The University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler) is a public research university in Tyler, Texas. Founded in 1971, it is a part of the University of Texas System. UT Tyler consists of six professional colleges and one traditional college of arts and sciences, offering over 90 academic degree programs at the bachelor, master, and doctoral levels. The University of Texas at Tyler is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The university had a fall 2020 student body enrollment of 9,927 and a 19:1 student to faculty ratio. It has a park-like campus. History The University of Texas at Tyler was founded in 1971 as Tyler State College. The school was renamed Texas Eastern University in 1975, and then joined the University of Texas System in 1979 as a result of action by the 66th Texas Legislature. Initially, UT Tyler was a "senior" level institution ("senior" as compared to community or junior colleges), teaching only upper division undergraduate courses for juniors & seniors, as well as graduate level courses, and granting bachelor's and master's degrees. Thus, until 1998, all U.T. Tyler students were transfer students from other institutions of higher learning—junior colleges or other universities. In 1997, the 75th Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1795, signed into law by Governor George W. Bush, authorizing the school to add classes for freshmen and sophomore students. As of the Fall semester 1998, UT Tyler became a 4-year and graduate institution, following the full U.S. university pattern, i.e. educating students from the freshman level through graduate and postgraduate levels. In late 2019, the UT System Board of Regents unanimously agreed to merge the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler (UTHSCT) under the University of Texas at Tyler (UTT), creating a single unified institution. Two months later, the UT System formally announced its intention to establish a new medical school that will be added under the new unified UT Tyler administration. It will be the first medical school in the East Texas region. The plan was approved by the university's accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Schools, in 2020. UTHSCT will retain its status as a health-related institution but will now come under the administration of UT Tyler. The merger officially began in January 2021. The Board of Regents installed Dr. Kirk A. Calhoun, M.D. as president of the newly aligned UT Tyler and UTHSCT.