Tarleton State to build new Fort Worth campus along Chisholm Trail Parkway

A pattern has emerged during Tarleton State University’ long association with Fort Worth students. Every time a new academic program was introduced, it flourished.

That student demand is behind Tarleton State University’s plan to establish a new campus in Fort Worth, said Tarleton State President F. Dominic Dottavio.

“We have over 40 different degree and certification options here in Fort Worth,” Dottavio said. “Every time we’ve put a program in place, it’s grown very rapidly. ”

Tarleton State University announced plans on Monday to build a new campus on 80 acres along the new Chisholm Trail Parkway in southern Tarrant County being donated by Walton Group, a Canadian-based developer that acquired the property earlier this year. University leaders said the campus would serve thousands of Tarrant County students seeking an affordable higher education close to home.

Close to 3,000 students, of Tarleton’s total enrollment of 11,681, come from Tarrant County, Dottavio said. The university’s main campus in Stephenville, located about 65 miles away, has been described as conveniently located by Tarrant County students. Additionally, many non-traditional students, or those who are transferring from community colleges, are taking advantage of classes offered in Fort Worth.

“We believe because there is no public undergraduate university provider in Fort Worth, there is clearly a need for a valued, high-quality education for students here,” Dottavio said. “We try to do things in a convenient way and in an affordable way so that it meets the important demands of the students here in Fort Worth on their time and on their resources.”

Executives with the Walton Group of Cos. and officials with Tarleton State University, the Texas A&M University System and Fort Worth announced the donation and project at a news conference in Sundance Square Plaza.

With the downtown mural of the Chisholm Trail as a backdrop, Dottavio told city, business and higher education leaders that Fort Worth is the ideal setting for a Metroplex campus. Quoting country music singer George Strait, Dottavio said he’s familiar with a question posed in the popular song, “Does Fort Worth ever cross your mind?”

“At Tarleton, it does every single day,” Dottavio said.

The university said it plans to ask for $55 million in state funding in the upcoming legislative session to build a 125,000-square-foot building on the site for classrooms and administration offices. It is one of several buildings envisioned for the campus, Dottavio said.

“There was no doubt in our mind that Walton would be a terrific partner,” Dottavio said. “They have a passion for seeing this through. We could not be more grateful to them for helping make an opportunity like this possible for the citizens of Fort Worth. It’s a big, bold step.”

Bill Doherty, CEO of the Walton Group, said the project is still in its early stages, but he is “very excited” because the university will enhance development along that corridor. He said that promoting education is a theme he learned as a child when his parents stressed the need for educating oneself.

“Having the university there, having the campus there, it is going to create a beautiful community that all of us can be proud of,” Doherty said.

The planned building is expected to accommodate about 4,000 to 5,000 students, Dottavio told reporters after the news conference. The location also will provide room to grow with the continued demand for degrees, he said.

If the project gains legislative support, the building could be ready for students in two or three years, Dottavio said.

The Tarleton project also brings another A&M University System entity to Fort Worth. Last year, the system acquired Texas Wesleyan University’s law school and transitioned it to the existing Texas A&M University School of Law in downtown Fort Worth.

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price said Fort Worth is experiencing an exciting chapter in higher education opportunities.

The university plans to consolidate its Fort Worth locations, which have seen enrollment jump significantly during the past few years. The first building will more than double the space Tarleton now leases.

Tarleton has offered classes in Fort Worth since 1978, beginning with its medical laboratory sciences program. Today, it has 48 undergraduate and graduate programs here at its Southwest Metroplex Center, a satellite of the main campus in Stephenville. Plans are to expand the program offerings in Fort Worth and become a traditional campus.

“It’s unlimited in its growth potential,” Dottavio said.

The university currently leases space in the Hickman Building at 6777 Camp Bowie Blvd., the Schaefer Building at 1501 Enderly Place, and at Weatherford College. Its fall enrollment was 1,576 students, the school said.

“We have been growing 15 percent to 20 percent year-over-year,” Dottavio said. “We expect that kind of growth to continue. In fact, we would expect it to grow at a faster rate if we can put in a campus that serves our students as effectively as possible.”

Tarleton’s Fort Worth programs catered to high-demand areas, including teacher education, business, accounting, nursing and medical lab sciences.

This story was originally published December 8, 2014 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Tarleton State to build new Fort Worth campus along Chisholm Trail Parkway."