Tarleton State University

1. Tarleton State University LAR Hearing August 30, 2010

2. Tarleton Country • Tarleton locations are in some of the most populous and fastest growing regions in Texas. • Tarleton employs approximately 1,100 faculty and staff. • Tarleton offers 90 degree programs and specializations. • Tarleton serves students from 218 Texas counties, 46 states, and 24 countries. • Tarleton is a regional university making an international impact.

3. Growth • Tarleton has experienced a 51% enrollment growth since 2000. • Fall 2010 accepted and admitted first-time in college students are up 33% over fall 2009. • Fall 2010 transfer applications are up 16% over fall 2009. • In the past five years, our Hispanic and Black student enrollment has increased by 57%. • Most rapid growth is in our outreach areas in the Southwest Metroplex and the McLennan Community College University Center in Waco. • A university priority is to develop our outreach programs. • Additional funding is needed to respond to this increase and meet goals as outlined by the “Closing the Gaps” initiative. (Exceptional Item request)

4. Growth Fall Enrollment – HeadcountStephenville, Southwest Metroplex, and Waco 9,402 8,598 7,776 7,739 7,756 *2010 represents preliminary 12th class day estimate based upon current registration numbers

5. Growth Online CoursesSemester Credit Hour Summary (SCH) 252% Increase – FY 2003 to FY 2009

6. Minority Growth Rates 125% growth in Hispanic enrollments since fall 2000 180% growth in African-American enrollments since fall 2000 **Preliminary fall 2010 registrations show increases of 12% in Hispanic and 13% in African-American enrollments.

7. Additional Growth Opportunities • Collaboration with Navarro Community College • Multi-Institutional Teaching Center (MITC) • Navarro Community College, Texas A&M-Commerce and Tarleton • Located in Midlothian, Texas • Veterinary Technology Program • Collaboration with Cedar Valley College (CVC) • Students take first two years at CVC • Complete bachelor’s degree at Tarleton via • distance education

8. Community College Partnerships • Top Academic Partners: • McLennan Community College • Tarrant County College System • Weatherford College • Hill College • Memorandum of Understanding provides: • Transition advising/support programs for students who plan to transfer • Program specific articulation agreements to maximize course transfer, • financial aid and library consortium agreements • Tarleton course work made available within a close geographic proximity • Navarro College – MITC to provide services in Ellis County area • Cedar Valley College – Vet Technology bachelor’s degree completion collaboration

9. Student Success Initiatives • Centralized advising services • Advisors match students with assistance needed for academic success • Supplemental Instruction (SI) • Peer assisted study sessions • Participants are less likely to withdraw from or fail a course • Participants earn a letter higher grade in the course • New Degree Evaluation System • Allows closer monitoring of student progress • Identify academic problems sooner (“early alert” program), • Upward Bound Program • Targets high school students who likely would not attend college • Over 90% of participants enroll in college • Retention rate is 79% fall to fall • Six year graduation rate is 72% With more than 60% of the graduating class being composed of 1st generation graduates, Tarleton ranks 12th in the State rates among the 31 universities for students who begin their education at Tarleton and graduate from Tarleton in 6 years.

10. Quality Enhancement Plan • “Keeping it REAL (Real-world Experiences Applied to Learning)” • Promotes student success • Connects classroom learning with job-related • experiences that occur outside of the classroom • Five key applied learning experiences • Service • Leadership • Internships • Research • Study abroad/away

11. Tarleton • Special Items • Agriculture Center • Environmental Research • Tarleton Outreach • Institutional Enhancement

12. Special Items • Agriculture Center • [Biennium Total = $492,168] • Funds support salaries of 7 faculty, 2 professional staff, 4 support staff • Purchased dairy cows for starting Tarleton’s new TRB-funded Dairy Center • Secured farm and lab equipment for the Agriculture Center • Supports teaching and research activities for 1,400 undergraduate and graduate students. • Supports demonstration and service activities for 12,000 visiting high school students (future college students) from across the state.  • Supports the most critical component of the laboratory activities required for teaching and research for undergraduate and graduate education in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences 

13. Special Items Environmental Research: Institute for Applied Environmental Research [Biennium Total = $2,099,912] • The Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research (TIAER) was legislatively established in 1991. • Funds support the development of solutions to environmental concerns. TIAER has obtained more than a dollar in outside funding for every dollar of state funding received. • TIAER’s on-campus, nationally certified research laboratory supports research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. • Only university/college-based laboratory to be accepted into the EPA’s Environmental Response Laboratory Network. • TIAER is currently working with Texas A&M-Galveston to develop and oil-eating bacteria solution that will reduce the potential damage to coastal ecosystems resulting from the BP oil spill.

