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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Students, faculty, and staff of Texas State |
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Technical College are gathering in Austin on April 22, 2015, in |
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celebration of Texas State Technical College Day at the State |
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Capitol as well as in observance of the 50th anniversary of the |
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school's founding; and |
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WHEREAS, On this date in 1965, the 59th Texas Legislature |
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signed a bill into law to create a new technical-vocational |
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institute as a branch of Texas A&M University; originally called |
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the James Connally Technical Institute, it was established on the |
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James Connally Air Force Base in Waco; four of the institute's |
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original campuses were founded on former air force bases that were |
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closed following the end of hostilities in Korea; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1969, the college became a stand-alone |
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institution by order of the legislature, and the first members of |
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the board of regents were appointed; to keep pace with demand, |
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extension centers were built across the state, and in 1991, these |
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centers were elevated to the status of two-year technical colleges |
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under the name Texas State Technical College; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, Texas State Technical College boasts 11 |
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locations in Abilene, Breckenridge, Brownwood, Harlingen, |
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Ingleside, Marshall, Red Oak, Sweetwater, Waco, Fort Bend County, |
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and Williamson County; it offers 124 associate's degrees and 133 |
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certification programs that are adapted to current industry needs, |
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and it ranks first in Texas in conferring associate's degrees in |
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engineering fields, computer and information science and support |
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services, and precision production; and |
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WHEREAS, Each branch of TSTC is committed to excellence in |
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teaching, research, public service, and economic development, and |
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collectively, they have graduated over 97,500 students since the |
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college's inception half a century ago; TSTC further benefits from |
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more than 40 partnerships with other colleges and universities, |
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businesses, and school districts, making technical education |
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accessible to a wide population of Texans; and |
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WHEREAS, The institution is focused on providing students |
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with a route to a financially rewarding career; from 2010 to 2012, |
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the average first-year earnings of TSTC graduates rose by 60 |
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percent; in addition, from 2010 to 2014, TSTC saw a 23 percent |
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increase in the number of awards won by students, and to date, TSTC |
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students have received more national SkillsUSA medals than all |
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other two- and four-year colleges in Texas combined; in 2013, TSTC |
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became the first college in the nation to adopt an |
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accountability-based funding model in which funds received by the |
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school are determined by student earnings and associated state tax |
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revenues; and |
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WHEREAS, By equipping them with leading-edge technical |
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skills and knowledge, Texas State Technical College is setting |
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numerous Texans on a course to lifelong success, and the |
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contributions of the school and its alumni are helping to keep the |
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Lone Star State at the forefront of industry and innovation; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize April 22, 2015, as Texas State |
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Technical College Day at the State Capitol and extend to the |
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visiting delegation sincere best wishes for an enjoyable and |
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informative stay in Austin; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Texas State Technical College as an expression of high |
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regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |