TAMIU Looks Back at 2005
As a New Year begins, Texas A&M International Universitiy offers a look back at a year of remarkable growth and change.
January 2005
The University’s switch to an online registration system proves a big hit with a 503% increase in use by students.
The University hosts the first KLRN Women’ Health Conference, attended by over 450 women of all ages.
Former Laredoan Phil Kazen, John O'Neill and Bill Gundry star in a benefit performance of the short play “Art,” directed by Jerry Watson at the Sam Johnson Black Box Theater at TAMIU’s Center for the Fine and Performing Arts. Funds benefited the Department of Fine and Performing Arts.
February
TAMIU employees offer the largest contribution as part of its participation in the annual State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC). TAMIU employees contributed $38,509.
TAMIU students approve the passage of a $2 increase to it’s the International Education Fee, which assists students participating in TAMIU international student exchange or study abroad programs. The fee increase took effect Fall 2005.
The University offers a peek into its future with an online version of its Master Plan that looks at planned expansion through 2014.
The Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library Plaza is the site of a special sendoff ceremony for members of The 3rd Battalion 141st Infantry of the Texas Army National Guard deploying to Afghanistan. 55 soldiers deployed, most from Laredo and Hebbronville. 12 were TAMIU students suspended their studies to serve.
March
With the simple act of signing an agreement, the presidents of Laredo Community College and Texas A&M International University make it possible for LCC students to enjoy simultaneous joint admission to TAMIU. Students can now alternate enrollment between institutions or co-enroll at their discretion.
TAMIU’s men's and women's basketball teams have earn fifth seeds in their respective Red River Athletic Conference postseason tournament.
Dr. Jerry Thompson, TAMIU Regent's professor of history, is awarded the 2004 Kate Broocks Bates Award for the best book on Texas history up to 1900 for “Civil War and Revolution on the Rio Grande Frontier,” co-authored with Lawrence T. Jones III and published by the Texas State Historical Association.
Furthering its commitment to use technology to streamline accessibility, the University launches TAMIUWorks! an innovative, Web-based system that offers online recruitment, application and hiring for the University.
Official enrollment for the Spring Semester 2005 at Texas A&M international University was 4,202, a 3% increase over Spring 2004 enrollment of 4,080. Semester credit hours (SCH), were up to 41,614, or 6.8% over last Spring's SCH of 38,954.
TAMIU’s Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), an officially sanctioned student organization, hosts its first conference, the Rainbow Unity Conference. “Out” comedian Jason Stuart, appears.
TAMIU names Minita Ramírez associate vice president for Student Success with responsibility for Enrollment Management, Admissions, the Registrar's Office, Financial Aid, Community College Outreach Program and Campus Housing.
April
TAMIU dedicates its Lamar Bruni Vergara Science Center and Planetarium with sunshine and smiles. The $24.5 million-plus three-story facility is 79,000-square feet in size and includes 40 distinct science labs in addition to classrooms, computer labs, an auditorium, faculty offices and the signature planetarium.
Lamar Bruni Vergara Trust trustees Judge Solomon Casseb and J. C. Martin III also announce the largest cash philanthropic gift in Laredo’s history, $10 million, in support of graduate education scholarships at TAMIU.
James Joseph Palacios, TAMIU senior accounting major, was named the recipient of an Accounting Excellence Award by the San Antonio CPA Society, a Chapter of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants.
TAMIU receives a $250,000 TRIO federal grant for student support from the United States Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education. The program's main purpose is to motivate and help students to complete their postsecondary education. TAMIU's program has been active four years.
May
Robert D. McTeer, Chancellor for The Texas A&M University System, provides the Commencement Address for candidates for outdoor graduation at Spring 2005 Commencement Exercises.
TAMIU adds a Masters of Science in Biology to its degree programs. The degree is a response to overwhelming support from students, teachers and employers after they expressed a need for the program, said Dr. Daniel Mott, associate dean, professor and chair for the department of biology and chemistry.
