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Tarleton celebrates o.A. Grant building expansion

Joining the celebration was Mrs. O.A. Grant (center) and officials from Tarleton and The Texas A&M University System.

Tarleton opened a 34,000-square-foot expansion of the O.A. Grant Humanities Building, housing technologically up-to-date learning spaces and becoming a Tarleton icon with its cylindrical glass tower visible from Washington Street.

Now home to the Department of Communication Studies and University Writing Center, the expansion included renovating 12,000 square feet of existing space and adding two floors to bring the entire facility to three. The 40-yearold building was rehabilitated to keep up-to-date with current educational needs and trends.

From private video podcast rooms where students improve speaking and presentation skills, to “mediascape” rooms with top-notch technology for group collaboration, Tarleton students have facilities for success in the classroom and in their careers.

A large second floor balcony with WiFi Internet access and two smaller balconies provide outdoor settings for study, classes or projects. An outdoor amphitheater offers tiered seating for lectures, performances or space just to gather.

A Media Convergence Lab allows Tarleton students to hone their news-gathering and broadcast experiences. The third floor broadcast studio has a background view of the campus, a green screen for image creation and a blackout curtain when needed. A Digital Motion Capture Lab features cutting-edge technologies for developing computer animation.

2Congressman Charles Stenholm’s exhibit has found a permanent home within the Grant Building near the college dean’s suite.

Chicago parade brings national television exposure

Tarleton State University’s marching band, The Sound & The Fury, made a nationally televised appearance when 135 students participated in the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade.

The lone marching band from Texas, The Sound & The Fury also was the only university band in the 81st annual parade in downtown Chicago, which drew an estimated four million television viewers.

One of 23 marching bands invited to participate, Tarleton’s marching band, under the direction of Dr. Gary Westbrook, is the second-largest in university history, and includes three drum majors, a feature twirler, color guard and woodwinds, brass and percussion sections.

Texans train alongside Army soldiers at fort Hood

For the first time in program history, the Tarleton football team broke from their preseason training routine to hold camp alongside U.S. Army soldiers at nearby Fort Hood.

The entire Texan football squad, coaching staff and athletic training crew teamed up with soldiers assigned to the Army’s 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment “Black Knights” who led them in leadership and team-building exercises.

The training camp at Fort Hood was the first time any NCAA Division II football program collaborated with the U.S. Army, and second only to Division I Syracuse University holding camp at Fort Drum in upstate New York.

Engineering programs gain state approval

Tarleton gained approval for bachelor’s degree programs in electrical engineering and civil engineering within the College of Science and Technology from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

The approval enables the university to admit students into the degree programs immediately.

The civil engineering program builds upon classes the university already offers in environmental engineering, water resources and hydrology. Graduates will be prepared for licensing as civil engineers and may seek employment or go on for advanced degrees. Civil engineering is projected to have a 19 percent growth rate nationally, and a slightly higher growth rate in Texas.

Similarly, the electrical engineering program will draw upon current courses offered in signal processing, control systems, software applications, computer hardware and other electrical engineering principles. Tarleton will prepare electrical engineering students to serve targeted growth in the aerospace, defense, computer technology and energy industries, which thrive in the Dallas/ Fort Worth Metroplex. The program also will prepare graduates for graduate school and licensing in electrical engineering.

Electrical engineering jobs are projected to grow nationally by six percent over the next few years, but growth in Texas is predicted at 17 percent and in North Central Texas at more than 24 percent.

interactive campus map provides 3D tours

Tarleton has implemented its new online campus map, a richly interactive tool that will help guide students, parents, alumni and other visitors around campus, both online and in person.

The map was created in conjunction with concept3D, Inc., developers of the CampusBird interactive mapping platform.

Highlights of the Tarleton map include detailed photographs of residential and academic facilities, directions to on-campus dining spaces and reflections on the monuments and memorials on campus. The map is built on top of Google Maps, which enables users to zoom in or pan out to the level of detail desired, and includes 3D models, 2D overlays and street-view imagery.

To view the new maps, visit www.tarleton.edu/campus Need more information? Check out these resources.

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texan facts

80

Number of acres in Fort Worth donated to Tarleton State University by The Walton Group of Companies

100

Percent of job placement rate for accounting and nursing graduates

512

Number of beds in the new Heritage Hall residential facility

7,500

Number of hours Tarleton student organizations contributed to community service in 2014