This Catalog provides information about the academic programs of Sul Ross State University to students, prospective students, faculty, and staff. Included are the academic calendars; information concerning admissions, degree requirements, academic regulations, and student services; a list of the faculty and administrative officers; and the undergraduate and graduate curriculum. Every effort has been made to make this Catalog as complete and accurate as possible, and it has been prepared on the basis of the best information available at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in its contents as changes occur. Such changes will be made known to the administrative offices and the academic departments as they occur.
Students should refer to this Catalog for course descriptions, degree requirements, and procedures for admission. The class schedule for each semester or summer session will provide details concerning registration and the courses to be offered.
Historical Background
Sul Ross State University is located in scenic Alpine, Texas, the county seat of Brewster County, at the gateway to the Big Bend Country. The Big Bend Country of Texas-a crucible of cultures: Indian, Spanish, Mexican, Anglo-is a multifaceted region encompassing vast expanses of the great Chihuahuan Desert, picturesque hills and mountains reaching to over eight thousand feet in altitude, rolling plains and lush grasslands, and a wide assortment of plants, wildlife, and geological features which annually attract over half a million visitors from throughout the world. These visitors share with the students and faculty of Sul Ross an environment that is free of pollution, warm in winter and cool in summer, and ideal for combining university studies with a variety of outside recreational activities. Located near Sul Ross are the unique and nationally well-known Big Bend National Park, scenic Davis Mountains and State Park, Fort Davis National Historic Site, University of Texas McDonald Observatory, Balmorhea State Park, and a number of historic towns and sites which vividly depict the region’s diverse history.
Sul Ross State University opened in 1920 as a state-supported Normal School for Teachers. In 1923 its name was changed to Sul Ross State Teachers College, and the first baccalaureate degrees were awarded in 1925. Master’s degree programs were first offered in 1930. The institution’s name was changed in 1949 to Sul Ross State College and again in 1969 to Sul Ross State University. Fourteen presidents have served Sul Ross: Thomas Fletcher, Robert L Marquis, Horace W. Morelock, Richard M. Hawkins, Bryan Wildenthal, Norman L. McNeil, Hugh E. Meredith, C. R. “Bob” Richardson, Jack W. Humphries, R. Vic Morgan, Ricardo Maestas, William Kibler, Pete Gallego, and Carlos Hernandez.
The University’s name honors Lawrence Sullivan “Sul” Ross, who was the son of a Waco, Texas, pioneer family and a popular soldier, governor, educator, and humanitarian. As a young man, Sul Ross attended Baylor University and graduated from Wesleyan University in Alabama. He participated in Indian campaigns in northern Texas and Indian Territory and served in the Texas Rangers with the rank of captain. Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, Ross enlisted in the Confederate Army, serving with distinction and rising to the rank of brigadier general. His Texas Brigade distinguished itself in 135 engagements during the war. After the war, Ross returned to Waco where he farmed and served as sheriff. In 1875 he was a member of the Texas Constitutional Convention, and in 1880 he was elected to the state senate. Popular in the legislature and with Texans throughout the state, he was elected governor in 1886 and reelected in 1888. A staunch supporter of public education, charitable institutions, and railroad regulation, upon leaving the governorship, Ross was appointed president of Texas A&M College, a position he held at the time of his death in 1898.
The Alpine campus of Sul Ross State University consists of approximately six hundred acres, home to nine academic classroom buildings, the Bryan Wildenthal Memorial Library, the Museum of the Big Bend, a maintenance complex, University Center, three residence halls, over one hundred apartments, and the president’s home. Football and track-and-field events are held at Jackson Field, and University activities of various types are held in the historic Kokernot Lodge adjacent to the Kokernot Outdoor Theatre of the Big Bend. The Everett E. Turner Range Animal Science Center includes an animal health clinic, a horse science center, meat-processing facilities, the San Antonio Livestock Exposition Equine Center, and modern, well-equipped laboratories. Sul Ross State University is the birthplace of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, and the University annually sponsors the SRSU NIRA rodeo. The University is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the American Southwest Conference, participating in non-scholarship competitive sports events in basketball, football, volleyball, softball, baseball, tennis, soccer, and cross country in both men’s and women’s athletics.
