Texas Southern University (shortened to Texas Southern or simply TSU) is a historically black university (HBCU) located in Houston, Texas, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
The University was established in 1927 as the Houston Colored Junior College. It developed through its private college phase as the four-year Houston Colored College. On March 3, 1947, the state declared this to be the first state university in Houston; it was renamed Texas State University for Negroes. In 1951, the name changed to Texas Southern University.
Texas Southern University is one of the largest and most comprehensive HBCU in the nation. TSU is one of only four independent public universities in Texas (those not affiliated with any of Texas' six public university systems) and the only HBCU in Texas recognized as one of America's Top Colleges by Forbes magazine. TSU is the leading producer of college degrees to African Americans and Hispanics in Texas and ranks fourth (4th) in the nation in doctoral and professional degrees conferred to African Americans. The university is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
History
On March 7, 1927 the Houston Independent School District school board resolved to establish junior colleges for each race, as the state was racially segregated in all public facilities. The resolution created Houston Junior College (later became the University of Houston) and Houston Colored Junior College. The Houston Colored Junior College first held classes at Jack Yates High School during the evenings. It later changed its name to Houston College for Negroes.
In February 1946, Heman Marion Sweatt, an African-American man, applied to the University of Texas School of Law. He was denied admission because of race, and subsequently filed suit in Sweatt v. Painter (1950). The state had no law school for African Americans. Instead of granting Sweatt a writ of mandamus to attend the University of Texas, the trial court granted a continuance for six months to allow the state time to create a law school for blacks.
As a result, the state founded Texas Southern University under Senate Bill 140 by the Fiftieth Texas Legislature on March 3, 1947 as a state university to be located in Houston. Originally named Texas State University for Negroes, the school was established to serve African Americans in Texas and offer them fields of study comparable to those available to white Texans. The state took over the Houston Independent School District (HISD)-run Houston College for Negroes as a basis for the new university. At the time, Houston College moved to the present site (adjacent to the University of Houston), which was donated by Hugh Roy Cullen. It had one permanent building and an existing faculty and students. The new university was charged with teaching "pharmacy, dentistry, arts and sciences, journalism education, literature, law, medicine and other professional courses." The legislature stipulated that "these courses shall be equivalent to those offered at other institutions of this type supported by the State of Texas."
Given the differences in facilities and intangibles, such as the distance of the new school from Austin, the University of Texas School of Law, and other law students, the United States Supreme Court ruled the new facility did not satisfy "separate but equal" provisions. It ruled that African Americans must also be admitted to the University of Texas Law School at Austin. See Sweatt v. Painter (1950).
Campus
The University today has more than 45 buildings on a 150-acre (0.61Â km2) urban campus in the middle of Houston's Third Ward. The campus is only three miles southeast of Downtown Houston and six miles east of Uptown Houston.
University Museum
Opened in 2000, the 11,000-square-foot (1,000Â m2) exhibition space displays a variety of historical and contemporary art. The museum is the permanent home of the Web of Life, a twenty-six-foot mural masterpiece by John T. Biggers.
Leonard H.O. Spearman Technology Building
In 2014, TSU unveiled a $31 million 108,000-square-foot, four-story structure named after the school's fifth president. In addition to having 35 state-of-the-art labs, the facility is home to a new Tier 1 University Transportation Center, the Center for Transportation Training and Research, and the new National Science Foundation Center for Research on Complex Networks. The departments of Engineering, Transportation Studies, Computer Science, Industrial Technology, Physics, and Aviation Science and Technology academic programs are housed in the building. TSU is the only four-year state supported university in Texas to offer a Pilot Ground School course and the first HBCU to implement a Maritime Transportation degree program.
Jesse H. Jones School of Business
Jesse H. Jones (JHJ) School of Business building is a three-story, 76,000 square-foot edifice completed in 1998 that accommodates approximately 1,600 students in undergraduate and graduate studies. The Jesse H. Jones School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and been named one of the "Best Business Schools" by the Princeton Review. The Jesse H. Jones School of Business currently has bachelor's degree majors in Accounting, Finance, Management, Management Information Systems, and Marketing with master's degree majors in Masters of Business Administrarion (MBA), Masters in Management Information Systems, and Executive Masters of Business Administration (eMBA). In addition to the Princeton Review recognition, JHJ was recognized as one of the nation’s “Best Business Schools†by the U.S. News & World Report and its eMBA program ranks fifth (5th) in the nation by Business MBA.
College of Education
The College of Education building consists of The Department of Counseling, The Department of Curriculm and Instruction, The Department of Educational Administration & Foundations, and The Department of Health and Kinesiology. It is one of the most established colleges on campus with an enrollment of approximately 1,000 in undergraduate and graduate studies. In 2014, the National Council on Teacher Quality ranked TSU's College of Education 56th in the nation for best secondary education programs and gave the college a "top-ranked" distinction.
