The Brownsville staff of the UTRGV Human Resources Department relocated last month from The Woods on Alton Gloor Boulevard to the new Vaquero Plaza, located at 2395 W. University Blvd., to facilitate accessibility for the campus community.
Trini Yunes, director of Human Resources, said the new location makes it easier for faculty and staff to address any concerns they have in person.
“We would like to invite everyone to get the opportunity to come in if they have any related matter for the entire Brownsville campus,” Yunes said. “It is about two blocks, walking distance, from campus.”
The new location is near Casa Bella, the university’s student housing complex. The department’s office hours will remain the same.
She said students who stop by can receive help to “apply for jobs if needed, or if they need to come and do their I-9 [form], their employment verification, their on-boarding paperwork, or come in for any questions.”
The 5,730-square-foot building took six months to renovate before its opening.
Asked what caused the relocation, Yunes replied, “It’s my understanding that the lease for The Woods was coming up, and this building had been acquired earlier last year. They decided to put all the business affairs and all the accounting and HR folks in that new building.”
The HR department also welcomes students, faculty and staff to ask questions about areas including benefits, payroll, training and employee relations.
From September 2016 to August 2017, the department recorded 952 students, faculty and staff receiving help through walk-in appointments.
“Since we’ve moved over here … I started seeing that more students are coming in,” said Jesus Escalante, a salary administrator in the Brownsville office.
Escalante also said the new location is convenient for students who may not have transportation.
For the last four years, the department was located at 451 E. Alton Gloor Blvd.
The other buildings in the Vaquero Plaza are called Building One and Building Three. Building One is 4,533 square feet, while Building Three is 2,365 square feet. There are currently no renovation plans for these buildings.
Gerardo Rodriguez, director of Facilities Planning and Construction, said the university will save $28,278 monthly in rent. The university has spent $2.2 million on the relocation.
The cost includes engineering fees, construction, equipment, furniture, landscape, internet fiber optic line and moving expenses.
Several other departments are housed at the new location: Parking and Transportation Services, Procurement, Accounting Services, Audits and Consulting Services, and Accounts Payable.
“It’s also beneficial, especially for the business, accounting and Procurement and HR,” Rodriguez said. “Those are departments that the old [location] wouldn’t have allowed a lot of visitors.”
To contact Human Resources, call 665-2451 in Edinburg and 882-8205 in Brownsville, or email hr@utrgv.edu.