14. Special Items Tarleton Outreach [Biennium Total = $100,000 ] • Current Outreach Sites: • Southwest Metroplex Center • Funds support salaries for on-site transition advisors • Tarleton is lowest cost upper level and graduate degree provider in the Southwest Metroplex • 73% increase in headcount from fall 2006 to fall 2009 • 75% percent of our students are women; 25% are minorities • Offer 37 graduate, undergraduate and certification programs • University Center at McLennan Community College • Tarleton delivers 90% of the semester credit hours delivered by four-year institutions at the University Center • 90% increase in headcount from fall 2006 to fall 2009 • Offer 22 graduate, undergraduate and certification programs

15. Special Items • Institutional Enhancement funds are used in the following areas: • Supplement base funding for core academic operations. • Recruitment and retention of qualified faculty. • Salary increases for faculty and staff due to market conditions, promotions, equity, and market requirements. • Library support • Student leadership • Instructional support • Departmental operations • Support of student success programs for purposes of recruitment and retention • Nursing Program Institutional Enhancement [Biennium Total = $6,293,802]

16. Tarleton Impact of Additional 10% Budget Reduction

17. Additional 10% Budget Reduction • Overall Impact • An additional 10% budget reduction for FY 2012 and FY 2013 would result in: • Reduction in operations and services. • Reduction in force (elimination of 25-30 FTE). • • Limited salary increases for employees. • • Possible elimination of academic and non-academic programs that are low producing and of marginal value to the University. This could result in loss of students and personnel. • Delayed expenditures for facilities repairs and rehabilitation. • Difficulty in accommodating and supporting projected enrollment growth. • Reduction in support for Special Item initiatives. • Additional general revenue reductions to formula funds would negatively impact availability of student services and academic programs, impeding student success.

18. Additional 10% Budget Reduction • Special Item Impact • An additional 10% budget reduction would result in cutting or reducing Special Items, which would have a direct impact on university operational budgets. • Tarleton Outreach: Our most rapid growth is in our outreach areas. Budget reductions impact our ability to provide affordable public higher education in most rapidly growing areas of the state. • Agriculture Center: Budget reductions to our Agriculture Center will limit our ability to offer a technologically up-to-date curriculum in agricultural and environmental sciences; restrict partnerships with Texas AgriLife Research and Extension, public schools and community college districts, and other state institutions. Funds are needed for start-up operation of the new Southwest Regional Dairy Center, scheduled to open in September. Budget reductions would jeopardize the dairy start-up. • Environmental Research:Since its inception, TIAER has leveraged state funding 1:1 with external support and developed an internationally recognized research program. Every dollar of reduction in funding for the Texas Institute of Applied Environmental Research is a dollar of outside funding lost and impact: • Long term Bosque River monitoring program • Base support to hire/retain staff • Quality of agricultural academic programs supported by TIAER

19. Tarleton • Exceptional Item Requests • Tarleton Outreach • Agriculture Center • Tuition Revenue Bond Request • Instructional and Student Success Space Renovation

20. Exceptional Item Requests • Tarleton Outreach ($3,000,000) • Support growth in our primary outreach centers • Southwest Metroplex Center • Provides higher education access to southwest region of Fort Worth and surrounding communities in Parker and Johnson counties • One of state’s most rapidly growing areas • Lowest cost upper level and graduate level provider • 37 graduate, undergraduate and certification programs • MCC University Center in Waco • Currently no public higher education institutions in Waco • Deliver baccalaureate completion and master’s programs • 22 graduate, undergraduate and certification programs • Enhance partnerships with Weatherford College and Tarrant County College • Expand outreach efforts • Multi-Institution Teaching Center (MITC) in Midlothian • Navarro Community College, Tarleton, and Texas A&M University-Commerce

21. Exceptional Item Requests • Agriculture Center ($1,990,000) • Support joint effort between Tarleton Agriculture Center and the Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research to establish a Bioenergy Recovery Research and Education Center. • Provide research opportunities for faculty and undergraduate and graduate students in solar, wind, methane, ethanol, algae and biodiesel energy technologies. • Support start-up operations of new Southwest Regional Dairy Center • Support State’s renewable energy program

22. Tuition Revenue Bond Request • Instructional and Student Success Space Renovation ($36,200,000) • Renovate, rehabilitate and expand College of Liberal and Fine Arts (COLFA) instructional and student success space to improve delivery of core curriculum courses and to enhance student success efforts. • Modernize/update the core curriculum instructional spaces • Provide centralized location for student success initiatives • Increase retention of existing students • Assist in recruiting new students • Create environments that are secure and enhance student learning • Improve energy efficiency • Five percent of our PUF allocation is available as matching funds

23. Tarleton "The Gates are Always Open"