Frisco - November 2023

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Frisco Edition VOLUME 11, ISSUE 4 NOV. 9DEC. 11, 2023

2023 Higher Education Guide

Expansion of programs such as welding at Collin College’s technical campus in Allen has been one factor leading to the school’s growth.

COURTESY SARA CARPENTER

New opportunities fuel growth at Collin College

Collin College has expanded over the last three years, opening new campuses, launching programs and expanding dual enrollment opportunities for local high school students.

2020, and its student body increased 8% heading into the 2023 fall semester. As much of higher education was “hit very hard” by the pandemic, Abe Johnson, Collin College senior vice president of campus operations, said

BY MICHAEL CROUCHLEY & HANNAH JOHNSON

As Collin County’s population has boomed in recent years, Collin College’s enrollment has followed suit. The school rebounded from an enrollment dip in

CONTINUED ON 20

Also in this issue

Impacts: Dillas Quesadillas to open second Frisco location (Page 7)

Education: Learn about local higher education (Pages 1521)

Transportation: TxDOT ocials select US 380 alignment (Page 25)

Business: Pet locations trending in Frisco (Page 35)

Naughty or Nice? Hav a ey t Have you been

1. 2. 3.

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Impacts

North Frisco

Now open

UNIVERSITY DR.

380

PGAPKWY.

1 Atlas Pet Vets The veterinarian office is family owned and operated by Drs. Lauren and Daniel Anthony. • Opened Oct. 30 • 10150 Legacy Drive, Ste. 500, Frisco • www.atlaspetvets.com

ROCKHILL PKWY.

VIRGINIA PKWY.

DNT TOLL

LEWISVILLE LAKE

PANTHER CREEK PKWY.

SPORTS VILLAGE RD.

2478

2 3

2 Ivybrook Academy Frisco The academy offers small class sizes. • Opened Oct. 30 • 5055 Panther Creek Parkway, Frisco • www.ivybrookacademy.com/frisco

ELDORADO PKWY.

DNT TOLL

SMOTHERMAN RD.

JOHN W. ELLIOT DR.

3 Jon Smith Subs The shop offers sandwiches with grilled and deli meats. • Opened Sept. 12 • 5001 Panther Creek Parkway, Ste. 400, Frisco • www.jonsmithsubs.com 4 Cold Stone Creamery The location serves ice cream, smoothies and sundaes.

KINGRD.

MAINST.

Frisco

289

ROLATER RD.

423

S TONEBROOK PKWY.

SRT TOLL

MAP NOT TO SCALE

GAYLORD PKWY.

WARREN PKWY.

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8 Alisa Joy Bridal Boutique The boutique will sell donated gowns at a discount with a majority of the proceeds going to nonprofits, which help women rescued from sex trafficking. • Opening Nov. 11 • 25663 Smotherman Road, Ste. 305, Frisco • www.alisajoybridalboutique.com

• Opened Oct. 6 • 1710 FM 423, Ste. 200, Frisco • www.coldstonecreamery.com

Coming soon

5 Jet’s Pizza The pizza joint offers Detroit-style pizza. • Opened Oct. 11 • 1951 FM 423, Ste. 300, Frisco • www.jetspizza.com

Relocations

6 Sushi Nunu The menu includes sashimi, rolls, udon and katsu. • Opened Oct. 11 • 12275 University Drive, Ste. 150, Frisco • www.instagram.com/p/CyPgNAmsqaX 7 Sunshine Pediatrics The office services include sick visits and sports physicals. • Opened Aug. 21 • 11547 Independence Parkway, Ste. 500, Frisco • www.sunshinepediatricstx.com

9 Earnest B’s BBQ & Catering The restaurant serves lunch and breakfast options. It relocated from 6100 SH 121, Frisco. • Relocated Oct. 23 • 6065 Sports Village Road, Ste. 800, Frisco • www.earnestbbqcatering.com

11 Dillas Quesadillas A second Dillas Quesadillas is opening in Frisco. Its first Frisco location opened in 2017. Dillas serves made-to-order gourmet quesadillas, such as a Buffalo bacon quesadilla and hot hatch quesadilla. • Opening mid-November • 2055 W. University Drive, Frisco • www.dillas.com

In the news

10 Rollertown Brewery Frisco Planning and Zoning Commission members approved an open space and site plan for a Rollertown Brewery during an Oct. 10 meeting. • Located on the corner of Main Street and John W. Elliot Drive • www.rollertownbeerworks.com

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FRISCO EDITION

UNIVERSITY DR.

