Organization

In 1972 the University adopted its present organization of three major academic divisions — the University General Divisions, the Institute of Health Sciences, and the Graduate School. Under an academic reorganization plan that began in September 1989, the University General Divisions offers undergraduate instruction in the College of Arts and Sciences and College of Professional Education. The Institute of Health Sciences offers undergraduate instruction in the College of Health Sciences, the College of Nursing, the School of Occupational Therapy, and the School of Physical Therapy. The Graduate School administers graduate programs in each of these schools and colleges.

Accreditation and Approval

Texas Woman’s University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, 404-679-4501) to award baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Selected academic programs are also accredited by appropriate state, regional, and national agencies. The Graduate School is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States. This general accreditation, recognizing the quality of all of the work done by the components of the University, forms the basis for numerous memberships which the University holds in selective associations and societies which recognize and demand high standards in specific fields. Individual programs at Texas Woman’s University are accredited by the following organizations (partial listing):

Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education

Accrediting Commission on Education for Health Services Administration

American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation

American Dietetics Association Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education

American Library Association

American Physical Therapy Association

American Psychological Association

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Educational Standards Board

Board of Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education

Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs

Council on Social Work Education

National Association for the Education of Young Children

National Association of School Psychologists

National Association of Schools of Dance

National Association of Schools of Music

National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission

Texas Education Agency /State Board of Educator Certification

In addition, Texas Woman’s University is a member of the following organizations (partial listing):

Alliance for Higher Education

American Association for Employment in Education

American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business

American Association Clinical Anatomists

American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

American Association of Colleges of Nursing

American Association of Paralegal Educators

American Association of State Colleges and Universities

American Association of University Women

American Counseling Association

American Council on Education

American Historical Association

American Occupational Therapy Association

American Physical Therapy Association

American Political Science Association

American Sociological Association

Association of American Colleges and Universities

Association for Higher Education of North Texas

Association for Library and Information Science Education

Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers

Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication

Association of Texas Colleges and Universities

Association of Texas Graduate Schools

Association of University Programs in Health Administration

College and University Personnel Association

Conference of Southern Graduate Schools

Cooperative Education Association

Council for the Advancement and Support of Education

Council for Higher Education Accreditation

Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences

Council of Counseling Psychology Training Programs

Council of Dance Administrators

Council of Directors of School Psychology Programs

Council of Graduate Departments of Psychology

Council of Graduate Programs in Communication Sciences

Council of Graduate Schools in the United States

Council of Public University Presidents and Chancellors

Council on Social Work Education

Denton Chamber of Commerce

Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce

Greater Denton Arts Council

Health Industry Council

International Council of Fine Arts Deans

Lone Star Conference

Modern Language Association

National Collegiate Athletic Association

National Staff Development Council

National Women’s Studies Association

Reading Recovery Council of North America

Southern Association of Colleges and Employers

Southern Council on Collegiate Education for Nursing

Southwest Education Council for Journalism/Mass Communications

Southwest Journalism Congress

Texas Association of Broadcast Educators

Texas Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Texas Association of Music Schools

Texas Association of Schools of Art

Texas Association of Schools of Social Work Deans and Directors

Texas Centers for Educational Partnerships

Texas Coalition of Administators in Human Sciences

Texas Consortium of Physical Therapy Clinical Education

Texas Council for the Humanities

Texas Council of Arts in Education

Texas Counseling Association

Texas Intercollegiate Press Association

Texas Library Association

Texas Music Educators Association

Texas Occupational Therapy Association

Texas Press Association

Texas Society of Allied Health Professions

Trainers of School Psychologists

Women’s College Coalition

TWU National Alumnae Association

The Texas Woman's University National Alumnae Association was organized to promote Texas Woman's University and to provide opportunities to current and former students and friends of the university for lifelong affiliation and volunteer partnership.

The Association sponsors Homecoming events each year, and jointly with the University, plans annually a Founders’ Day observance.

All graduates are members of the National Alumnae Association. The dues of active members support awards, programs, and scholarships for students. All alumnae are encouraged to join geographic chapters and/or academic component organizations.

Faculty members, parents, friends, or spouses are invited to become Associate Members with the same privileges as dues-paying members with the exception of voting and holding office.

Prospective graduates are encouraged to sign over their General Property Deposit for their first year's active membership. For further information visit TWU's Offices of Alumni Relations and the National Alumnae Association at their headquarters on University Drive, just west of Guinn Hall: phone 940-TWU-ALUM (940-898-2586), fax 940-898-2497; or write National Alumnae Association, Texas Woman's University, P.O. Box 425795, Denton, Texas 76204-5795.