Sul Ross State University’s Rio Grande College is composed of three instructional sites in Uvalde, Del Rio, and Eagle Pass. Begun originally as the Sul Ross State University Study Center, it was renamed the Uvalde Study Center in 1985, and the Uvalde Center in 1989.
Recognizing its service to the broad area of the Middle Rio Grande and Wintergarden regions of Texas, the Legislature made Uvalde the first campus of the Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College in 1995. Del Rio and Eagle Pass were later added as instructional campuses, and today the three campuses are collectively known as Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College. It offers junior, senior, and graduate work in selected programs. Rio Grande College serves thirteen counties in Southwest Texas. The Rio Grande College campuses are located on the Texas-Mexico border. The area includes two of the five highest-volume ports to Mexico. This area is known for its fields of purple sage and its Old West ambiance.
In this atmosphere, the multiple campuses of Sul Ross State University work continually toward higher standards of excellence in teaching and learning.
University Mission
Who We Are
Sul Ross State University is a small, diverse community that values personal interactions while providing life-changing opportunities for students through quality undergraduate and graduate education, in-person and online.
Vision
We aspire to be the best value in Texas higher education and expand access to higher education for the underserved populations or the state. We accomplish this by providing high quality, innovative, and flexible academic programs within a culturally inclusive environment, where students learn to develop creativity, foster critical thinking, enhance diversity, and engage in research to serve our region, state, and nation as impactful members of an educated society.
Mission
Sul Ross State University offers life-changing opportunities by delivering quality undergraduate and graduate education. We foster critical thinking, creativity, diversity, and research, empowering our students to excel beyond the frontiers of what is possible. We are a Hispanic serving public institution for the residents of the U.S/Mexico borderlands, Southwest Texas region, and beyond.
Values
- Student Access and Success
- Ethics and Integrity
- Academic Excellence
- Mutual Respect and Collaboration
Sul Ross State University Strategic Plan
A university-wide committee developed the plan, Strategic Plan 2022-2027: Our Student-Centric Focus, and it was implemented in fall 2022. The five goals of the strategic plan are listed below:
- Promote student opportunity and success
- Recruit, empower, and retain high-quality faculty and staff
- Improve resources available to support faculty teaching and research and student success
- Streamline and enhance campus business processes
- Implement the Texas State University System goal of transforming Rio Grande College into a branch campus prior to the transformation into an independent, four-year university in Eagle Pass, Texas
Division of Library and Archives
The Division of Library and Archives exists to connect students, faculty, staff, , and broader university communities with information and services to facilitate creative exploration, intellectual growth, and scholarly pursuits in support of the library and archives missions and the university’s mission, vision, and strategic plan. The Bryan Wildenthal Memorial Library in the Alpine campus serves as the main university library and houses the Archives of the Big Bend. The division oversees library services to Rio Grande College, based in Eagle Pass. The primary resources of the library and archives are its collections and its staff. The most current information is available at http://library.sulross.edu.
The SRSU library is a strategic institutional asset in the creative exploration, intellectual growth, and scholarly pursuits of the students, faculty, and staff at Sul Ross State University and the community of the Big Bend and US-Mexico border regions of Texas. In support of the University mission, the Bryan Wildenthal Memorial Library provides collections and services needed to conduct research and to effectively and efficiently teach, as well as instruction and assistance in information retrieval, information literacy, and scholarly communication, and provides a required physical place for students and faculty to collaborate and exchange ideas.
The mission of the Archives of the Big Bend is to collect, preserve, arrange, and make available for research purposes the recorded history and culture of the unique and diverse Big Bend region of far west Texas; the collection area includes the Trans-Pecos of Texas and corresponding border area of northern Mexico. The holdings include manuscripts; records of businesses, organizations, and individuals; photographs; maps; oral histories; newspapers; books; and the university archives.
- Systems and Access staff assist patrons with locating information, planning research strategies, and using the online catalog and electronic resources. They also teach library-research skills and collaborate with faculty to integrate information-literacy skills into courses, work one-on-one with faculty researchers as needed, and develop teaching tools and resources to promote the resources, services, and spaces of the library. Circulation Desk staff manage and circulate reserve materials and circulating books. Interlibrary Loan staff obtains materials that the library does not own for SRSU students, faculty, and staff. They also provide ScanIt (document delivery) services.