380

Impacts

PGAPKWY.

ROCKHILL PKWY.

VIRGINIA PKWY.

drinks, such as matcha lattes, smoothies, teas and sparkling drinks, are also available alongside a sandwich menu. • Opened Aug. 30

HILLCREST RD.

PANTHER CREEK PKWY.

2478

289

DNT TOLL

• 8877 Wade Blvd., Ste. 300, Frisco • https://coffeeufrisco.square.site

ELDORADO PKWY.

5 Taco Joint Menu items include The Sophie—a vegetarian taco featuring a whole wheat tortilla filled with a mix of carrots, squash, zucchini, bell peppers and onions topped with cheese and tomatoes. • Opened Oct. 10

Frisco

423

KINGST.

MAINST.

PARKWOOD BLVD.

• 4387 Main St., Frisco • www.thetacojoint.com

ROLATER RD.

WADE BLVD.

STONEBROOK PKWY.

LEWISVILLE LAKE

6 PappaRoti The bakery offers several flavors of coffee buns, as well as coffee, tea, milkshakes and more. This is the second PappaRoti location to open in North Texas, and a third is expected to open in McKinney, according to the

WARREN PKWY.

LEBANONR

THE STAR BLVD.

COWBOYS WAY

company website. • Opened Oct. 12 • 9188 Prestmont Place, Ste. 100, Frisco • https://papparoti.us/menu

PRESTMONT PL.

WINNING DR.

GAYLORD PKWY.

WARREN PKWY.

SRT TOLL

WARREN PKWY.

7 Three Empire Brewing Co. A new local brewery is open and ready for business in Frisco. A grand opening is tentatively scheduled for November, co-owner David Wible said. More information on Three Empire Brewing Co., including grand opening updates, can be found on its website or social media. • Soft opened Sept. 30 • 6990 Main St., Ste. 200, Frisco • https://three-empires-brewing-company.square.site

MAP NOT TO SCALE

South Frisco

2017 and has another location in Carrollton. • Opened Oct. 1 • 9150 Warren Parkway, Frisco • www.tesolife.com/en 3 Suravi’s Chapter 1 The restaurant’s menu includes appetizers, kebabs, curries and biryani, according to its website. • Opened Sept. 11 • 2552 Stonebrook Parkway, Ste. 500, Frisco • www.suravischapters.com 4 Coffee U The location offers espresso-based drinks, such as lattes, Americanos, macchiatos and mochas, as well as drip coffee, according to its website. Noncaffeinated

Now open

1 Great American Cookies The menu includes cookies, cookie cakes, brownies and

Coming soon

icing sandwiches. • Opened Oct. 2 • 2601 Preston Road, Ste. 1092, Frisco • www.greatamericancookies.com

8 Ramen Akira The incoming restaurant will serve traditional Japanese ramen with a slight Italian twist. The menu includes bluefin and avocado carpaccio, spicy garlic chicken ramen, curry rice and deep-fried soft shell crab. • Opening in November • 6801 Warren Parkway, Ste. 125, Frisco • www.ramenakira.com

2 Teso Life The store sells Asian groceries, beauty products, kitchen supplies, pet supplies and more. According to the company’s website, Teso Life was founded in May

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9 Suravi’s Chapter 2 The restaurant’s menu lists appetizers, kebabs, curries and more.

Now open

• Opening at the end of November • 11625 Custer Road, Ste. 100, Frisco • www.suravischapters.com

10 Dua Trattoria The Italian restaurant pushed its opening date. The business will offer Italian fares with a twist for lunch, brunch, dinner and late-night drinks. • Expected to open Nov. 6 • 5225 Warren Parkway, Frisco • www.duafrisco.com

Closings

11 Wahlburgers Frisco’s location is no longer listed on the company’s website, and the location is vacant. The location offered a variety of burgers and sandwiches. • Closed Sept. 28

12 Unicorndog The restaurant offers Korean-style corndogs, rice bowls and desserts, such as funnel cakes and “croffles,” which are croissant waffles, according to its website.

