2002-2003 University Catalog

TABLE OF CONTENTS

UNIVERSITY CALENDARS & FINAL EXAMINATION SCHEDULES

TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY: AN OVERVIEW

ADMISSIONS

Pre-enrollment Recommendations

Admissions Requirements for First-Time Freshmen

International Students

Transfer Students

Tarleton University System Center – Central Texas

Post-Baccalaureate Admissions

Readmissions

Individual Approval

Academic Fresh Start

Transfer Articulation Policies

ACADEMIC INFORMATION

Student Classifications

Student Course Load

Division of General Studies

Class Attendance

Restricted Activities Period

Academic Honesty

Course Credit

Tuition Rebate

Grading System

Academic Appeals

Scholastic Honors

Accelerated Degree Program

Drop and Withdrawal Policies

Probation and Suspension

Forgiveness Options

Requirements for a Baccalaureate Degree

Interdisciplinary Degree Programs

Application for Degree

Class Rings

Explanation of Catalog Course Descriptions

Tarleton Libraries

Pre-Theological Program

Pre-Law Study

Cooperative Education

Audit Policy

Correspondence Courses for Baccalaureate Credit

Disability Services

Religious Education

Division of General Studies

Department of Military Science

STUDENT LIFE

Office of Student Life

Career Services

Financial Aid

Food Services

Housing and Residence Life

Multicultural Services

Recreational Sports

Rodeo Activities

Student Activities

Student Counseling Services

Student Development Center

Student Health Center

Student Leadership Programs

Student Publications

Athletics

Child Development Center

Parking and Automobile Regulations

The Tarleton State University Foundation, Inc.

Tarleton Alumni Association

EXPENSES

2002-2003 Regular Session Fees

2003 Summer Session Fees

Explanation of Fees

Payment of Fees

Refunds

Miscellaneous Fees

Determination of Residence for Tuition Purposes

FINANCIAL AID

Academic Eligibility Requirements for Financial Aid

Refund Policies on Student Financial Aid Awards

Loans

Short-Term Loans

Tuition and Fee Emergency Loans

Late Payments on Loans

Grants

Work Opportunities

Scholarships

Other Aid

Tuition and Student Fee Exemptions

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS

TARLETON UNIVERSITY SYSTEM CENTER – CENTRAL TEXAS

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE & HUMAN SCIENCES

  Agribusiness, Agronomy, Horticulture, & Range Management

Agricultural Services & Development

Animal Sciences

Human Sciences

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Accounting, Finance, and Economics

Computer Information Systems

  Management, Marketing, & Administrative Systems

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Curriculum & Instruction

Educational Administration, Counseling, & Psychology

Health & Physical Education

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL & FINE ARTS

English & Languages

Fine Arts & Communications

Social Sciences

Social Work, Sociology, & Criminal Justice

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Biological Sciences

Chemistry & Geosciences

Clinical Laboratory Sciences

Engineering Technology

Mathematics, Physics, & Engineering

Nursing

COLLEGE OF GRADUATE STUDIES

Agriculture & Human Sciences

Business Administration

Education

Liberal & Fine Arts

Science & Technology

UNDERGRADUATE & GRADUATE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

FACULTY AND STAFF

CAMPUS MAP
 
 

TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION

President Dr. Dennis P. McCabe

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs         Dr. Gary G. Peer

Vice President for Finance and Administration        Mr. Jerry Graham

Vice President for Institutional Advancement Dr. Koy M. Floyd

Vice President for Student Services        Dr. Wanda L. Mercer

Executive Director, Tarleton University System Center – Central Texas        Dr. John P. Idoux

IMPORTANT CAMPUS INFORMATION
 
 
 
