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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Dr. Louis J. Agnese, Jr., is celebrating the 25th |
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anniversary of his inauguration as president of the University of |
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the Incarnate Word on March 25, 2011; and |
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WHEREAS, Now the longest-serving president of a |
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comprehensive, four-year university in Texas, Dr. Agnese was 34 |
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years old when he assumed the helm of UIW in 1985; under his |
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guidance, the university has been transformed into a dynamic, |
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innovative institution that is preparing its students for success |
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in an increasingly interconnected global environment; and |
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WHEREAS, The impact that Dr. Agnese has had on UIW cannot be |
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overstated; since his arrival, enrollment has surged from about |
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1,300 to more than 7,700, making the school the fourth-largest |
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private university in Texas; at the same time, annual student aid |
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has risen from $500,000 to more than $100 million, the endowment has |
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increased from $3 million to over $80 million, and the operating |
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budget has grown from $7 million to more than $160 million; and |
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WHEREAS, Similar expansion is evident in the school's |
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academic programs; Dr. Agnese has overseen an increase in the |
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number of majors offered, from 56 to nearly 80, along with the |
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opening of the Feik School of Pharmacy and the Rosenberg School of |
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Optometry; in addition, UIW now awards a Ph.D. in education, and it |
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has won approval to begin conferring doctoral degrees in nursing |
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practice and physical therapy; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Agnese has also promoted initiatives to make a |
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UIW education more widely accessible; the school has launched a |
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virtual university, which offers a number of degrees through online |
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instruction, as well as a program that enables working adults in the |
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San Antonio and Corpus Christi areas to complete a degree through |
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accelerated study; moreover, UIW has opened academic sites in |
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Mexico City and Guangzhou, China, where students can earn |
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undergraduate degrees without leaving their country; and |
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WHEREAS, In keeping with the original focus of the |
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university's founders on serving the people of South Texas, |
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Dr. Agnese has promoted outreach efforts that have led to the |
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school's demographic profile more closely mirroring that of the |
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surrounding region; with Hispanic students now composing about half |
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of its student body, UIW today enrolls the most Latinos of any |
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private school in Texas, and it has been ranked as one of the top 100 |
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universities serving Hispanics in the United States; and |
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WHEREAS, The great diversity of the student body is |
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additionally reflected in the students' economic and religious |
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backgrounds and in the fact that approximately 13 percent of the |
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students come from foreign countries; so serious is Dr. Agnese |
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about the importance of the international dimension that the |
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university offers more than 70 study abroad programs and presents |
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information on its website in Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, |
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Chinese, Japanese, and Korean; and |
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WHEREAS, While greatly expanding the educational reach of |
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UIW, Dr. Agnese has sought equally to honor the school's mission as |
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a values-based, Catholic institution of higher learning; whatever |
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students' religious affiliation might be, he believes it is vital |
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that they grow in their faith through their academic experience; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan currently serves on the boards |
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of Adelante!--U.S. Education Leadership Fund and an online think |
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tank, MATT.org--Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together, as well |
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as on the executive committee of the World Affairs Council of San |
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Antonio; he is the recipient of numerous professional and civic |
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honors, including most recently a Best and Brightest award from the |
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University Roundtable of San Antonio and designation as an |
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Outstanding Leader in Catholic Education by the Archdiocese of San |
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Antonio; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Agnese holds a bachelor's degree from St. Mary |
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of the Plains College, a master's degree and education specialist |
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degree from Gannon University, and a doctorate in counselor |
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education from the University of Pittsburgh; and |
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WHEREAS, The skillful, visionary leadership, deep |
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experience, and tireless commitment that Dr. Louis Agnese has |
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brought to his office as president of UIW have contributed |
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immeasurably to the university's growing stature and to the |
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transformative experience it provides to thousands of future |
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leaders of 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 hereby honor Dr. Louis J. Agnese, Jr., on the 25th |
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anniversary of his inauguration as president of the University of |
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the Incarnate Word and extend to him sincere best wishes for |
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continued success in all his endeavors; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Dr. Agnese as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |
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Lozano |
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Branch |
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Hunter |
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McClendon |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1013 was adopted by the House on March |
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24, 2011, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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