Texas State University–San Marcos

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Texas State University–San Marcos
Motto:	“The noblest search is the search for excellence.”
Established:	1899
Type:	Public
Endowment:	$95,286,196[1]
President:	Denise Trauth, Ph.D.
Students:	29,125 (Fall 2008)[2]
Location:	San Marcos, Texas, USA
Campus:	457 acres (1.85 km2)
Former names:	Southwest Texas State Normal School (1903–1918) Southwest Texas State Normal College (1918–1923) Southwest Texas State Teachers College (1923–1959) Southwest Texas State College (1959–1969) Southwest Texas State University (1969–2003)
Nickname:	Bobcats
Colors:	Maroon and Old Gold
Mascot:	Bobcat
Affiliations:	Southland Conference
Website:	www.txstate.edu
Logo is a trademark of Texas State University-San Marcos

Texas State University–San Marcos, often referred to as Texas State University or Texas State (it discourages the use of TSU),^[3] is a doctoral degree granting university located in San Marcos, Texas. At the start of the Fall 2008 semester, the university had a record high enrollment of 29,125 students.^[2] This makes it the largest institution of the Texas State University System, the fifth-largest university in Texas, and one of the 55 largest universities in the United States.^[4]

Texas State's campus today consists of a 457-acre (1.85 km²) main campus and 4,777 acres (19.33 km²) more in recreational, instructional, farm and ranch land.^[4] Texas State is also the lead school of a multi-institution teaching center offering undergraduate and graduate programs at the Round Rock Higher Education Center (RRHEC) in the greater north Austin area.^[4] The main campus in San Marcos also serves as the location of the fictional school TMU (Texas Methodist University) in the NBC TV series Friday Night Lights.^[5]

Texas State University is also the only university in the state to have a former President of the United States as an alumnus. President Lyndon B. Johnson graduated from what was then Southwest Texas State Teachers College in 1930 with a teaching certificate and a Bachelor of Science in history. In 1965, he returned to Southwest Texas State College, as the school was known then, to sign the Higher Education Act of 1965.^[6]

Contents 1 History 2 Campus 2.1 Old Main 3 Academics and Faculty 4 Students 5 Traditions 5.1 Soap Box Derby 5.2 Spirit Fridays 5.3 Ring Ceremony 6 Athletics 7 Student life 8 Student Media 9 Campus Gallery 10 Notable alumni 11 References 12 External links

[edit] History

The school was established by Texas' twenty-sixth legislature in 1899, and it opened its doors in 1903 as Southwest Texas State Normal School in order to meet a need for teachers in the southwest part of the state.^[7] In more than a 100-year period, the school has gone from a teachers' college to a multipurpose university.

The school has changed its name five times since opening:^[4]

• Southwest Texas State Normal School (1903–1918)
• Southwest Texas State Normal College (1918–1923)
• Southwest Texas State Teachers College (1923–1959)
• Southwest Texas State College (1959–1969)
• Southwest Texas State University (1969–2003)
• Texas State University-San Marcos (Since 2003)

The most recent name change took effect in September 2003. Leaders from the university's Associated Student Government (ASG) went to Senator Jeff Wentworth to propose a bill and convince the Texas Legislature to change the university's name.^[8]

[edit] Campus

The campus is in San Marcos, a community of nearly 50,000 people about halfway between Austin and San Antonio on Interstate 35. Its location on the banks of the San Marcos River provides students with recreational and leisure activities, such as swimming and tubing, throughout the year.

The university's library was named, in 1991, for an alumni who became an oilman, rancher, and philanthropist, Albert B. Alkek. The library's collections include more than 1.4 million printed volumes as well as "The Wittliff Collections," a collection of southwestern writings and photographs.^[9]

The university also operates Sewell Park which is on the banks of the spring fed San Marcos River. The banks, part of land leased by the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, were built up from the river bottom by university workers. Initially named Riverside Park, it was later renamed to Sewell Park in 1946 in honor of Dr. S.M. "Froggy" Sewell, a mathematics professor who helped form the park.^[10]

[edit] Old Main

Overlooking the campus and serving as a geographic landmark since 1903 is Old Main, a restored red-gabled Victorian Gothic building. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.^[11] In more than a century of use the building has served many uses from being the university's administration building to an auditorium and chapel to now housing the offices for the School of Journalism and Mass Communication as well as the College of Fine Arts.^[12] It is often seen as the trademark building for Texas State University, as it is the most highlighted and lit building on campus.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Academics and Faculty

In addition to 111 undergraduate and 86 masters degrees offerings^[13], the University also offers seven doctorate degrees in Education, Geography, and Aquatic Resources.^[14] These programs are under the umbrella of nine colleges within the University:^[15]

• College of Applied Arts
• Emmett and Miriam McCoy College of Business Administration
• College of Education
• College of Fine Arts and Communication
• College of Health Professions
• College of Liberal Arts
• College of Science
• University College
• Graduate College

[edit] Students

Texas State has a total student enrollment of 29,105 at the start of the 2008 Fall semester. 24,810 of them are undergraduate level students.^[2] Texas State had an average freshman retention rate of 75.2% from 2003 to 2006 time period, placing the school in the top half of Western schools surveyed by US News and World Reports.^[16] The university has been recognized for having a higher graduating rate of Hispanic students compare to similar schools^[17] where Hispanic students made up 23% of the student population as of 2007.^[18]

[edit] Traditions

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (June 2009)

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009)

[edit] Soap Box Derby

This event has been held since 1967. Every year on homecoming week, participants race derby cars down Bobcat Trail.

