The Third Decade

Laredo Morning Times | lmtonline.com | Sunday, November 17, 2019 | E5 #%! &""$(),+*,' .6; 1Z< Z =MZGG/ K??N "; L?= Laredo and the kind of busi- nesses we had in Laredo.” Thanks to the Killam family, the university gained various resources and sup- port. “Radcliffe and his fam- ily deserve a medal of hon- or,” Jennett said. “It would be hard to overstate all the things he did for the univer- sity that were public, and also a lot of time he would quietly do it.” For example, Jennett said international students would sometimes lose their sup- port from due to government changes or challenges in the international economy. “The Killams gave land, they gave scholarships, they gave jobs to some of them, the list would go on and on and on,” Jennett said. “And it’s also his children who played a role in that. They supported more young peo- ple than you can possibly imagine.” FL;M= "9M /MZ=< ?L GMZNM=- ship, Jennett announced he would leave the university in 2001. Under him, TAMIU added 17 new degree pro- grams and saw enrollment K=?1 >Z<; XVB$ Advancing academics Besides physically ex- panding, the university also expanded its programs and degrees to provide more op- tions to the community and the world at large. With its new four-year status, TAMIU signed and 1MGO?AMN I;< "=<; L=M<JAZ@& José González, who was only 17 and graduated from '@I;MN 7IKJ )OJ??G I@ XPPU$ In 1996, TAMIU partook in a pilot program which provided over 700 students with a groundbreaking, fast way to communicate across time and space: email. Several months later, the (M0Z< E?Z=N ?L 2:=<M 80- aminers awarded TAMIU full accreditation status to ;JM )OJ??G ?L 2:=<I@K& Z >=?- cess that can take months or /MZ=< ;? "@I<J$ Given TAMIU’s advanta- geous location on the U.S.- Mexico border and its pull of international students, the business school gained more resources with each student and scholarship. In September that year, Jennett announced the Rad- OGILLM 5IGGZA CI<;I@K:I<JMN Professorship of Internation- al Trade Studies in the West- ern Hemisphere. The event occurred in the Great Room of the Sue and Radcliffe Kil- lam Library, dedicated to the generous family. “Radcliffe Killam and the Killam family name are synonymous with support of higher education in South Texas and beyond,” Jennett said during the event. “Mr. Killam and his wife, Sue )>I9M/ 5IGGZA& JMG>MN L:G"GG our community’s long-cher- ished dream of a campus for Texas A&M International University with their gen- erous gift of 300 acres of prime land in northeast Lar- edo for Texas’ newest four- year university,” 6@ 3Z=OJ XPPR& C=$ ):<Z@ Scobille Baker was named the nursing school director. The nursing school was also recommended to receive the AZ0IA:A "9M%/MZ= 6@I;IZG ZOO=MNI;Z;I?@ Y/ ;JM 2Z;I?@ZG 4MZK:M L?= 2:=<I@K FOO=MNI- tation Commission. The spring enrollment 1Z< :> SB L=?A W&SRR ;? W&QU# O?A>Z=MN ;? ;JM >=M- vious fall. The increase is the highest among all Texas universities, according to the Texas Higher Education Co- ordinating Board. In August, 30 TAMIU students piloted a new course which would help "=<;%;IAM <;:NM@;< @Z9IKZ;M academia and their career paths, as part of the “Total Freshman Year Experience Plan.” One course included “Is- sues in Psychology: Univer- sity Survival and Success.” TAMIU would also add mu- sic courses after creating a university band and chorale club. These were announced Y/ C=$ *Z/ 5MOH& DJZI= ?L ;JM CM>Z=;AM@; ?L 8@KGI<J& Spanish and Fine Arts of the College of Arts and Hu- manities. He would go on to <M=9M Z< ;JM :@I9M=<I;/+< "L;J president In January 1998, the uni- 9M=<I;/ YZ@N NMY:;MN 1I;J UT members at the opening of the Laredo Philharmonic Or- chestra symphonic concert. Two well-needed degrees were added in April after the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board unani- mously approved a Bachelor of Arts degree in communi- cation and a master’s degree in Spanish. C=$ *ZA?@ FGZ@I-& 1J? teaches education with a fo- cus on bilingual education, said there were several de- grees during this time that were considered. The arts and sciences department proposed a master’s degree in English as a second lan- guage. “At that time, there was a movement away from bilin- gual education, so Spanish as a local language wasn’t being promoted,” Alaniz said. “English as a second language was being promot- ed, even though it’s always part of a bilingual program.” Alaniz said the degree did not work out given Laredo’s population that is mainly Spanish-speaking or bilingual. “People tried to place more emphasis on English Z@N I; NIN@+; !/&, FGZ@I- said. “If you’re trying to do anything locally in regard to language, you need Span- ish. For the most part we had about 50-50 in our pro- grams.” In May 1998, the Texas Higher Education Coordi- nating Board also approved a new biology degree. The TAMIU Giving Day: 50 for 50 Holiday Tree Lighting Celebration Ring Ceremony Pre-Commencement Ceremonies Commencement TAMIU Grand Tower Ribbon Cutting TAMIU 2020/Vision of our Past Nov. 19 Dec. 2 Dec. 4 Dec. 11 Dec. 12 January (TBD) Jan. 30 Upcoming Schedule