• Opened Sept. 4 • 8811 Teel Parkway, Ste. 160, Frisco • www.order.online/business/unicorndog-395804

• 3685 The Star Blvd., Frisco • https://wahlburgers.com

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FRISCO EDITION

Government

Frisco officials approve contract for Grand Park site analysis, study City officials have made the next step toward bringing Grand Park to Frisco. Frisco City Council members approved a $167,500 contract with Design Workshop Inc. for services including a site analysis and three framework studies for Grand Park during an Oct. 17 meeting. The breakdown A site analysis is one of the last steps before city officials see designs for the 275-acre park, Parks and Recreation Director Shannon Coates said. “You’re so close,” Coates said. Other deliverables from Design Workshop Inc. will include a project schedule, a work plan and a market study, according to meeting documents.

Frisco adds 12 pickleball spaces

• Nov. 19, 2022 Big Bluestem Trail opens, the first “activation” for residents to explore the park land • Dec. 6, 2022 work session for Grand Park • April 4, 2023 $394,000 contract with design company IDEO approved to craft vision • June 30, 2023 summer work session with vision statement • Aug. 15, 2023 work session to discuss vision and experience principles for Grand Park • Oct. 17, 2023 Council approves $167,500 contract with Design Workshop, Inc. for site analysis and framework studies • January 2024 winter work session to feature Grand Park updates Constructing Grand Park Grand Park continues to progress in Frisco as officials most recently approved a design contract.

Pickleball players now have nearly 20 courts to choose from in Frisco. Pickleball lines have been painted onto some existing tennis courts, creating an additional 12 courts at The Grove at Frisco Commons and Frisco Athletic Center. “Our residents have been asking for more courts for quite some time,” Mayor Jeff Cheney said in an Oct. 20 news release. “These dual-purpose courts will help us meet our growing need.” The gist Adding lines to existing tennis courts brings the city’s pickleball court count to 17. “Frisco is a fast-growing community with an active lifestyle,” Cheney said. “It’s no surprise our residents are passionate about pickleball.”

SOURCE: CITY OF FRISCO/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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Council members to tour arts venues Three City Council members will tour multiple performing arts complexes and venues this fall as officials work to bring Frisco residents a performing arts complex of their own. The details Frisco City Council members Tammy Meinershagen, John Keating and Mayor Jeff Cheney volunteered to join a three-member ad hoc committee to tour performing arts complexes during an Oct. 3 meeting. The tours in Florida and North Carolina should help city officials see what perform- ing arts complexes could work for Frisco, according to a meeting presentation. The committee’s findings will be pre- sented at a January work session meeting.

Frisco council verifies civil service, collective bargaining for ballot Frisco residents will see two Frisco Fire Depart- ment items on the May ballot. Frisco City Council members certified two Frisco Fire Fighter Association petitions during an Oct. 17 meeting. The petitions met the signature require- ments to put civil service and collective bargaining on the general election ballot. Some context Council’s acceptance of the petitions was the most recent action in an effort to bring civil service and collective bargaining to Frisco’s Fire Department. Association members began collecting sig- natures July 11 before submitting the two peti- tions—with an estimated count of more than 5,000 signatures combined—to the city Aug. 21.

Understanding the items If approved, the items on the ballot would change the structure of the Frisco Fire Department. • Civil service is a system with a three-citizen commission to assess the hiring, firing and promotion of firefighters. • Collective bargaining is a system allowing the fire department to become its own bargaining agents when it comes to agreements on wages, staff numbers and recruitment.

SOURCE: TEXAS STATE LAW LIBRARY/COMMUNITY IMPACT

It took seven staff members from the city secretary’s office and one volunteer approximately 519 hours to verify all of the signatures. The big picture The resolutions were adopted because of council’s belief in transparency and residents’ legal right to call for a vote on their issues, Mayor Jeff Cheney said. “Council, by taking an affirmative position on these items, does not mean that we support the items,” Cheney said.

