78R14724 JLZ-D

By:  Solis                                                      H.C.R. No. 4  



CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
	WHEREAS, The importance of higher education to both 
individuals and society has been amply demonstrated; college 
graduates earn larger salaries, see increased financial benefits 
over their lifetimes, and enjoy greater job satisfaction and 
employment opportunities, while their earnings contribute to the 
state's economic base through higher tax collections and increased 
consumer spending; and
	WHEREAS, Texas' recent economic history has shown both the 
general prosperity that is possible by a diverse, vibrant, and 
growing economy and the need to ensure the state's future 
prosperity with a well-educated, highly skilled workforce capable 
of adapting to a rapidly changing global marketplace; and
	WHEREAS, The state's ability to sustain economic growth and 
to minimize both the severity and duration of economic downturns 
depends on the collective wealth of its citizens and their 
contributions in all areas of the economy, and it is clear that an 
educated workforce contributes more to the state's prosperity and 
provides the necessary fuel for continued growth; and
	WHEREAS, Unfortunately, large gaps in educational 
opportunity and attainment exist among the various groups that make 
up this diverse state, with certain segments of the population 
lagging behind their fellow Texans in both college enrollment and 
graduation; compounding this problem are demographic changes 
indicating rapid growth in racial and ethnic populations that 
historically have had significantly lower enrollment and 
graduation rates; and
	WHEREAS, Projections from the Texas State Data Center 
indicate that, if these gaps in the rates at which various groups 
participate in higher education do not change, Texas in the near 
future will have proportionately fewer college graduates than it 
does today as groups with the lowest college enrollment and 
graduation rates constitute an increasingly larger proportion of 
the state's population; and
	WHEREAS, Recognizing the need to address disparities in 
access to and participation in higher education as well as the 
implications of economic trends and demographic changes, the Texas 
Higher Education Coordinating Board in October 2000 adopted a plan 
that laid out several goals and strategies to close these gaps and 
ensure greater participation in the state's system of higher 
education; and
	WHEREAS, In its report, "Closing the Gap," the board listed 
as  its primary goal the closing of the gaps in participation rates 
across Texas by adding 500,000 more students by the year 2015; the 
board then laid out several strategies to achieve this goal, 
including the establishment of an affordability policy to ensure 
that students are able to participate and succeed; and
	WHEREAS, The board's second goal is to increase the number of 
degrees, certificates, and other identifiable student successes by 
50 percent within that same time frame, and it identified as a 
related strategy state funding of colleges and universities to 
reward increases in retention and graduation from high quality 
programs; and
	WHEREAS, While the board laid out a bold plan to address the 
state's higher education needs in the foreseeable future, it 
remains incumbent upon the Texas Legislature to ensure that the 
plan is implemented to the greatest extent possible and thus secure 
a bright economic future for the state and all of its citizens; now, 
therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the 78th Legislature of the State of Texas 
hereby direct the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to 
reflect in its basic formula funding recommendations to the 
governor and the Legislative Budget Board factors related to 
closing the gaps in educational achievement, including per capita 
income, employment rate, percentage of the population without 
college degrees, percentage of fall enrollment growth, and 
projected enrollment growth in each region served by the state's 
system of higher education; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official 
copy of this resolution to the commissioner of higher education and 
the chair of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.