Mission Statement
The mission of the Office of Industry Engagement is to mutually benefit Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» and local businesses by providing resources through applied learning programs, industry education classes, and R.G. Research and Development, Inc.
What We Do
History of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» and Industry
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» was built on the idea of equipping industry professionals. After World War II, GIs returning home and pursuing a college education were seeking "practical and hands-on programs that would readily launch them into the workforce," like engineering and welding. At the same time, R.G. Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³», a renown inventor and businessman, moved to Longview, Texas, to open a new Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» Industries manufacturing facility. His wife, Evelyn, also saw the opportunity to start a technical college on some land nearby. In 1946, R.G. and Evelyn founded Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» Technical Institute (later, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³») in part to fill some of this gap in the education market, training students in both the classroom and a hands-on environment at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» Industries just down the street.
R.G. Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» understood the connection between strong academics, practical experience, and business, and his passion for hands-on learning continues at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» today. The mission of LETU is to train students "to nurture Christian virtue, to develop competency and ingenuity in their professional fields, to integrate faith and work, and to serve the local and global community," and this includes preparing them for the industries they will work in after graduation, including many companies in East Texas. The Office of Industry Engagement at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» carries on this legacy by building even deeper connections between LETU and local industries.
"Even in becoming a comprehensive university, being hands-on, practical, professional, technical, and Christian—the foundation stones of our institution—remain deeply embedded in all that we do."
– Dr. Steven D. Mason, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» President
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» as The Christian Polytechnic University
