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Texas Association of College
Teachers
Serving Educators Since 1948
University Presidents’ Salaries Increasing
Wire
reports today cite increasing competition in the hiring of the best candidates
as university presidents for the escalating salaries being paid. A
survey reported in the Chronicle of Higher Education found that 112 of 853
public and private university presidents received compensation packages
greater than half a million dollars annually.
Examples of compensation reported include $2.7 million recently at Wilmington
College in Delaware, $1.3 million at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston,
and $525,000 at the University of Texas at Austin.
Please see the upcoming TACT Quarterly eBulletin for information on Texas
faculty salaries.
October 24, 2006
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: Funding Report
The
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board explained its Legislative
Appropriation Request this morning for the Senate Finance Committee.
Like all other agencies, the Board was asked to provide its spending
priorities based upon 90 percent of the funding it received for the current
biennium.
The vast majority of the Coordinating Board's funding, and therefore the
discussion, involves student financial aid. Fifty-six million dollars in
financial aid and nine staff positions were reduced to meet the 90
percent goal. Representatives for the agency reported that if the
current biennium level of funding is restored, it would be able to fund 70
percent of the qualified applications for TEXAS Grant, which would require
more than $200 million.
Chairman Steve Ogden asked the Coordinating Board to evaluate the policy
ramifications of using formula funding dollars to reinstate the existing level
of financial aid funding.
Senator Royce West, who for the past two sessions has chaired the Senate
Subcommittee on Higher Education, dusted off his previous suggestion of
creating higher education districts to partly fund universities with property
tax revenues.
Don't Rush Students
The following heavily-edited letter-to-the-editor from the TACT executive director appeared in the September 12 Waco Tribune-Herald.
Waco
Don’t rush students
Once again, John Young hits the nail on the head with his column, “Tuned in to a college experience” [Sept. 3].
“College remains one of those last bastions of free expression, creative movement and true inspiration in a corporate-controlled, homogenized, mass-produced world,” he writes. He also warns of putting students on a state-imposed “conveyor belt” to get them through the system more quickly.
Our organization has opposed and seeks repeal of the last legislative session’s “120-hour rule” [setting a limit for college credit hours].
There’s a reason the United States educates more students than other developed countries. It’s not because we rush them through.
Chuck
Hempstead
executive director
Texas Association of College Teachers
Austin
Commission Critical of U.S. Higher Ed
Former TACT Board Member Tom Palaima asserted in an Austin American-Statesman editorial that "We have stopped investing in our future." - the title of his contribution. The photograph pictures UT-Austin's new $8 million football scoreboard.
Candidates on Higher Education
A feature article in
yesterday's Austin American-Statesman analyzed Governor Rick Perry's higher
education record and related campaign planks from his challengers.
As reported by TACT at the time, the article begins, "In January 2001,
less than two weeks after being sworn in as governor of Texas, Rick Perry
pledged that higher education would be his top priority. Economic
development, transportation, property taxes and funding of elementary
education all have been more prominent legislative issues for Perry."
On the other hand, the article points
to his signing the largest tuition revenue bond package for campus
construction and student enrollment has increased somewhat. The Governor
is quoted, "Turning the ship of higher education around takes time."
Texas Grants appropriations have increased significantly during the past two
budgets.
Independent candidate Carole Keeton
Rylander wants the state to pay for the first two years of community college
or trade school for each high school graduate and lock in tuition rates for
students at their entering amount.
Independent candidate Kinky Friedman promises to populate boards of regents
with other than political campaign donors and rescind the top ten percent
admissions law.
Democrat Cris Bell says he disagrees
with the governor that the new business tax should be revenue neutral when the
state faces so many unmet needs. He would increase state
appropriations to colleges in order to take pressure off tuition increases,
which he says is pricing out the middle class.
Libertarian James Werner would reduce
governmental participation in higher education and encourage campuses to set
tuition according to what the market will bear.
Texas University Funding Falling
An article by Laura Heinauer in
today's Austin American-Statesman confirms by the Southern Regional Education
Board that Texas college tuition and Legislative appropriations increases are
not keeping up with enrollment increases and inflation. During the past
four years, per-student funding, when adjusted for inflation, has fallen by
five percent.
Susan Brown, a Coordinating Board staffer, commented
on university coping techniques, "Some have increased class sizes.
Some have been working to cut back on utility costs. There's a bunch of
going without."
Senate Education Committee Chair Florence Shapiro
said, "...we're trying to keep up with the growth as quick as possible,
and sometimes that happens after the growth occurs."
