By Bivins                                             S.B. No. 1261
         76R9318 JSA-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the appointment of faculty members to certain
 1-3     curriculum advisory committees of the Texas Higher Education
 1-4     Coordinating Board and to the development of field of study
 1-5     curricula by the board.
 1-6           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-7           SECTION 1.  Section 61.821, Education Code, is amended by
 1-8     adding Subdivision (3) to read as follows:
 1-9                 (3)  "Faculty member" means a person who is employed
1-10     full-time by an institution of higher education as a member of the
1-11     faculty whose primary duties include teaching, research, academic
1-12     service, or administration.  However, the term does not include a
1-13     person holding faculty rank who spends a majority of the person's
1-14     time for the institution engaged in managerial or supervisory
1-15     activities, including a chancellor, vice chancellor, president,
1-16     vice president, provost, associate or assistant provost, or dean.
1-17           SECTION 2.  Section 61.822(a), Education Code, is amended to
1-18     read as follows:
1-19           (a)  The board, with the assistance of advisory committees
1-20     composed of representatives of institutions of higher education,
1-21     shall develop a recommended core curriculum of at least 42 semester
1-22     credit hours, including a statement of the content, component
1-23     areas, and objectives of the core curriculum.  At least a majority
1-24     of the members of any advisory committee named under this section
 2-1     shall be faculty members of an institution of higher education.  An
 2-2     institution shall consult with the faculty of the institution
 2-3     before nominating or recommending a person to the board as the
 2-4     institution's representative on an advisory committee.
 2-5           SECTION 3.  Section 61.823(a), Education Code, is amended to
 2-6     read as follows:
 2-7           (a)  The board, with the assistance of advisory committees
 2-8     composed of representatives of institutions of higher education,
 2-9     may [shall] develop field of study curricula.  Each advisory
2-10     committee shall be equitably composed of representatives of
2-11     institutions of higher education.  Each university system or
2-12     institution of higher education which offers a degree program for
2-13     which a field of study curriculum is proposed shall be offered
2-14     participation on the advisory committee for that particular field
2-15     of study.  At least a majority of the members of any advisory
2-16     committee named under this section shall be faculty members of an
2-17     institution of higher education.  An institution shall consult with
2-18     the faculty of the institution before nominating or recommending a
2-19     person to the board as the institution's representative on an
2-20     advisory committee.
2-21           SECTION 4.  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
2-22     shall conduct a study to examine the need for and feasibility of
2-23     developing a field of study curriculum under Section 61.823,
2-24     Education Code, in the various fields of study common to
2-25     institutions of higher education.  Not later than September 1,
2-26     2000, the board shall report the results of the study to the
2-27     governing board of each public institution of higher education and
 3-1     to the presiding officer of the standing committee in each house of
 3-2     the legislature with primary jurisdiction over higher education.
 3-3           SECTION 5.  Each advisory committee established by the Texas
 3-4     Higher Education Coordinating Board under Section 61.822(a) or
 3-5     61.823(a), Education Code, must include a majority of faculty
 3-6     members, as defined by Section 61.821(3), Education Code, as added
 3-7     by this Act, not later than January 1, 2000.
 3-8           SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the
 3-9     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-10     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-11     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-12     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-13     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-14     passage, and it is so enacted.