The University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational kno ...

Tyler, Texas Tyler is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the largest city and county seat of Smith County, Texas, Smith County. It is also the largest city in Northeast Texas. With a 2020 census population of 105,995, Tyler was the List of cities in Texa ...

. Founded in 1971, it is a part of the

University of Texas System The University of Texas System (UT System) is an American government entity of the state of Texas that includes 13 higher educational institutions throughout the state including eight universities and five independent health institutions. The UT& ...

. UT Tyler consists of five professional colleges and one traditional college of arts and sciences, offering over 90 academic degree programs at the bachelor, master, and doctoral levels. The University of Texas at Tyler is accredited by the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...

. The university had a fall 2020 student body enrollment of 9,927 and a 19:1 student to faculty ratio. It has a park-like campus.

History

The University of Texas at Tyler was founded in 1971 as Tyler State College. The school was renamed Texas Eastern University in 1975, and then joined the

in 1979 as a result of action by the 66th Texas Legislature. Initially, UT Tyler was a "senior" level institution ("senior" as compared to community or junior colleges), teaching only upper division undergraduate courses for juniors & seniors, as well as graduate level courses, and granting bachelor's and master's degrees. Thus, until 1998, all U.T. Tyler students were transfer students from other institutions of higher learning—junior colleges or other universities. In 1997, the 75th Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1795, signed into law by Governor George W. Bush, authorizing the school to add classes for freshmen and sophomore students. As of the Fall semester 1998, UT Tyler became a 4-year and graduate institution, following the full U.S. university pattern, i.e. educating students from the freshman level through graduate and postgraduate levels. In late 2019, the UT System Board of Regents unanimously agreed to merge the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler (UTHSCT) under the University of Texas at Tyler (UTT), creating a single unified institution. Two months later, the UT System formally announced its intention to establish a new medical school that will be added under the new unified UT Tyler administration. It will be the first medical school in the

East Texas East Texas is a broadly defined cultural, geographic, and ecological region in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas that comprises most of 41 counties. It is primarily divided into Northeast and Southeast Texas. Most of the region consi ...

region. The plan was approved by the university's accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Schools, in 2020. UTHSCT will retain its status as a health-related institution but will now come under the administration of UT Tyler. The merger officially began in January 2021. The Board of Regents installed Dr. Kirk A. Calhoun, M.D. as president of the newly aligned UT Tyler and UTHSCT. The medical school is expected to open in 2023.

University Academy

UT Tyler's College of Education and Psychology has operated the UT Tyler University Academy since its founding in 2012. The University Academy has campuses on UT Tyler's Campus, on UT Tyler's Longview University Center, and on UT Tyler's Palestine Campus. University Academy offers grades K- 12, with a focus on STEM and most students graduating with 30 credit hours from UT Tyler. The Schools also serve as labs for students of the

UTeach UTeach is a teacher certification program administered by the College of Natural Sciences and the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin. It was created in 1997 to address both the shortage of qualified secondary mathematics, sc ...

program and for faculty of the College of Education and Psychology.

Academics

In addition to its undergraduate programs, UT Tyler offers doctoral studies in nursing, pharmacy, and human resource development. It also offers a selective four-year honors program for high-achieving undergraduate students of all majors. For the Fall 2020 semester, UT Tyler had a 92% acceptance rate. The '' U. S. News & World Report'' rankings released in 2021 placed UT Tyler #299-#391 in National Universities, tied for #179 in Top Performers on Social Mobility, #156-#209 in Top Public Schools, and tied for #75 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs at schools where doctorates are not offered. The university supports six undergraduate colleges including the: * College of Arts and Sciences * Soules College of Business * College of Education and Psychology * College of Engineering * College of Nursing and Health Sciences * The Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy

Campus

UT Tyler's main campus is located on , just inside the eastern city limits of

. The UT Tyler campus is master-planned with an integrated architectural style of buildings. Because of vigorous growth in enrollment, many new buildings and sports facilities have been constructed at the main campus since 1996. One of the most prominent features of the UT Tyler campus is the Riter Tower, an instrument featuring 57 bells. The tower was built with a $1.35 million gift from Mr. and Mrs. A.W. "Dub" Riter Jr. The bells are played with an electronic keyboard connected at sites in the music department, the administration building, or at the base of the tower. The Herrington Patriot Center includes a state-of-the-art fitness center with cardio-theater and circuit training, racquetball courts, heated pool and spa, indoor walking/jogging track, and gymnasium/convocation area with basketball/volleyball court and seating for 2,300. The 2,000 seat R. Don Cowan Fine and Performing Arts Center attracts a wide array of cultural entertainment, and 26,000 patrons attend the performances annually. On-campus housing options include one dormitory, Ornelas Hall, and four apartment complexes, Patriot Village, Liberty Landing and Victory Village which are owned by UT Tyler, and University Pines, which is owned by an outside company but is on university land and works in conjunction with the university. Since 2019, the university has added a large outdoor green space (called Patriot Plaza) for recreation and events, as well as an Alumni House.

