An Open Letter to My 30,000 Fellow Texas Professors: let's convince Governor Bush to Push for More Funding for K through 19!"

Guest Editorial Dr. Thomas P. Hoffman, President February 26, 1999 Texas Association of College Teachers 940-397-4125 "An Open Letter to My 30,000 Fellow Texas Professors: Let's Convince Governor Bush to Push for More Funding for K through 19!"

Dear Colleagues,

In recent months I have tried to attract the attention of Governor George W. Bush and every member of the 76th Legislature to focus their efforts upon improving Texas higher education during this session. Now, I am calling upon you to do your part to provide Texas students the very best education possible. On each of the 18 campuses I have visited thus far, the twin themes of quality recruiting and retention have been heard. A national retention survey company has recently reported that one of the best ways to recruit and retain our college students is to give them more of our personal attention and time. We can all do that! We should all do that! We must all do that!

Yes, dear colleagues, I am aware that the recently complete, 1998 TACT Faculty Workload Survey shows that the average full-time Texas professor contributes 55 hours per week to our profession, but we can and must do more. Yes, I am also aware that Texas professors are paid an average of $5,000 less than the national average and that we rank dead last in salaries paid in the ten most populous states, but we can and must do more. And yes, I am further aware that our retirement benefit contribution being "temporarily" reduced from 8.5% to 6% in 1995 has created a very serious hiring problem on most of our campuses when Texas is compared to the national average of 9.8% retirement benefit contribution, but we can and must do more!

Here is what we can and must do more of if we are going to resolve the problems briefly highlighted above. We must remember how important it is to talk with and advise our students so that they will know how much they mean not only to us but also to the future growth and success of Texas. In short, we must take more time tocommunicate with our students in order to learn what their hopes and dreams are and how we can best guide them toward achieving those hopes and dreams.

We must also remember how important it is for us to be able to communicate within our own profession. We should talk with one another frequently in order to determine what our own priorities are in improving Texas higher education. Above all, we should remember to communicate our thoughts and concerns to the Texas governor and the legislature who both have the power to do something about the problems cited above.

Toward that end, during the October meeting of the Texas Conference of American Association of University Professors (TC/AAUP) and the Texas Council of Faculty Senates, I asked Dr. Lynn Tatum, President of the TC/AAUP, to set a time and place for a historic joint meeting of the four major faculty organizations representing higher education in Texas. On December 4, 1998, that meeting took place on the campus of Baylor University. The four presidents of the Texas Association of College Teachers (TACT), the Texas Council of Faculty Senates and the Texas Conference of the American Association of University Professors met with their respective vice presidents or presidents-elect and executive directors at the Harrington House in Waco, Texas.

That was a momentous meeting as it gave shape and direction to a new cooperative spirit among Texas faculty organizations. This association has been informally named the Faculty Alliance for Texas Higher Education (FATHE). In two subsequent meetings, this alliance has drawn up a list of shared goals and issues and explored several areas of common concern to all Texas faculty members.

On February 5, 1999, the three presidents of TACT, TC/AAUP and the Texas Faculty Association (TFA) met at the Capitol Building in Austin where they jointly met with representatives of Senator Bill Ratliff, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Representative Rob Junell, Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, Speaker Pete Laney, Senator Royce West, Chair of the Senate Higher Education Subcommittee, Dr. John Alexander of the governor's Budget Office, Senator Teel Bivins, Chair of the Senate Education Committee, and Representative Irma Rangel (in person), Chair of the House Higher Education Committee. (What a great friend we do have in Madame Chairwoman Rangel!) Without exception, the presence of all three faculty organization presidents was noted as the very first time that Texas higher education faculty issues were being presented in a strong and united voice.

The three issues we presented were: increased funding for student grants and scholarships; restoration of ORP benefit contributions to 8.5%; and increased faculty salaries. We very quickly learned that there is a major difference of opinion between the Texas House and Senate as to whether student financial aid was to be "need-based" or "merit-based." Watch very carefully Senate Bills 37 and 98 and House Bills 208 and 527 filed on this important issue.

On the faculty salary issue, we were surprised to learn that, in testimony to the House Appropriations Committee, some chancellors had indicated the reason they needed more money to carry out their 1997 "Back-to-Basics" program was that they had spent most of the money on a 12% increase in faculty salaries. The Coordinating Board research, however, indicated only a 4% average increase in Texas faculty salaries in 1997. We were assured by at least three offices that a discrepancy of this magnitude would be thoroughly investigated, and answers would be forthcoming.

At the end of our long day of legislative visits, we stopped in to visit with Senator Tom Haywood, another great friend of higher education. His Senate Bill 466, to raise Texas higher education faculty salaries to the average of the other ten most populous states in six years, was filed on February 10, 1999. TACT has already learned of two possible sponsors of a companion bill in the House.

This is where you can make a difference! We heard from each of the people we visited that a Senator or a Representative will take an issue very seriously if they receive a minimum of ten letters on it. The major point to remember is that these letters need to be non-form letter and on plain or personal stationary. Do not send letters on a state institution's letterhead or stationary. A great place to begin your letter-writing effort is with your local Chapter Organizational Manual compiled by State Membership Chairman, Dave Castle. He is an old hand at this with on-the-job, real-life legislative experience, and his suggestions and guidance are great.

When I first began to write this particular column, I was sorely tempted to title it: "Dear Governor Bush, Read Our Lips! No New Tax Breaks! Our Texas Students Need Education beyond K through 12!" Having gotten that out of my system, though, I am convinced that our Governor is being given some very bad advice from someone is his office. In a Scripps Howard Newspaper poll published February 13, 1999, it was reported that "95 Texans polled said funding for education is somewhat or very important" to them. Bruce Buchanan, a UT-Austin government professor, was quoted as saying, "Education tops the list because what's the most important thing we can think of? Seeing to the next generation, taking care of the kids." I couldn't have said it better myself.

Now, you have an opportunity to "take care of the kids" my very dedicated and worthy colleagues. Get off you seats and on your feet as you run to your writing desk or word processor to send your letters to Governor Bush, your area senator or representative and the chairs and members of the House and Senate Appropriations, Budget and Higher Education Committees. If you are in doubt, check the TACT web site www.tact.org for a complete listing of addresses for all of the state legislators. Go on, now. See to that next generation by ""taking care of the kids." Let's show the legislature that TACT continues to be an organization dedicated to the best system of education in the nation. With great respect and admiration to my colleagues, thank you.

Dr. Hoffman is an Associate Professor of English at Midwestern State University.