Barbara Jordanâ€"Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs
An extensive set of curricular offerings is provided through the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs, which offers courses in Administration of Justice (AJ), Political Science (POLS), Public Affairs (PA), Military Science (MSCI), and Urban Planning & Environmental Policy (UPEP) on the undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral level. The school sits in a 82,000-square-foot facility completed in 2008. Sociologist Robert D. Bullard currently is Dean of the school.
School of Science and Technology
One of the newer facilities on the campus, this building is home to several scholastic programs, such as the Houston Louis Stokes Alliance Minority Program (H-LSAMP) and the Thomas Freeman Honors College. It also houses several research programs, such as the NASA University Research Center for Bio-Nanotechnology and Environmental Research (NASA URC C-BER), Maritime Transportation Studies and Research, as well as the STEM research program. The College of Science and Technology offers extensive research opportunities through various centers, partnerships and collaborations. TSU’s NASA University Research Center (C-BER) addresses important human health concerns related to manned exploration of space. Programs such as TSU’s NASA University Research Center (C-BER) and participation in The Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Preparation Program (LSAMP) support undergraduate, graduate and faculty development while helping to increase the number of US citizens receiving degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The school offers the only doctoral degree in environmental toxicology in Southeast Texas.
Spurgeon N. Gray Hall (COPHS)
The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (COPHS) have approximately 800 students and ranked 80th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. COPHS has the distinction of being one of the nation’s leading producers of minority health professionals. For the past halfâ€'century, the College has produced nearly oneâ€'third of the Black pharmacists practicing nationwide. TSU has also been a leading producer of Black medical technologists and respiratory therapists.
Thurgood Marshall School of Law
The Thurgood Marshall School of Law (TMSL) is one of only four public law schools in Texas and ranks as one of the most diverse law schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. TMSL is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and a member-school of The Association of American Law Schools (AALS). Enrollment is at approximately 600 students.
Sterling Student Life Center
Centrally located on the Tiger Walk, the Ernest S. Sterling Student Life Center (SSLC) is the nucleus of campus life at TSU. It provides cultural, social, recreational, educational and religious programs and services for students, faculty, staff, alumni and guests, as it creates constructive leisure and educational activities. The Student Center is home to the TSU Bookstore, TSU Cheerleaders, Bowling Alley, Game Room, Student Government Association (SGA), University Program Council (UPC), Herald Newspaper, Tiger Yearbook, Cafeteria, Office of Campus Organizations, Student Activities administrative offices and Office of Events.
Granville M. Sawyer Auditorium
Recently renovated, the Sawyer Auditorium is Texas Southern University’s historical landmark. Sawyer Auditorium features split level seating for up to 1,800 guests for hosting university sponsored events. It also has an adjacent drama playhouse.
Newman Hall
Constructed in 1969 and recognized as an innovative landmark in campus design. Housing the Texas Southern University campus ministry, the building blends three activity areas. The worship, library and social functions all revolve around a central, sky-lit interior. Flexibility is achieved with moveable furniture and rolling barn doors. The plaza draws students inside through a welcoming, residential-scaled entry. Designed by, then, Houston architect Clovis Heimsath.
Tiger Walk
The Tiger Walk (affectionately named by alumni, students, and faculty/staff) is the maroon and gray paved central street on campus where most of TSU outdoor social activities are held and students lounge or socialize.
Residential facilities
The school has apartments and two residence halls.
- Lanier East Hall, for male students
- Lanier West Hall, for female students
- The Urban Academic Village (UAV), co-ed
- $41.5 million Seven-Story Student Housing Complex, co-ed, slated for a Fall 2015 opening
Other housing options include:
- Apartments with utilities included
- University Courtyard Apartments
- Tierwester Oaks Apartments
Postal services
- The United States Postal Service's Texas Southern branch is located on the Tiger Walk.
Athletic facilities
- BBVA Compass Stadium - The $95 million brand new 22,000 seat stadium in East Downtown is the new permanent home of Tiger Football as of Fall 2012.
- Health and Physical Education Arena (H&PE Arena) - An 8,100 seat athletic arena (largest arena in the SWAC). It is home to the annual graduation ceremonies, Tiger Basketball, Lady Tiger Basketball and Volleyball.
- Alexander Durley Stadium - The 5,500 seat stadium is the home of TSU soccer games and the annual TSU Relays.
- TSU Recreation and Wellness Center - A state-of-the-art multi-purpose athletic facility that features three full courts, an indoor track, swimming pool, weight room, exercise studios, lounge areas (equipped with Satellite TVs), study area, and a health conscious food court.