TWU Foundation

The Texas Woman’s University Foundation is a non-profit corporation chartered under the laws of Texas and established in 1952. Its purpose is to receive and administer gifts to enhance educational excellence at the University. The Foundation Board seeks to identify potential sources of private gifts, to enable donors to make appropriate contributions that match their interests and needs, to provide for the prudent management of gift resources, and to encourage the involvement of interested persons in the work of the Foundation.

A person interested in making a gift to the TWU Foundation may write or call the TWU Foundation, P.O. Box 425618, Denton, Texas 76204-5618; phone (940) 898-3863.

International Programs

Texas Woman’s University offers a series of International Study Programs annually to provide educational opportunities abroad in environments which emphasize the visual and performing arts, history, culture, languages, literature, and comparative studies.

The International Programs are offered on both the undergraduate and graduate levels in selected major areas. Traditionally, the programs are offered during the summer, and students may earn up to six semester credit hours which may be applied toward degree programs at TWU.

Further information may be obtained by contacting the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.

Research Program

Research is one of the missions of the University, along with instruction and public service. Through research grants and contracts, as well as other sponsored programs such as training grants and community service projects, TWU provides new information for the benefit of our society, encourages faculty scholarship, and provides financial support and training for students.

The University supports research internally through an annual Research Enhancement Program, whose projects may employ graduate students as research assistants.

The state of Texas supports other research programs at TWU, in women’s health; in human nutrition; nutrition utilization; and natural fiber utilization (the latter through funding from the Texas Food and Fibers Commission).

External support for research comes from such federal agencies as the National Institutes of Health, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the U.S. Department of Education. State agencies such as the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board provide funding for research and sponsored projects at the University in science and science education.

Assistance and information about research and sponsored programs are available from the office of Research and Grants Administration.

Center for Student Research Support (CSRS)

The Center for Student Research Support (CSRS) office was established to assist students in pursuing the scholarly activities appropriate for their chosen field of study. The CSRS goals are to:

1. motivate more students to pursue research;
2. increase the quality, number and type of research opportunities for students; and
3. assist students with the transitions in academic training and with seeking/obtaining career opportunities.

To achieve these goals, the CSRS staff collaborates within the University community to build internal and external support for student research.

Graduate students should inform the CSRS office about their research interests. The CSRS staff is eager to help students in all disciplines find and apply for: 1) fellowships; 2) research opportunities; and 3) post graduate training and career opportunities. The CSRS web site http://www.twu.edu/CSRS/ offers links to many funding sources and support services, as well as information about research-related events. For example, students can become involved in events such as TWU’s Annual Student Research and Creative Arts Symposium.

For more information, call 940-898-2457 or send email to CSRS@twu.edu. The mailing address is CSRS, P. O. Box 425975, Denton, TX 76204-5975.

Cooperative Education

Cooperative Education is a program of learning which combines classroom study with paid practical work experience outside the formal academic setting. Many academic programs at TWU provide undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to participate in such activities. Upon graduation, students will have both a degree and work experience in their chosen field.

Admission Requirements

To participate in the Cooperative Education program, a student must:

1. Have the recommendation of the student’s major or minor department.
2. Have a graduate grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and must not be on academic probation.
3. Be available to work the number of hours per week specified for credit.
4. Be a second-semester graduate student at TWU.

Work Schedules

Cooperative Education students usually follow the parallel plan of the program, which allows studnets to participate in part-time or full-time work while registered for on-campus classes. Each work period is of such duration (approximately 15 weeks) that it provides sufficient opportunity to gain in-depth experience in an area related to the student’s academic or career goals. The student and employer together will determine a mutually agreed upon work schedule. The parallel plan allows students to participate in part-time or full-time work while registered for on-campus classes.

Academic Credit

Academic credit is given for work in positions related to the student’s major or minor courses of study. Also, it is possible to receive Cooperative Education credit if already employed and the current position meets the requirements of the Cooperative Education program.

All qualified Cooperative Education programs must meet certain requirements. The program at TWU is based on the following requirements:

1. A co-op experience is offered as a credit course by the academic department and under the guidance of a faculty member. When employed in a co-op position, a student must register and pay tuition for the appropriate course.
2. The work experience must be of sufficient duration to be a meaningful part of the student’s academic program, generally the regular semester schedule.
3. Minimum standards of work performance must be maintained by the University and by the employer. The student’s work must be evaluated periodically by the student, the employer, and the faculty. The credit and grade for the course is based on evaluation of the student’s performance and assigned by a faculty member in the academic department.
4. For a Cooperative Education experience successfully completed, a student will receive academic credit. (Maximum toward a graduate degree: 6 hours. Any other registration in Cooperative Education will be posted to the student’s transcript and will be evaluated as hours additional to those required for the degree.) Recommendation for credit toward the graduate degree is made by the student’s academic department.