  Phone T-Box
Academic Affairs    (254) 968-9103 T-0010
Admissions:   
Undergraduate 1-800-687-8236 or 9125 T-0030
Graduate 1-800-OUR GRAD or 9104 T-0350
Athletics  9178  T-0080
Business Services  9107  T-0120
Campus Tours 9256 T-0690
Campus Store 9007  T-0140
Dean of Student Life 9080 T-0675
Disability Services  9103 T-0010
Financial Aid 9070 T-0310
General Studies 9423 T-0340
Graduate Studies 9104 T-0350
Honors Programs 1926 T-0545
Housing and Residence Life  9083 T-0280
Information: During regular office hours 9000  
At other times 9265  
International Academic Programs  9632 T-0770
Library 9937 T-0450
Multicultural Services  9488 T-0490
President's Office 9100 T-0001
Recreational Sports 9912 T-0420
Recruiting/School Relations 9845 T-0610
Registrar 9121 T-0620
Scholarship Office  9922 T-0760
Student Activities (Office of)  9490 T-0670
Student Services 9081 T-0680
Teaching & Learning Center  9480 T-0700
Transcripts 9121 T-0620
University Police  9002 T-0560

Requests for information should be directed to the offices listed above, and all correspondence should include T-Box number. The University's mailing address for all inquiries is Tarleton State University, Stephenville, TX 76402. Visit our website at www.tarleton.edu. For phone numbers, area code and first three digits are 254 and 968, respectively.

Volume XCVII                      April 2002                Published Quarterly

Bulletin of 

Tarleton State University

Periodicals Postage Paid at Stephenville, TX 76401

Postmaster: Send address changes to

Box T-0610, Stephenville, TX 76402 
 
 


ACCREDITATION

Tarleton State University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the Associate, Bachelor's and Master's degrees.

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 

Commission on Colleges

1866 Southern Lane

Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097

Telephone: (404) 679-4500 FAX: (404) 679-4558

PRINCIPLE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

It is the policy of Tarleton State University to recruit, hire, train, and promote persons, as well as to make available any other programs and activities, including those for students, without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex (except in rare occasions where gender is a bona fide occupational qualification), national origin, handicap, or veteran status. Tarleton makes every effort to assure that no otherwise qualified handicapped person is, on the basis of a handicap, subjected to discrimination either as related to student involvement or employment in any of the University's programs or activities. Inquiries regarding compliance may be directed to the Equal Opportunity Coordinator, Room 106, Administration Annex (254) 968-9128 or to the Director of Disability Services, (254) 968-9103.

EQUAL EDUCATIONAL POLICY

In compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, complete equality exists in the offering of all benefits to students without regard to sex, race, color, or national origin. These benefits include such matters as housing, financial assistance, recruitment, and any type of personnel service.

PRIVACY OF INFORMATION

Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, the following data are designated as directory information and may be made public unless the student desires to withhold all or any portion of it: student's name, local address, home address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, military service status, religious preference, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, dates of University attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous education agency or institution attended. Any undergraduate or graduate student wishing to withhold any or all of this information should, within 10 days after the first class day, fill out the appropriate form, available at the Registrar's Office.

STUDENT RIGHT-TO-KNOW

Each year, Tarleton prepares a report in compliance with the Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act of 1990. The report, which is widely distributed on campus, includes information about University rules, campus safety, and graduation rates. The most recent report is available on the Tarleton website at http://www.tarleton.edu. Click on “Future Students” and “Right-to-Know.” A printed copy of the report is available at the Registrar’s Office.
 
 
 
 

Purpose of Catalog

This catalog is printed to provide information about the academic programs of Tarleton State University to students, prospective students, faculty, and staff of the University. While every effort has been made to make this catalog as complete and accurate as possible, changes may occur at any time in requirements, deadlines, fees, curricula, and courses listed in this catalog.

This catalog was prepared in advance of its effective date; therefore, academic programs and course descriptions may vary from actual program requirements and course content. Thus, the contents of the catalog cannot be considered an agreement or contract between individual students and the University.

The Tarleton State University Schedule of Classes is published for each semester and summer term and is available upon request from the Office of School Relations. Students should refer to the Schedule of Classes for the offerings in any given semester. For administrative reasons, because of insufficient enrollment or limited resources, a given course may not be offered in the announced semester.

UNIVERSITY CALENDARS &

FINAL EXAMINATION SCHEDULES

FALL SEMESTER 2002

April 1                Monday, registration for Fall 2002 begins. For more information, see Class Schedule. Contact your major department for advising times.

June 3                 Monday, priority date for completing student financial aid folder for first consideration for Fall Semester financial aid programs.

August 1            Thursday, priority date for submitting credentials for first-time enrollment at Tarleton for Fall Semester 2002.

