Louisiana Tech University is a full fledged, coeducational public university in Ruston, Louisiana. This state-supported university is a member of the University of Louisiana System. Industrial Institute and College of Louisiana, the cornerstone of the university, was chartered in 1894. In 1921, the industrial institute became Louisiana Polytechnic Institute. With the addition of several new educational and research programs, and state-of-the-art facilities, the polytechnic gained university status in 1970. The Louisiana university, consisting of five colleges, strives to offer a broad range of undergraduate, graduate, and degree programs, emphasizing science, technology, engineering, and business and administration, and doctoral degrees in business, philosophy, and engineering. It undertakes more than 100 undergraduate programs. Degree courses are run on the quarter system, rather than the widely used semester system. Louisiana Tech is a selective-admissions university enrolling more than 10,000 students from 50 states and 70 countries each year. The student faculty ratio is 23:1. The university houses facilities such as the world-class Institute for Micromanufacturing, Center for Rehabilitation Science and Biomedical Engineering, Trenchless Technology Center, and Center for Applied Physics Studies. The Center for Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, located in Louisiana Tech University campus, is the site for training, demonstrations, and technical assistance. It arranges supporting activities, training programs, and resources to assist faculty members in teaching, improving, and scholarship in the traditional and non-traditional manner. The Prescott Memorial Library, a 117, 000 square ft. building, houses more than three million documental and reference items, including about 400,000 bound volumes, 500,000 microforms, and 2.25 million government documents. Its collection includes reference books in engineering, business, architecture, and history, government documents, and USGS maps. In addition to the educational and research services, a wide range of programs and partnerships are offered to residents, community organizations, and businesses beyond the campus. Numerous sports and cultural activities are also scheduled each year.