Cooperative Education Course Description

Cooperative work-study arrangements are made between the University, business, industry, or selected institutions appropriate to the particular academic program. Job assignments are made on the basis of student interests, skills, and degree program. The student will apply the ideas and processes learned in other courses in practical experience under cooperative supervision. Cooperative planning and evaluation are essential elements in the course.

Graduate Courses

5951. Cooperative Education. One hour credit, 8-12 hours of work per week.

5953. Cooperative Education. Three hours credit, 15-20 hours of work per week.

5956. Cooperative Education. Six hours credit, 30-40 hours of work per week.

6951. Cooperative Education. One hour credit, 8-12 hours of work per week. 6953. Cooperative Education. Three hours credit, 15-20 hours of work per week.

6956. Cooperative Education. Six hours credit, 30-40 hours of work per week.

The Academic Common Market

Fourteen Southern states* participate in the Academic Common Market, an interstate agreement for sharing uncommon programs. Residents of these states who are accepted for admission into selected out-of-state programs can enroll on an in-state tuition basis. There are only two requirements:

1. Acceptance in a program to which your state has made arrangements to send its students.
2. Proof that you are a legal resident of that state.
3. Write directly to the institution for admissions information. After you have been accepted, write your state coordinator for certification of residency.

Federation of North Texas Area Universities

The Federation of North Texas Area Universities, created by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, is a consortium comprising Texas Woman’s University, Texas A&M University - Commerce, and the University of North Texas. Affiliate members include the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Texas at Dallas, Midwestern State University, and the Dallas County Community College District. The Federation is designed to strengthen the resources of higher education in north central Texas through interinstitutional cooperation in graduate research and instruction. To this end the Federation universities supply joint educational opportunities to their students in fifteen program areas with some universities authorized to grant degrees and others authorized to provide support services for the degree programs.

Texas Woman’s University grants, through the Federation, doctoral degrees in Counseling Psychology, Early Childhood Education, Special Education, Reading, Sociology, and Molecular Biology. Master’s degrees offered by Texas Woman’s University through the Federation are in Reading, Early Childhood Education, and Art. Students desiring further information about the programs should consult the appropriate academic department or the website at http://www.twu.edu/federation/.

Information Services

Graduate students at TWU have available a wide selection of computer resources which may be utilized to support their graduate studies. Compaq Alpha 4100 computer systems and microcomputers such as the Macintosh and IBM-compatible systems may be used for statistical analyses, word processing, or other computer processing needs. Students also have access to electronic mail and the resources of the Internet.

Computing labs on the Denton campus, the Houston Center, and the two sites of the Dallas center provide both microcomputer and mainframe access. Further information regarding access to these systems and other computer services available can be obtained at these lab locations or by contacting the Information Services Help Desk at (940) 898-3971. Online resources are available at www.twu.edu/intranet.

Campus and Centers

The Denton Campus

The main campus of Texas Woman’s University is located in Denton, Texas, a community of about 82,000 residents located 38 miles north of Dallas and Fort Worth, the nation’s ninth-largest metropolitan area.

The University’s high-rise residence halls and academic and administrative buildings dominate Denton’s skyline. Blended with these structures are historic buildings, including Old Main (the University’s first building) and the Little Chapel-in-the-Woods.

Other special features of the Denton campus are the “Texas Women: A Celebration of History’’ exhibit; the DAR Museum, which contains the gowns of Texas’ First Ladies; and the University Gardens. A special campus landmark is the statue of the Pioneer Woman, which was given to TWU in 1938 by the State of Texas in celebration of the Texas centennial.

Campus recreational facilities include lighted tennis courts, athletic fields, an 18-hole golf course and club house, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, gymnasium, dance studios, and a wellness center.

The Dallas Center

As part of its Institute of Health Sciences, the University maintains a Dallas Center which includes sites near Parkland and Presbyterian Hospitals. The Dallas Center offers programs in healthcare administration, nursing, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. Clinical experiences for students are provided through cooperating medical facilities and agencies, including Parkland Hospital (Dallas County Hospital District), Presbyterian Hospital, Children’s Medical Center, and St. Paul Hospital.

