful, the university deems their resources not worthy for use towards this our future growth or our legacy,” Woodward said. “Taking away this well-earned space is to really spit in their faces. All the students are upset and rightfully so.”