[edit] Spirit Fridays

Each Friday, students, staff and faculty show their Bobcat Pride by wearing Maroon and Gold. This tradition occurs throughout the year.

[edit] Ring Ceremony

Seniors are encouraged to attend this ceremony at the end of each semester. Students each receive official Texas State rings, then dip the rings in the San Marcos River by way of a fountain.^[19]

[edit] Athletics

Athletic teams at Texas State University compete in Division I competitions in the Southland Conference^[20]. The university's football team currently competes in Division I-FCS. ^[21] A number of championships have been won including two NCAA Division II football championships, in 1981 and 1982, and an NCAA Division II men's golf championship in 1983.^[22]

There is an ongoing effort to promote the football team to Division I-FBS competition, the Football Bowl Subdivision. This referendum was proposed on November 2007 and approved by the student body on April 2008. Currently, this moved has been called The Drive and has led to the renovation of athletic facilities, including the expansion of the baseball and softball stadiums. The university expects to move to Division 1-A football by 2012.

In 1920, Texas State adopted its first official mascot, the Bobcat, at the urging of Oscar Strahan, who became the school's athletic director in 1919. Strahan suggested the Bobcat because the cat is native to central Texas and is known for its fierceness. The Bobcat didn't get a name until 1964. At that time, Beth Greenless won the "Name the Bobcat" contest with the name Boko the Bobcat.^[23]

[edit] Student life

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2009)

Students in the university reside in 21 residence halls, ranging from traditional housing to super suite halls. Texas State University also has apartment housing, namely Bobcat Village, Campus Colony, Clear Springs, and Comanche Hills.

Texas State has an active Greek System, with over 30 different fraternities and sororities. Texas State has more than 260 student organizations within the categories of Academic, Chartered, Greek, Honors, Multicultural, Political, Professional, Recreational, Religious, Residence Halls, Service, Special Interest and Sports Clubs. The Greek community at Texas State includes a variety of service, traditions, and leadership. There are 31 organizations and more than 1,300 students who are members.

Texas State's students also have the opportunity to participate in campus politics. The school's Associated Student Government is headed by the ASG President and Vice President. Along with the Executive Branch the ASG Senate, a Supreme Court, and the Graduate House of Representatives also make up the Associated Student Government.

[edit] Student Media

Texas State's FM radio station, KTSW, broadcasts at 89.9 MHz and provides sports coverage of Texas State athletics as well as an eclectic mix of music. The KTSW website provides live streaming of broadcasts and the Texas State television channel employs KTSW broadcasts as background music. KTSW has its offices located in Old Main. Along with a radio station, The University Star is a student run newspaper, which publishes three days a week. The Star also maintains website for news, trends, sports, weather and opinions.

[edit] Campus Gallery

Central promenade

Alkek Library

Derrick Hall

Alkek Library

[edit] Notable alumni

Lyndon B. Johnson

George Strait

Tomás Rivera

• U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson
• Country singer George Strait^[24]
• Country singer Randy Rogers^[25]
• Country/Tejano singer Emilio Navaira^[26]
• Film director Thomas Carter^[27]
• Actor G. W. Bailey^[28]
• Actor Powers Boothe^[29]
• Actor Chelcie Ross^[30]
• Actress Tracy Scoggins^[31]
• Columnist Heloise^[32]
• NBA basketball player Jeff Foster^[33]
• Former NBA basketball player Torgeir Bryn^[34]
• Writer Tomás Rivera^[35]
• Professional wrestlers Shawn Michaels^[36] and Lance Hoyt^[37]
• NFL football player Fred Evans^[38]
• Former NFL football player Ricky Sanders^[39]
• Former NFL football player Jeff Novak^[40]
• MLB pitcher Scott Linebrink^[41]
• Olympic High Jump Gold Medalist, Charles Austin^[42]
• Weber State University president F. Ann Millner^[43]
• National Pro Fastpitch Softball player Kristen Zaleski^[44]
• U. S. Treasurer Catalina Vasquez Villalpando^[45]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Texas State University–San Marcos
• The University Star

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	v • d • e San Marcos, Texas
Government	City Hall · Hays County Courthouse · Fire · Library · Police
Transportation	Airport · CARTS · Interstate 35 · San Marcos Station
Education	Hays CISD · San Marcos Baptist Academy · San Marcos CISD · Texas State University
Companies	CFAN · Grande Communications · McCoys · Wide-Lite
Parks & Recreation	Aquarena Springs · Activity Center · Bobcat Stadium · City Park · Conference Center · Dunbar Park · Lucio Park · Playscape · Quail Creek Country Club · Rio Vista Park · San Marcos River · Sewell Park · Strahan Coliseum
Other	Austin · Edwards Aquifer · Freeman Ranch · Gary Job Corps · Hill Country · Lyndon Baines Johnson · Outlet Malls · San Antonio · San Marcos Springs · Wimberley · Wonder Cave · Wonder World

Coordinates: 29°53′21″N 97°56′20″W / 29.88917°N 97.93889°W / 29.88917; -97.93889