Texas A&M International University

Texas A&M International University
Texas A&M International University
Established	1969
Type	State university
President	Ray Keck III, Ph.D.
Academic staff	192 Full-time (Fall, 2011)
Students	7,331 (Fall 2012)
Location	Laredo, Texas, United States
Campus	300 acres (1.2 km²)
Nickname	Dustdevils
Website	http://www.tamiu.edu/

Texas A&M International University, often referred to as TAMIU, is a public, co-educational, state-supported university located in Laredo, Texas. It is a member institution of The Texas A&M University System.

History [edit]

1969: Established as a branch of Texas A&I University at Kingsville, and named Texas A&I University at Laredo, functioning as an upper-level University for juniors, seniors, and graduate students. The Senate bill was introduced by Wayne Connally, brother of Governor John B. Connally, Jr.
1977: University's name changes to Laredo State University.
1989: University joins The Texas A&M University System.
1993: Name changes to Texas A&M International University.
1995: An unsuccessful attempt is made to transfer TAMIU to the University of Texas System. TAMIU becomes a four-year University, welcomes its first freshman class and opens its new campus, the first new University campus constructed in Texas in over 25 years.
2001: Ray Keck III succeeds J. Charles Jennett as university president.
2004: Doctoral program in International Business Administration is launched.
2006: Early College High School joins TAMIU (in collaboration with Laredo Independent School District).
2009: 40th Anniversary Celebration (2009-2010) begins.
2010: Dedicates Autism Interventions Center.
2010: Dedicates new University Success Center.
2011: Dining Center Expansion in Student Center opens.
2012: With the approval of The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, the University Success Center is renamed the Senator Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center. Formal dedication ceremonies are scheduled in September 2012.

Academics [edit]

Texas A&M International University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees through five colleges. They include:

College of Arts and Sciences
A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business
College of Education
College of Nursing and Health Sciences

About [edit]

Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) is a Member of The Texas A&M University System and has a $160 million cutting-edge campus on a 300-acre (1.2 km²) site in Laredo, Texas. The newest University in the State of Texas, TAMIU offers over 70 undergraduate, graduate or doctoral degrees in the arts and sciences, business administration, and nursing. The A.R. Sánchez, Jr. School of Business was named one of the “Best 296 Business Schools” by The Princeton Review and ranked in the Top Ten for offering the greatest opportunity for minority students. The Sánchez School of Business offers a doctoral degree in international business.

TAMIU was ranked by U.S. News & World Report in its “2012 Best Colleges Rankings.” The Texas Higher Education Journal named TAMIU the State’s No. 1 public institution of higher education producer of degrees for Latinos in 2011. CNN Money.com named TAMIU one of its 10 most affordable colleges in the U.S. in 2011. U.S. Department of Ed research shows that among public, four-year or above universities, TAMIU has one of the nation’s lowest net prices in 2012. TAMIU received the “Military Friendly School” designation by G.I. Jobs, a magazine for military personnel transitioning into civilian life, in 2011. Since 2010, TAMIU Study Abroad Programs participants have logged over 1.3 million miles and visited over 30 countries. In 2012, TAMIU awarded $2.92 million in scholarships to assist hundreds of Laredo high school graduates. TAMIU’s 18,000+ alumni are all over the world and just around the corner. 85% of TAMIU 2011 seniors said they’d choose TAMIU again if starting college again.

TAMIU programs focus on developing strong undergraduate and graduate offerings with a progressive agenda for global study and understanding across disciplines. The most popular undergraduate majors are business administration, criminal justice, nursing, biology and communication disorders.

The top graduate majors are business administration, educational administration, counseling psychology, school counseling and accounting. Of graduate students, 64% hold undergraduate degrees from TAMIU.

Fall 2012 enrollment was 7,331 (combined undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students), an increase of 2.5 percent over the 2011 enrollment of 7,037. Full-time faculty number 192. The professor/student ratio is 1:21. More than 90 percent of the students are Hispanic; 3 percent are international students. Some 11.5 percent of students live on campus. The University has aggressive financial aid and Study Abroad programs. Recently TAMIU has implemented a campus Common Read program featuring books by Gerda Weissmann Klein, Ishmael Beah, Somaly Mam and Steve Reifenberg. As part of the Read, students have traveled to Poland, Ghana, Cambodia and Chile.