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Education

Collin College to add esthetician program Collin College has announced a new esthetician program with classes set to begin in spring 2024. Two-minute impact The program will train students to recognize, assess and perform esthetic procedures and treatments to improve the health condition of the skin, according to the release. The program is an entry-level noncredit certificate program with 750 state-required classroom and lab hours. The program also offers advanced courses for professional development licensed estheticians. Collin College is in the process of gaining approval for the program from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

Securing schools

All secondary schools have a full-time school resource officer. Middle school resource officers assist in covering elementary schools. The district only uses commissioned peace officers.

3 special program schools

1 intermediate school

43 elementary schools

12 high schools

18 middle schools

SOURCE: FRISCO ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT

FISD officials to evaluate 3 security firm bids Frisco ISD officials will evaluate the top three security firm bids for armed security guards. What’s happening? During an Oct. 10 board meeting, FISD Chief Operations Officer Scott Warstler said a committee evaluated the bids the district received from 19

private security companies. The district partners with police departments in Frisco, Plano, McKinney and Little Elm to provide school resource officers in campuses. The board of trustees directed district employees to provide monthly updates concerning safety and security for the district. Looking ahead An update on the review process will be given in November, Warstler said.

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Frisco ISD hires new elementary principal Frisco ISD unanimously approved Valerie Bearden as Shawnee Trail Elementary School’s principal during an Oct. 10 board meeting. The details Bearden was most recently the assistant principal at Tadlock Elementary, a district official said. Her previous roles include teaching second, third and fourth grades, and instructional coach.

Prosper ISD joins lawsuit against TEA standards Prosper ISD officials joined more than 50 Texas school districts in a lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency. “I’m thankful for all the districts in the state of Texas who have taken this stand on behalf of Texas public schools,” Prosper ISD Superintendent Holly Ferguson said at the Sept. 18 board meeting. What’s happening? The district’s board of trustees unanimously voted to join a lawsuit against the TEA over its failure to adequately notify school districts on the changes made to the way accountability ratings are calculated as well as the lack of transparency in making the changes, according to the board’s resolution. The TEA’s failure to provide advance notice to school districts of the changes made to the A-F accountability system violated state law,

“I wish the state of Texas would ask us what the true experience of a child is in Prosper ISD. It has nothing to do with a STAAR test.” HOLLY FERGUSON, PROSPER ISD SUPERINTENDENT

the resolution stated. Per Texas Education Code 39.0542, the education commissioner is required to provide school districts with a “simple, acces- sible” document explaining the accountability performance measures, methods and procedures that will be applied to their campus performance ratings. The lack of advanced notice harmed the district, the board’s resolution stated. Other districts signing onto the lawsuit include: • Frisco ISD

“I wanted to give a shout-out to the incredible talent pool that’s coming to our district,” RENÉ ARCHAMBAULT, FRISCO ISD TRUSTEE

• McKinney ISD • Richardson ISD

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FRISCO EDITION

INNOVATION MEETS EDUCATION: UNT FRISCO'S PROJECT DESIGN AND ANALYSIS PROGRAM SHAPES TOMORROW'S LEADERS Q&A The story was produced by Multi-Platform Journalist Mary Katherine Shapiro with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team. Students in the Project Design and Analysis program at University of North Texas at Frisco have the unique opportunity to work with local business leaders to solve real industry problems and gain valuable experience through project-based learning. Kevin Sanders, Director of Project- Based Learning, explains the principles of project-based learning, its practical applications at the university and how this approach better equips students for their future careers.

Kevin Sanders, Director of Project-Based Learning

Can you give a basic definition of project-based learning? Sanders: Project-based learning is a concept in which we try to build a curriculum around a centralized project throughout the course of the semester. At UNT at Frisco, we build that project around an industry partner. We identify an industry problem and we work to solve that problem throughout the course of the semester. How do you think that prepares students for what they’re going to do after college? Sanders: I think it really heightens the stakes because they’re not working with a simulation or theoretical problem. They’re working with something that somebody from an industry has actually identified as something that they need help with. One of the benefits of project-based learning is that it does increase the degree of authorship and ownership that a student has over their work. Our students are getting a chance to see what works and what doesn’t work because they’re getting feedback in real time. Therefore, when our students are going to work full time and doing interviews after they graduate, they have a little bit of a better grasp of what works and how to take those things from a classroom and actually apply them to the real world.

