The University of Texas at Tyler unveiled its new logos for approval by the UT System Board of Regents.

During a two-day session of the University of Texas System Board of Regents, UT Tyler submitted several proposals for approval.  

UT Tyler President Michael Tidwell presented new logos to replace for the school’s old “squaremark” orange logo. The new logo is intended to act as a unifying logo for academics and athletics.

The logos currently in use for athletics also have been used by academic programs, creating confusion over time, according to the proposal.

Over the past few months the college hosted several input sessions with stakeholders and students including student government, faculty, all team coaches, alumni groups and others.

The school has settled on a new logo that fuses the letter “T” with the United States and Texas flags. The proposal states the “T” represents Tyler and Texas and the stars and stripes are symbolic of patriotism.

The new logo will retain the school’s blue and orange colors, with dominance given to blue.

Several versions of the logo were made available for review as part of the agenda packet.

UT Tyler Vice President for Marketing Lucas Roebuck said the Swoop mascot will continue being used for the time being, but the eagle will no longer be part of the athletic logo.

The new visual branding was presented ahead of the expected March presentation of the university’s new strategic plan, which will outline many of its major plans and goals for the next few years. The logos will go into use March 9.

Roebuck said the strategic plan will help ensure student success and realize UT Tyler’s vision of being the educational and economic driver of East Texas.

In Other Business

The UT System also gave the University authority to begin early exploratory work toward adding another doctoral program. The college was preliminary authorization to begin building curriculum for a Doctor of Education in School Improvement.

The proposed Ed.D. in School Improvement will “primarily prepare educational leaders with the skills needed to identify education problems and develop innovative solutions that result in enhanced learning environments. The program will develop educators trained to work across disciplinary boundaries to solve problems of practice. The proposed program will be offered mainly online. The graduates of the program will primarily have the opportunity for employment in school districts and educational organizations across the state.”

There are only five doctoral programs in the country focused on school improvement and only one in Texas at Texas State University which enrolls 10-15 students per year, according to the college.

Once preliminary authority has been approved, the college will submit the full degree program proposal for approval by the UT System Board of Regents and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

UT Tyler also will purchase The Reserve Apartments for student housing.

UT System approved the college’s request for authorization to purchase the property at 2851 County Road 272. 

The 108-unit apartment complex sits on 8.31 acres of land near the campus, just off of University Boulevard.

The property was appraised at almost $9.8 million in 2017 by the Smith County Appraisal District. The proposal by UT Tyler would limit the purchase price to fair market value established by an independent appraisal by Abel Appraisal Services in December. UT Tyler would not say how much it is paying for the property.

The complex also borders part of the 120-acre “East Campus” property the college purchased in 2016.

UT Tyler previously purchased the apartment complex now known as Eagle’s Landing in 2014.

After several years of effort by UT Tyler police and the city of Tyler, the crime rate at nearby apartment complexes dropped dramatically, with the exception of The Reserve. This was determined through the number of calls for service, something the Tyler Police Department tracks for area apartment complexes. 

The privately owned apartment complex at 3400 Varsity Drive, currently known as The Foundry, saw a decrease in calls for service of close to 75 percent from 2014 through the end of the 2016-17 school year. 

The Reserve saw no significant change in calls for service during the same period.

Crime at Eagle’s Landing dropped dramatically after purchase by the university, thanks to enhanced security measures and resident assistants on duty.

UT Tyler Vice President for Marketing Lucas Roebuck said the university plans to take the successful measures implemented at Eagle’s Landing and apply those lessons once the transaction closes and the property is converted to resident housing.

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