TACT Board Honors Jim Puckett
The
Board of Directors of the Texas Association of College Teachers has honored
Immediate Past President James M. Puckett, Ph.D. by attaching his name to the
organization’s Government Relations Fund. Puckett, a professor of
psychology and sociology at Texas A&M University – Kingsville, passed
away in March.
“I can’t think of a more deserving person to name the GRF after,” said
TACT Executive Director Chuck Hempstead. “Not only was he instrumental
in its creation, and was a regular contributor, he was tireless in using his
personal time and resources to lobby the Texas Legislators on behalf of his
colleagues.” The James M. Puckett, Ph.D. Government Relations Fund is
a dedicated fund through which TACT members make contributions in addition to
annual dues to supplement TACT’s legislative programs. It is not used
for political candidate contributions, but to underwrite such activities as
the Legislative Conference, next scheduled
for February 15-17, 2007 in Austin.
To learn more
about this and other TACT programs, see www.tact.org
At the same Board Meeting, the following legislative agenda was approved.
TACT 2007 Legislative Agenda
During
the Summer TACT Board of Directors meeting the following priorities for the
2007 Legislative Agenda were ranked:
1. Schedule faculty salaries to match the average of
the other top ten most populous states.
2. Repeal last session’s legislation regarding the 120 semester credit hour
limitation.
3. Add a faculty member to university system boards of regents.
4. Support the Sunset Review of the Teacher
Retirement System, including the initiative of a cash infusion to the
Retirement Trust and a scheduled benefits increase.
5. Support increasing the ORP employer contribution
from 6 percent to 8.5 percent and quality criteria for approved products and
companies.
Legislature to accelerate P-16 cooperation
At
a meeting today sponsored by the Austin Chamber of Commerce and IBM, education
leaders promised continued support of facilitating student transition through
various levels of education. Senate Education Chair Florence Shapiro, House
Higher Education Committee Chair Geanie Morrison and TEA Commissioner Shirley
Neeley recapped House Bill 1 from the recent special session.
Commissioner Neeley discussed the increasing number of P-16 councils around
the state and said that her goal was to have a council in each of the service
center regions. Chairwoman Morrison discussed the difficult process of
reducing the requested $3.8 billion in requested tuition revenue bonds to the
authorized $1.8 billion. Senator Shapiro emphasized a better alignment between
high school and college curricula, including offering 12 hours of college
credit during the senior year in high school. She talked about the great
number of ill-prepared college freshmen, of which one-half require
developmental education.
Further details on HB1 may be found at http://www.tea.state.tx.us
under the heading “Hot Topics.” From there, click on the link that
reads “2006-Legislative Briefing Book- Special Session.”
In
related news, an editorial in the Austin American-Statesman criticized the
Federal government for decreasing college tuition assistance and not reducing
the interest rate on college loans. An elementary school teacher is quoted,
“I can’t sleep at night thinking about [my college debt] sometimes, like,
literally.”
For further information about TACT activities at the legislature, please see http://www.tact.org
Regents' News
A newspaper guest editorial
co-authored by the chairmen of the university systems board of regents thanked
the Governor and the Legislature for adding $1.8 billion during the
special session for 63 construction projects on 48 campuses. Called
tuition revenue bonds, the chairmen point out that these bonds are
traditionally paid off from legislative appropriations rather than tuition.
The authors cite the goal of enrolling 600,000 additional students each
year in ten years - a fifty percent increase over current enrollment.
In other regents’ news, Texas Southern University fired its president
"on grounds that she misspent school money on furniture, landscaping
services and a security system for her home." Provost and former
TACT member Bobby Wilson was named acting president.
Texas A&M allows tenure based on profitable research
The Austin American-Statesman ran an editorial yesterday criticizing Texas A&M’s new policy which considers work resulting in the commercialization of research a factor in the tenure process. This decision will highlight those whose research have become profitable or desirable to the public at large, but could pose a risk to research that it outside the bounds of what the general public deems useful. By placing emphasis on the financial benefits of research, the less profitable but equally important researchers could risk being denied tenure, according to the editorial.
Tuition Revenue Bonds under review
As expected, Governor Perry has
added to the call of teh Legislative Special Sessions the ability for
universities to issue Tuition Revenue Bonds. These construction bonds are
periodically authorized by the legislature but were not during last year's
regular legislative session. TACT and most other segments of higher
education have promoted a new round of bonds to keep up with growing attendance
and the repair of older buildings with deferred maintenance.
Jim Puckett - In Memoriam
Dr. James Puckett, professor of psychology and sociology at Texas A&M-Kingsville, passed away over the weekend. Attached is a statement from the university.
Dr. Puckett served TACT and the members of his profession in many ways, including as president between 2003 and 2005. On several occasions when the Legislature was in session, he would use part of his Spring Break to advocate for higher education at the Capitol.