Can you give some background on the project- based learning program at UNT Frisco? Sanders: We are in year five of our Project Design and Analysis program. That was the original program that kind of launched project-based learning at our campus. Frisco is around so much industry. We wanted to be innovative and be kind of disruptive in what we were doing with education. It doesn’t make sense to have all these companies here and not work with them or utilize them. In many ways, you’ll see a lot of the programs that we do really have an industry emphasis without losing the integrity of what an academic program should be. Would a student have a specific major within the Project Design and Analysis program? Sanders: Instead of just teaching a certain set of skills so students can go do this one specific trade, we’re giving students a wide range of skills and then allowing them to go out to the open marketplace and say, ‘How do I want to use these skills to make my mark on the industry?’ For Gen Z students, the idea of not being restricted and having the freedom to kind of choose your own destiny and plot your own course is really, really appealing.

What does project-based learning look like in the classroom? Can you give some examples of projects you might assign? Sanders: Right now, we have a group of students working with a nonprofit company called Serve Denton as they build a Resilience Hub. Last semester, our students canvassed the community and did base-level research. This semester, our students are exploring what the community might need and what might be the best use for that space. They’re applying some of their awesome project management skills and utilizing their design- thinking backgrounds. Have you gotten any positive feedback from students who have graduated from the program? Sanders: We have three students who are alums of our program who went and worked at a company in the area, and they’ve actually come back now and they’re talking about getting some of our current students internships with that company as well. I think it speaks to not only the student experience but also the health of our program, that we’re producing quality professionals who want to come back and want to be involved. Is there anything else you want to share about the program? Sanders: I think the project-based learning programs at UNT Frisco are probably some of the best kept secrets. A lot of people don’t know that they’re out there. Our campuses will as always open for visitors and people to come by and see us. Students can reach out to our campus and we will set up a time for them to come visit and see what’s going on.

Scan here to schedule a tour of UNT Frisco and discover more about project-based learning

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Education

BY HANNAH JOHNSON

Higher Education Guide

2023

Local college enrollment

Fall student enrollment

Largest academic programs by enrollment Fall 2022

All the Frisco higher education institutions have multiple locations that contribute to the total enrollment. All but Amberton University saw an increase in enrollment from 2021 to 2022.

35,000

Master of Business Administration 163 318 Master of Arts in Professional Counseling

32,500

Amberton University 3880 Parkwood Blvd., Bldg. 7, Frisco www.amberton.edu

30,000

5,036 Business, Management, Marketing and related services 12,703 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 7,154 Business, Management, Marketing and related services

Collin College 9700 Wade Blvd., Frisco www.collin.edu University of North Texas 12995 Preston Road, Frisco www.frisco.unt.edu

2,500

3,382 Visual and Performing Arts

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

SOURCE: TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Less than 9th grade Associate degree

9th-12th grade, no diploma

High school graduate

Some college, no degree

Highest educational attainment

Bachelor's degree

Graduate or professional degree

Frisco

Collin County*

Denton County

* THESE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN ROUNDED.

SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 2021 AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY 5-YEAR ESTIMATES/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Texas degrees awarded in 2022

By public institutions

By gender

By ethnicity

Female

Male

56.79% 164,369

59.11% 178,304

300K 250K 350K 200K 150K 100K 50K

Hispanic/Latino: 116,016 White: 105,401

All other races/ethnicities: 10,048 International: 13,093 Asian: 22,375 African American/Black: 34,726

2018

2022

43.21% 125,084

40.89% 123,355

2018 2019 2020

2021

2022

SOURCE: TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD/COMMUNITY IMPACT

FRISCO EDITION

Education

University of North Texas reaches highest enrollment in fall “We are preparing students both academically and professionally,” said Eileen Buecher, the university’s assistant vice president for student affairs and career success. The university has 244 degree options across its undergraduate and graduate programs.

More students are enrolled in the University of North Texas than ever. The overview Total enrollment reached 46,940 for the fall semester, according to a news release. The more than 5% growth comes from first-time-in-col- lege freshman, graduate students and students enrolled at the university’s new UNT at Frisco campus, the release states. The number of undergraduates has increased 2.6% from the fall 2022 semester to fall 2023. “We are providing more and more students the opportunity to attend college and earn a degree that prepares them for a successful career with top employers,” UNT President Neal Smatresk said. Diving in deeper Since 2019, the university has accounted for 52.3% of growth in new enrollees at state public universities.

