A tech-savvy campus

Apple electronics are now available for purchase in the newly opened Vaquero Tech Center in both campus bookstores.

UTRGV held ribbon-cutting ceremonies for Vaquero Tech Centers on Nov. 19 in the Brownsville and Edinburg campus bookstores.

The centers display various electronic products for purchase, including computers, tablets and watches from brands such as Apple, Dell, Surface Pros, Chromebooks and HP.

Repair services and Apple Care assistance will also be available for products, according to Joanna Garza, the Brownsville campus bookstore manager.

“That will mostly be based in Edinburg, but we will have a drop-off service in Brownsville for repairs,” Garza said. “We can basically ship that out, receive it and then get it back to the customer.”

The centers will be open during regular campus bookstore hours of operation.

UTRGV and Texas Southmost College students, faculty, staff and alumni will receive a year-round 8% discount off the retail price. In special events during the year, an additional 8% discount might be offered.

Garza said they will have several promotions that align with Apple. For example, the company’s back-to-school program in which buyers receive free Beats headphones if they buy a Mac or MacBook Pro.

She believes the centers will benefit students greatly.

Students can make purchases at the Vaquero Tech Center before receiving their financial aid checks.

“They can shop in advance through our store or online to get the electronics they need so that they can succeed in their classrooms,” Garza said.

The Financial Aid Office will offer cost of attendance adjustments to students with receipts of items purchased in the centers.

Garza said technology is important for students.

“I mean, everything we do is on our phone,” she said. “I feel like every day and every year, more and more we’re shifting away from physical textbooks and moving towards electronic books. … We’re really excited that we’re going to be able to facilitate and be able to provide this for students on campus.”

Art Brownlow, faculty fellow for Academic Innovation with the Office of Academic Affairs, said they have been working on the tech centers since 2016 in collaboration with the campus bookstores, Auxiliary Business Services, Academic Affairs and Apple.

“Before, the nearest Apple store was in San Antonio,” Brownlow said. “Now, this is the only Apple store of any kind south of San Antonio. … So, this allows … our students to have access to affordable Apple and other technologies for their student success, for their digital literacy.”

He said the partnership with Apple will be ongoing.

Asked why technology is important for college students, Brownlow replied that there is a disruption coming to the American workforce.

“If our students aren’t digitally literate, if they don’t understand how to work these devices and what they’re all about, their futures will be compromised,” he said. “They need to understand technology. They need to be digitally literate and this is going to help them do that.”

A drawing for $25 and $50 gift cards, as well as a pair of Airpods, was conducted during the event. Winners were David Fisher, Alexis Moreno and Joan Morales, respectively. 

Nayeli Garcia, an English graduate student, said the center is making products more affordable for students.

“They are letting Financial Aid know about it as well, so Financial Aid is going to be able to offer some kind of monetary benefit for them so that way they can go ahead and afford them, as opposed to your retailer store, where you have to get it on credit or you might not even be able to apply for it,” Garcia said.

She is looking forward to buying products from the tech centers and believes they will be beneficial to students.

“I think that [technology is] very necessary in order to be successful so that we can access our homework, our assignments, our lessons or even just tutorials, different things that are offered because, and it makes it a lot easier because it’s all online,” she said.

Emmanuel Garcia, a music senior with a concentration in piano, said that although he does not plan to purchase a product soon, the center is “cool.”

“It’s very, very important because times are changing,” he said. “Technology is the future of college and it really helps kids like me … and also, it benefits teachers.”

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