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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is |
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required by statute to develop, review, and revise a master plan to |
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identify and analyze the continuing higher education needs of the |
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state; and |
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WHEREAS, Recognizing that Texas' economic prosperity and |
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competitiveness are directly impacted by the caliber of the state's |
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system of higher education, the board's plan, Closing the Gaps, |
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includes four specific goals designed to ensure that the state's |
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higher education programs reach their full potential; and |
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WHEREAS, Among these objectives are an increase in |
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participation by adding 500,000 students and an increase in the |
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federal science and engineering research funding to Texas |
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institutions by 50 percent to $1.3 billion, each to be achieved by |
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2015; and |
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WHEREAS, Current circumstances make these goals difficult to |
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attain; although Texas' higher education system includes numerous |
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universities, colleges, community colleges, technical colleges, |
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independent colleges and universities, and health-related |
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institutions, the state features only two flagship universities: |
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The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University at |
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College Station; and |
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WHEREAS, While the student population of these two |
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institutions represents nearly 10 percent of the state's total |
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enrollment, the universities have warned the legislature that their |
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campuses are at or near capacity; in addition, these schools also |
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represent the state's only comprehensive graduate research |
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universities, complicating the board's goal for increased research |
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funding; and |
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WHEREAS, The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M |
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University at College Station are among the nation's elite |
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institutions of higher learning and, as such, require the |
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legislature's diligent support to maintain their competitiveness |
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with other flagship universities; even so, Texas must also be |
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prepared for the educational demand of the state's growing |
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population and take whatever steps are necessary to sustain the |
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state's burgeoning economy; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby request the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house |
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of representatives to create a joint interim committee to study |
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issues relating to the higher education system in Texas and |
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recommend a long-range plan for higher education that will meet the |
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demands of a global economy and a growing and diverse population; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the study include consideration of the |
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following issues: |
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(1) incentives and requirements for seamless student |
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transitions between and among high schools, community and technical |
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colleges, universities, and health-related institutions, including |
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concurrent enrollment and dual credit; |
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(2) a method for better communication and coordination |
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between universities and the business community to create |
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career-oriented pathways and to enhance curriculums that will |
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benefit students and businesses and the overall economy of the |
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state; |
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(3) the current and projected capacity concerns of The |
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University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University in College |
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Station; |
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(4) the creation of additional flagship public |
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research universities, including a method for determining where |
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such universities should be located and ensuring that such |
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universities admit a qualified and diverse student body; |
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(5) a bidding process from Texas communities, |
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including proposals from existing public or private universities or |
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colleges, businesses, and other local entities, to determine where |
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a new premier research, or flagship, university should be located; |
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(6) a method to identify the state universities' |
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missions and areas of expertise and uniqueness and how universities |
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can better coordinate with each other to further develop and |
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enhance their respective missions; |
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(7) alternative methods of funding universities and |
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community colleges, in particular whether and how research |
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universities should be funded; |
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(8) review of the Texas Grant, Texas Educational |
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Opportunity Grant, and Texas Equalization Grant programs and |
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recommendations for a more efficient and effective system to ensure |
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that the maximum number of eligible students receive financial aid |
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and a minimal number of students are burdened with debt when they |
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leave higher education; and |
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(9) a new component of the Texas Grant program to |
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target students at the middle school level and ensure they commit to |
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and succeed in a higher education program, including student |
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contributions through work study; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the committee's membership include: |
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(1) one member appointed by the chancellor of The |
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University of Texas System; |
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(2) one member appointed by the chancellor of The |
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Texas A&M University System; |
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(3) one member appointed by the chancellor of the |
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University of Houston System; |
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(4) one member appointed by the chancellor of the |
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University of North Texas System; |
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(5) one member appointed by the chancellor of the |
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Texas Tech University System; |
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(6) one member appointed by the chancellor of the |
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Texas State University System; |
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(7) one member appointed by the chancellor of the |
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Texas State Technical College System; |
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(8) one member appointed by the chair of the Texas |
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Association of Community Colleges; |
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(9) one member appointed by the chair of the |
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Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas; |
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(10) two members appointed by the governor who are not |
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affiliated with a university system, at least one of whom has |
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demonstrated leadership and success in business, with |
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consideration for ethnic, racial, gender, and geographic |
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diversity; |
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(11) two members appointed by the lieutenant governor |
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who are not affiliated with a university system, at least one of |
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whom has demonstrated leadership and success in business, with |
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consideration for ethnic, racial, gender, and geographic |
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diversity; and |
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(12) two members appointed by the speaker of the house |
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of representatives who are not affiliated with a university system, |
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at least one of whom has demonstrated leadership and success in |
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business, with consideration for ethnic, racial, gender, and |
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geographic diversity; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the committee also include the following |
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ex-officio, nonvoting members: |
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(1) the commissioner of higher education or the |
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commissioner's designee; |
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(2) the commissioner of education or the |
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commissioner's designee; and |
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(3) the Texas state demographer; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the governor designate as the chair of the |
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committee one of the committee members who is not affiliated with a |
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university system, community college, or technical college; and, be |
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it further |
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RESOLVED, That the committee be staffed by the Higher |
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Education Coordinating Board; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be |
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governed by such general rules and policies for joint interim |
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committees as the 80th Legislature may adopt and that such rules and |
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policies supersede the provisions of this resolution to the extent |
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of any conflict; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including |
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findings, recommendations, and possible legislation, to the 81st |
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Texas Legislature when it convenes in January 2009. |