For UPDATES to the 2008 - 2009 Catalog (Printed Copy) Please reference page(s) following Index TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-TEXARKANA 2008-2009 GENERAL CATALOG VOLUME 26 A MEMBER OF THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM 2600 North Robison Road P.O. Box 5518 Texarkana, Texas 75505-5518 Phone: (903) 223-3000 Fax: (903) 223-3140 http://www.tamut.edu The provisions of this catalog do not constitute a contract, express or implied, between any applicant, student, faculty or staff member of Texas A&M University-Texarkana or The Texas A&M University System. This catalog is for informational purposes only. The University reserves the right to change or alter any statement herein without prior notice. This catalog should not be interpreted to allow a student who begins his or her education under the catalog to continue the program under the provisions in the catalog. President’s Message President’s Message President’s want to thank you for selecting Texas A&M University-Texarkana. This is a very exciting time in the history of the University. The first building at the new I Main Campus, the Science & Technology Building, is finished and classes have begun there. Currently, new degree programs are being added to the curriculum to meet the needs of the local community and the entire region. In the future, the University will expand downward and begin to service the educational needs of freshmen and sophomore students. This will allow our citizens the opportunity to obtain a degree near home without having to leave the area if they desire to do so. Our dedicated faculty members are here to assist you in obtaining the education that you will need to make you successful. We can help you achieve your dreams with everything from Engineering to Education; Communications to Business; English to History; Nursing to Criminal Justice; Psychology to Biology and the list goes on. I wish you much success with your studies at A&M-Texarkana. You will find out that you can receive a high quality education at an affordable price. Our goal is to produce quality graduates within a career-oriented curriculum at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Please don’t hesitate to contact us should you need any assistance. We are glad you are with us! Dr. Carlisle B. Rathburn III, President Texas A&M University-Texarkana 2 Texas A&M University-Texarkana A&M-Texarkana In Profile A&M-Texarkana A&M-Texarkana In Profile Located on the border of Texas and Arkansas, Texas A&M University-Texarkana is an upper-level university serving junior, senior and graduate students and proudly providing the citizens of northeast Texas and three neighboring states a convenient opportunity to earn a four-year or graduate degree. A&M-Texarkana is a non-residential institution dedicated to offering career-oriented studies. Degrees are awarded from three colleges: The College of Business, College of Arts & Sciences and Education and the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences. A proposed fourth college, The College of Engineering and Information Sciences is being developed. A baccalaureate degree program in computer and information sciences is available. A&M-Texarkana is one of three institutions which became members of The Texas A&M University System in 1996. The university’s faculty members emphasize teaching and advising. Over 90% of A&M-Texarkana’s faculty have a doctoral degree in their field of instruction. The faculty to student ratio is 1 to 14, and the Spring 2008 semester enrollment was 1648. The average student age is 32. Each semester, approximately 73% of students are female and 61% are enrolled part-time. Students in Oklahoma and Arkansas attend at in-state tuition rates, and historically, 28% of the student body is from Arkansas. Distant education centers are located at Northeast Texas Community College near Mount Pleasant and the Hallsville Independent School District. A&M-Texarkana offers flexible, year-round courses. Students may select from 8 degrees and 18 majors at the undergraduate level, 5 degrees and 12 disciplines at the master’s level, and can obtain 24 teaching certifications and endorsements. Located 175 miles east of Dallas, Texarkana is a city of 65,000 at the northeast corner of the state sharing a state line with Texarkana, Arkansas. A&M-Texarkana shares a campus with the community college, Texarkana College, and shares the college’s physical education center and student center. The university and Texarkana College jointly operate the Palmer Memorial and John F. Moss Library of more than 170,000 volumes. This library was doubled in size in 1985 with the completion of a building expansion project. A&M-Texarkana and Texarkana College also cooperate by sharing faculty and facilities to offer a joint four-year science specialization for elementary education majors. The university’s first building was the A.M. and Welma Aikin Instructional Systems Center, a modern building of three stories and 52,000 sq. ft. completed in 1978 which contains staff, administrative and student services offices. In 1997, construction began on a new addition to add classroom space, faculty offices and state-of-the-art instructional facilities. The almost $5 million Academic Building was dedicated in February 1999. The university received a gift of 300 plus acres of land in 2004 from the City of Texarkana, Texas for a new campus site. The new main campus is located on the north side of the city near Bringle Lake. The Science & Technology Building is currently under construction. The three level, 42,000 square foot building will house computer and information sciences and future engineering degree programs. To recognize academic achievement, the university has established chapters of national honor societies in English, history, business, psychology and education. A&M-Texarkana counseling students have among the highest passing rates on the Licensed Professional Counselor exam. In past years, one university accounting student scored first in Texas and third in the nation on the CPA exam. Another has scored second on the CPA exam given in Oklahoma. The passage rate of the Texas teacher certification exam by A&M-Texarkana education students has been extremely high. The Professional Development School, a partnership program with Texarkana, Texas ISD, was introduced in the 2004 fall semester. This exciting new program will better equip future teachers by providing them more experience in the classroom and by allowing them to work side-by-side with other teachers. The university’s total budget for the 2007 fiscal year is $ 17,005,001. The state appropriations portion of the total budget is $12,584,750. Additional information about A&M-Texarkana can be obtained from the university’s web site: http:// www.tamut.edu. A webcam has been set up at the new campus so that building progress can be monitored. Click on the Webcam tab on the homepage to view progress at the new main campus. The university’s main telephone number is (903) 223-3000 and the FAX number is (903) 223-3140. 2008-2009 General Catalog 3 tive A&M-Texarkana in Perspective During the period 1969 to 1973, the Texas Legislature created nine upper-level institutions. Five were designated “free-standing” and four were designated “centers.” East Texas State University at Texarkana, established in 1971, fell into the “center” category. The institutions were similar in that: (1) They were located on the campus of a community college; (2) They were created to serve relatively isolated populations and to increase educational access for students “place bound” because of family, job, or economic circumstances; (3) While they held separate accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, they offered baccalaureate and masters degrees in the name of a parent institution. ETSU-T conducted its activities in accordance with guidelines for upper-level institutions issued by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in 1973. They included: (1) Maintain a commitment to excellence in teaching and openness to innovation in educational methods and materials; (2) Give special consideration to the needs of older students who want to re-enter college to enter a new vocation; (3) Provide an atmosphere of openness, adaptability, maturity, and scholarship; (4) Permit transfer students with diverse backgrounds to work toward educational goals with minimum loss of time, credits or money; (5) Provide programs responsive A&M-Texarkana In Perspec A&M-Texarkana to student interests and needs of area industry which serve as direct entry into occupations rather than research oriented professions; (6) Offer admission, orientation, guidance, counseling, academic and career assistance specifically for the student ready to begin program specialization. The university began its service to the Northeast Texas area in 1971 with a planning year directed by Dr. John F. Moss, it’s first president. In the fall of 1972, 323 students were admitted. Today, the university has over 1600 students. In the first years, the university leased space from Texarkana College. In 1977-78, the A.M. and Welma Aikin Instructional Systems Center was built in honor of the late Texas State Senator and his wife from Paris who were instrumental in the progress of education. In 1983, the legislature appropriated funds to build a new library which effectively doubled the size of the old one. In September of 1996, the university became a member The Texas A&M University System, changing its name from East Texas State University at Texarkana to Texas A&M University-Texarkana under the leadership of Dr. Stephen Hensley, its second president. In August 2006, construction began at a new campus site near Bringle Lake. Construction of the Science & Technology Building was completed June 2008. This new 42,000 square foot state-of-the-art building houses computer and information sciences, biology, as well as, engineering programs.