Accreditations [edit]

Texas A&M International University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. The undergraduate and graduate programs in the College of Business Administration are accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The College of Nursing and Health Sciences' Dr. F.M. Canseco School of Nursing is accredited by the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners and the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. Texas A&M International University is also accredited by the Texas Education Agency. Texas A&M International University is a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the American Council on Education and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.

Rankings [edit]

TAMIU's A. R. Sanchez Jr. School of Business ranks as the second best in the country for providing the "Greatest Opportunity for Minority Students."^[2] As of 2010, the A.R. Sanchez Jr. School of Business doctoral degree in International Business is the only fully locally-offered (non-collaborative) doctoral degree offered by the University.

The Princeton Review named the A.R. Sanchez The School of Business a “Best Business School” in its 2006 and 2008 editions. The 2008 edition of The Princeton Review also listed the School as a Top Ten for Business Schools offering the greatest opportunity for minority students.[1]

Research [edit]

TAMIU is home to various research centers, including the Binational Center, Center for the Study of Western Hemispheric Trade, The Western Hemispheric Trade Information Center, the Texas Center for Border Economics and Enterprise Development, the Small Business Development Center and the Center for Earth and Environmental Studies.

One of the institution's largest private benefactors was Radcliffe Killam (1910-2007), a Laredo oilman who donated $2 million to establish The Center for Western Hemispheric Trade, in addition to the University's 300-acre (1.2 km²) campus land. Killam and his wife, the former Sue Spivey, were honored by TAMIU with honorary doctorates and the naming of the Radcliffe and Sue Killam Library.

Athletics [edit]

TAMIU's 11 sports teams are known as the Dustdevils and compete in the Heartland Conference. They became active members of NCAA Division II on September 1, 2008. As an active member, TAMIU is eligible for conference championships and NCAA tournament berths.^[3]

TAMIU participates in the following sports:

Baseball
Men's Basketball (2010 Heartland Conference Tournament Championship)
Women's Basketball
Cross Country
Men's Golf
Women's Golf
Men's Soccer (2003 Red River Athletic Conference Champions, 2010 Heartland Conference Title)
Women's Soccer
Women's Volleyball (2002 West Division Athletics Conference Champions)
Softball (2010 Heartland Conference Tournament Championship)

Increase in student fees, 2011 [edit]

Student fees at TAMIU increased by 7 percent in the 2011-2012 academic year. A 30 semester-hour course load increased in costs from $6,133 to $6,588, or $425. The additional fees were earmarked for library, parking, technology access, energy costs, athletics, graduate application fees, and a new student scholarship program.

Notable alumni [edit]

Esther Buckley, member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights, 1983-1992; Laredo educator
Henry Cuellar, member of the United States House of Representatives since 2005
Juan Perez, Wisconsin politician

Notable faculty [edit]

Christopher Ferguson, researcher and video game expert
Janet Krueger, retired art professor and artist of south Texas ranching life
Ned Kock, information systems professor and human evolution theorist
Rafael A. Lecuona, former Olympic gymnast and retired political science professor
Jerry D. Thompson, historian and award-winning author of multiple books on the American Southwest

Kamal Dean Parhizgar, author of multiple books and journal articles on business ethics

Gallery [edit]

TAMIU entrance sign.
TAMIU Student Union
TAMIU Performing Arts Center
TAMIU water fountain
Texas A&M International University's Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library
Western Hemispheric Trade Center at TAMIU
Dr. F. M. Canseco Hall
Dr. Billy F. Cowart Hall is named for the former president Billy Cowart (1969-1985).
The Lamar Bruni Vergara Science Center and Planetarium is located at TAMIU.
Lamar Bruni Vergara Science Center
TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Memorial Garden
Lamar Bruni Vergara Science Center