August 22          Thursday, residence halls open at 9 AM.

August 22          Thursday, Last Chance Orientation (General Assembly and placement testing for all new students.)

August 26          Monday, classes begin.

August 26-28     Monday, through Wednesday, add/drop/late registration. $25 late fee will be assessed for late registrants.

August 28           Wednesday, last date to register for University credit.

September 2        Monday, Labor Day NO CLASSES.

September 6         Friday, deadline for graduation candidates to file for December degree conferral.

September 11       Wednesday, last day for dropping courses with no record.

October 13-19       Homecoming Week.

October 15            Tuesday, last day to apply for student teaching in Fall 2003.

October 15            Tuesday, midterm grades entered in student information system by 5 PM.

October 23            Wednesday, Writing Proficiency Examination.

October 24            Thursday, Writing Proficiency Examination.

November 1           Friday, last day to drop a course.

November 15         Friday, priority date for completing student financial aid folder for first consideration for Spring Semester financial aid programs.

November 15         Friday, deadline for submission of the final draft of the thesis to the Graduate Office.

November 28-30   Thanksgiving Holiday. (Holiday period begins 5 PM Wednesday, November 27.) UNIVERSITY CLOSED.

December 2           Monday, comprehensive exam results due in Graduate Office.

December 3           Tuesday, restricted activities period begins at 8 AM.

December 4           Wednesday, last class day; last day to withdraw from University.

December 5           Thursday, final examinations begin at 6:30 PM.

December 11         Wednesday, last day of final examinations.  Restricted activities ends at 9:00 PM.

December 12         Thursday, residence halls close at 10 AM.

December 12         Thursday, final grades for departmental Outstanding Graduates due in Registrar’s Office by 4 PM.

December 13         Friday, all grades entered in student information system by 4 PM.

December 14          Saturday, Commencement.

FINAL EXAMINATION SCHEDULE-STEPHENVILLE
 
Exam Time 8:00-10:30 AM 11:30 AM-

2:00 PM

3:00-5:30 PM 6:30-9:00 PM
Thur., Dec 5       R or TR

5:00 PM or later

Fri., Dec. 6 EDU 4303; all FR ENGL TR 8:00 AM MWF 10:00 AM MWF 4:00 PM
Sat., Dec. 7 ALL FR CHEM MWF 12:00

NOON

ALL MATH 1073  
Mon., Dec. 9 MWF 9:00 AM MWF 2:00 PM TR 10:50 AM M or MW 

or M-F

5:00 PM or later

Tue., Dec. 10 TR 9:25 AM MWF 1:00 PM TR 1:00 PM T 5:00 PM or later
Wed., Dec. 11 MWF 8:00 AM TR 2:25 PM MWF 11:00 AM W 5:00 PM or later

Classes having starting times not listed on the table (or within an hour of that starting time) will have their exam scheduled by the instructor between Thursday, December 5 and Wednesday, December 11.

Final examinations are to be given only on scheduled final examination days as printed on the Final Examination Schedule.

Any student with three or more final examinations on the same day may request of his/her instructors to take one of the final examinations on another day during the Final Examination Schedule.

Killeen Campus: Finals will be given between December 5 and December 11 at the regularly scheduled class time.
August                                 2002          September                    2002          October                               2002
S       M     T       W     T       F         S       S       M     T         W     T       F       S       S         M     T       W     T       F         S

1       2         3       1       2       3       4         5       6       7                         1       2       3       4       5

4       5       6       7       8       9         10     8       9       10         11     12     13     14     6         7       8       9       10         11     12

11     12     13     14     15         16     17     15     16         17     18     19     20         21     13     14     15         16     17     18     19

18     19     20     21     22         23     24     22     23         24     25     26     27         28     20     21     22         23     24     25     26

25     26     27     28     29         30     31     29     30                                            27         28     29     30     31

November                                    2002          December                              2002          January                               2003

S       M     T       W     T       F         S       S       M     T         W     T       F       S       S         M     T       W     T       F        S

1         2       1       2       3       4         5       6       7                            1       2       3       4

3       4       5       6       7       8         9       8       9       10         11     12     13     14     8         6       7       8       9         10     11

10     11     12     13     14         15     16     15     16         17     18     18     20         21     12     13     14         15     16     17     18

17     18     19     20     21         22     23     22     23         24     25     26     27         28     19     20     21         22     23     24     25

24     25     26     27     28         29     30     29     30         31                                         26     27     28     29         30     31

SPRING SEMESTER 2003

November 4  Monday, registration for Spring 2003 begins. For more information, see Class Schedule. Contact your major department for advising times.

