Fort Worth plays a leading role on the Texas – even global – economic stage, earning much applause as a thriving business, cultural and educational center in the heart of the nation’s fourth largest metropolitan area.
Tarleton State University is honored to co-star. We’re helping to stimulate jobs, empower workers, attract new businesses, spur innovation and improve the overall quality of life.
In this fiscal year alone, Tarleton-Fort Worth will generate a conservative $15 million in economic activity, providing a high-quality, affordable education to more than 1,700 students through 68 faculty and staff.
That’s impressive when you consider we’ve more than doubled our overall economic impact in the last five years. No doubt we’ll double it again when we open our new campus in the southwest quadrant of the city.
The money students invest to earn a degree at Tarleton-Fort Worth will return $3.40 in higher future income for every $1 invested. A majority of these dollars will stay in Fort Worth, continuing to boost the local economy.
It’s the stellar performances of Tarleton’s students and graduates that make the greatest contribution to the community.
More than 11,000 Tarleton alumni currently reside in or near the DFW area. The majority of these Tarleton graduates are working in full-time professional jobs, buying homes and purchasing goods and services. That alone equates to a regional economic impact of some $1.2 billion, not to mention the hundreds of volunteer hours these Texans serve in the neighborhoods where they live and work.
As the city’s only public university offering bachelor’s degrees, Tarleton-Fort Worth helps meet workforce needs with tuition costs well below those of private schools. Community college students as well as local professionals find Tarleton-Fort Worth the go-to university to complete their education, whether that means finishing a bachelor’s or adding a graduate degree to aid their career development.
When businesses consider a move to Fort Worth, they ask about the education of our workforce and leadership. Tarleton-Fort Worth increases the options with 48 undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs.
Our MBA and master’s in human resource management programs draw professionals from all across the Metroplex, equipping them with the skills and experiences that promote Fort Worth’s continued economic success.
In the 1970s, we brought our medical laboratory science programs to Fort Worth. Located in the heart of the Fort Worth Medical District, these undergraduate and graduate programs prepare students for well-paying and prestigious positions in clinical laboratories.
Extending that health-care initiative, we offer nursing programs, providing bachelor’s and master’s degrees to support local needs.
Our Department of Counseling in Fort Worth serves 200 students and offers a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling with a school counselor track. In December, the department joins the Tarrant County Mental Health Connection – at its invitation – to improve access to quality mental health services for people of all ages.
Standing on the shoulders of Tarleton’s distinguished reputation for teacher education, our doctoral program in educational leadership and policy studies turns out front-runners in Fort Worth, Dallas, Arlington, Burleson and other local independent school districts. Challenging, practical classes are offered at times convenient for working professionals.
Through our School of Criminology, Criminal Justice and Strategic Studies, we’re helping Fort Worth reach its goal of becoming one of the nation’s safest large cities. Who can assign a dollar amount to peace of mind and protection of property?
This April, we will host a free two-day, cutting-edge workshop in crime scene assessment, homicide investigation and cold cases to 100 law enforcement professionals.
Tarleton faculty and staff also contribute time and resources to local organizations, including Leadership Fort Worth, United Way, the YMCA, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.
All things considered, it’s hard to calculate the value Tarleton adds to the Fort Worth community. It’s much, much more than just dollars spent. As Fort Worth grows, so will the part we play.
We’re working for a standing ovation.
F. Dominic Dottavio, Ph.D., is the 15th president of Tarleton State University.
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