- Technical Services staff are responsible for identifying, acquiring, cataloging, and processing materials for the collections of the library, including in-depth annual analysis and maintenance. Other functions include creating and maintaining records in the library’s electronic catalog; repairing or withdrawing damaged materials; coordinating the preservation of materials through binding and microfilming; receiving and acknowledging gifts and donations; and assisting faculty with the selection and purchase of appropriate materials.
- Archives staff make holdings from the Archives of the Big Bend and university archives accessible to researchers, including students, faculty, and staff, through processing, acquisitions, cataloging, reference services, and reproduction services. Extensive use of the university archives is made by the administration and staff for documentation and a variety of special projects.
Specific objectives of the library and archives are to provide the following resources and services:
- professionally and expertly trained staff to develop and administer the resources and services of the SRSU library, Archives of the Big Bend, and university archives;
- a strong, well-balanced core collection of materials in a variety of formats to support the teaching and research functions of the university;
- full-text access to online resources in scholarly databases for all SRSU students, staff, and faculty through our website, on campus, and remotely;
- in-depth collections in disciplines offering master’s degrees;
- current and accurate reference and general-information sources to support the informational and recreational needs of the university, the Alpine community, and the Big Bend area;
- a dynamic and curriculum-integrated library education program through the use of the Library Teaching and Learning Toolkit;
- services for locating and obtaining materials from other libraries through a strong Interlibrary Loan Department; and
- a physical building that facilitates the use of information and collaboration among patrons.
Museum of the Big Bend
The Museum of the Big Bend is your best source to learn about the history and art in the Big Bend! Located next to the Morgan University Center, the Museum of the Big Bend building complex consists of two buildings, named in honor of Emmett and Miriam McCoy. The first McCoy building is the original 1937 Texas Centennial Big Bend Memorial Museum structure, which after major renovations, re-opened in 2007. This building houses the museum’s collections, education programs, and history exhibits. Collections in archeological, historical, and natural history materials are extensive. Many of the collection artifacts are exhibited in the main gallery, Big Bend Legacy, which tells the many stories of the vast areas of Brewster, Jeff Davis, and Presidio counties.
Located in this building is the Yana and Marty Davis Map Collection, considered the most comprehensive survey of the United States and Mexico. This collection has over 1,500 maps, covering five centuries of cartographic history of Texas, Mexico, the Southwest, and beyond. The collection is open for research by students at Sul Ross State University.
The newest Emmett and Miriam McCoy museum building was dedicated in June of 2023. This new building showcases the art of the Big Bend and the West. Discover works by Sul Ross teachers and their students, alongside those who came to explore the Big Bend, in the hallway of the building. In the Tom Lea gallery, learn about the history of cattle in the Americas through Lea’s paintings and writings. In the rotating exhibit gallery, see exhibits that range from cowboy art and gear to fine-art photography. For one of the best views of Alpine and the Davis Mountains skyline, step out onto the cultural events patio and take in the beautiful landscape and high desert sky!
Activities at the museum include tours, special events, exhibit openings, gallery talks, volunteer opportunities, and education-program activities for children and adults. Each fall the museum hosts Trappings of Texas, one of the longest running exhibits of contemporary cowboy art and gear in the country. Every summer the museum celebrates the art of photography and hosts a weekend of photography-related events.
The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays and all major holidays. Admission is free for current Sul Ross State University students, faculty, and staff. Shop in the museum gift shop and receive 10% off your purchases! For more information, call 432-837-8730 or visit our website at www.museumofthebigbend.com.
Center for Big Bend Studies
The purpose of the Center for Big Bend Studies is to support and promote programs and interdisciplinary scholarly activities relating to the cultural, historical, and archaeological development of the Big Bend region of Texas. The region is broadly defined to include the Rio Grande borderlands of Texas and Mexico from El Paso and Ciudad Juarez to Del Rio and Ciudad Acuña, the Pecos River valley from the Rio Grande to southern New Mexico, and the entire Trans-Pecos region of Texas. The Center publishes The Journal of Big Bend Studies, an interdisciplinary annual with emphasis on historical and archaeological studies related to the region, and La Vista de la Frontera, an annual newsletter.
