79S11063 MMS-D
By: Pitts H.R. No. 349
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Dr. Larry R. Faulkner has announced plans to retire
as president of The University of Texas at Austin, and his departure
brings to a close a most distinguished tenure at that institution;
and
WHEREAS, The 27th president of UT-Austin, Dr. Faulkner
assumed his present post on April 13, 1998; he has won widespread
respect, within and outside of the 40 Acres community, for raising
even further the stature of UT as a research university, as well as
for laying an impressively solid foundation for future development;
and
WHEREAS, Under Dr. Faulkner's leadership, the Commission of
125, a group of alumni and citizens, completed a long-term
strategic plan for the university, and the largest fund-raising
drive in the school's history brought in more than $1.6 billion; Dr.
Faulkner has also reorganized and modernized the university's
administration and installed a structure to foster effective
long-range planning; and
WHEREAS, During his presidency, the university has
established a number of new academic programs, among them the
Center for Nano and Molecular Science and Technology, the
Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Jackson School of
Geosciences, the School of Life Sciences, and the Institute of
Computational Engineering and Sciences; moreover, the university
has provided leadership at the state and national levels in
advanced computer networking for the support of research and
education; in 2001, to meet growing instructional needs, UT took
the first steps to add a total of 300 new members to its faculty; and
WHEREAS, President Faulkner has also overseen initiatives
reflecting the global concerns of the university, such as the
establishment of the South Asia Institute and the Center for
Argentine Studies; the launching of the Argentine center further
advances the ambition of the university to become the foremost
academic center for Latin American studies in the United States;
and
WHEREAS, Over the course of Dr. Faulkner's tenure, the
university has expanded its world-renowned resources through the
acquisition of several superb art collections, together with the
Norman Mailer, Newsweek magazine, and Woodward-Bernstein Watergate
archives; and
WHEREAS, The campus has also seen extensive renovation of the
Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium and the Harry Ransom
Humanities Research Center, along with the construction of major
academic, athletic, residential, and museum facilities; and
WHEREAS, Spurred by Dr. Faulkner's emphasis on undergraduate
education, the university has set new records in the retention of
freshmen, student progress toward the completion of degrees, and
graduation rates; at the same time, notable benchmarks have been
inscribed by the freshman class of 2003, which ranked as the most
academically qualified in the school's history, and the freshman
class of 2004, which ranked as the most diverse; and
WHEREAS, To promote participation in the life of the
university among all segments of the state's population, UT has
created innovative admissions and financial aid programs,
developed an interactive website offering access to its research,
teaching, and treasures, and hosted an annual campus-wide open
house; Dr. Faulkner has also appointed a diverse university
leadership and worked tirelessly to engage with citizens and
communities across the length and breadth of Texas; and
WHEREAS, Recognizing the special obligation that public
universities have to their respective states, President Faulkner
has encouraged assistance to public education as an appropriate and
vital contribution to the community at large; such efforts by
UT-Austin include, in addition to formal academic and outreach
programs, the establishment of the National Center for Educational
Accountability, which promotes best practices, and the creation of
a demonstration elementary school, which serves primarily African
American and Latino students; and
WHEREAS, Before assuming the presidency of UT-Austin, Dr.
Faulkner taught at Harvard University and spent 25 years at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he held the
offices of provost, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and
head of the Department of Chemistry; a productive scholar who has
been honored on numerous occasions for his research, he was elected
in 2003 to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; and
WHEREAS, The University of Texas at Austin has gained
immeasurably from Dr. Faulkner's incisive leadership, deep
experience, and passionate commitment to the mission of higher
education, and the legacy of his achievements will continue to
enrich the people of this state for years to come; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas
Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby honor Dr. Larry R. Faulkner
for his eminent service as president of The University of Texas at
Austin and extend to him sincere best wishes for the years ahead;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Dr. Faulkner as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.