After 50 years of serving students in the Texas Panhandle, Wayland Baptist University is closing its Amarillo location, bringing an end to a decades-long presence in the city.
The university announced that it will immediately stop accepting new students at the Amarillo location and begin a teach-out process on Dec. 31, allowing currently enrolled students to work toward completing their degrees.
The decision, approved by Wayland's Board of Trustees, comes as the university adjusts to changing market conditions.
Under the transition plan, instruction previously offered through the Amarillo location will move primarily online. Students will continue receiving academic advising and financial aid assistance through Wayland's Lubbock campus.
University officials said they intend to work directly with affected students to determine the best path forward for completing their education.
“Students have invested their time, money and trust in Wayland, and we take our responsibility to them seriously,” university President Donna Hedgepath said in a statement.
The university said each student's situation will be reviewed individually, including remaining degree requirements, available courses and options for finishing their programs.
Lubbock Campus Dean Christy Reed has been tasked with overseeing the transition and helping Amarillo students navigate the changes.
According to Reed, students will have several ways to access academic advising, including in-person appointments, telephone conversations, virtual meetings and email.
The closure marks a significant change for Wayland's presence in Amarillo, where the university established its location five decades ago with a focus on serving nontraditional students.
For years, the Amarillo location provided an educational option for students seeking to pursue college degrees outside a traditional university setting.
While the physical location is closing, the university's plan will allow students to continue their studies through other available instructional options.
Wayland Baptist University was founded in 1908 and is headquartered in Plainview, Texas.
In addition to its main campus, the university operates extension campuses in Lubbock, San Antonio, Hawaii and Tucson, Arizona.
Wayland also maintains teaching sites in American Samoa, Irving, Phoenix, the Rio Grande Valley, Wichita Falls and Sierra Vista, Arizona.
The university has not provided a specific date for when all operations at the Amarillo location will end beyond the planned teach-out process.