In addition to working with academic departments and programs on campus to provide research opportunities for faculty and students, the Center works with Big Bend National Park, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Big Bend Natural History Association, Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department, Texas Historical Commission, county historical commissions, and the general public in cooperative educational, research, and public service projects. The Center sponsors an Annual Conference for the presentation of research papers and maintains an extensive library on the archaeology and history of the Southwestern United States and north-central Mexico. For information, visit our website at or call us at 432-837-8179.
Office of International Studies
The mission of the Office of International Studies (OIS) is to support international educational travel and exchange for students and faculty at Sul Ross state University.
Instructional Services
BAB 313
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Phone: 432-837-8525
FAX: 432-837-8510
Email: tim.parsons@sulross.edu
The mission of the Office of Instructional Services is to inspire excellence and innovation in teaching, learning, and scholarly activities at Sul Ross State University. Instructional Services is dedicated to promoting new models of student-centered teaching, learning, and research by providing instructional and educational-technology assistance to SRSU faculty, staff, and students.
SRSU Instructional Services achieves this mission objective by:
- Providing expertise in instructional design and development for faculty
- Supporting our online teaching and learning environment (Blackboard Learn)
- Effectively applying current and emerging instructional technologies to our online teaching and learning environment
- Providing for increased opportunities for student involvement in our online programs through the close collaboration of our SRSU Office of Information Technology, our TSUS Shared Services Partnership, and our Division of Online Programs and Distance Education (OPDE)
- Delivering services for the assessment, measurement, and evaluation of teaching within our learning environment
- Coordinating and hosting instructional and informational events and activities throughout the academic year
- Providing superior service to the SRSU faculty/staff/student community across all campuses
Blackboard Learn (part of Anthology) is our online learning-management system at SRSU, and the administration, training, and faculty/student support for Blackboard falls under the Instructional Services area. SRSU entered into a TSUS shared-services partnership with Sam Houston State University to share resources in support of improving and expanding quality online education within TSUS. Our TSUS shared services Blackboard environment now provides expanded support for faculty and students, including new resources and tools previously unavailable. The Instructional Services area works hand-in-hand with our TSUS shared-services partnership to provide a high level of support and training for all SRSU campuses.
The Online Blackboard Support Desk is available for SRSU faculty and students 24 hours a day, seven days a week: email blackboardsupport@sulross.edu or call 888-837-6055 with any Blackboard technical or instructional concern.
Borderlands Research Institute for Natural Resource Management
Formed in 2007, the goal of the Borderlands Research Institute is to provide land managers with the most current scientific information on the management of the natural resources of the area. To meet this goal, we plan and conduct research investigations on various aspects of our natural world. Ultimately, we hope to provide science-based management alternatives to land owners and managers to enhance their ability to serve as land stewards.
The Borderlands Research Institute serves as the “sister institution” to the Department of Natural Sciences within the College of Agricultural, Life and Physical Sciences at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. For more information visit our web site, http://bri.sulross.edu/, or call us at 432-837-8225. The College of Agricultural, Life and Physical Sciences and the Borderlands Research Institute are housed in the Turner Range Animal Science Center, which is located one mile east of the main campus on U.S. Highway 90.
Sul Ross State University/Rio Grande College Small Business Development Centers
The Sul Ross State University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) located in Alpine, Texas, is a leading economic development center recognized for excellence in service to the small-business community and offers one-on-one confidential advising and a training program. The SBDC assists small-business owners and new entrepreneurs by providing no-charge, one-on-one business advising, business-management workshops, and business technical assistance. The SBDC advises business owners in many areas including financial analysis, capital sources, business planning, operations, industry research, international trade, commercial finance, human resources, accounting, competitive market studies, import/export assistance, government contracting opportunities, information technology, and economic and business data modeling and analysis. Our mission is to foster small-business success in Brewster, Culberson, Jeff Davis, Loving, Pecos, Presidio, Reeves, and Terrell counties.
The Small Business Development Center at Rio Grande College offers the same programs as the SBDC in Alpine and is also recognized for excellence in service to the small-business community. This SBDC has offices on the SRSU campuses in Del Rio, Eagle Pass, and Uvalde, as well as an office in the MRGDC building in Carrizo Springs. The center strives to support the economic development of the Middle Rio Grande region of rural southwest Texas. Our mission is to foster small-business success in the nine counties stretching from Maverick, Dimmit, Edwards, Kinney, La Salle, Real, Uvalde, Val Verde, and Zavala.