Jim will be missed by his many
friends at TACT, and will always be remembered for his passionate approach
toward improving working conditions for Texas faculty.
Nueces County kicks in $3M for A&M pharmacy school
Nueces County will give Texas A&M University-Kingsville $1 million a year for three years in exchange for consulting services, leaving the university $3 million to use however it likes - including as startup money for the Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy. The consulting agreement is necessary to help the pharmacy school open for fall 2006 because the county can't legally give the school the money as a gift.
The money will come from a county budget surplus expected in coming years An A&M study showed that a pharmacy school in neighboring Kleberg County would bring $5.2 million or more into Nueces County every year. The money being funneled to A&M is much needed because members of the Legislative Budget Board have yet to act on a funding request from the school.
Lt. Governor David Dewhurst has released his Senate Interim Charges
Lt. Governor David Dewhurst has released his Senate Interim Charges. The Senate committees will be expected to hold hearings and submit their reports for consideration on a number of topics prior to the next legislative session. While many charges are education-oriented, the following are of most interest to Texas faculty. These are edited for brevity.
Senate Education Committee:
1. Study and make recommendations on educational reforms necessary to focus
high schools and student performance on post-secondary readiness and success.
Subcommittee on Higher Education:
1. Study the impact and costs associated with distance learning on traditional
higher education.
2. Study the cost of (higher) education, specifically , tuition deregulation
and student fees.
3. Study the impact any changes to the percentage requirements of the Top 10%
Law could have.....
4. Monitor Closing the Gaps and recommend changes....
5. Study the relationship of College of Education coursework on teacher
effectiveness and student performance....
Joint Charge with Senate Finance Committee:
1. Recommend changes to new higher education funding formulas by adopting a
cost-based formula matrix....
Subcommittee on Capital Funding for Higher Education:
1. Study capital funding, including tuition revenue bonds, PUF and HEAF...
Subcommittee on Economic Development & Emerging
Technologies:
1. Study commercialization of intellectual property....
February 9, 2006
A front page article today in the New York Times quotes several prominent Texans regarding the possibility of national testing of university students. The Commission on the Future of Higher Education, chaired by Charles Miller, formerly chairman of the Board of Regents of the University of Texas, was appointed by Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, formerly Governor George Bush's education guru.
Chairman Miller suggests that student learning should be measured for comparative performance purposes. Secretary Spellings is expecting the Commission's report by August on accountability, cost and quality issues.
Chairman Miller said, "It would be a shame for the academy to say, 'We really can't tell you what (collegiate learning) is; you have to trust us.' " He also said he was not anticipating a higher education version of the No Child Left Behind Act.
UT Professor John R. Durbin said, "It would be a sad state of affairs if the people at the top has so little confidence in our faculty that they really believed outside bureaucrats and committees could help us raise standards."
The entire article may be read at:
February 8, 2006
TACT to Hear from Representative Kolkhorst - Registration Fee Reduced
This year’s TACT East Region Spring Conference will be located on the campus of Sam Houston State University from 9:30 until 3:00 on February 18, 2006. The registration fee has just been reduced to $20 which includes lunch.
State Representative Lois Kolkhorst, chair of the Texas House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Education, will discuss upcoming education budget issues.
Additionally, Don Freeman will discuss the consequences of the costs of higher education and Keri Rogers will address successful communications strategies with the current generation of college students. Discussions will also involve legislative issues which should be part of TACT's agenda in 2007.
The conference will be held in Room 153 of the Teacher Education Building (1908 Bobby K. Marks Drive). The $20 registration is payable at the door, though RSVP is required to Dr. Debra Price, 936-294-1135 or edu_dpp@shsu.edu.
January 25, 2006
The East Region of the Texas Association of College Teachers invites all faculty to its Spring Conference February 18 on the campus of Sam Houston State University from 9:30 until 3:00.
Highlights of the conference include State Representative Lois Kolkhorst, chair of the Texas House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Education. Additionally, Don Freeman will discuss the consequences of the costs of higher education and Keri Rogers will address successful communications strategies with the current generation of college students. Discussions will also involve legislative issues which should be part of TACT's agenda in 2007.
The conference will be held in Room 153 of the Teacher Education Building (1908 Bobby K. Marks Drive). Registration is $30, including lunch, and payable at the door, though RSVP is required to Dr. Debra Price, 936-294-1135 or edu_dpp@shsu.edu .
January 13, 2006
Kansas State University Education for Austin Community College Students
A newspaper item this morning detailed that students completing an associate's degree at Austin Community College may now transfer all their credits to Kansas State University and complete a bachelor's degree in business administration on-line through the distance education program - and do so at Kansas in-state tuition rates.