Enrollment Growth The University of North Texas saw student enrollment grow 5.4% from the fall 2022 semester to the fall 2023 semester. Fall 2022 Fall 2023*

“There’s this unifying experience based on everyone’s different interests,” Buecher said. Zooming in Enrollment at UNT at Frisco has grown with more than 3,140 students at Frisco Landing, the first permanent building in the university’s Collin County branch that opened in January. With the growth occurring in the Frisco and Dallas-Fort Worth areas, Buecher said there are opportunities for students when graduating. “Being in the right place at the right time ... I think it’s a win-win for everyone,” she said. “There’s so much we can do, and we’re on [the] path to making it happen right now.”

46,940

33,672

13,268

44,336

32,836

11,503

Total student enrollment

Undergraduate students

Graduate students

SOURCE: UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS/COMMUNITY IMPACT *ENROLLMENT NUMBERS ARE UNOFFICIAL UNTIL VERIFIED BY THE TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD.

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Satish Gupta cuts a ribbon to celebrate the career center’s dedication at Frisco Landing with Frisco Mayor Je Cheney and UNT President Neal Smatresk.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS

UNT at Frisco Career Center preps students for jobs

More paths traveled.

University of North Texas students can explore career options and nd internships or jobs through the new Satish and Yasmin Gupta Career Center at Frisco Landing on Sept. 21. A $3 million endowment cre- ated the center in UNT at Frisco, according to a news release. About the program The center is located at the front of the Frisco Landing building and has a conference room, said Eileen Buecher, student aairs and career success assistant vice president. “As soon as you walk into the building, it is about career read- iness,” she said. “We’re walking the talk where career readiness is embedded into their academic experience.” The career center provides career-readiness activities to undergraduate and graduate students, Buecher said. The center has specialists, who Buecher said work with students through coaching and workshops. The impact Internships and workshops

Center resources

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Career fairs

Self assessments

Finding internships

Graduate school applications

SOURCE: UNT AT FRISCOCOMMUNITY IMPACT

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at the center are built into the program’s curriculum. “We want it to be embedded in all UNT students that career readiness is a part of their journey that we’re committing to, so they can evolve into their best selves,” Buecher said. The center is open to hosting community events, she said. The specialists also host weekly career fairs with three to ve local employers. “There’s so much potential and opportunities for the university, the students and our employer partners,” Buecher said.

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Education

BY HANNAH JOHNSON

Get to know Audhesh Paswan, UNT at Frisco’s newest dean Audhesh Paswan was named dean of University of North Texas’ College of Applied and Collabora- tive Studies, previously known as New College, on March 1. Paswan earned his Ph.D. from the University of Mississippi. He joined the University of North Texas as a professor of marketing in 1999 after a career in the advertising industry and working as a brand manager in the pharmaceutical industry. Before moving to his current role, Paswan had served as the associate dean of academic affairs in UNT’s G. Brint Ryan College of Business since 2015. The university opened its Frisco campus build- ing, called Frisco Landing, in January. Paswan sat down with Community Impact to discuss the accomplishments of UNT at Frisco during its first year and his hopes going into its second year. What accomplishment would you highlight since you started at Frisco Landing? When I started, my first question to [Provost Michael McPherson] was, “How long do we want to remain New College?” I said I would like to talk to the faculty and let the faculty decide what name they want. That’s how the College of Applied and Collaborative Studies came about. Now we have a name that reflects what we do. Is there an advantage to having a UNT campus be in close proximity to the industry in North Texas? Instead of waiting for your customers to come to you, you go to your customers. Most businesses

Frisco Landing features The UNT at Frisco campus opened in January 2023. Frisco Landing, located at 12995 Preston Road, is home to the College of Applied and Collaborative Studies.