Students also have selected experiences in the City of Dallas Health Department, Dallas County Health Department, Visiting Nursing Association of Dallas, the Veterans Affairs Hospital, and other Dallas-Fort Worth facilities. The Center has about 50 faculty members with approximately 1,000 students enrolled.

Parkland Site

The Parkland site, located near Parkland and St. Paul Hospitals, was established in 1966 and includes a two-story education building. Instructional facilities include general classrooms and seminar rooms, simulation laboratories, library, and media resources. The nursing program began in Dallas in 1954 at Parkland Hospital.

Presbyterian Hospital Site

Dedicated in 1977, the Presbyterian Hospital site in northeast Dallas is adjacent to Presbyterian Hospital on Walnut Hill Lane just east of North Central Expressway. Facilities include classrooms, library, laboratories, auditorium, and offices.

The Houston Center

TWU’s Houston Center, established in 1960, is located in the Texas Medical Center, a world-renowned 675-acre complex of hospitals, health-related schools, and research institutions. The Houston Center, which has about 60 faculty members and 900 students, offers clinical and educational opportunities for students in nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, healthcare administration, and nutrition and food sciences. Facilities at the Center include two instructional buildings; research laboratories in biochemistry, nutrition, and occupational and physical therapy; anatomy and nursing laboratories; counseling center; learning resource center; and computer services.

Texas Woman’s University is a full participant in support and use of the Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library located adjacent to the Houston Center.

University Library

The Mary Evelyn Blagg-Huey Library, completed in 1986, has holdings of 526,839 print volumes and 40,000 e-book volumes, 1,557,871 units in microform, 2559 periodical and serial publications, more than 100 on-line databases offering access to thousands of full-text/full image articles, and 85,067 audiovisual materials. The Library’s electronic resources are available through Internet access to students wherever they are located.

Special collections within the library include the Woman’s Collection, one of the four largest collections about women in the United States, the University Archives, and the Cookbook Collection. The Woman’s Collection includes 3,500 linear feet of manuscript collections, 45,000 books, almost 1,900 women’s periodical titles in paper and microform, 20,000 photographs, and 83 microform collections on women. Researchers from around the world visit the Woman’s Collection to study the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II (WASP); the Oral History Project; the various archives of Texas women’s organizations, including the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs; the Texas Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs; and the Texas Association of Women’s Clubs, the historic federation of clubs founded by African American women in Texas. Books and manuscripts document the history of women in aviation, war, and military service. Materials in all formats provide rich sources regarding the struggle of women to obtain the rights of suffrage, equal legal rights, and other feminist goals. The WASP Photo Digital Collection, with almost 1,500 scanned images, is available through the Library’s on-line catalog. Information regarding the Woman’s Collection and the Cookbook Collection are available in the Library’s web pages: www.twu.edu/library/collections.htm.

The ENDEAVOR Web Voyáge Library Information System provides an on-line public catalog with computer stations in the main library, in Stoddard Hall, at the Dallas Parkland and Presbyterian sites and at the Houston Center as well as access via the Internet. The system includes circulation, acquisitions, serials, imaging, and media booking modules.

Satellite collections are in the School of Library and Information Studies (major children’s and young adult literature collection), at the Dallas Parkland site (the major nursing collection in the Dallas-Fort Worth area), and at the Dallas Presbyterian Hospital site. Houston students have access to the full-services and collections of the Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library and to all TWU on-line resources.

In addition to the multiple resources of the Texas Woman’s University Libraries, students and faculty have checking privileges at each member library of the statewide TexShare Program. Instant telecommunication and daily courier service are used to locate and deliver journal articles, books, and films throughout Texas libraries. The Texas Woman’s University Libraries are also connected via the Internet through OCLC, Inc., in Columbus, Ohio with major academic and research libraries throughout the world for interlibrary borrowing and lending.

Distance Education

For years, TWU has served a variety of off-campus constituents by providing instructors who traveled to off-campus sites. While continuing to serve students in this way, the University now uses a variety of instructional technologies to provide synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities for on-campus students as well as those at a distance. The use of instructional technologies will play an increasingly prominent role in the University’s attempt to provide just-in-time learning to students at a variety of off-campus locations, including the workplace and the home. Courses delivered in nontraditional, distance-learning formats may change or even eliminate student involvement on campus, depending on the particular delivery method for each course. This extensive use of technology makes possible exciting new pedagogical approaches and enhancements.

A variable distance education fee of up to $300.00 per three-hour course will be assessed to all students who enroll in distance education courses.