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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 563
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WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to |
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recognize Texas State Technical College on the occasion of its |
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50th anniversary and to join citizens from across the state in |
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celebrating April 22, 2015, as Texas State Technical College Day |
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at the State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, This unique educational institution was created |
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by the 59th Texas Legislature, and the original legislation that |
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created the school was signed into law by Governor John Connally |
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on April 22, 1965; and |
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WHEREAS, The James Connally Technical Institute of Texas |
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A&M University was intended from the start to be, in the words of |
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Governor Connally, "the most sophisticated technical-vocational |
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institute in the country"; and |
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WHEREAS, Under the leadership of its first director, |
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Dr. Roy Dugger, the institute opened its first campus at the |
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former James Connally Air Force Base in Waco, and in 1967, it |
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opened a bilingual technical institute at the former Harlingen |
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Air Force Base; and |
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WHEREAS, The James Connally Technical Institute was made |
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independent of Texas A&M University in 1969 and renamed the Texas |
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State Technical Institute; over the next two decades, the success |
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of the school led to the creation of additional campuses in |
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Amarillo, Sweetwater, McAllen, Abilene, Breckenridge, Brownwood, |
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and Marshall; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1991, the Texas Legislature elevated the |
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status of the campuses, designating them as two-year technical |
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colleges with a new name, Texas State Technical College, and in |
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2013, the funding method for the Texas State Technical College |
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System was placed on a "returned-value" basis, making it the |
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first college system in the nation whose funding depends entirely |
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on student success; in the years since that change, Texas State |
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Technical College has seen a 23 percent increase in student |
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awards, and a 60 percent increase in first-year earnings for |
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graduates; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, working in close collaboration with |
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industry, government agencies, and other institutions of higher |
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learning, the 11 locations of the Texas State Technical College |
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System across the Lone Star State offer vocational students 124 |
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associate degrees and 133 certificate programs and prepare |
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students for successful, well-paying careers by maintaining a |
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focus on excellence in technical education; and |
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WHEREAS, During its first half-century, the Texas State |
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Technical College System has produced nearly 100,000 graduates |
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and has truly lived up to the vision of its founders by becoming |
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one of the most sophisticated technical and vocational |
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institutions in the nation; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 84th |
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Legislature, hereby designate 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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college's administration, staff, and students sincere best wishes |
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for a memorable 50th anniversary celebration; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for |
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Texas State Technical College as a memento of this special day. |
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Birdwell |
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Patrick, President of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on April 14, 2015. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |