Tarleton State University
Tarleton State University
Tarleton State University Thursday opened the first building for the new Fort Worth campus on Chisolm Trail Parkway.
By Maddie Woodhouse
In what the school’s president called an expansion of the dream of its founders, Tarleton State University Thursday opened the first building for the new Fort Worth campus on Chisolm Trail Parkway.
“Today, we are celebrating the opportunity to expand higher education for the people of this region,” said school President F. Dominic Dottavio at the campus ribbon-cutting. The three-story, 76,000-square-foot building is the first of many for the campus. The campus sits over 80 acres of land donated by Walton Development.
Community leaders, legislators, and officials within the Texas A&M University system helped usher in the school’s opening. Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, for instance, underscored education as the key to changing people’s lives.
“It takes people out of poverty and makes them successful, and in return, it changes cities and it changes towns. It changes the quality of life where we all live,” Price said. “That’s exactly what this campus brings to Fort Worth and the surrounding areas.”
State Representative Chris Turner says the state’s goal is for 60 percent of young Texans to have a college degree or post-secondary education by 2030. To Turner, the campus is going to help expand access to higher education over the next decade.
In a multiphase master plan, Tarleton State will first focus on equipping the $41 million building with learning areas, offices, support services, and event space. Then, the school will add more facilities, a quad, and the ability to accommodate 6,000 students. By 2030, Tarleton State aims to serve up to 9,000 students.
“Throughout the years, Tarleton has proven to be a strong asset to our community, and this expansion will allow for further growth and impact right here in the great city of Fort Worth,” said State Representative Roger Williams at the ribbon-cutting.
Tarleton’s history in Fort Worth began with eight students in 1978. Today, the university offers more than 50 graduate, undergraduate, and certificate programs. The new campus will allow students to pursue a doctorate in criminal justice, the university’s first Ph.D.
The university estimates more than 15,000 Tarleton alumni live in the Fort Worth area with a $1.2 billion economic impact.
Head over to tarleton.edu/fortworth to learn more about the school. Class is in session at the new campus Aug. 26.