Research

With over $28 million in annual research expenditures, UT Tyler is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".

Funding

UT Tyler has access to the State of Texas's

Permanent University Fund The Permanent University Fund (PUF) is a sovereign wealth fund created by the State of Texas to fund public higher education within the state. A portion of the returns from the PUF are annually directed towards the Available University Fund (AUF ...

(PUF), with over $32 billion in assets . These funds are primarily used for infrastructure improvements and expansion, as well as the repayment of debts. The university also has its own endowment worth $154.96 million as of 2021.https://www.utimco.org/reports/private-endowments/ This includes the endowments from the main campus as well as The University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center. Furthermore, UT Tyler is part of the

, which has an endowment of $42.9 billion as of 2021, the most of any public university system in the world and second only to Harvard.

Student life

UT Tyler offers over 80 student organizations including Greek fraternities and sororities. *Greek Sororities **

Alpha Chi Omega Alpha Chi Omega (, also known as Alpha Chi or A Chi O) is a national women's Fraternities and sororities in North America, fraternity founded on October 15, 1885. As of 2018, there are 132 collegiate and 279 alumnae chapters represented across ...

, Kappa Mu chapter **

Gamma Phi Beta Gamma Phi Beta (, also known as GPhi or Gamma Phi) is an international college sorority. It was founded in Syracuse University in 1874, and was the first of the Greek organizations to call itself a sorority. The main archive URL iThe Baird's Man ...

, Zeta Upsilon chapter (currently Inactive) **

Delta Gamma Delta Gamma (), commonly known as DG, is a women's fraternity in the United States and Canada with over 250,000 initiated members. It has 150 collegiate chapters and more than 200 alumnae groups. The organization's executive office is in Columbus ...

, Eta Xi chapter **

Delta Sigma Theta Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority. The organization was founded by college-educated women dedicated to public service with an emphasis on programs that assist the African American community. Delta ...

, Upsilon Epsilon chapter **

Zeta Tau Alpha Zeta Tau Alpha (known as or Zeta) is an international Fraternities and sororities in North America, women's fraternity founded on October 15, 1898 at the State Female Normal School (now Longwood University) in Farmville, Virginia. Its Internatio ...

, Lamba Sigma chapter *Greek Fraternities **

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon (), commonly known as SAE, is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. It was founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is t ...

, Texas Zeta chapter (suspended in 2021) **

Pi Kappa Phi Pi Kappa Phi (), commonly known as Pi Kapp(s), is an American Greek Letter secret and social fraternity. It was founded by Andrew Alexander Kroeg Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and Simon Fogarty Jr. on December 10, 1904 at the College of Charleston ...

, Theta Pi chapter (suspended in 2017) **

Kappa Sigma Kappa Sigma (), commonly known as Kappa Sig, is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1869. Kappa Sigma is one of the five largest international fraternities with currently 318 active chapters and colo ...

, Rho Nu chapter (suspended in 2016) **

Delta Sigma Phi Delta Sigma Phi (), commonly known as Delta Sig or D Sig, is a fraternities and sororities, fraternity established in 1899 at City College of New York, The City College of New York (CCNY). It was the first fraternity to be founded on the basis o ...

, Theta Pi associate chapter **

Alpha Tau Omega Alpha Tau Omega (), commonly known as ATO, is an American social fraternity founded at the Virginia Military Institute in 1865 by Otis Allan Glazebrook. The fraternity has around 250 active and inactive chapters and colonies in the United Stat ...

, Nexus Installation ** FarmHouse Fraternity, Associate Chapter *Recreational Sports *Student Activities *Student Government Association *Student Organizations **

American Society of Civil Engineers American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

Student Chapter (awarded Best ASCE Student Chapter in Texas in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2019. Texas-Mexico Region Concrete Canoe Champions 2009, 2012, and 2013) **

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operation ...

Corona Chapter **Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering (ATMAE) Student Chapter. Only ATMAE student chapter in the world to win the Outstanding Student Chapter Award three consecutive years and to also win it a total of five times (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016). * Honor Fraternities **

Beta Alpha Psi Beta Alpha Psi () is an international honor society for accounting, finance and information systems students attending universities accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business or the European Quality Improvement System ...

Beta Gamma Sigma Beta Gamma Sigma () is the International Business Honor Society. Founded in 1913 at the University of Wisconsin, University of Illinois and the University of California, it has over 980,000 members, selected from more than 600 collegiate chapters ...

Kappa Kappa Psi Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity (, colloquially referred to as KKPsi), is a fraternity for college and university band members in the United States. It was founded on November 27, 1919, on Thanksgiving Day, at Oklahoma Agricul ...

Epsilon Pi Tau Epsilon Pi Tau ( or EPT) is an international honor society for professions in technology. They recognize academics of students, preparation for practitioners and outstanding professionals. Membership in Epsilon Pi Tau may be at one of three level ...

Phi Alpha Theta Phi Alpha Theta () is an American honor society for undergraduate and graduate students and professors of history. It has more than 400,000 members, with new members numbering about 9,000 a year through its 970 chapters. Founding Phi Alpha The ...

Debate

UT Tyler competes in the

National Parliamentary Debate Association The National Parliamentary Debate Association (NPDA) is one of the two national intercollegiate parliamentary debate organizations in the United States. The other is the American Parliamentary Debate Association. Its membership is national with ...

. The debate team at UT Tyler has a rich history of national success making five national finals appearances: Sam Cook and Steven Hullum (NPTE 2015 and 2016); Ayush Kumar and Mason Remaley (NPTE 2020, 2022, and NPDA 2022). Cook and Hullum were the NPTE 2016 national champions.

Athletics

UT Tyler competes in the

Lone Star Conference The Lone Star Conference (LSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located in the southwestern United States, with schools in Tex ...

of the NCAA's Division II. The current 2020–21 school year is the last of the program's planned three-year transition from

Division III In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...

. Both the men's and women's sports teams are referred to as the Patriots. The school does not have a football program. UT Tyler participates in the following fifteen sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis and track & field, while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball. Since 2005, UT Tyler student-athletes have won 29 American Southwest Conference Championships, 29 ASC East Division championships, made 32 team appearances in the NCAA postseason and had 26 students earn All-America or Academic All-America Honors.

Notable alumni

Glenn Canfield Jr. Glenn Canfield Jr. (September 20, 1935 – January 30, 2006) was an American Metallurgy, metallurgist and businessman. Early life Glenn Canfield Jr. was born September 20, 1935, in Springfield, Illinois to Ruth K. and Glenn Canfield. He was th ...

(deceased) – former president of Thermo-Tech Co., Chairperson of the Republican Party of Gregg County, Texas *

Bryan Hughes Bryan Hughes (born 19 June 1976) is an English football manager and former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder from 1994 to 2015, notably Premier League for Birmingham City, Charlton Athletic and Hull City as well as featuring ...

– Republican member of the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abou ...

from Wood County since 2003 *Brittany Mahomes – co-owner of

Kansas City NWSL Kansas City Current is an American professional women's soccer team based in Kansas City, Kansas. It began play as an expansion team in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in 2021. History Establishment Kansas City last had an NW ...

and wife of NFL quarterback

Patrick Mahomes Patrick Lavon Mahomes II (born September 17, 1995) is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). The son of former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher Pat Mahomes, he initially played co ...

, played soccer at UT Tyler before a brief professional career *

Brandon Rhyder Brandon Ryder Cristina is an American Texas Country/ Red Dirt singer from Carthage, Texas, United States. Education Cristina graduated from the University of Texas at Tyler with a degree in Industrial Technology. Albums Cristina released his ...

– Texas Country/Red Dirt singer *

Craig Tiley Craig Tiley (born 1962) is a South African tennis executive and retired U.S. college tennis coach. Tiley is the current CEO of Tennis Australia, which is the governing body that oversees tennis in Australia. He is also the Director of the Aus ...

– CEO of

Tennis Australia Tennis Australia Limited is the governing body for Tennis in Australia. It is owned by Australian states and territories. The association organises national and international Tennis tournaments including the Australian Open, the Australian Open ...

and Director of the

Australian Open The Australian Open is a tennis tournament held annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. The tournament is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis events held each year, preceding the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Th ...

References

External links

*
UT Tyler Athletics website
{{Coord, 32.317258, N, 95.251937, W, source:dewiki_region:US-TX_type:landmark, format=dms, display=title Educational institutions established in 1971 Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

Tyler Tyler may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tyler (name), an English name; with lists of people with the surname or given name * Tyler, the Creator (born 1991), American rap artist and producer * John Tyler, 10th president of the United ...

Public universities and colleges in Texas Education in Tyler, Texas Education in Smith County, Texas Buildings and structures in Tyler, Texas