November 15 Friday, priority date for completing student financial aid folder for first consideration for Spring Semester financial aid programs.

January 7       Tuesday, priority date for submitting credentials for first-time enrollment at Tarleton for Spring Semester 2003.

January 9       Thursday, residence halls open at 9 AM.

January 9       Thursday, general assembly and placement testing for all new students.

January 13     Monday, classes begin.

January 13-15  Monday through Wednesday, add/drop/late registration. $25 late fee will be assessed for late registrants.

January 15      Wednesday, last date to register for University credit.

January 20     Monday, Martin Luther King’s Birthday, UNIVERSITY CLOSED.

January 24     Friday, deadline for graduation candidates to file for May degree conferral.

January 29      Wednesday, last day for dropping courses with no record.

February 15     Last day to apply for student teaching in Spring 2004.

February 17     Monday, application deadline for all Fall 2003 scholarships administered by University Scholarship Committee.

February 26     Wednesday, Writing Proficiency Examination.

February 27     Thursday, Writing Proficiency Examination.

March 3           Monday, priority date for completing student financial aid folders for first consideration for Summer School.

March 7            Friday, midterm grades entered in student information system by 5 PM.

March 17-22    Spring Break. UNIVERSITY CLOSED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.

March 27        Thursday, last day to drop a course.

April 11          Friday, deadline for submission of the final draft of the thesis to the Graduate Office.

April 18-19    Friday, Saturday, No Classes.

April 25           Friday, comprehensive exam results due in Graduate Office.

April 29          Tuesday, restricted activities period begins at 8 AM.

April 30           Wednesday, last class day; last day to withdraw from University.

May 1             Thursday, final examinations begin at 6:30 PM.

May 7             Wednesday, last day of final examinations. Restricted activities ends at 9:00 PM.

May 8             Thursday, residence halls close at 10 AM.

May 8             Thursday, final grades for departmental Outstanding Graduates due in Registrar’s Office by 4 PM.

May 9             Friday, all final grades entered in student information system by 4 PM.

May 10           Saturday, Commencement.

February                             2003          March                           2003          April                              2003

S       M     T       W     T       F         S       S       M     T         W     T       F       S       S         M     T       W     T       F         S

         1                                                       1                         1         2       3       4       5

2       3       4       5       6       7         8       2       3       4       5         6       7       8       6       7         8       9       10     11         12

9       10     11     12     13         14     15     9       10         11     12     13     14         15     13     14     15         16     17     18     19

16     17     18     19     20         21     22     16     17         18     19     20     21         22     20     21     22         23     24     25     26

23     24     25     26     27         28              23     24         25     26     27     28         29     27     28     29         30

         30     31

May                                     2003          June                               2003          July                                2003

S       M     T       W     T       F         S       S       M     T         W     T       F       S       S         M     T       W     T       F         S

1       2         3      1       2       3       4         5       6       7                         1       2       3       4       5

4       5       6       7       8       9         10     8       9       10         11     12     13     14     6         7       8       9       10         11     12

11     12     13     14     15         16     17     15     16         17     18     19     20         21     13     14     15         16     17     18     19

18     19     20     21     22         23     24     22     23         24     25     26     27         28     20     21     22         23     24     25     26

25     26     27     28     29         30     31     29     30                                            27         28     29     30     31

FINAL EXAMINATION SCHEDULE-STEPHENVILLE
 
Exam Time 8:00-10:30 AM 11:30 AM-2:00 PM 3:00-5:30 PM 6:30-9:00 PM
Thur., May 1       R or TR

5:00 PM or later

Fri., May 2 EDU 4303; all 

FR ENGL

TR 8:00 AM MWF 10:00 AM MWF 4:00 PM
Sat., May 3 ALL FR CHEM MWF 12:00

NOON

ALL MATH 1073  
Mon., May 5 MWF 9:00 AM MWF 2:00 PM TR 10:50 AM M or MW or M-F

5:00 PM or later

Tue., May 6 TR 9:25 AM MWF 1:00 PM TR 1:00 PM T

5:00 PM or later

Wed., May 7 MWF 8:00 AM TR 2:25 PM MWF 11:00 AM W

5:00 PM or later

Classes having starting times not listed on the table (or within an hour of that starting time) will have their exam scheduled by the instructor between Thursday, May 1 and Wednesday, May 7.

