MMA C.S.H.B. 1795 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS


HIGHER EDUCATION
C.S.H.B. 1795
By: Kamel
3-29-97
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND 

The University of Texas at Tyler is currently an upper-level institution,
offering junior, senior, and graduate courses to approximately 3,500
students.  Recognized as a broad spectrum liberal arts university, U.T.
Tyler serves students from many Texas counties as well as other states and
foreign countries. 

PURPOSE

C.S.H.B. 1795 would authorize U.T. Tyler to offer undergraduate programs
at the freshman and sophomore levels as well as junior and senior levels. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or
institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 76.02, Education Code, to read as follows:
 Sec. 76.02.  ROLE AND SCOPE.  Deletes language restricting the
undergraduate program from exclusively offering upper division programs,
and by deleting language specific to lower division engineering courses.
Corrects the reference to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
(THECB).  Adds language that prohibits the institution from offering lower
division courses off-campus until the fall semester, 2001. 

SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 76, Education Code, by adding Sections 76.025
and 76.026 to read as follows: 
Sec. 76.025. UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS. (a) Prohibits the institution from
adopting an open enrollment policy. 
(b) Mandates the board of regents to adopt admissions standards for the
first-time freshman students no less stringent than the University of
Texas at Arlington fall semester, 1997 admission standards. 
(c) Mandates the board of regents to comply with subsection (b) by January
1, 2000. Expiration date of this subsection is January 1, 2001. 

Sec. 76.026. ENROLLMENT LIMITS. (a) Limits the maximum number of full-time
freshman and sophomore students to 50 for the 1998 summer session and
1998-1999 academic year and sets increments of 50 thereafter until
academic year 2001-2002. 
(b) Prohibits the institution from admitting freshman or sophomore
students before the summer session, 1998. 
 (c) Expiration date for this section is January 1, 2003.

SECTION 3. Amends Section 76.07, Education Code, to read as follows:
 Sec. 76.07.  PARTNERSHIPS WITH JUNIOR COLLEGES AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS.
Adds language authorizing U.T. Tyler to enter into partnership agreements
with junior colleges and other institutions, as a four-year institution,
as set forth in Subchapter N, Chapter 51, Education Code.  This section
also deletes language concerning lower division  courses offered by the
institution as an upper-level university.  Makes conforming changes. 

SECTION 4. Mandates THECB to prepare by May 31, 1998, a nonbinding impact
statement examining the initial implementation of this Act.   Mandates
that a copy be delivered to The University of Texas System, the board of
trustees of Tyler Junior College District, and to the chairs of the Senate
Education Committee and the House Higher Education Committee.  

SECTION 5. Emergency clause.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 1795 adds language prohibiting U.T. Tyler from offering lower
division courses offcampus until fall semester, 2001. 

C.S.H.B. 1795 adds language restricting U.T. Tyler from being an open
enrollment institution and caps the freshman and sophomore enrollment to
increments of 50 beginning with the summer session 1998 and ending
academic year 2001-2002. 

C.S.H.B. 1795 adds SECTION 4 requiring THECB to review the implementation
of this Act and inform the interested parties of their results.