Message from the Dean

The Fall 2022 semester was a busy one for the College of Science and Mathematics (COSM).

The overall number of undergraduate majors in COSM increased by a little more than 2% while graduate student enrollment increased by almost 13%. Overall, COSM is now home to just over 720 students. However, the College is one of the largest generators of student credit hours (SCH) of all the academic colleges (there are seven academic colleges at Tarleton). In addition, we had over 750 high school students enrolled in dual credit courses offered through the OnRamps program with Tarleton faculty teaching the college portion of the courses. These data show COSM on a solid growth trajectory. More data about the College is provided later in the newsletter.

Tarleton continues to mature as a large institution showcased by the recent membership in the Association of Public & Land-grant Universities as well as the elevated Carnegie designation of Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity. As COSM plans for future growth and new directions, we have initiated efforts to start two doctoral programs. Efforts are underway to offer a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics and potentially a Ph.D. in Biology. In addition, we will begin offering courses in support of the B.S. Biomedical Sciences degree program at the Fort Worth Campus on Chisolm Trail in Fall, 2023. M.S. in Data Sciences is also starting in fall 2023, having recently received final approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. These new programs, along with the B.S. Statistics and B.S. Biotechnology programs that started in Fall 2022, should provide sustainable enrollment growth for the College while continuing our efforts to meet the regional employment needs for the STEM workforce.

We have launched several initiatives to assist in the professional growth and development of students pursuing one of the STEM degrees offered in COSM. Working with our partners in Career Services, a program has been launched to assist our students with finding internships, summer employment, and their first job after graduation. This effort includes establishing corporate partnerships with regional employers, a new website highlighting job vacancies, and training in the Handshake portal (Handshake is a national database of employment opportunities for students). Additionally, we have launched the COSM Student Professional Development Academy where we will offer workshops on a variety of topics that provide students assistance with resume writing, interview preparation, professional communication, and much more. Details for both of these initiatives can be found on the COSM website - https://www.tarleton. edu/cosm/.

None of these efforts would be possible without the outstanding faculty and staff in the College of Science and Mathematics. In closing, I want to thank them for their continued hard work and dedication to providing our students with high-quality educational experiences.

Sincerely,