Final examinations are to be given only on scheduled final examination days as printed on the Final Examination Schedule.

Any student with three or more final examinations on the same day may request of his/her instructors to take one of the final examinations on another day during the Final Examination Schedule.

Killeen Campus: Finals will be given between May 1 and May 7 at the regularly scheduled class time.
SUMMER SESSIONS 2003

10 week session* (June 2-August 7)

March 3                     Monday, deadline for completing student financial aid folder for first consideration for Summer Semester financial aid programs.

April 7-May 30         Academic Advisement and Registration for summer begins. For more information see Class Schedule. Contact your major department for advising times.

May 30                     Friday, residence halls open at 8 AM.

May 30                     Friday, general assembly and placement testing for all new students.

June 2                       Monday, classes begin.

June 2                       Monday, Add/Drop/Late registration. $25.00 late fee will be assessed for late registrants.

June 10                     Tuesday, last day for dropping courses with no record.

June 11                     Wednesday, deadline for graduation candidates to file for August degree conferral.

June 11                     Wednesday, Writing Proficiency Examination.

July 4                        Friday, Holiday. UNIVERSITY CLOSED.

July 11                     Friday, deadline for submission of the final draft of the thesis to the Graduate Office.

July 28                     Monday, comprehensive exam results due in Graduate Office.

August 6                 Wednesday, last class day; last day to withdraw from the University.

August 7                 Thursday, Final examinations will be held during normal class time.

*For additional course offerings, see printed schedule.

August 8              Friday, residence halls close at 10 AM.

August 9              Saturday, Commencement.

August 11             All grades entered into student information system by 4 PM.

5 week Session 1* (June 2-July 3)

March 3                Monday, deadline for completing student financial aid folder for first consideration for Summer Semester financial aid programs.

April 7-May 30    Academic Advisement and Registration for summer begins. For more information see Class Schedule. Contact your major department for advising times.

May 30                Friday, general assembly and placement testing for all new students.

June 2                  Monday, classes begin.

June 2                 Monday, Add/Drop/Late registration. $25.00 late fee will be assessed for late registrants.

June 5                 Thursday, last day for dropping courses with no record.

June 11               Wednesday, deadline for graduation candidates to file for August degree conferral.

June 11               Wednesday, Writing Proficiency Examination.

July 2                  Last class day; last day to withdraw from the University.

July 3                  Thursday, Final examinations held during normal class time.

July 4                   Friday, Holiday. UNIVERSITY CLOSED.

July 7                   All grades entered in student information system by 4 PM.

July 11                  Friday, deadline for submission of the final draft of the thesis to the Graduate Office.

July 28                  Monday, comprehensive exam results due in Graduate Office.

August 9            Saturday, Commencement.

5 week Session 2* (July 7-August 7)

March 3                Monday, deadline for completing student financial aid folder for first consideration for Summer Semester financial aid programs.

April 7-July 3       Academic Advisement and Registration for summer begins. For more information see Class Schedule. Contact your major department for advising times.

June 11                Wednesday, deadline for graduation candidates to file for August degree conferral.

June 11                Writing Proficiency Examination.

July 3                    Thursday, general assembly and placement testing for all new students.

July 4                    Friday, Holiday. UNIVERSITY CLOSED.

July 7                    Monday, classes begin.

July 10                   Thursday, last day for dropping courses with no record.

July 11                    Friday, deadline for submission of the final draft of the thesis to the Graduate Office.

July 28                    Monday, comprehensive exam results due in Graduate Office.

August 6                Wednesday, last class day; last day to withdraw from University.

August 7                Thursday, Final Examinations held during normal class time.

