Page 24 - Texas Wesleyan Univ Catalog

22 Texas Wesleyan University
of the University fosters a student-centered approach to learning. Reporting to the President are the Provost and Senior Vice President with the responsibility for all academic matters, institutional research, and information technology; the Vice President of Finance and Administration with responsibility for finance and budget, administrative services, and human resources; the Vice President for University Advancement with responsibility for development and alumni affairs as well as sponsored programs; the Vice President for Marketing and Communications with responsibilities for designing and coordinating University marketing and communication to both internal and external markets; the Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services with responsibilities for admission, student engagement and student services; the Chief of Staff with responsibilities for managing the President’s office and staff, advising and assisting the President, and serving as a liaison with the board of trustees, faculty, staff, and external constituencies; the University resident chaplain; the Athletic Director with responsibility to manage the operations of the athletic department and administer intercollegiate athletics.
The academic schools and programs reporting to the Provost include the Schools of Arts and Letters, Business Administration, Education, and Natural and Social Sciences led by the dean of each respective school, and the Graduate Programs of Nurse Anesthesia led by a director.
Members of the Board of Trustees, principal administrative officers, and administrative staff are listed in the back of this catalog.
History
Texas Wesleyan University was founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in 1890 on a site east of Fort Worth donated by area pioneers, A. S. Hall, W. D. Hall, and George Tandy. Originally named Polytechnic College, the school held its first classes in September 1891, with a handful of faculty members and 111 students.
In the early 20th century, H.A. Boaz conceived the idea of a new university for Southern Methodism and planned to develop Polytechnic College into that university. When Southern Methodist University was established in Dallas, the Polytechnic campus was designated the Woman’s College for Southern Methodism. Texas Woman’s College, as it became in 1914, developed into a major force in North Texas. However, faced with dwindling resources during the Depression, trustees voted to close the school in 1931. A merger with the financially secure Texas Wesleyan Academy in Austin kept the doors open and created the new, co-educational institution of Texas Wesleyan College in 1934. Since then, Texas Wesleyan has remained a co-educational, liberal arts-based institution with an increasingly comprehensive academic and student life program.
In addition to strong undergraduate programs, the University added graduate programs in education in the 1970s, and nurse anesthesia and graduate business programs in the 1980s. The University assumed control of the Nurse Anesthesia Program at Harris Methodist Hospital and the program, now known as the Graduate Program in Nurse Anesthesia and accredited by the Council of Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia, is the largest in the country. Recognizing the growth in programs, trustees changed the name of the institution to Texas Wesleyan University, effective in January 1989.
Texas Wesleyan has historically combined service to a residential population along with its strong commitment to a commuting and adult