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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Students, faculty, staff, alumni, administrators, |
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and members of the board of regents from the University of Houston |
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are visiting Austin on March 2, 2023, to participate in University |
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of Houston Day at the State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, The Tier One campus is located in the nation's |
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fourth-largest city, within a region that is home to a quarter of |
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the state's population and that generates nearly a third of the |
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state's gross product; the student body, numbering more than |
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46,000, including many first-generation college students, mirrors |
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the rich cultural tapestry of Houston; and |
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WHEREAS, Each year, the university awards over 10,000 degrees |
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in 277 undergraduate and graduate academic programs; it now counts |
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more than 326,000 alumni, many of whom stay in Texas, where they |
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contribute to the success of our communities and state; and |
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WHEREAS, In the 16th year under the leadership of chancellor |
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and president Renu Khator, the University of Houston has set its |
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sights on being ranked among our country's top 50 public |
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universities, which will be achieved as a result of rapidly |
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improving graduation rates, the ability to improve the social |
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mobility of its students, and the recognition of the research |
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excellence of its faculty; and |
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WHEREAS, The Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine, |
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established after the passage of H.B. 826 during the 86th Texas |
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Legislative Session, was founded on a social mission to improve |
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health in underserved communities in Houston and across Texas; the |
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college emphasizes the importance primary care plays in the health |
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of all Texans, especially in urban and rural communities, and it has |
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already enrolled its third cohort of students, with a total of 120 |
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future doctors; and |
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WHEREAS, The university is home to nine nationally funded |
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research centers and 28 university research centers and institutes, |
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and it has spent over $200 million in research expenditures |
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annually, mainly in the critical areas of cyber and national |
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security, drug discovery and development, sustainable communities |
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and infrastructure, and accessible health care; and |
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WHEREAS, The University of Houston athletics competes in 17 |
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different sports with more than 400 student-athletes; several of |
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the athletic teams have represented the university on the national |
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stage, including the Cougar men's basketball team led by head coach |
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Kelvin Sampson that has advanced to three NCAA Sweet Sixteen |
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tournaments in a row and competed in the Final Four in 2021; the |
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2022-2023 team earned a No. 1 ranking in the country for the first |
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time since the Phi Slama Jama era in the early 1980s; beginning in |
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the summer of 2023, Houston will compete in a Power 5 conference |
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after its acceptance to join the Big 12 Conference; and |
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WHEREAS, For nearly a century, the University of Houston has |
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contributed significantly to creating generation after generation |
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of productive and responsible citizens; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature |
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hereby recognize March 2, 2023, as University of Houston Day at the |
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State Capitol and extend to all participants sincere best wishes |
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for an informative and enjoyable visit. |