August 8                Friday, residence halls close at 10 AM.

August 9                Saturday, Commencement.

August 11              All grades entered in student information system by 4 PM.

*For additional course offerings, see printed schedule

TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY: AN OVERVIEW

THE TARLETON HERITAGE

For the last one hundred years, Tarleton State University, a public coeducational institution, has provided a broad-based education. Established by a $100,000 bequest of John Tarleton, an Erath County pioneer, John Tarleton College opened in 1899 as a private preparatory school and college for the youth of the surrounding rural region. During the next decade students could earn a baccalaureate degree. But in 1908, to compensate for declining enrollment and inadequate funding, college officials reorganized the institution on a two-year degree program, emphasizing a liberal arts education while retaining the two-year preparatory division. Again in 1916 Tarleton experienced financial difficulty; consequently, the Texas Legislature in 1917 placed the college in the state system of the Agricultural and Mechanical College, which would later become The Texas A&M University System. John Tarleton Agricultural College, as renamed by the Legislature, retained the two-year degree as well as the preparatory program and specialized in agriculture, home economics, and military training.

To meet the needs of a changing constituency, Tarleton has adjusted and enriched its curriculum since the 1920s. Accredited as a junior college by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1926, Tarleton gradually redeveloped a liberal arts education. Then in 1949 the Legislature again changed the name of the school to Tarleton State College, and in 1953 discontinued the preparatory division, reflecting the increased access to public school throughout the state. By a 1959 act of the Legislature, Tarleton once again became a four-year degree-granting institution, the first class graduating in 1963. Accredited as a senior college in 1966, Tarleton initiated many new programs, including graduate courses in 1970. Because Tarleton offered a broad liberal arts education within undergraduate and graduate degrees, the Texas Legislature recognized the institution as a university in 1973 and changed the name officially to Tarleton State University. Under a cooperative agreement with Texas A&M University - Commerce, a doctoral degree in Educational Administration became available in 1998.

Over the past century, Tarleton has grown from a small private college into a thriving state university with more than 8,000 students. In 1999, Tarleton established the first university system center in Texas, providing public upper-level academic programs for the citizens of central Texas. The Tarleton University System Center – Central Texas in Killeen and other sites located at the Terrell School of Clinical Laboratory Sciences in Fort Worth and the Dora Lee Langdon Center in Granbury have enabled Tarleton to meet diverse educational demands from across the state. Throughout its first one hundred years, Tarleton has never lost the commitment to excellence that was the vision of its founder, John Tarleton.

STATEMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL PURPOSE

VISION

Creating a Culture of Excellence for our Students

MISSION

The mission of Tarleton State University is to provide an academically challenging educational experience through effective teaching, scholarship, research, and service which enables students to pursue truth and acquire understanding, knowledge, and skills necessary for establishing successful careers and becoming responsible citizens and leaders.

PURPOSE AND ROLE

Tarleton State University is a regional, comprehensive university. Created in 1899, Tarleton provides educational programs which emphasize teaching excellence and service for students. The University functions as an educational, scientific, and cultural center for north-central Texas. While the primary emphasis is on teaching and excellence in the classroom, Tarleton is totally committed to expanding roles in research and service.
Tarleton, as a public university, is sensitive and responsive to the needs of the students it serves. Learning and the pursuit of truth are fostered in a culture of excellence which enables students to acquire knowledge, understanding, skills, and cultural experiences necessary to grow as individuals, achieve successful careers, and become responsible citizens and leaders. While offering a wide variety of professional and pre-professional undergraduate programs and graduate degrees in selected disciplines, Tarleton requires of all students a well-defined and thorough foundation in the liberal arts.

Tarleton expects its talented, dedicated faculty to achieve excellence in teaching, advising, and serving the individual student. Accordingly, the University recruits faculty and provides development programs to achieve this excellence. The University staff provides a variety of student services and professional expertise focused on enhancement of the student experience.

The University meets its public service leadership responsibility by enhancing the intellectual, cultural, and economic life of the region through an array of community education programs, numerous sponsored events, and the sharing of facilities and professional assistance.

Providing a campus culture of acceptance and friendliness, Tarleton welcomes individuals into the University community without regard to race, gender, conditions of disability, or national origin. While historically serving a regional student body, the University recognizes a growing state, national, and international representation on campus. Stressing equality and fairness, Tarleton pledges to continue meeting the educational needs of a changing society and an expanding world.

GOALS

1.    Excellence in Scholarship and Learning - Tarleton will ensure that its students have an educational experience of excellence that will result in their becoming knowledgeable and productive citizens.
2.    Student Services and Campus Life - Tarleton will create a friendly and caring campus culture that supports student scholarship, learning, and development in all aspects of university life.

3.    Access, Equity, and Inclusion - Tarleton will respond effectively, and with fairness, to the needs of all qualified students who represent a changing population in the State of Texas and in a diverse, global community.

4.    Leadership Development - Tarleton will graduate students who are committed to the improvement of society through their leadership and service.

5.    Institutional Advancement - Tarleton will secure additional funding sources, including private donations and federal and state grants, to help meet its needs and goals.

6.    Personnel and Resources - Tarleton will effectively manage its personnel and its financial, physical, and library resources to ensure outstanding academic programs and to provide a campus culture that is conducive to the pursuit of scholarship and excellence in learning.

7.    Educational Technology - Tarleton will incorporate electronic and communication technology in the library and throughout the University so that scholarship, teaching, research, outreach activities, and student services are current and effective.

8.    Historically Underutilized Businesses - Tarleton State University will establish and carry out policies governing purchasing and public works contracting that foster meaningful and substantive inclusion of historically underutilized businesses.

ENROLLMENT AND FACULTY

Approximately 8,000 students attend Tarleton State University, with a male-female ratio of 1:1. Students from approximately 220 Texas counties, 45 states, and 17 foreign countries comprise the student body. More than 275 full-time faculty are devoted to academic excellence and to the personal development of each student. The student-faculty ratio is 18:1.

THE CAMPUS

One of the most striking features of Tarleton State University is the spacious 125-acre campus located in the heart of Stephenville, a city of 15,000 people only 65 miles southwest of Fort Worth. Featuring malls, open space, and beautifully-landscaped grounds, the campus is dominated by majestic oak and pecan trees, which create a warm atmosphere for living and learning. The architectural integrity of aged red brick buildings is maintained campus wide. Tarleton is proud of its spacious classrooms, well-equipped laboratories, extensive library collections, and physical education and recreational complex. Other facilities include a multimedia foreign language laboratory, a modern Fine Arts Center, and updated agricultural facilities.

An ongoing construction and modernization program ensures that Tarleton keeps abreast of new developments. The Student Development Center, a 90,000-square-foot facility opened in Fall 1994, is the hub for campus activity and an integral part of the University’s educational environment. The Center offers a food court, bookstore, post office, game room, conference and meeting facilities, study areas, and commuter lounge. During Spring 2001, Tarleton completed construction of a new $30 million science building. This facility provides state-of-the-art laboratory and classroom space for students to engage in study and research and offers the only planetarium in The Texas A&M University System.

The Tarleton University System Center – Central Texas was established in Killeen in September 1999 to serve the Killeen-Temple metropolitan area, which has a combined population of more than 300,000 and is the fifth fastest growing region in Texas. The System Center uses existing facilities on the Central Texas College campus to provide upper-level and graduate courses and degree programs to approximately 1,400 students. Through sharing facilities with Central Texas College, Temple College, Fort Hood, area school districts, and the Blacklands Research Center in Temple, the Center provides residents of the area with access to affordable upper-level higher education.

THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

Academic institutions under the direction of the Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University System include:

Prairie View A&M University

Tarleton State University

Texas A&M International University

Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University - Commerce

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Texas A&M University - Texarkana

West Texas A&M University

Other agencies and programs in The Texas A&M University System are:

Texas A&M University – Health Science Center

Texas Agricultural Experiment Station

Texas Cooperative Extension

Texas Engineering Experiment Station

Texas Engineering Extension Service

Texas Forest Service

Texas Transportation Institute

Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

Texas Wildlife Damage Management Service

BOARD OF REGENTS

Mr. Erle Nye, Chair                Dallas

Dr. Dionel E. Avilés                Houston

Mr. Phil Adams                     Bryan