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Welcome to Texas Tech University, one of the most beautiful campuses in the nation! My name is Ariana and I'll be your tour guide today! Texas Tech is a large public university located in Lubbock, Texas, a city of over 250,000 residents. With over 35,000 students Texas Tech has something for everyone, whether you are interested in fine arts, engineering, business, or health sciences – you will find a reason to call Texas Tech home. Let's start your tour here at the main entrance to campus.
West Hall
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Originally a residence hall, West Hall houses the campus Visitors Center and important offices such as: Undergraduate Admissions, Financial Aid & Student Business Services, the Scholarship Office, and the Office of the Registrar. You also have prime viewing of the homecoming parade each fall as it passes by the front lawn of West Hall. Students from various organizations, including Greek Life, compete to design the best float of the year. Above the main doors of West Hall you will find a pineapple, which is the international sign for welcome. When you come to visit us in person, this is where you will meet your student tour guide and head out on your campus tour.
Will Rogers and Soapsuds Statue
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One of the most well known landmarks on campus is the statue of Will Rogers and his horse Soapsuds. The statue stands at 9'11" tall and weighs 3,200 pounds. Before every home football game the Saddle Tramps wrap Old Will with red crepe paper. Will Rogers and Soapsuds have also been wrapped up in black crepe paper to mourn a national tragedy. Will Rogers is an icon at Texas Tech. In fact, he helped fund the Goin' Band from Raiderland's trip to Forth Worth, Texas for a football game, making it the first college band to travel to an away game.
Holden Hall
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Holden Hall was the first location of the Texas Tech Museum. Today, Holden Hall is the hub for one of the largest colleges at Texas Tech, Arts & Sciences, which offers everything from Anthropology all the way to Zoology. Most students will take at least one class in this building before they graduate. You can also visit with Texas Tech University Advising staff in Holden Hall if you need help choosing a major.
Engineering Key
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This is the engineering key and is home to most of the engineering classrooms and offices. Down the key you will see several engineering disciplines such as Civil, Mechanical, Computer, Electrical, Industrial and Petroleum. It is called "the key," because from an aerial view, it looks like the lower portion of a key coming from Memorial Circle.
Memorial Circle
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The Texas Tech War Veterans Association dedicated Memorial Circle in 1948 to all Tech students who served in World War II. It is considered a living memorial and the only place where students are not allowed to walk on the grass. At the center of Memorial Circle is the Pfluger Memorial Fountain. Construction of the fountain allows you to hear the water rushing as you approach the fountain, but once you walk just inside the circle you experience complete silence. On Arbor Day, Memorial Circle is packed with students planting flowers, listening to live music and grabbing a free hotdog.
Administration Building
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The Administration building was the first building on campus and houses both the Chancellor's office as well as the President's office. The Spanish renaissance architecture was chosen because West Texas is geographically similar to Central Spain and the Spanish have influenced much of the Texas traditions. If you haven't noticed by now, the Spanish theme is prominent throughout the entire Texas Tech campus! The east bell tower is known as the Victory Bell Tower. Saddle Tramps, a male athletics fraternity, and the High Riders, an all-female athletics sorority, ring the victory bell for thirty minutes after all Texas Tech athletic victories as well as after graduation ceremonies. As you walk through the archway of the building you will notice the double-t bench, which was donated by the senior class of 1931. It was announced that no freshmen could sit on it, but now it is more known for the many marriage proposals by Texas Tech students and alumni.
Human Sciences Building
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The College of Human Sciences, founded in 1925, was one of the four original schools at Texas Tech and now it contains some of the most interactive programs and centers such as interior design, child development and research, addiction and recovery, personal financial planning, restaurant-hotel and institutional management.
McClellan Hall – Honors College
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McClellan Hall houses the main offices for the Honors College and was originally the infirmary for Texas Tech students. Honors College students have the unique advantage of experiencing a small, intellectually and socially vibrant environment while having access to the vast resources of the major research university at TTU. Honors College students simultaneously benefit from being with others of the same intellectual preparation and commitment while enjoying the advantages of a university environment actively engaged in exploring all areas of human interest and concern. Honors classes are limited to 25-30 students per class and membership requires an additional application for admission. Learn more at www.honors.ttu.edu
Student Union Building
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The Student Union Building or the SUB is the center of campus. Made to provide a place for relaxation and social interaction, the SUB is a great place to hangout and grab a quick bite with friends between classes. Inside the sub, you will find a lounge area for students to study or socialize, multiple food outlets, two theaters, and a Barnes and Noble, which is our campus bookstore and retail shop where you will find plenty of Red Raider gear! There is always something happening at the SUB, so you can head over to watch a movie or enjoy some of the many live performances in the Allen theatre.
