Texas A&M University-Texarkana will celebrate its 20th anniversary as a member of The Texas A&M University System on Wednesday, Sept. 14, at noon in Eagle Hall of the University Center on the A&M-Texarkana campus, 7101 University Avenue, Texarkana, Texas.

There will be barbecue, live music from NBC's The Voice season 6 top-3 finalist Kristen Merlin, and remarks from Student Government Association President Richie Rutter-Reese, President Dr. Emily Cutrer of Texas A&M University-Texarkana and Regent Judy Morgan of The Texas A&M University System. The public is invited.

The Voice - Season 6
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“We are excited to celebrate our 20th anniversary as a member of one of the largest and most prestigious higher education systems in the nation,” said Dr. Cutrer. “We look forward to continuing our tradition of academic excellence, student success and community leadership for many years to come.”

Texas A&M University-Texarkana originated in 1971 as a center of East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas. Both ETSU-Commerce and ETSU-Commerce at Texarkana joined The A&M System as stand-alone institutions in September 1996.

For 39 years, A&M-Texarkana offered only upper-division courses for undergraduate programs and master’s degree programs and shared a campus with Texarkana College, the university’s primary transfer institution.

In 2005, A&M-Texarkana received approval from the Texas Legislature for downward expansion. In fall 2010, the university began accepting freshman and sophomore students and relocated to a new campus on a 375-acre tract of land near Bringle Lake, north of Texarkana.

Since that time, enrollment, programs and services have increased steadily.

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