Texas Tech University at Fredericksburg and Texas Tech University at Highland Lakes celebrated 20 years of academic service this weekend.
Texas Tech University celebrated the 20th anniversary of its first regional sites this weekend. Established in 2002, Texas Tech University at Fredericksburg and Texas Tech University at Highland Lakes were the first remote locations where students could earn degrees without living in Lubbock.
Housed under eLearning & Academic Partnerships, the regional sites are now two of nine locations where Red Raiders can earn a degree at a distance.
The Fredericksburg regional site celebrated on April 1 and Marble Falls on April 2. The events were attended by Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec, former chancellor Robert Duncan and eLearning & Academic Partnerships leadership.
“The sense of Red Raider pride across the country when you meet alumni and friends is palpable and that is certainly the case at these sites,” Schovanec said. “Regional sites enhance our ability to provide access and opportunity to students who can't necessarily be in Lubbock to pursue a college degree. We know these opportunities change lives and better the communities in which they live.”
Offering the same degrees found on the main campus in Lubbock, these two sites also offer opportunities unique to their communities. Students at both Fredericksburg and Highland Lakes can take part in hands-on training that prepares them for careers in the wine industry, a competitive profession in the Hill Country region.
“After the Texas Legislature passed a law in 2001 encouraging institutions of higher learning to establish campuses in rural areas of the state, community leaders in Fredericksburg and Marble Falls approached Texas Tech with a request to do just that,” said Justin Louder, associate vice provost of eLearning & Academic Partnerships at Texas Tech. “Once it all came together, we were able to provide their communities with access to higher education from a top research university. Since then, the regional teaching sites in those communities have offered classes to hundreds of students as they work to complete their degrees without having to leave the Hill Country.”
