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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Intellectual Entrepreneurship Consortium at The |
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University of Texas at Austin is reenvisioning the nature of higher |
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education in the 21st century; and |
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WHEREAS, Established by Dr. Richard Cherwitz of UT-Austin |
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some 15 years ago, Intellectual Entrepreneurship aims to provide a |
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structure for students to take charge of their educational |
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experience, promote diversity in higher education, foster learning |
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across disciplinary boundaries, and generate collaborations |
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between the academy and the greater community; and |
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WHEREAS, Originally based in the UT Office of Graduate |
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Studies, Intellectual Entrepreneurship has evolved into a |
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consortium composed of the Colleges of Communication, Liberal Arts, |
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Fine Arts, Natural Sciences, Education, and Pharmacy and the |
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Schools of Information, Law, Engineering, Public Affairs, |
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Business, and Social Work; to date, more than 5,000 students have |
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participated in IE initiatives; and |
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WHEREAS, These groundbreaking programs include the |
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Pre-Graduate School Internship, in which juniors and seniors who |
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are considering graduate school work with graduate student mentors |
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and community liaisons with graduate degrees to explore the |
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academic and nonacademic value of graduate study; this |
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award-winning program has served to increase diversity in graduate |
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education by facilitating the entrance of minority and |
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first-generation college students into graduate school; and |
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WHEREAS, The program Interpreting the Texas Past allows |
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graduate students to undertake projects, such as the collection of |
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oral histories and the creation of documentary films and exhibits, |
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that benefit Texas communities while helping the students to |
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develop a range of professional skills; for every dollar of |
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institutional funding devoted to ITP, the program generates nearly |
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five dollars of investment from external foundations and agencies; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Action Seminars enable community groups to make |
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contracts with the university to study specific social issues; |
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these seminars could produce public policy proposals, corporate |
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partnerships, and funded and published research; and |
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WHEREAS, Instructional Incubators develop and deliver |
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courses--for both students and community members--designed to |
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address issues in the community; undergraduates, graduate |
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students, and faculty spend one semester of the academic year |
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designing a community-oriented course that they then teach during |
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the second semester; these courses create greater access to the |
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intellectual assets of the university and help bring together |
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academic and nonacademic forms of expertise; and |
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WHEREAS, These and myriad other IE initiatives are all aimed |
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at educating citizen-scholars, individuals who use their |
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intellectual capital as a lever for social good; the IE philosophy |
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replaces the older educational model of |
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"apprenticeship-certification-entitlement" with one of |
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"discovery-ownership-accountability" and encourages a dynamic |
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approach to engaging the world; at the same time, it seeks to build |
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interdisciplinary, collaborative ways for universities to work |
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with their communities to solve complex problems; and |
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WHEREAS, Through its commitment to maximizing the potential |
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of both the university and its students to advance knowledge while |
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also strengthening and enriching Texas communities, the |
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Intellectual Entrepreneurship Consortium is making a contribution |
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of immeasurable value to the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby honor the Intellectual |
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Entrepreneurship Consortium for its innovative leadership in the |
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realm of higher education and extend to all those associated with |
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its programs sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the Intellectual Entrepreneurship Consortium as an |
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expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |