Texas A&M University–Texarkana

A&M-Texarkana first opened with 323 students in 1971 as East Texas State University Center at Texarkana, an upper-level branch of the main East Texas State University (ETSU) in Commerce, Texas, opening with 323 students.[1][2] It originally shared a campus with local community college Texarkana College and "was established to provide third and fourth year college instruction for people residing in an isolated region."[2] The university received separate accreditation in 1980, and when ETSU joined the Texas A&M System as Texas A&M University–Commerce in September 1996, the Texarkana branch became a separate institution from the Commerce campus and was renamed to Texas A&M University–Texarkana.[1][2]

The university became a four-year college with graduate programs in 2010, moving to its new and current campus near Bringle Lake Park.[1]

In the late 2010s, the university received large funding grants from the state legislature, including $32 million worth of building construction in 2016,[3] supported by State Representative Gary VanDeaver and Speaker of the Texas House Joe Straus,[4] and a 2019 $3.6 million funding addition for new academic programs, including support from VanDeaver and State Senator Bryan Hughes.[5]

As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the university transitioned to online classes for the spring 2020 semester[6] and donated test kits to local hospitals.[7]

A&M-Texarkana is a member of the Texas A&M University System and is governed by its Board of Regents. The university's current president is Dr. Emily Cutrer, and provost Dr. David Yells is the academic head.

A&M-Texarkana is organized into two academic colleges which both offer undergraduate and graduate programs, the College of Arts, Sciences and Education and the College of Business, Engineering and Technology. Combined, the colleges provide 18 undergraduate majors, 20 master's degree programs, and several Extended Education and Community Development programs (for certifications without a degree).

In 2013, A&M-Texarkana and Northeast Texas Community College signed a matriculation agreement between their bachelor and associate nursing programs, respectively,[8] followed by a dual admissions agreement between A&M-Texarkana and Texarkana College in 2014,[9] and one between A&M-Texarkana and Paris Junior College in 2015.[10] The College of Arts, Sciences and Education is partnered with all three of the above as well as Collin College.[11]

In 2015, local ophthalmic group Texarkana Eye Associates partnered with the university to offer an ophthalmic assistant/optician training course, which was then offered beginning in 2016 as a professional (not for credit) course.[12][13] In 2020, A&M-Texarkana announced that it would launch a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering 2020 beginning fall 2020.[14]

The University Center and the Science & Technology Building at A&M-Texarkana

The A&M-Texarkana campus

The Texarkana metropolitan area is located one hour from Shreveport, Louisiana, two hours from Little Rock, Arkansas, and less than three hours from Dallas, Texas.

Until 2010, the university shared the same campus with Texarkana College. On this campus, buildings included the construction of the A. M. and Welma Aikin Learning Center in 1978, a library in 1983, and a Center for Professional Development in 1985.[2]

In 2004, the university acquired 375 acres of land as a gift from the City of Texarkana, Texas (300 acres), and the Anita and Truman Arnold Foundation (75 acres). The university received funding from the Texas Legislature for construction of buildings at the new campus near Bringle Lake in Texarkana, Texas.

Construction of the new campus began in 2006. Six buildings have been built: Science & Technology, University Center, Central Plant, Bringle Lake Village, the Student Recreation Center, and the Building for Academic and Student Services, completed in 2019.[15] Bringle Lake Village is a 294-bed furnished residence hall that features many amenities, including an in-ground swimming pool, sand-volleyball court and fitness center. Students have three floor plans from which to choose.

Its library is named after founding president Dr. John F. Moss.[16]

A&M-Texarkana athletic teams are known as the Eagles. The university participates in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as a non-football member and is an affiliate of the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The university currently fields teams in men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, baseball, and softball.[17]

The university added the intercollegiate athletics program in 2014 with women's soccer and men's and women's tennis and initially competed as an independent member of the NAIA. A&M Texarkana continued to expand the offerings with baseball in 2015, men's soccer in 2016; that same year, the university joined the RRAC.[18] It also announced the addition of softball in 2017.[19] The university announced the addition of men’s and women’s basketball for 2019-2020 academic year, bringing the total number of intercollegiate sports to eight.[17]

Both the Men's baseball and Women's soccer teams have made appearances in post-season tournaments. In addition, nearly all of the sports teams have appeared in RRAC conference tournaments, and the Men's tennis team has appeared in the NAIA national tournament.[20]

Student organizations play an important role in campus life at A&M-Texarkana. Throughout the year, the organizations sponsor a variety of extra- and co-curricular activities for the campus and local community. In addition, student organizations provide a means for students to develop and refine leadership skills and to interact and network with students, faculty and staff. There are over 30 recognized student organizations at A&M-Texarkana in six distinguished categories:

Student Governing Organizations

• Campus Activities Board
• Greek Council
• Residence Hall Association
• Student Government Association
• Student Organizations Council

National Honorary Societies

• Beta Beta Beta (Biology)
• Chi Sigma Iota (Counseling)
• Delta Mu Delta (Business)
• Kappa Delta Pi (Education)
• Phi Alpha Theta (History)
• Psi Chi (Psychology)
• Sigma Tau Delta (English)
• Alpha Chi (Honors)

Greek Fraternities/Sororities

• Inter-Greek Council
• Omega Delta Chi sorority
• Zeta Phi Beta sorority
• Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority
• Phi Lambda Chi fraternity

Departmental

• Accounting Club
• Business Club
• Criminal Justice Association
• Future Teachers Association
• Mass Communication Club
• NTCC Education Club
• Political Science Club
• Psychology Club
• Sociology Club
• S.T.E.M. Club
• University Historians

Special Interest

• Art Club
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes
• Fishing Club
• Multicultural Association
• Student Competitive Academics
• Student Veterans Association
• Spectrum
• Table Top Gamers

• Erwin Cain, BS, Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from Sulphur Springs[21]
• Bob Bruggeman, BBA, Mayor of Texarkana, Texas[22]

Media related to Texas A&M University–Texarkana at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website