Faculty & Staff
Faculty and Staff Handbook » Texas Tech University
History
Created by legislative action on February 10, 1923, Texas Technological College was located in Lubbock. Texas Tech opened in the fall of 1925 with six buildings and an enrollment of 910. The College had schools of Agriculture, Home Economics, Liberal Arts and Engineering. Graduate instruction was begun in the fall of 1927 within the School of Liberal Arts. By action of the Texas State Legislature, Texas Technological College formally became Texas Tech University on September 1, 1969.
Texas Tech was first accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1928 and has been continuously accredited since that time.
Texas Tech University is one of the youngest major universities in the nation, and a spirit of intellectual growth pervades the campus. Many of the special facilities for research, such as the Computer Center, the Advanced Technology Learning Center, the Seismological Observatory, and the Southwest Collection, reflects the University's progressive infrastructure.
University Vision, Mission, Governance Structure
Vision
By the year 2005, Texas Tech will...
Be the institution of choice for high quality students and
Be recognized as the best public institution of higher education in the state.
Mission Statement
The mission of Texas Tech University and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is:
To provide the highest quality of education and instruction in all colleges, and to gain national and international recognition in those fields which are designated as areas of excellence;
To be a recognized research institution of distinction, while maintaining the highest level of commitment to its teaching mission; and
To be, above all, a university and health sciences center known throughout the state and the nation as a quality service oriented institution, as evidenced by its supportive and caring environment and by the cordial interaction between all the people it serves.
Governance
Texas Tech University is a state supported institution governed by a Board of Regents whose nine members are appointed to a six-year term by the Governor of the State of Texas; the terms of office of three Regents expire every two years. The government, control, and direction of the University are vested in the Board who in turn appoints the Chancellor who directs the operations of the institution and is responsible for carrying out policies determined by the Regents. The Chancellor also confers all degrees upon recommendation of the faculty and under authority vested by the Regents. The Chancellor is assisted by a President of the University and a President of the Health Sciences Center, who oversee the educational programs and administrative support functions; a Vice President for Administration who coordinates the University's long-range planning; a Vice President for Institutional Advancement who oversees fund-raising activities; a Vice President for Finance & Administration who is responsible for all the fiscal operations of the University; a Vice President and General Counsel who provides guidance on legal matters; a Vice President for Governmental Relations who maintains liaison with the Legislature, officers of the state government, and other state agencies; and a Vice President for Student Affairs who is concerned with the general welfare of the students of the University.
Overview of all University Colleges, Enrollment, Research Programs
University Colleges
Texas Tech consists of the following colleges and schools: the college of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the College of Architecture, the College of Art and Sciences, the College of Business Administration, the College of Education, the College of Engineering, the College of Human Sciences, the School of Law, and the Graduate School. Each college is administered by a dean and his or her staff, and each consists of a number of instructional departments or areas.
Enrollment
Texas Tech had a fall enrollment in 1994 of 24,083.
Research Programs
Texas Tech is integrally involved in many research areas. Research is found in the Schools of Engineering, Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, and Arts and Sciences, as well as the Health Sciences Center.
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