135,000- square- foot building

28 classrooms

69 huddle rooms

90+ digital screens

8 undergraduate programs

11 graduate programs

SOURCE: UNT AT FRISCO/COMMUNITY IMPACT

COURTESY AHNA HUBNIK/UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS

experiences and treat them as a credit. What are your hopes for Frisco Landing going into its second year? Increasing the bottom line—no two ways about it. I would like our student population to move from 3,000 to somewhere around 5,000 in two years’ time. I would like the local business and community to see [Frisco Landing] as a place where they can come in, interact with students, talk to faculty and create something they hadn’t thought about before. I would like to have more presence of community and business at UNT Frisco’s campuses.

after a period of time reach a saturation point in the marketplace, so they have to find new markets. Instead of waiting for the market to come to you, you go to the market with a value that the particular market wants. How will UNT at Frisco create innovative programs to meet the needs of the North Texas workforce? Think about a lot of people who start college after they finish high school, and somewhere down the line, life happens. They start working and don’t know if [they] can go back and finish [their] degree. More often than not, if you tried to go back to college after working, you will have to do a lot of prerequisites. Most people say, “I don’t have time; I can’t give up my work.” [UNT at Frisco] allows us to remove those separations from life and education and blend them together to take their work experience and life

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For a longer version, visit communityimpact.com .

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FRISCO EDITION

From the cover

New opportunities fuel growth at Collin College

Diving in deeper

The gist

Population growth and Collin College’s aord- ability has caused dual enrollment to grow, said Raul Martinez, Collin College associate vice presi- dent of primary-through-12th grade partnerships. Collin College supplies academic counselors to Frisco ISD schools, said Tiany Carey, FISD’s director of innovative learning. This helps students navigate the college application process and provides customer service to the district for the dual credit partnership.

The district’s student participation in dual credit programs has grown by 35% over the last semester, Carey said. This growth comes from holding the classes on FISD’s campuses, the classes working with the schools’ schedule and including dual credit in the online course selection process, she said. “It takes all of us collaborating to make it happen for students and we are excited to see a continued growth in the program,” Carey said.

Dual enrollment students make up 28% of Collin College’s credit enrollment and have been the biggest area of growth for the school, which partners with all of the independent school districts in its service area. Since 2021, Collin College campuses have opened in Celina and Wylie, and a technical campus opened in Allen. The new campus locations were chosen because data showed that students were less likely to attend if they had to commute more than 20 minutes, Johnson said. The school has also expanded to oer four bachelor’s programs.

Frisco ISD dual credit enrollment Frisco ISD saw a more than 40% increase in its dual credit program this fall compared to fall 2019.

1,953

1,687

1,441

1,392

1,347

1,284

+40.30% over 4 years

1,220

1,179

The breakdown Dual enrollment at Collin College has increased over the last two years.

1,115

Fall

Spring 2020

Fall Spring 2020 2021

Fall 2021

Spring 2022

Fall 2022

Spring 2023

Fall 2023

2019

Fall semester enrollment

SOURCE: FRISCO ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Total credit students Dual enrollment students

33,996

21.16%

Quotes of Note

35,392

26.21%

“Our community is growing—and we are a community college—so we have had to be responsive.” ABE JOHNSON, COLLIN COLLEGE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF CAMPUS OPERATIONS

“We are one community all working toward the same goal of helping every student by name and need.” TIFFANY CAREY, FRISCO ISD INNOVATIVE LEARNING DIRECTOR

33,690

19.86%

35,085

25.51%

28.45%

37,998

SOURCE: COLLIN COLLEGECOMMUNITY IMPACT

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What else

What’s next?

Collin College’s technical campus has allowed the school to oer several high-demand programs. “We started oering programs that we’ve never oered before,” Johnson said. “The technical programs like welding, automotive, construction management and things of that nature—our region was hungry for those programs. All of those programs have grown by leaps and bounds since we started.” The college has continued to expand opportu- nities within those programs as well. The most recent example is a partnership with Toyota for its automotive technician program, which provides a fast track for automotive technician students to work in Toyota and Lexus dealerships. Martinez added these programs have contrib- uted to the growth of dual enrollment students. “Four-year universities are not for everybody,” he said. “Some people just need a little bit of training to get them into a high-wage, high-de- mand job.”

New campuses and new programs could be in Collin College’s future. Johnson said school ocials plan to expand workforce programs and add a fth baccalaureate program to its current lineup which includes: • Clinical Operations Management • Construction Management • Cybersecurity • Nursing He also added Collin College owns properties in Anna and Royse City, but any new campuses won’t be built until “much further down the line.” Right now, the focus is ne tuning what the school already oers. “Our immediate plan of attack is to look at the campuses we do have,” Johnson said.

