Dean's Message

As we come to the end of another semester, I'm pleased to take the opportunity provided by our second electronic newsletter to extend my best wishes for a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year.

In this issue we are featuring several new members of the faculty of the College of Arts & Sciences. These additions to our faculty are evidence of the continued progress and support of excellence at Texas Tech University, in spite of the financial challenges we face in the current budget environment. Just last week President Bailey presented an update to the Board of Regents on Texas Tech's progress in achieving the benchmarks for the National Research University Fund. The presentation given to the Board can be found here. Texas Tech was credited with just over $51 million in restricted research expenditures, meeting one of the most important benchmarks needed to qualify for the state's newly created tier-one research fund. This is an impressive increase over the previous year's figure of $35 million, and is a testament to the quality and superb efforts of the faculty.

In addition to its contributions to the research mission of Texas Tech, the College of Arts & Sciences remains committed to its long-standing tradition of excellence in teaching. For this fall semester, the College's enrollment was up by nearly 6%, slightly above the growth rate for the university. That Arts & Sciences provides an enormous teaching service to the university and delivers this instruction in a fiscally efficient manner will soon benefit the college as the university transitions to a new budgetary system, Responsibility Center Management, that will become effective September 2011. I'll be saying more about this new budgetary system in future editions of the newsletter.

Finally, meeting alumni and friends of the college is one of most enjoyable aspects of being in the Dean's office. The College has enhanced efforts to establish and renew alumni relations. Many of you have responded with targeted gifts and scholarship funds. Please know how much we appreciate your support of the College, its programs, and most importantly, our students.

Lawrence Schovanec
Dean