Texas A&M International University

Last updated
Texas A&M International University
Texas A&M International University seal.svg
Former names
Texas A&I University at Laredo (1969–1977)
Laredo State University (1977–1993)
TypePublic
Established1969;54 years ago (1969)
Academic affiliations
CONAHEC
President Pablo Arenaz [1]
Academic staff
192 Full-time (Fall 2011)
Students8,305 (Fall 2019), [2]
Location, ,
United States
Campus300 acres (1.2 km2)
Nickname Dustdevils
Website www.tamiu.edu
Texas A&M International University logo.svg

Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) is a public university in Laredo, Texas. It is part of the Texas A&M University System and home to over 8,500 students each academic semester. TAMIU offers over 70 undergraduate and graduate degrees in four colleges.

Contents

History

Academics

Texas A&M International University offers undergraduate and graduate degrees through four colleges. They include:

Rankings

In 2015, The Economist Magazine's "List of America's Best Colleges" ranked TAMIU ninth in the nation, ahead of all other schools in Texas.

In 2013, the National Council on Teacher Quality, based in Washington, D.C., ranked TAMIU subpar in the matriculation of its education majors, of which there were some seven hundred graduates between 2009 and 2012. The institution received 2.5 on an 8.0 ranking system, or 1.5 for its elementary program and 1.0 for the secondary studies. TAMIU provides the majority of public school teachers to the two systems in Webb County. The programs were evaluated based on rigor, selectivity, and the level of mentorship provided to prospective educators. [4]

TAMIU officials questioned the motive, methodology, and results of the study. University officials released a statement: "TAMIU joins other teacher-training programs from colleges of education across the nation in challenging the accuracy of NCTQ results that incorporate inaccurate data and inherently flawed research methodology." [5] The NCTQ was founded in 2000 by the conservative think tank, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. TAMIU suggested that the NCTQ favors the dismantling of university teacher education programs with "bargain-basement online programs, some of which are directed by NCTQ surrogates." [5] TAMIU questioned why no NCTQ researcher visited the campus but instead based its evaluation on information sent primarily to the Washington office via emails. [5]

The TAMIU program was placed on probation in February 2013 by the Texas Board of Educator Certification. Though 70 percent of the TAMIU education graduates passed the certification examination, state accountability standards require an 80 percent completion rate to avoid probationary status. [5] TAMIU President Ray Keck noted that Texas Tech, Rutgers, Syracuse, and Stanford universities all fared poorly in the NCTQ study as well and asked, "Do you honestly believe those universities run slipshod programs in education?" [5] In July 2014, the University was notified by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) that its full accreditation status had been restored. [6]

In 2014, the College Affordability and Transparency Center, a project of the U.S. Department of Education, ranked the university sixth in the nation for lowest net price among public four-year universities. [7]

Research

TAMIU is home to various research centers, including the Binational Center, Center for the Study of Western Hemispheric Trade, The Western Hemispheric Trade Information Center, the Texas Center for Border Economics and Enterprise Development, the Small Business Development Center and the Center for Earth and Environmental Studies.

Athletics

The Texas A&M International (TAMIU) athletic teams are called the Dustdevils. The university is a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Lone Star Conference (LSC) since the 2019–20 academic year. The Dustdevils previously competed in the D-II Heartland Conference from 2006–07 to 2018–19 and in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 2002–03 to 2005–06.

TAMIU competes in 13 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports included baseball, basketball, cross country, golf and soccer; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading and dance.

Move to NCAA Division II

The Dustdevils became active members of NCAA Division II on September 1, 2008. As an active member, TAMIU is eligible for conference championships and NCAA tournament berths. [8]

Rebranding

In August 2014, the Dustdevil Athletics Department launched a new team logo and marks for the NCAA Division II programs.

Accomplishments

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

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References

  1. "Getting to Know TAMIU's Sixth President: Dr. Pablo Arenaz".
  2. "Analytics". EmpowerU. The Texas A&M University System. 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  3. "Texas A&M International University". Archived from the original on 2014-09-08.
  4. JJ Velasquez, "Study slams TAMIU: Grads not prepared to teach", Laredo Morning Times, June 19, 2013, pp. 1, 14A
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 JJ Velasquez, "Study challenged: TAMIU responds to teacher preparation issue", Laredo Morning Times, June 20, 2013, p. 1
  6. "Texas A&M International University". Archived from the original on 2014-06-25.
  7. "College Affordability and Transparency Center". Archived from the original on 2011-07-03.
  8. "TAMIU Athletics Granted Active NCAA Division II Status". Archived from the original on May 24, 2011.
  9. "Meet Tano". tanoforcountyjudge.com. Retrieved April 27, 2014.

27°34′22″N99°26′07″W / 27.5727°N 99.4353°W / 27.5727; -99.4353