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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Houston Community College System is marking its |
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40th anniversary in 2011, and this occasion presents an ideal |
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opportunity to recognize this outstanding institution; and |
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WHEREAS, In early 1971, voters in the Houston Independent |
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School District approved a community college district that would |
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share the district's facilities; initial course offerings that fall |
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centered around occupational and technical training, and academic |
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courses were added the following January; within three years, the |
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initial enrollment of approximately 5,700 students had nearly |
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tripled; and |
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WHEREAS, Enrollment increased rapidly through the 1980s, and |
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HCC officially separated from HISD in 1989, gaining taxing |
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authority and its own elected board of trustees; following a |
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restructuring in 1991, the president of HCC became system |
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chancellor with responsibility for five regional colleges and the |
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College Without Walls; an innovative partnership between the City |
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of Stafford and HCC enabled the construction of the Southwest |
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College, and in 1999 the system celebrated the opening of the new |
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Northeast College campus, the West Loop Center, and the John B. |
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Coleman Building for Health Sciences, which later became the |
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Coleman College for Health Sciences, replacing the College Without |
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Walls; and |
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WHEREAS, By 2001, HCC was ranked the second largest community |
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college in the nation by Community College Week, and the subsequent |
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passage of a $150 million bond set the stage for continued growth; |
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HCC received an Achieving the Dream grant from the Bill and Melinda |
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Gates Foundation in 2004 to expand the system's groundbreaking |
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programs designed to improve college completion rates for |
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low-income and minority students; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Mary Spangler became the seventh chancellor of |
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HCC in 2007, and under her skillful leadership, the system has |
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continued to flourish, reaching a record enrollment of 72,000 |
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students for spring 2010; today, HCC has six full-service colleges, |
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and its 22 instructional sites serve an area of more than 600 square |
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miles; it offers academic courses for transfer to four-year |
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institutions, as well as terminal degrees and certificates in more |
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than 70 fields of work; in addition, it provides continuing |
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education and corporate training, lifelong learning and enrichment |
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programs, and the largest adult education program in Texas; the |
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Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has rated 26 of the |
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system's workforce programs "exemplary"; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the past four decades, Houston Community |
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College has proven a powerful force for educational opportunity and |
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economic development, and it has enriched the lives of countless |
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students; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 40th anniversary of the founding |
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of Houston Community College and extend to all those associated |
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with this notable institution sincere best wishes for continued |
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success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Houston Community College as an expression of high |
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regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |
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Murphy |
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S. Davis of Harris |
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Fletcher |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1818 was adopted by the House on May |
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19, 2011, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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