TAMIU’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team earned the national "Rookie of the Year" Award at the SIFE USA National Exposition in Kansas City, Missouri. The group previously won Regional Champion honors at the SIFE USA Regional Competition in Dallas in April, advancing them to the National competition.
Dr. Doris J. Rosenow, TAMIU associate professor of nursing, Horacio Palacios, assistant professor of nursing, and Irma Lara, assistant professor of nursing, presented at the Fifth Annual Southern States Knowledge in Nursing Conference. Their research targeted decreasing risk factors for cardiovascular disease associated with metabolic syndrome.
June
After eight weeks and a total of 173 moves, TAMIU staff, administrators and faculty settle into their new offices after the opening of the new Lamar Bruni Vergara Science Center.
The University announces that with the Fall 2005 semester, it will offer an integrated writing experience in lieu of the previous University Writing Assessment, also formerly known as the Rising Junior Examination. The move is reflective of TAMIU’s desire to make writing excellence an institutional focus.
TAMIU’s bookstore becomes just a click away with a new online store presence link from the University’s main Web page. The store enables online purchases of new and used textbooks, cash back for books, access to school spirit products, software discounts, a variety of student-oriented specials and a chance to participate in feedback surveys.
July
TAMIU and seven other members of The Texas A&M University System were among the top 25 agencies statewide for buying goods and services provided by companies certified as Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) in fiscal year 2005, according to the Texas Procurement and Building Commission.
Elizabeth Newman Martínez, TAMIU’s associate vice president for administration, was one of two national recipients of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) "2005 Rising Star Award" at the Association's national Conference in Baltimore, Md.
An expanded TAMIU student e-mail service and password access to computer labs, wireless networks and printing services is announced for Fall implementation.
The University launches “AskTAMIU,” a new Web-based information response system that intelligently provides various responses to questions about TAMIU admissions, enrollment, life on campus or financial aid. It also interacts with the requestor to make sure the information provided is relevant…any time of the day or night. It can also provide contact points for more specific information by phone or e-mail.
The addition of $850,000 in new TEXAS (Toward Excellence, Access and Success) Grant awards comes at a critical time as potential students plan their Fall registration.
The city’s and region’s brightest student minds are keen on TAMIU: the University successfully attracts salutatorians and valedictorians from eight city and area high schools, a record.
August
After seven months of preparation and a life’s worth of work, the Rose Treviño Regional History Special Collection finds a permanent home at the Texas A&M International University Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library Special Collections and Archives.
TAMIU receives a grant of $698,299 from the U.S. Department of Education to assist in early college preparation and scholarships for low-income students.
TAMIU hosts “Welcome Week,” over 20 events that are part of the official student welcome to the Fall semester.
TAMIU is ranked 24th in the 2005 NAIA Men’s Soccer Preseason rankings.
Laredo artist Mary Quiros' “Watercolors” exhibit opens in the TAMIU Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Gallery. Laredo Center for the Arts.
September
Fulfilling the mission of the Dr. F.M. Canseco School of Nursing to prepare nurses to address the health care needs of Laredo and the mid-Rio Grande region, TAMIU’s May nursing graduates celebrated a 100 percent pass rate on their nursing licensure examinations.
The University hosts “International Week of Tibet,” featuring concerts, lectures and seminars on holistic healing, Buddhism and Tibet.
Traditional Chinese dance and music performances highlight the Mid-Autumn Festival, part of TAMIU’s 35th Anniversary Celebration, at the Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall. Guest artists are Dance China NY, Chinese dance company.
The University announces plans for its 35th Anniversary Reunion Weekend Oct. 8-9.
October
The University hosts the first concert of the new Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra’s season, “Music and the Human Spirit.”
The first annual “AutMus Fest” takes place on campus with over 4,000 in attendance. The Alumni Association-sponsored event helped raise funds for student scholarships.