The Commons
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The Commons is one of our newest dining facility on campus and is attached to one of our new residence halls, Talkington Hall. Bringing cutting-edge dining to the Texas Tech Community, here you will find an Einstein Brothers Bagels for a quick cup of coffee and a bagel before that 8 am class! Inside the eatery and very similar to the sub, you will find various food outlets like a mac and cheese bar, a guacamole station and a brick-oven pizzeria. And of course, more places to meet up with your friends.
Talkington Hall
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Talkington Hall is one of our newest suite-style residence halls for men and women. Included in the 178,000 square feet of space are 2 and 4 bedroom suite-style residential units, study areas, multipurpose rooms and staff offices. Each bedroom is furnished with a bed, desk, and a chair, a chest of drawers, closet, and ceiling fan, and shares a bathroom with a suite-mate. Each student also has his or her own Ethernet and cable TV connections! The suite has a common living room with furniture, ceiling fan, full-sized refrigerator and microwave, so you have plenty of room to study or just hang out with friends!
Library
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No campus is complete without a library. Luckily ours is ranked as the one of the largest in the state housing over 2 million books, 400 databases and close to 25,000 e-books! The library consists of 6 floors, a basement, and the ground floor, which has more public computers than any other building on campus. Above the ground floor is the mezzanine area with plenty of study cubicles, on the floors above there are 5 levels of stacks where you will find books, study carrels, study rooms, and designated quiet study areas. If you like to hit the books late at night, you'll love the fact that the library has extended hours and stays open late just in case you need to catch up on some studying. With more open hours than any other building on campus, it's easy to see why the library is the most frequented building on campus.
Dairy Barn
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The Dairy barn was constructed in 1926 and holds great history for the university. It served as a teaching facility for agricultural programs, but most notably students would bring their own cows to campus and market their milk products, which were sold to the Lubbock community. It is jokingly called the first financial aid office on campus. Plans were being made to tear down the barn, but students thought it was an important part of Tech's agricultural roots, so in 1992 it was saved from destruction and has since been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Philosophy/English Buildings
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This complex opened in 2002, and houses the Departments of English and Philosophy and across the courtyard is the College of Education. Here you will find the University Writing center, which offers thirty minute, one-on-one tutorials to undergraduate and graduate students. Tutors are available both onsite and online. The layout of classrooms is that of a rectangular learning environment; meaning that doors, windows, and overall layout are in the shape of rectangles based on studies showing that students learn best in such an environment.
Headwaters Statue
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Perhaps one of the most noticeable sites in this area is the Headwaters fountain. It is made from African black granite and Kashmir gold granite, the sculpture is a masterful blend of symbols relating to life's journey, as well as a revelation of ideas based in English, philosophy and education.
Student Leisure Pool
Recreation Center
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This brings us to the Robert H. Ewalt student recreation center, but students just call it the rec. One great thing about the rec is that you get full access with a simple swipe of your student ID. Inside you will find one of the tallest rock-climbing walls in the Big 12, our athletic conference. The Climbing Center offers members the opportunity to rock climb year round indoors while hanging high. Downstairs you will find 7 basketball courts and volleyball courts, an indoor soccer and inline hockey arena, circuit room, as well as many cardio areas throughout the Rec. Back on the main floor, there are 12 racquetball courts and a squash court, including a challenge court. At Texas Tech, we know that if you stay active, you tend to do better in class. That's why over half of the students participates in some type of intramural or club sport! So take a Zumba or Yoga class, give kick-boxing a try or even some martial arts!
United Supermarkets Arena
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The United Supermarkets Arena has been home to Red Raider Volleyball, as well as Red Raider & Lady Raider basketball since 1999. The inaugural game was played in November of that year versus Indiana, whose legendary coach, Bob Knight, would later become the head coach of Texas Tech men's basketball. The 15,000-seat multipurpose facility is host to a variety of entertainment and athletic events. Many big name artists have rocked out the arena leaving spectators with a taste as to why it's called "The Entertainment Showcase of West Texas." Perhaps the best event you will recall as a student here at the arena is the commencement ceremonies where you will proudly walk across the stage and shake hands with the president while holding your diploma!
Media & Communication
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In the College of Media & Communication, students can combine their practical course work with real-world experiences in this state-of-the-art facility, ensuring they are well prepared for today's convergent media environment. Majors include advertising, communication studies, electronic media, journalism, media strategies, and public relations. Change the face of advertising. Reach millions from the nightly news. Uncover the real story. Capture the world in photos. Mold public perception. Communications is all about passion.
