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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Dr. Raymund A. Paredes is concluding an outstanding |
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15-year tenure as Texas commissioner of higher education on August |
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31, 2019; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes is an alumnus of The University of Texas |
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at Austin, where he earned a bachelor's degree in English and a |
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doctoral degree in American civilization, and the University of |
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Southern California, where he earned a master's degree in American |
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studies; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes joined the Texas Higher Education |
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Coordinating Board as commissioner of higher education in July |
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2004; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes has a long and broad range of experience |
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in public higher education; he served for 30 years as a professor of |
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English at the University of California, Los Angeles, and he also |
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served as department chair, dean, vice chancellor, and special |
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assistant to the president of the University of California System; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, In his role as commissioner of higher education, |
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Dr. Paredes serves as the chief executive officer for the |
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coordinating board and manages staff and resources to achieve the |
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goals for Texas higher education as established by the board, the |
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governor, and the Texas legislature; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes tirelessly advocates for the importance |
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of higher education in maintaining economic competitiveness and |
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quality of life in Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes has had national influence on higher |
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education by effectively serving on the boards of various national |
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organizations, such as the American Association of Colleges and |
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Universities, the College Board, and the Education Commission of |
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the States, and he is the longest-serving current member of the |
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State Higher Education Executive Officers, the national |
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association of the chief executives of statewide governing, policy, |
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and coordinating boards of postsecondary education; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes has worked effectively with |
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institutions of higher education, the legislature, the governor's |
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office, the business community, and primary school and secondary |
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school educational leaders to develop and implement higher |
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education policies that have improved student access and success, |
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raised educational excellence, and promoted efficient use of state |
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resources; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes has focused on the importance of both |
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increasing access to postsecondary education and helping students |
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complete their certificates and degrees, and this has led to Texas |
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dramatically exceeding the student completion goal of the state's |
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previous higher education plan, Closing the Gaps by 2015; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes has served as the primary advocate for |
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60x30TX, the state's current higher education plan, and he has |
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consistently sought to expand public support for the plan and |
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identified and implemented strategies and practices to achieve its |
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goals; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes adheres to the highest standards of |
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integrity and ethical behavior and is an educational leader of |
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passion and vision who is fully committed to expanding educational |
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opportunity and success to Texans of all backgrounds; and |
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WHEREAS, His many accomplishments as commissioner of higher |
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education include the reinvention of developmental education and |
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the implementation of an outcomes-based funding model for two-year |
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colleges that focuses on student success; he also worked to |
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establish the tri-agency partnership under Governor Greg Abbott |
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that includes the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the |
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Texas Education Agency, and the Texas Workforce Commission; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes came from a family of limited means |
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where the number-one priority was always education, and due to his |
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upbringing, he has been passionate his entire adult life about |
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extending educational opportunity to children from all |
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backgrounds; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes has advocated tirelessly for increased |
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funding for, and efficiencies in, the TEXAS Grant program, the |
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state's largest need-plus-merit grant program, which has grown by |
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142 percent since 2004; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes has also promoted other models for |
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financial aid, such as expanded work-study and paid internships, to |
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help the state achieve the marketable skills and student debt goals |
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of 60x30TX; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes has spearheaded the growth of the Texas |
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Affordable Baccalaureate to make college more affordable to |
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students by securing private grants to support the start-up of |
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these programs; as a result of his efforts, Texas now has 10 |
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institutions participating in this program; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize Dr. Raymund A. Paredes for his 15-year |
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tenure as Texas commissioner of higher education and extend to him |
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sincere best wishes for continued success as he embarks on the next |
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chapter of his life; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Dr. Paredes as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |