Texas A&M University-Texarkana

Mission

The mission of Texas A&M University-Texarkana is to provide residents of northeast Texas with the broadest possible access to quality educational opportunities and services. Within the scope of its legislative mandate as an upper-level regional university, A&M-Texarkana offers a broad array of undergraduate programs and an increasing number of master’s-level programs and is committed to meeting the educational needs of its students.

The university serves the broadest possible spectrum of its constituency, including traditional students transferring from a community college and the nontraditional adult students returning to update or complete a degree. It is our belief that higher education should be accessible for all qualified students, and A&M-Texarkana emphasizes the importance of cultural diversity in the learning environment.

A cornerstone of the university’s philosophy is the belief that education should form a foundation for continuing intellectual development or lifelong learning while preparing individuals for gainful employment. Thus, A&M-Texarkana stresses the development of interpersonal interactions that will enhance work and personal relations, and the abilities to think critically and communicate effectively. Because the workplace of the future will require higher-level skills, A&M-Texarkana prepares students for a knowledge-based, technology-oriented economy and society.

The university also emphasizes its community service role by encouraging the active participation of faculty and staff in providing services to area civic, government and business organizations and by providing professional development to serve the entire community and region.

In both its teaching and community service roles, the institution seeks to be responsive to the needs of both the public and private sectors of our region as well as to those of the larger society. The university responds to regional needs by conducting action research and providing training, internships and community service to regional agencies, businesses and schools.

Priorities and Goals

Increase Student Enrollment to 2,800

  • Expand existing programs, diversify program delivery methods and develop new programs in response to emerging disciplines and the needs of employers
  • Increase recruitment activities
  • Increase enrollment, and retention and graduation rates
  • Increase on-campus student activities and phase in athletic programs
  • Increase funding for financial aid
  • Set tuition and fees in a manner that “closes the gaps” in participation and success
    • Cultivate public-sector partnerships to improve student preparation and teacher education, and nurture articulation agreements with institutions of higher education for seamless student transitions

Become a Comprehensive University

  • Downward expand to include freshman- and sophomore-level courses
  • Identify and develop programs in the fine arts, humanities, natural sciences, information technologies and engineering that are necessary to becoming a comprehensive university
  • Deliver core programs that develop essential life skills in leadership and global citizenship in all students
  • Recruit resources in support of the development into a comprehensive university
  • Institute residential life with innovative programs and services that integrate students into the intellectual and social life of the university
  • Develop a doctoral degree program of study

Increase Overall Funding and Diversify the Revenue Stream to Reduce Dependence on State Funding

  • Increase private funding
  • Obtain increased higher education state funding, particularly general revenue, for access and research excellence
  • Increase funding from external grants
  • Leverage resources to provide maximum benefit to the state and enhance accountability
  • Increase the proportion of local revenue in the total budget
  • Utilize statutory revenue provisions as needed
  • Secure funds that encourage and reward excellence
  • Obtain state competitive grants to match business contributions for acquiring equipment and software and for maintaining high-tech instructional laboratories
  • Increase affordability through academic and administrative efficiencies
  • Clearly communicate to the public and Texas Legislature the benefits higher education brings to the state

Obtain National Accreditation in Business, Education, Nursing, Counseling and Engineering

  • Identify criteria and costs for national accreditation
  • Allocate resources to implement plans for accreditation
  • Produce high-quality graduates for the state of Texas and beyond

Increase Scholarly Activity and Research Productivity

  • Reduce teaching loads to nine hours for those actively involved in research that will lead to publication and grant acquisition
  • Provide graduate assistant support
  • Provide training in research methods and grantsmanship
  • Facilitate collaborative efforts within the university, across the A&M System, with other institutions of higher education and with business and industry
  • Double the number of publications in FY 2009 as compared to FY 2003
  • Provide mini grants through the Research Enhancement Program
  • Increase the amount of external research funds
  • Strengthen and expand faculty colloquia and establish other opportunities to showcase faculty research

Enhance the University’s Role as a Center for Life-long Learning and Cultural Enrichment

  • Develop the continuing education aspect of A&M-Texarkana’s mission with student-funded and community-funded events
  • Enhance the concept of outreach in undergraduate, graduate and continuing education with the use of instructional technology
  • Develop and market life-long learning opportunities through course auditing and other options
  • Enhance speaker series to invite more speakers and advertise the events to a broader audience
  • Make fine arts programs available to citizens of our region in cooperation with TRAHC, the museum system and other agencies

Commentary on Top Priorities

Increase Student Enrollment to 2,800

Although the university goals are not listed in priority order, this goal would have to be one of the top priorities. This goal intersects and supports many of the other goals of the institution.

  • In order to achieve an enrollment of 2,800, the university needs to physically expand its facilities and expand downward to include lower-division classes for freshmen and sophomore students. A major achievement of FY 2005 is receiving gifts of land totaling approximately 375 acres to allow for the expansion of the current facilities. Approximately 300 acres were received as a gift from the City of Texarkana, Texas. Approximately 75 acres were received as a gift from the Truman and Anita Arnold Foundation. It is expected that the closings on the property will occur before the end of FY 2005. Related to the property, the City of Texarkana, Texas, has agreed to construct roads connecting the property to the two major traffic arteries in Texarkana, Richmond Road and Summerhill Road. The estimated value of the land gifts and road construction is approximately $30 million.
  • It has been the goal of the university for many years to work through the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) to obtain signage on Interstate Highway 30 identifying the A&M-Texarkana exit. TXDOT has approved the signage, which should be installed before the end of FY 2005.
  • Permission was received to use tuition revenue bond (TRB) funding for the master plan for the above-mentioned property. This campus master plan was completed and reported to the Board of Regents in January 2005.
  • The university is currently in the process of designing a science and technology building to be built on the new campus site. It is expected that this design will be completed before the end of FY 2005. The construction for this building should begin in FY 2006 and be completed in FY 2007.
  • The university requested $65 million in TRB funding from the 79th Legislature to finish building the first phase of the campus on the new campus site. The legislature has completed the 79th session without taking action on the TRB funding. Working with community leaders, the university has received visits from the governor, the lieutenant governor and the state comptroller to garner support for this request.
  • A new record for university headcount enrollment and semester credit hour production for fall enrollment was set in fall 2004. The headcount was 1,540 and the semester credit hour production was 12,233. Student demographic data indicated that the average student is female, is slightly older than the typical university student, lives outside the Texarkana area, and is enrolled part-time. The student body is 71.8 percent female and 28.2 percent male. The average age of the student population is 32 years. On average, students commute 30 miles each way to campus and enroll for eight semester credit hours per semester. Forty-three percent of the students receive financial aid in the form of grants, loans, scholarships or veterans’ benefits. The student population is 80.7 percent Anglo; 14.4 percent African American; 2.9 percent Hispanic; and 1 percent Native American.
  • Because of its status as an upper-level university, A&M-Texarkana students enter the university with approximately 60 semester credit hours of college. Most students transfer from a community college; the remainder transfer from a comprehensive four-year college or university. This places A&M-Texarkana in a unique position with regard to reporting graduation and retention rates. The student transfer persistence rate, percentage of first-time, full-time, degree-seeking transfer students after one academic year, at A&M-Texarkana continues to be 81 percent. The transfer graduation rate, percentage of first-time, full-time, degree-seeking transfer students who earn a baccalaureate degree within four academic years of entering the university, is 80 percent.
  • Consistent with its designation as an upper-level university, A&M-Texarkana does not offer lower-division or developmental course work. Students who lack necessary freshman- and sophomore-level courses are advised to satisfy those requirements at a community college.

Become a Comprehensive University

Upper-level campuses in Texas have very limited program authority. At A&M-Texarkana, the first 25 years of existence involved two basic program areas: business and teacher education. In order to become a comprehensive university, the table of programs will need to be greatly expanded.

