1. General Information

1. Location

The Lamar University campus is located in Beaumont, Texas. With a population of more than 115,000, Beaumont is a diversified city, home not only to the university but also to businesses and industries stemming from a strong petrochemical and agricultural base. World-renowned companies are located in Beaumont to take advantage of the area's resources and its educated workforce.

A host of cultural attractions offer a variety of leisure options from museums and symphony presentations to shopping districts and many spring and fall festivals. A civic center, convention center, entertainment complex and coliseum draw professional entertainers and a wide variety of business, social and professional groups to the city. Beaumont is convenient to lake, river and ocean recreation, located only a few miles from the balmy Gulf Coast and little more than an hour from the Big Thicket National Preserve, large lakes and piney woods.

The campus is home to the stately Mary and John Gray Library, the Montagne Center coliseum, the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center, Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown, multiple residence halls and state-of-the-art computing and engineering facilities. Lamar University welcomes visitors. Information regarding tours may be obtained from the Office of Admission Services, P.O. Box 10009, Beaumont, Texas 77710, 409.880.8316.

2. History

Lamar University originated on March 8, 1923, when the South Park School District in Beaumont authorized its superintendent to proceed with plans to open "a Junior College of the first class." On Sept. 17, 1923, South Park Junior College opened with 125 students and a faculty of fourteen. Located on the third floor of the South Park High School building, the college shared the library and athletic facilities with the high school. In 1932, separate facilities were provided and the name of the institution was changed to Lamar College, to honor Mirabeau B. Lamar, second president of the Republic of Texas and the "Father of Education" in Texas.

On June 8, 1942, as a result of a public campaign, a new campus was purchased and classes were held for the first time on the present-day campus in Beaumont. After World War II, the College grew to 1,079, and the Honorable Jack Brooks introduced a bill in the Texas House of Representatives to make Lamar a state-supported senior college. The Legislature approved House Bill-52 June 4, 1949, creating Lamar State College of Technology effective September 1, 1951. Lamar was the first junior college in Texas to become a four-year, state-supported college. Lamar continued to grow, building strong programs in engineering, sciences, business, education and the arts. In 1962, a graduate school was established offering master's degrees in several fields.

In 1969, an extension center was opened in Orange. The Doctor of Engineering degree was established in 1971. In the same year, House Bill 590 became law, changing the institution's status from college to university. Lamar State College of Technology, with an enrollment of 10,874, officially became Lamar University on August 23, 1971. In 1975, the long-standing, private two-year Port Arthur College became Lamar University at Port Arthur. The Lamar University System, of which Lamar University-Beaumont was the flagship, was established in the 68th Session of the Texas Legislature with the passage of SB 620, which took effect in August 1983.

In 1990, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board recommended that all two-year programs at Lamar University be combined into the Lamar University Institute of Technology. Programs in the former College of Technical Arts, along with Allied Health, Office Technology and Restaurant/Institutional Food Management moved to the new Institute. The Doctor of Education in Deaf Studies/Deaf Education was established at Lamar University in 1993, the Doctor of Audiology in 2003, the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership in 2004, and the Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering in 2005.

Lamar's commitment to quality higher education has been steady and progressive, anticipating the evolving needs of its students. To facilitate this commitment, the Texas Legislature approved House Bill 2313 to merge the Lamar University System with The Texas State University System (TSUS) effective September 1, 1995. On June 19, 1999, the Texas Legislature approved House Bill 1297 to rename Lamar University at Port Arthur, Lamar University at Orange and the Lamar University Institute of Technology. Today, these separate TSUS institutions are known as Lamar State College at Port Arthur, Lamar State College at Orange, and the Lamar Institute of Technology.

As a comprehensive university granting bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, Lamar University continues to enhance its instructional, service, and research missions. Lamar's growth has produced an economic impact that exceeds $200 million annually, but even more influential is the impact of Lamar University graduates, who are more than 71,000 strong.