Academics
Texas Southern University offers college courses in partnership with Lone Star College at its new campus in northwest Houston. And thanks to a new partnership with the City of Houston and Houston Public Library, Texas Southern will offer fine arts classes as well as theatre and dance performances in the historic Deluxe Theater in Houston’s Fifth Ward district which the city is currently renovating.
Texas Southern University currently comprises 11 schools and colleges along with several scholastic and research programs:
- The Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs: Mickey Leland Center, Barbara Jordan Institute, Emergency Management Program
- The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences: RCMI Institute for Biomedical and Health Disparities Research, Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Center for Human Performance and Material Science, Center of Excellence in Health Disparities Research: Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke
- The Thurgood Marshall School of Law: Earl Carl Institute for Legal and Social Justice,Center for Legal Pedagogy, Institute for International and Immigration Law (IIIL), Center for Government
- The College of Education
- The College of Continuing Education
- The College of Science and Technology: National Transportation Security Center of Excellence for Petro-Chemical Transportation (NTSCOE-P), Center for Transportation Training and Research (CTTR), TSU NASA University Research Center for Bionanotechnology and Environmental Research (TSU NASA C-BER), Innovative Transportation Research Institute (ITRI), Houston National Summer Transportation Institute (HNSTI), Research Center in Minority Institution (RCMI) Computational Core: Advanced Computational Simulation Center, Research Center in Minority Institution (RCMI) Computational Core: Data Analysis and Visualization Center, NASA C-BER Fellows Program, NASA C-BER Scholars Program, Houston Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (H-LSAMP) Program, Science & Engineering Summer Program, Science Technology and Enhancement Program (STEP), Maritime Transportation Management and Security Program
- The Jesse H. Jones School of Business (AACSB accredited): Economic Development Center, Gerald B. Smith Center for Entrepreneurship and Executive Development, JPMorgan Chase Center for Financial Education, Kase Lawal Center for Global Trade
- The Graduate School
- The School of Communication: The Center for the Radio, Television and Print Media Professional Studies
- The College of Liberal Arts and Behavioral Sciences (COLAB): The Thomas F. Freeman Center for Forensic Excellence, The Confucius Institute (education partnership with China)
- The Thomas F. Freeman Honors College (formerly the Frederick Douglass Honors Program)
Libraries
Texas Southern University's main library is the Robert J. Terry Library. The Brown Foundation re-invested in TSU with a two-year $1.2 million commitment to the Robert J. Terry (RJT) Library to improve its Urban Learning Center. The Urban Learning Center is an integral part of a new era of initiatives at Texas Southern and will provide critical support to the currently planned Academic Village. The new improvements will enhance the ability of the RJT Library to address the literary and academic needs of TSU students.
The Thurgood Marshall School of Law building also houses an extensive library.
Demographics
As of 2012, the student body is 82% Black, 6% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 4% International, 3% White, and <1% Other. The top three state origins of U.S. students following Texas are California, Louisiana, and Georgia. And the top three country origins of international students are Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and China. The student body is 42% male and 58% female. The student-to-faculty ratio is 19 to 1.
Student activities
Marching band
Texas Southern's marching band the Ocean of Soul has won numerous awards and performed at Super Bowls, The Stellar Awards, various parades, NBA and Houston Texans games. The 200+ member band has well-known alumni such as Grammy award-winning jazz saxophonist Kirk Whalum. The Ocean of Soul is complemented by The Motion of The Ocean, a high-energy, innovative all-female dance team that has been featured on America's Best Dance Crew.
Athletics
Texas Southern sports teams participate in NCAA Division I (Championship Subdivision for football) in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Texas Southern is part of the Western Division in SWAC divisional sports.
Men's varsity sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, and track and field. Women's varsity sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track and field, and volleyball.
TSU's best known rivals are Prairie View A&M, Southern University, Jackson State and Grambling State.
Tiger and Lady Tiger basketball
Tiger football
KTSU 90.9 FM
In addition to serving as a training unit for TSU students, the station was also established to serve the University at the program level as well as the community by presenting various types of TSU athletics, educational, cultural and social programs to a primarily listening area within a 10-mile (16Â km) radius of the University. A 1973 survey indicated that radio was generally the preferred source of information of African Americans, particularly those with less than a high school education. By the late 1970s, the station had secured an ample audience and programming increased in scope. At the same time, the station increased its power range from 10 watts to 18,500 watts. According to the Arbitron Rating Service (ARS), KTSU has an audience of 244,700 listeners and is number one over all of Houston/Galveston stations for its Sunday format and its Friday format of Golden Oldies.
Notable TSU alumni
See also
- History of the African Americans in Houston
References
External links
- Official website
- Texas Southern Athletics website
- Texas Southern University from the Handbook of Texas Online
Post a Comment