PURPOSE AND ROLE
As a comprehensive, public university, Tarleton State University is the educational, scientific, and cultural center for the rapidly growing greater north central Texas area and provides educational programs that feature teaching excellence, faculty and student research, and student services. The university’s current Carnegie Classification is categorized as Master’s Colleges and Universities (Larger Programs).
Tarleton is sensitive and responsive to both society’s and students’ needs. Its culture of excellence fosters learning and encourages the pursuit of truth while enabling students to acquire the knowledge, achieve the understanding, and engage the skills and cultural experiences necessary in educated, civil individuals. Tarleton offers selected associate degrees, a wide variety of professional and pre-professional programs leading to degrees at the baccalaureate and master’s levels, and a doctoral program in education.
Tarleton’s faculty excels in teaching, advising, scholarship, research, and student service. The university attracts excellent faculty and provides development programs to enrich faculty skills. The university staff provides a variety of student services and professional expertise focused on enhancement of the college experience for students. The university serves the public by enhancing the intellectual, cultural, and economic life of the region with an array of programs, sponsored events, professional assistance, and facilities.
The State of Texas and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board authorized the Tarleton University System Center-Central Texas to begin offering classes in the fall of 1999 using the pathway model. The center provides improved educational access to students in central Texas.
Tarleton’s commitment to applied and basic research continues to develop. The number and dollar amounts of sponsored research grants at Tarleton have increased significantly. The university has a well-known state institute, the Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research (TIAER), pursuing a national leadership role in environmental research, and a nationally known Center for Agribusiness Excellence (CAE) receiving significant federal grants for research and development of data warehousing, data mining systems. Tarleton provides a campus culture of acceptance and friendliness, welcoming individuals into the university community without regard to race, gender, conditions of disability, or national origin. Having once focused on a predominately regional student body, the university now serves a growing population of state-wide, national, and international students. Dedicated to equality and fairness, the Tarleton community continues to meet the educational needs of the rapidly growing north central Texas region, the State of Texas, and a changing global society.