  • Three programs have been approved by the A&M System Board of Regents and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). The baccalaureate degree in computer and information sciences was approved; this degree will be very important for the citizens of northeast Texas. Two of these approvals involved expansion of program authority for existing programs in bachelor of applied arts and sciences (BAAS) and MBA. The BAAS program involves the evaluation of experiential learning and awarding of credit toward a baccalaureate degree. The approval of expansion allows the university to serve a student base in Garland. The approval of expansion for the MBA allows the university to offer all or part of the degree using web-based technology.
  • A primary focus continues to be the delivery of high-quality academic programs. To ensure this, program quality is assessed using several data sources and review processes. National accreditation, one measure of program quality, is addressed elsewhere in this document. Curriculum review and revision processes are also employed. As the result of a comprehensive review and restructuring of the graduate degrees offered in education, five degree programs—the master of science and the master of arts in elementary education, the master of science and master of arts in secondary education, and the master of education—were consolidated into two degree programs: the master of science in curriculum and instruction and the master of science in education. The review and redesign process included input from the professional community and resulted in the development of degree programs that are consistent with the professional literature, current research and best practices. This change will result in more effective and efficient use of the faculty in those programs. The Board of Regents has approved this change and it is now being considered by THECB. Following the university’s program review cycle, external reviews were conducted on the criminal justice and sociology program, the accounting program, and the psychology program. Each evaluation served to monitor and document curricular modifications, evaluate curricular consistencies, and assess program and student learning outcomes.
  • Work to delineate a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), a critical aspect of the process for ensuring the delivery of high-quality academic programs, continued throughout 2004. When finalized, the plan will delineate the university’s plans for enhancing student learning based on a comprehensive review of data concerning faculty, students, programs and resources. The QEP committee that includes broad representation from across the university and community oversees the formation of this vision and plan for institutional excellence over the next five years. One, or possibly a combination of the following, will be the focus of the QEP: (a) assessment of learning; (b) communications skills; (c) alignment of professional standards and curriculum; (d) critical thinking skills; or (e) leadership skills.
  • Cooperative relationships with other educational agencies are very important to the attainment of this goal. The university developed several new cooperative relationships during FY 2005. The university cooperated with Kilgore Community College (KCC) to offer the early childhood to fourth grade (EC-4) program for teacher education. A cohort of students was identified in Hallsville and the university will teach its classes in the Hallsville Schools. KCC has completed its instruction to this cohort and A&M-Texarkana began its courses in FY2005.
  • The university strengthened its cooperative efforts with Northeast Texas Community College (NTCC). The university had a cooperative program offered on the NTCC campus to allow students to complete their baccalaureate in mathematics education or EC-4 with a special education option. A tenure-track mathematics faculty member was hired to be housed on the NTCC campus to help the students in that program. The university is working with NTCC to also cooperatively offer a baccalaureate degree in criminal justice and has strengthened its offerings in that area. Planning for the delivery of the science education program is under way. This program would include a tenure-track faculty member to be housed on the NTCC program.
  • The university and Texarkana Independent School District (TISD) worked cooperatively to begin a professional development school. TISD pays A&M-Texarkana teacher interns a salary and provides them with a master teacher to help train them as they complete a full academic year teaching experience. A&M-Texarkana provides a faculty member to be housed at the school to work with the master teachers and the interns for the year. Since this is the first year of operation, both TISD and the university have had to work very closely together to make the operation work. However, even with some rough spots, the feedback on the program is very positive, and we hope to be able to expand it in the future.
  • TISD and the university have cooperated to provide a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction for an annual cohort of at least 30 TISD teachers. The two institutions worked together on the design of the degree program, and it is tailored specifically for the TISD teachers. This program has been approved by the Board of Regents and is under consideration by THECB.

Increase Overall Funding and Diversify the Revenue Stream to Reduce Dependence on State Funding

  • The university has a sound fiscal position. A&M-Texarkana’s FY 2005 operating budget totaled $17,136,801. As of April 2005, the university has an all funds reserve for three months of operations. Recently designated and HEF unallocated balances were utilized to strengthen the funding capabilities for the science and technology building project. The university has made no mandatory transfers and continues to fund education and general, designated and HEF operations annually with no use of reserves.
  • A comprehensive review of university operations was undertaken to support and expand operational efficiencies campuswide. The university practices adopted as a result of this review include: (a) utilization of an energy management system yielding significant utility savings, (b) outsourcing computer mainframe operations saving on equipment, salaries and benefits; (c) outsourcing printing rather than funding an in-house print operation; (d) outsourcing campus security patrol to Texarkana College; (e) utilization of part-time staff, rather than full-time; (f) implementation and use of technology rather than hiring additional employees; and (g) combining multiple responsibilities under one position/employee. There is ongoing discussion of realignment efforts to ensure the university continues to meet management-to-staff ratios as defined by the Texas State Auditor’s Office, reduce administrative cost as a percent of total expenditures and improve space utilization.
  • Three years ago, the university started a fund raising campaign to fund the development of a College of Engineering and Information Sciences. There had never been a fund raising campaign in the history of the institution, so the goal was set at a modest amount of $7 million. The campaign started shortly after the 9-11 attacks, so it was a difficult time to raise funds as the value of many portfolios was rapidly decreasing. However, $4.7 million has been raised and the Board of Regents and THECB have approved a baccalaureate degree in information sciences, and the university has funded three faculty chairs, as a result of that effort. Texarkana native Ross Perot funded the chair for the dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Information Sciences; Truman and Anita Arnold funded the chair for the Department of Information Sciences; and Cary and Lois Patterson funded the chair for the Department of Electrical Engineering.
  • A total of $322,796 was gifted to the A&M-Texarkana endowment as of April 30, 2005. Of that amount, $176,968 was gifted to endowed scholarships, and two new endowed scholarships were created. The endowment total for the university as of April 25, 2005 was $1,198,407.

Obtain National Accreditation in Business, Education, Nursing, Counseling and Engineering

  • National accreditation of programs is one measure of program quality. The nursing program received national accreditation and the counseling psychology program redesigned its curriculum to align with the accreditation guidelines of the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. Work continued toward obtaining accreditation for other programs. The achievement of national accreditation for all major programs will be a goal as the university addresses challenges related to continued growth and downward expansion. The accreditation processes will serve as a roadmap for the establishment and continuation of high-quality programs as well as an indicator of excellence for the stakeholders throughout the region.

Increase Scholarly Activity and Research Productivity

  • The faculty is in a state of transition after considering themselves to be only a teaching faculty for the university’s first 25 years. As the university moves toward downward expansion, the faculty must move toward producing more scholarly activities and community service. The administration has been using various forms of incentives to help produce more scholarship.
  • The information provided on publications, presentations and successful grants is based upon calendar-year, not fiscal year, information. During 2004, the faculty had 50 publications, 51 presentations and successful grants totaling $1,033,268. As of April 30, 2005, the faculty had 4 publications, 23 presentations and successful grants totaling $971,310. Presentations and successful grants are running ahead of 2004 and publications are somewhat behind 2004. The provost and deans of the various colleges are discussing how to turn more of the presentations into publications. In general, the university is successful in achieving this goal.

Enhance the University’s Role as a Center for Life-long Learning and Cultural Enrichment

  • In cooperation with the local independent school districts and the Regents’ Initiative, the university increased production of teachers in the following high need areas:  secondary mathematics increased 750 percent; secondary science increased 400 percent and special education increased 223 percent. The production of teachers of Hispanic and African-American origin also increased. Teachers of African-American origin increased 90 percent. The number of Hispanic teachers increased 200 percent. The Regents’ Initiative was a very successful program for the university.
  • The university has worked to strengthen its relationships with PK-12 educational agencies by working on several collaborative projects. The university received a grant from the THECB to continue its work on the East Texas Regional Collaborative for Excellence in Science Teaching. This grant provides for specific training in the area of life science for teachers in the local independent school districts. The East Texas Writing Project at A&M-Texarkana received a grant from the National Writing Project to continue efforts to help teachers in public schools provide more effective instruction. The university continues to sponsor and raise funds for the Young Writers’ Project, a two-week writing class for public school children from grades 2-12. The Young Writers’ Project also uses teachers from public schools to help with the teaching. The university also helps to sponsor the Red River Council Teachers of Mathematics. The council holds a conference every three years, and the university helps provide the space for the meetings. The university faculty actively participates in the conference.