Campuses
Texas Tech University is the largest institution in the Texas Tech University System, enrolling more than 42,000 students. The main campus is located in Lubbock, Texas, with additional instructional and research locations across the state, including Dallas–Fort Worth, Waco, El Paso, Junction, Fredericksburg, Marble Falls, and Amarillo. Texas Tech University also maintains an international campus in San José, Costa Rica.
Located in the South Plains of West Texas, Lubbock has a population of more than 276,000 and serves as a regional hub for education, health care, agriculture, and business, offering a vibrant arts, music, and cultural scene.
History
Established by legislative action in 1923, Texas Tech University opened in 1925 as Texas Technological College. Graduate instruction began in 1927, and the Graduate School was formally established in 1954. The institution was renamed Texas Tech University in 1969, at which time its academic units were designated as colleges.
The university’s academic structure has continued to expand, including the establishment of the College of Architecture (1986), the Honors College (1998), the J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts (2002), and the College of Media & Communication (2004). Several colleges have been renamed over time to reflect evolving academic missions, including the College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources and the College of Health & Human Sciences.
The Texas Tech University School of Law was authorized in 1965 and enrolled its first students in 1967. The School of Law is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and the State of Texas. In 2019, the Texas Legislature authorized funding for the School of Veterinary Medicine, located in Amarillo. The School of Veterinary Medicine welcomed its inaugural class in Fall 2021 and achieved full accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education in 2024.
Texas Tech University has competed in the Big 12 Conference since 1996 and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, with continuous accreditation since 1928.
The following have been presidents of Texas Tech: Paul Whitfield Horn (1925-1932), Bradford Knapp (1932-1938), Clifford Bartlett Jones (1938-1944), William Marvin Whyburn (1944-1948), Dossie Marion Wiggins (1948-1952), Edward Newlon Jones (1952-1959), Robert Cabaniss Goodwin (1960-1966), Grover Elmer Murray (1966-1976), Maurice Cecil Mackey Jr., (1976-1979), Lauro Fred Cavazos (1980-1988), Robert W. Lawless (1989-1996), Donald R. Haragan (1996-2000), David J. Schmidly (2000-2002), Jon Whitmore (2003-2008), Guy Bailey (2008-2012), M. Duane Nellis (2013-2016), and Lawrence E. Schovanec (2016-present).
Financial Support
Texas Tech University is a public institution that receives a portion of its operating funds from the Texas State Legislature as well as student tuition and fees. State-appropriated funds are made available for the construction and renovation of academic and general buildings from the Higher Education Fund and the Capital Construction Assistance Projects funding. State-appropriated funds are also used to provide salary support for faculty and staff. State-appropriated funds are not used to support auxiliary departments such as residence halls, intercollegiate athletics, health services, the Student Union, or the University Recreation Center.
Student tuition and fees, along with gifts and grants from private individuals and organizations, provide critical additional funding to support scholarships and fellowships, faculty research, student services, student activities, and campus facilities.
Organizational Structure
A nine-member Board of Regents governs Texas Tech University, Angelo State University, Midwestern State University, and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Centers in Lubbock and El Paso. The Governor of the State of Texas appoints the Regents to six-year terms. The terms of office of three Regents expire every two years. The university’s governance, control, and direction are vested in the Regents, who appoint a Chancellor to carry out the System’s policies as determined by the Regents. The Chancellor appoints a president for each institution in the System. The presidents are chief executive officers of their respective institutions and are responsible for the strategic operation of each institution.
Texas Tech University is home to the Graduate School ; School of Law; School of Veterinary Medicine; Texas Tech University Online ; Honors College ; Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources ; Huckabee College of Architecture ; Rawls College of Business ; Whitacre College of Engineering ; Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts ; and the Colleges of Arts & Sciences , Education , Health & Human Sciences , and Media & Communication . Each college is administered by a dean and consists of many instructional departments or areas.
|