3. Government and Organization

A board of nine regents, appointed by the Governor and approved by the State Senate for terms of six years, governs The Texas State University System. The Board of Regents delegates the direction of university affairs to the presidents, campus administrative officers, and faculty. Current members of the TSUS Board of Regents are listed on the web site of The Texas State University System http://www.tsus.edu/.

Lamar University is organized into six colleges. These are Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Development, Engineering, Fine Arts and Communication, and Graduate Studies. Within each college are academic departments and programs. Each college is headed by a dean, and each department is headed by a department chair.

4. Mission Statement and Core Values

Lamar University is a comprehensive public institution educating a diverse student body, preparing students for leadership and lifelong learning in a multicultural world, and enhancing the future of Southeast Texas, the state, the nation and the world through teaching, research and creative activity, and service.

To provide a learning environment of the highest quality and integrity, Lamar University values .. .

Our STUDENTS, including their curricular and extracurricular activities;

Our FACULTY and STAFF, high-quality employees who are committed to educating and serving our students;

Our commitment to DIVERSITY in ideas, people and access;

Our commitment to SUSTAINABILITY in all aspects of university life;

Our collegial ENVIRONMENT with contemporary, functional and pleasing facilities, a safe campus, and responsible fiscal management;

Our bonds with SOUTHEAST TEXAS, the STATE, the NATION, and the WORLD, including our alumni and friends, through economic and educational development, research and creative activity, service, and outreach.

5. Accreditation

Lamar University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees. Contact the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Lamar University. In addition, Lamar is approved by the Texas Education Agency.

Several departments and programs are accredited by professional agencies or specialized accreditors. In the College of Engineering, the undergraduate engineering programs in Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Industrial and Mechanical Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.  The undergraduate program in Computer Science is accredited by the Computing Commission of ABET, www.abet.org. The undergraduate and graduate programs of the College of Business are accredited by AACSB-International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Lamar's teacher education programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

Other accreditations include Nursing by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission; Department of Music by the National Association of Schools of Music; Dietetics program by the American Dietetic Association; the program in Social Work by the Council on Social Work Education and programs in Speech-Language Pathology by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and in Deaf Education by the Council for Education of the Deaf. The University also is a member of many academic councils, societies and associations.

Review of Institutional Accreditation Documentation

Persons wishing to review documentation regarding the institution's accreditation, approval or licensing may do so by contacting the Office of the Provost, Room 101 in the Plummer Building, 409.880.8398.

Teacher Certification

All teacher education programs of the university are approved by the Texas Education Agency, the State Board of Educator Certification, and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Students seeking teacher certification should consult the Director of Professional Services, College of Education and Human Development 409.880.8902, regarding requirements.

6. Entering Dates

Students entering Lamar University's general programs may enter at the beginning of any term. Application must be made well in advance of the date of entry. See Section 3 for information on undergraduate admissions, and Section 4 for information on graduate admissions. Students entering the university's accelerated schedule online programs (M.Ed., BAAS, dual credit and others) may enter more frequently. For information about entering dates for these programs see the schedule.

7. Distance/Online Education

Lamar University delivers distance courses face-to-face on the campus and at West Brook High School and Lumberton High School. In addition, courses are delivered via interactive video to area high schools, and through LUOnline. Some online programs are delivered in accelerated terms of 5 and 8 weeks. Most core curriculum courses are available online, and several degrees are available entirely online. For current information on all distance and online courses, degrees and programs, go to http://dept.lamar.edu/cde/cdepages/index.html.

Distance education students may contact the Center for Distance Education by phone at 1.866.585.1738 or by email

8. Smoking Policy

Lamar University is a non-smoking campus, and smoking is not allowed in any university facility. More specifically, smoking is prohibited in all academic classrooms, laboratories, meeting rooms, restrooms, locker rooms, coffee areas, supply storage areas, lobbies, corridors, reception areas, offices, and university vehicles. The cafeteria, dining halls and other eating areas are nonsmoking areas. This nonsmoking policy applies to university facilities used by off-campus groups as well as university groups.