Collin College’s construction management program is oered at the school’s technical college in Allen.

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FRISCO EDITION

Transportation

Ongoing projects

UNIVERSITY DR.

380

PGAPKWY.

ROCKHILL PKWY.

1 Fields Parkway and South Frisco Street creation

FIELDS PKWY.

VIRGINIA PKWY. ELDORADO PKWY.

OLIVE BRANCH DR.

Project: The construction of Fields Parkway and South Frisco Street will create a road from the new Panther Creek Parkway to Dallas Parkway. Update: The project will construct a six-lane divided roadway. • Timeline: September 2023-December 2024 • Cost: $12.94 million • Funding source: city of Frisco 2 Woodsboro Way light installations Project: Lights will be installed along Woodsboro Way from Eldorado Parkway to Newton Drive. Update: The project is under construction. • Timeline: December 2022-December 2023 • Cost: $1.78 million • Funding source: city of Frisco

RESEARCH RD.

LEWISVILLE LAKE

PANTHER CREEK PKWY.

NEWTON DR.

FRISCO ST.

2478

FRISCO ST.

ELDORADO PKWY .

SPORTS VILLAGE RD. TECHNOLOGY DR. ALL STARS AVE. 8D

WOODSBORO WAY

289

DNT TOLL

KINGST.

MAINST.

MAIN ST.

Frisco

DNT TOLL

ROLATER RD.

423

STONEBROOK PKWY.

LEBANON RD.

Upcoming projects

SRT TOLL

TODD DR.

3 Legacy Drive and Stonebrook Parkway widening project Project: Both A Legacy Drive and B Stonebrook

MAP NOT TO SCALE N

GAYLORD PKWY.

BY SAMANTHA DOUTY

6 Teel Parkway widening Project: The project includes widening Teel Parkway from Staord Middle School to Olive Branch Drive. Update: The widening project will expand the two-lane roadway to a four-lane divided roadway, according to information on Frisco’s Capital Improvement Projects. • Timeline: 2025-2026 • Cost: $8.5 million • Funding source: city of Frisco 7 Legacy Drive widening Project: The project will span from Panther Creek Parkway to Main Street. Update: The project is in the planning phase. • Timeline: September 2025-December 2026 • Cost: $21.17 million • Funding source: city of Frisco 8 Frisco Street roundabout additions Project: Frisco Street will see four roundabouts added. Update: The roundabouts will be placed on Frisco Street at the A Research Road, B All Stars Avenue C Sports Village Road and D Technology Drive intersections. • Timeline: September 2024-March 2026 • Cost: $7 million • Funding source: city of Frisco

parkway will be expanded. The project spans Legacy Drive from Lebanon Road to Stonebrook Parkway. Stonebrook will be widened from Legacy Drive to 4th Army Drive. Update: The project is currently in the planning phase and will be bid on in 2025. • Timeline: June 2025-December 2026 • Cost: $21.17 million • Funding source: city of Frisco 4 Lebanon Road widening Project: Lebanon Road will be widened from a four lane divided roadway to a six-lane divided roadway. The project spans Lebanon Road from FM 423 to Todd Drive. Update: The project is currently in the design phase and will bid no later than September 2024. • Timeline: September 2024-December 2025 • Cost: $14 million • Funding source: city of Frisco 5 Ohio Drive Roundabout creation Project: A roundabout will be built on Ohio Drive at Gaylord Parkway. Update: The project is currently in the design phase and will bid by September 2024. • Timeline: September 2024-December 2025 • Cost: $2.8 million • Funding source: city of Frisco

Ongoing project

9 North Frisco Street lane construction Project: The project will span from Fields Parkway to PGA Parkway, according to information on Frisco’s Capital Improvement Projects. Update: The project will construct a two-lane roadway, and bidding for the project happened earlier this year. • Timeline: September 2023-December 2024 • Cost: $ 20.86 million • Funding source: city of Frisco

LITTLE ELM 27100 Hwy 380 (972) 347-9630

LOWRY CROSSING 4100 E US 380 (972) 540-2500 THE COLONY 4901 Hwy 121 (214) 469-2113

ALLEN 1839 N Central Expressway (972) 908-3488

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