Office of Information Technology
The Office of Information Technology (OIT) oversees all technology related matters at Sul Ross State University. The mission for OIT is to provide technology leadership in the selection, acquisition, application, and management of technologies that enhance the university’s teaching, learning, research, and administrative environments.
OIT consists of six departments: the Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO); Lobo
Technology Assistance Center (LTAC), which includes desktop support, Networking and
Systems, and Enterprise Application Services (outsourced to Campus Works); and Control Systems (fire and security systems). Our staff is located on all four campuses: Alpine, Del Rio, Uvalde, and Eagle Pass. In Alpine we have offices in the Academic Computer Resource Center (ACRC).
Please check our website www.sulross.edu/OIT for updated information on the services and support we offer. OIT has a long-standing tradition to provide you with the support and service you need in pursuit of excellence and success in your education, and we hope to continue the same moving forward.
The Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO)
The Office of the Chief Information Officer is responsible for providing the leadership, vision, and management of the Office of Information Technology. The CIO has budgetary responsibilities for the department and ensures the institution stays within the guidance of state policies and practices in regard to the information resources used at Sul Ross. This office is also responsible for ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the university’s computing assets by drafting and enforcing security controls and policies that protect personnel records and matters that require protection and compliance as per federal, state, and industry regulations such as FERPA, HEOA, PCI, etc.
Lobo Technology Assistance Center (LTAC)
The Lobo Technology Assistance Center assists with technology needs via the helpdesk, support counter, and open-access computer labs. Staff in LTAC are trained to assist you with computer- and technology-related matters. LTAC provides training to faculty and staff on various instructional and productivity technologies such as Blackboard, Microsoft Office Suite, and Adobe products. Our department is also responsible for the technology in classrooms, standard and Distance Education rooms. All services delivered for all sites at SRSU are centralized; however, trained and certified staff at MRGC provide hands-on support for technology issues at those three campuses.
You can contact us via:
- Phone: Call the LTAC helpdesk at 8888. Off campus, dial 432-837-8888 between 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For more details, please visit us online at www.sulross.edu/LTAC
- Online: For technology help, https://techassist.sulross.edu, For general OIT information, www.sulross.edu/OIT
- Walk-in: The main LTAC helpdesk is located in the Academic Computing Resource Center (ACRC), room 105.
There are three open access computer labs on the Alpine campus that are open to all faculty, staff, and students.
- ACR 106
- 2nd floor of the Bryan Wildenthal Memorial Library
- The Red Paw Den (RPD) in Cottage 3
Networking and Systems
The Networking and Systems team in OIT maintains and administers the University’s computing infrastructure including but not limited to the data center, the network, wired and wireless connections, the Internet, firewall and spam filtering, servers, telecommunications, and other infrastructure related technologies. Other services include VPN, email, and online storage. Staff in Networking and Systems are trained and certified to support the voice, data, and video infrastructure for the University.
Enterprise Application Services
The department of Enterprise Application Services (EAS) manages and supports application development for the University’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. The system is used for processing prospective and current students, financial aid, advancement, and employee records. Our 24/7 Banner Self Service portal allows students to register for classes, pay tuition and fees, and access their records at their convenience and is available through the campus portal (https://my.sulross.edu) Control Systems (Fire and Security Systems)
The Control Systems area has responsibilities for the safety and security systems for the Alpine campus. This includes fire systems, card access system, CCTV systems, and others.
Distance Education Statement
Students enrolled in distance education and online courses have access to the university’s academic support services, such as library resources, online databases, and instructional technology support. For more information about accessing these resources, visit the SRSU website. Students should correspond with faculty and staff through the learning management system, or use Sul Ross email accounts. Students should submit online assignments through Blackboard, which requires secure login. Students enrolled in distance education and online courses at Sul Ross are expected to adhere to all policies pertaining to academic honesty and appropriate student conduct, as described in the student handbook. Students in online and distance-education courses must maintain appropriate equipment and software, according to the needs and requirements of the course, as outlined on the SRSU website.
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