Animal Sciences
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You're now headed over to the Animal and Food Sciences building, which is a part of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. This building has its very own restaurant inside called COWamongus which was opened thanks to Texas Tech alumnus Daniel Brackeen, the man behind TCBY yogur. Students in the department learn how to process the various meats and ice cream sold both on campus and in grocery stores. So don't forget to stop by and pick up some ribs for your bar-b-que, grab a burger for lunch or enjoy some of the best ice cream around! This department is also the home to multiple National Championship teams, which include the Livestock and Meat Judging Teams.
Horn/Knapp Residence Hall
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Horn/Knapp Residence Hall is a traditional living facility for women which features moveable furniture. The complex houses the Women in Science and Engineering Learning Community. Learning communities provide many opportunities for participants to create study groups and to work with other students in their fields of study. Similar to Horn/Knapp, Bledsoe & Sneed Residence Halls also feature moveable furniture rooms for men studying science, technology, engineering, and math.
Stangel/Murdough Residence Hall
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Texas Tech requires our freshmen to live on campus because we've learned that students are more successful if they have the support of the Texas Tech community from the start of their college experience. This residence hall houses the learning communities for Health Science majors as well as the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Stangel/Murdough features built-in-furniture with pull out beds, desks and chairs, chests of drawers, a sink, closets with overhead storage, and bookshelves. Each room has free cable and Ethernet connections. Community Advisor's or CA's live on every floor and visitation hours are voted on by each complex. ID's are required for entrance to elevators and rooms, and there is even a visitor escort policy in order to ensure everyone's safety.
Student Wellness Center
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The student wellness center is home to Student Health Services and the Student Counseling center. Students have access to a clinic, a counseling center, laboratory services, x-ray services and a pharmacy, which offers discounts to students. The building comes equipped with more than 30 exam rooms, four nurses' stations, a library and 16 psychology offices located on the second floor. There are also rooms set aside for group therapy sessions and patient observation.
Rawls College of Business
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The Jerry S. Rawls College of Business building is a 150,000 sq. ft, LEED-certified building. The state-of-the-art facility has 96 faculty offices, 23 student classrooms and four case study rooms. Other features include 13 classrooms with direct sunlight streaming from the courtyard and the windows, an 80-person dining room with a digital fireplace and an Einstein Brothers Bagels Café. Each tiered classroom is wired for internet access, and non-tiered classrooms are wireless. Students have the ability to record class lectures and stream them onto their wireless devices so they can view them later. Digital screens located outside each classroom is where class schedules or emergency notifications are posted and can be changed at a moment's notice. This truly is a state-of-the-art facility for our already industry leading College of Business.
The Science Quad
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The science Squad is home to the Chemistry, Geosciences, Physics, Mathematics and Statistics buildings. Like many other departments, you can find free math tutoring programs ran by graduate students for those who might need some extra help. This is also the location for our Carol of Lights Tradition since 1959. Buildings from the main campus entrance to the Science quad and in the engineering key are covered in 6 miles of red, white, and orange holiday lights. A celebration with holiday carols and a torch light parade is held here as over 20,000 people come to see the lights turn on with just a flip of a switch!
Free Speech Pavilion
Jones AT&T Stadium
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Home to Red Raider football since 1947 and seating over 60,000 spectators, it's said to be one of the best home field advantages in all of college sports. One of the many great things about being a Red Raider is that with just a simple swipe of your student id, you're through the gates and ready to cheer you're Red Raiders on to victory!
Law School
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Established in 1967, the Texas Tech University School of Law has been known nationally for their continual success in trial advocacy competitions. The school focuses on forming practical lawyers who are ready to practice law once they graduate and pass the bar exam. The school has been named as a Top 20 Best Value Law School by the National Jurist several times. It has also been named a Top School for Hispanics for 3 straight years. As an undergraduate, students interested in law are encouraged to take part in the prelaw programs. This is a structured four-year program that prepares undergraduate students to be exceptional applicants to a school of law.
Health Sciences Center
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Beginning in 1969 as Texas Tech University School of Medicine, today TTUHSC is a seven-school university located in Abilene, Amarillo, Dallas/Fort Worth, El Paso, Lubbock, Midland and Odessa. The HSC has established itself as leader in education and patient care and are building a top-ranked research environment with significant studies under way in areas such as aging, cancer, reproduction, genetic diseases and rural health. In addition, with their location adjacent to Texas Tech University, it provides a unique opportunity for advancement of knowledge through scientific collaborations. Similar to the PreLaw program, students interested in health careers are encouraged to take part of the Pre-Professional Health careers offered as an undergraduate!
