84R21669 BK-D
 
  By: Anderson of McLennan H.R. No. 1994
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, Students, faculty, and staff of Texas State
  Technical College are gathering in Austin on April 22, 2015, in
  celebration of Texas State Technical College Day at the State
  Capitol as well as in observance of the 50th anniversary of the
  school's founding; and
         WHEREAS, On this date in 1965, the 59th Texas Legislature
  signed a bill into law to create a new technical-vocational
  institute as a branch of Texas A&M University; originally called
  the James Connally Technical Institute, it was established on the
  James Connally Air Force Base in Waco; four of the institute's
  original campuses were founded on former air force bases that were
  closed following the end of hostilities in Korea; and
         WHEREAS, In 1969, the college became a stand-alone
  institution by order of the legislature, and the first members of
  the board of regents were appointed; to keep pace with demand,
  extension centers were built across the state, and in 1991, these
  centers were elevated to the status of two-year technical colleges
  under the name Texas State Technical College; and
         WHEREAS, Today, Texas State Technical College boasts 11
  locations in Abilene, Breckenridge, Brownwood, Harlingen,
  Ingleside, Marshall, Red Oak, Sweetwater, Waco, Fort Bend County,
  and Williamson County; it offers 124 associate's degrees and 133
  certification programs that are adapted to current industry needs,
  and it ranks first in Texas in conferring associate's degrees in
  engineering fields, computer and information science and support
  services, and precision production; and
         WHEREAS, Each branch of TSTC is committed to excellence in
  teaching, research, public service, and economic development, and
  collectively, they have graduated over 97,500 students since the
  college's inception half a century ago; TSTC further benefits from
  more than 40 partnerships with other colleges and universities,
  businesses, and school districts, making technical education
  accessible to a wide population of Texans; and
         WHEREAS, The institution is focused on providing students
  with a route to a financially rewarding career; from 2010 to 2012,
  the average first-year earnings of TSTC graduates rose by 60
  percent; in addition, from 2010 to 2014, TSTC saw a 23 percent
  increase in the number of awards won by students, and to date, TSTC
  students have received more national SkillsUSA medals than all
  other two- and four-year colleges in Texas combined; in 2013, TSTC
  became the first college in the nation to adopt an
  accountability-based funding model in which funds received by the
  school are determined by student earnings and associated state tax
  revenues; and
         WHEREAS, By equipping them with leading-edge technical
  skills and knowledge, Texas State Technical College is setting
  numerous Texans on a course to lifelong success, and the
  contributions of the school and its alumni are helping to keep the
  Lone Star State at the forefront of industry and innovation; now,
  therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
  Legislature hereby recognize April 22, 2015, as Texas State
  Technical College Day at the State Capitol and extend to the
  visiting delegation sincere best wishes for an enjoyable and
  informative stay in Austin; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
  prepared for Texas State Technical College as an expression of high
  regard by the Texas House of Representatives.