Tarleton State University set a new record for freshman enrollment at its main campus in Stephenville in the Fall of 2014—2,120 new students. The increase in freshman pushed overall enrollment at the Stephenville campus to 8,645. The growing enrollment is testament to the university’s academic stature, student life appeal, affordability, and retention success. With more students choosing Tarleton State, there is an increasing demand for campus facilities—academic buildings, student life amenities, student housing, recreation facilities, athletics, and open spaces. All of this is set against a backdrop of limited state funding within a higher education marketplace that remains competitive. Taken together, these factors sparked the need to undertake a master plan update.

In order to support this growth the university needs to think strategically about the coming years in how best to allocate limited funding to maximize the benefits to students, faculty and staff. This master plan update identifies the near-term building priorities for the university, and provides a conceptual framework to guide growth for the university over the long-term. It targets acute needs of the university, setting out clear priorities for the coming years, and lays the plan for implementing projects where they will have the most positive impact on the campus.