The education of children ages 3-5 is targeted with the funding of a grant proposal created by TAMIU, the Webb County Headstart Program and The Texas Migrant Council that is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families to the tune of $139,000.
A new Title V grant of $3.25 million from the United States Department of Education is announced that targets the preparation of tomorrow's teachers through a joint initiative between TAMIU's College of Education and Laredo Community College.
As part of Laredo's 250th anniversary celebration, the University hosts "Laredo: 250 Years of History" a three-day border history conference.
TAMIU’s College of Business Administration is named one of the nation's most outstanding business schools and ranks second in the nation in offering the "Greatest Opportunity for Minority Students" according to The Princeton Review.
TAMIU’s Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Program is notified by The Council on Social Work Education that the Commission on Accreditation granted the program accreditation through October 2009.
Songs previously familiar only to children and adults who grew up in Laredo or Mexico are now available to music educators everywhere thanks to a series of books co-authored by TAMIU’s Dr. Gilberto D. Soto.
Three TAMIU D.D. Hachar Honors Program students, Ariel Ali Sauceda, Stacey Trujillo and Sarah Jenkins, travel to the National Collegiate Honors Council Conference in St. Louis, Mo.
TAMIU posts a one percent increase in student enrollment and a 2.5 percent increase in semester credit hours (SCH)... meaning more students are enrolling for more classes. Total enrollment is 4,311, with an SCH of 44,454, slightly up from last Fall’s 4,272 students and SCH of 43,335.
November
TAMIU students have a new champion for their higher education in Hugo A. Gutierrez Sr. and Adolfo E. Gutierrez of Falcon International Bank, who provided a $5,000 gift in support of TAMIU’s student scholarship fund.
TAMIU inducts its chapter (296) of the nation’s oldest and largest all-disciplinary honor society, The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.
TAMIU launches its first podcast featuring selections from the TAMIU Symphonic Band's October 17, 2004 performance at the Center for the Fine and Performing Arts' Recital Hall.
National Philanthropy Week is observed at TAMIU with the dedication of a Donor Wall in the Student Center rotunda. The Wall provides a powerful reminder of the more than $50 million-worth of generosity that has benefited Laredo's University.
Members of The Laredo National Bank Trust Committee met present their $400,000 gift in support of the D. D. Hachar Scholars Program.
TAMIU offers stand-alone computer kiosks to offer full access to the University's web site and online resources in the lobby of the Office of the Registrar.
TAMIU’s Dr. Stanley Green is awarded a Fulbright Scholar Grant to research "Reflections of the Texas Revolution on Northeast Mexico" at the College of Tamaulipas in Victoria, México during the 2005 - 2006 academic year.
December
The glorious seasonal sounds of Handel's Messiah is heard at TAMIU Center Fine & Performing Arts featuring the Laredo Philharmonic Chorale in a collaborative performance with musicians from Laredo Community College, TAMIU, Laredo Independent School District and United Independent School District.
With an eye to providing students with additional language strengths for the global market and the curious with new opportunities, TAMIU announces the addition of French to its Spring academic offerings.
An innovative articulation agreement between TAMIU and United Independent School District makes it possible for UISD students who satisfactorily complete specified UISD courses and programs to be granted TAMIU credit in the BA degree in Communication program at the University.
Students and faculty alike at Texas A&M International University benefit from an expanded agreement between TAMIU and the Universidad Regiomontana’s Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences that furthers student and faculty exchange, research collaborations, undergraduate and graduate enrollment and a Dual Degree Program.
For the first time, the University’s Fall Commencement exercises were postponed one day for inclement weather. Over 450 candidates for graduation returned Sunday, Dec. 18 for rescheduled services.
Dr. Edmund Ludwig King, former chair of Romance Languages at Princeton University, who with his late wife, Dr. Willard King, a professor of Spanish at Bryn Mawr College, had bequeathed an impressive Spanish literature library to TAMIU’s Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, passed away after a brief illness.
Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu