WT Fall Semester to Begin Aug. 24

Students to Be Welcomed with Activities, Refreshed Campus Facilities

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas - New West Texas A&M University students will be greeted with a flood of activities as the fall 2026 semester begins.

Classes resume Aug. 24 on both the Canyon campus at Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center.

Following the official Move-In Day on Aug. 20, new and transfer students will take part in Buff Branding activities Aug. 20 to 22.

"The start of the fall semester is the most exciting time of the year," said Dr. Chris Thomas, vice president for student affairs. "Welcoming our new and returning WT Buffalos back home is one of the greatest gifts we get to give to our community. We get to start our academic journey anew and look forward to another outstanding year at WT."

Buff Branding is a long-running tradition that helps acclimate students to campus life, said Amanda Lawson, senior director of orientation and academic success.

"Buff Branding is designed to help our incoming freshmen and transfer students feel welcome and a part of the Buff Family," Lawson said. "Students will have opportunities to meet student organizations, navigate campus, visit with faculty and serve their local community all while having fun and making friends."

Faculty and staff volunteers will greet new students during the first two days of classes, helping guide them to classrooms and answering any last-minute questions. Students can text a designated number for personal assistance, as well.

Student organizations and other groups will host a variety of welcome events, including a movie night at Cornette Library, a tour of Canyon and visit to the weekly farmers market, and a Back-to-School Job Fair from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Aug. 27 on the Charles K. and Barbara Kerr Vaughan Pedestrian Mall.

WT Football opens its season with a match against the Western Colorado University Mountaineers at 7 p.m. Aug. 27 at Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium on WT's campus.

Activities culminate in the second West Is Best Fest, set to run from 5 to 10 p.m. Sept. 9 along 26th Street. The students-only carnival will include DJs, a Ferris wheel, food trucks, a giant slide and $1,000 in prize giveaways.

Phase II of the extensive, award-winning remodel of the WT Dining Hall concluded in November following a $3 million upgrade. Phase III of the Dining Hall project-which includes a completely revamped upstairs area, new elevator, new study spaces, a coffee bar and more-is ongoing; students will temporarily enter from the east door, facing Virgil Henson Activities Center.

The VHAC recreational pool is expected to reopen Sept. 1 following a $37,000 refurbishing project that included repairing pool concrete, removing rust from the slide and stairs, adding a new sanitization system, and more.

Other refurbishment projects around campus over the summer include about $5 million in roof replacements on six buildings; a $1.7 million replacement of the air handling unit in Old Main; about $100,000 in sprinkler repairs; more than $500,000 in projects at Palo Duro Research Facility, including ongoing work on research labs for Pantex; more than $100,000 in concrete, asphalt and parking lot restriping projects; and repainting and structural repairs on four residence halls.

Engaging and retaining the best students is a key component of the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which raised more than $200 million dollars, the largest such campaign in Texas Panhandle history.

About West Texas A&M University

West Texas A&M University is a Regional Research University in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers multiple options for students to graduate and succeed: 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men's and women's athletics programs.

Photo: A crowd of new students take part in 2025 Buff Branding activities on the field in Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium.

-WT-