Dec 11 eBulletin

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Volume LXV Number 2

October/November/December 2011


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The TACT Quarterly eBulletinOctober/November/December 2011 - Volume LXV Number 2

In this quarters TACT newsletter...

Letter from the Presidentby Peter Hugill

Executive Directors Report

by Chuck Hempstead

Interview with Representative Donna Howard

Holiday Greeting and Membership Drive

If we are Academically Adrift...in what direction should we sail now?by Frank Fair

In the News: A TACT Member Respondsby Frank Fair

TACT Legislative Update

by Cindy Simpson

Pictures from the Fall Conference

GRF Contributions

Membership

Page 3

Page 5

Page 6

Page 9

Page 10

Page 13

Page 14

Page 16

Page 17

Page 18

TACT Board of Directors

2011-2012

President

Peter Hugill

Texas A&M University

Past-President

Gary Coulton

University of Texas -

San Antonio

VP of Financial AffairsFrank Fair

Sam Houston State Universit

VP of Membership

Mark Gaus


VP of Legislative Affairs

Cindy Simpson


Directors At Large

Elizabeth Lewandowski

Midwestern State University

Allen Martin

University of Texas - Tyler

Debra Price


Executive Director

Chuck Hempstead

(512) 873-7404

Texas Association of College Teachers

5750 Balcones Dr., Suite 201 Austin, Texas 78731

[email protected]

[p] (512) 873-7404

[f] (512) 873-7423

Copyright 2011 by the Texas Association of College Teachers. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be produced in any form without permission; Chuck Hempstead, Editor.

TACT
mailto:tact%40bizaustin.rr.com?subject=mailto:tact%40bizaustin.rr.com?subject=


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Cover Page

Index

Letter from thePresident

Executive DirectorsReport

Interview with Rep.Donna Wise

Holiday Greeting

Academically Adrift

In the News:A TACT Member

Responds

Legislative Update

Fall ConferencePhotos

GRF Contributions

Membership

CONTENTS

3

The TACT Quarterly eBulletinTexas Association of College TeachersDefending Academic Freedom

TACT

Presidents Letter

by Peter HugillTACT President

As many of you are aware Lieu-

tenant Governor Dewhurst and Speaker

of the House Joe Straus recently estab-lished a Joint Committee to inquire into

the governance of higher education in the

State of Texas. On the House side this is

chaired by Representative Dan Branch

and on the Senate side by Senator Judith

Zafrini. Senator Kirk Watson is also

on the Joint Committee. Several of the

TACT Board, myself included, visited

with staffers from the ofces of Senators

Zafrini and Watson at the joint meeting

with AAUP and TCFS this past October.Much of the reason for this Joint Com-

mittee was the high level of problems

caused by the appointment by Governor

Perry of persons associated with the

Texas Public Policy Foundation to the

Boards of the University of Texas and

Texas A&M University. Although the

TPPF has put forward a few useful ideas

its Seven Breakthrough Solutions seem

designed more to hinder and harm higher

education than to help it. The TACT

Board is, in general, of the opinion that

the Joint Committee is well aware of the

problems and seems to be working to

improve governance at our Universities.

But there are other Boards that

are causing problems for our Universi-

ties, with at least one of which I have

become familiar of late. A recent,

worrisome development has been the

attempt by the Texas Board of Profes-

sional Geoscientists (TBPG) to force allGeoscientists in the state to be licensed

under their rules (Im in the College

of Geosciences at TAMU). In its rst

iteration these rules would have required

licensure for any public contact, includ-

ing teaching. Most Engineering Depart-

ments require a small number of their

faculty be licensed by their professional

organizations, mostly to testify in public

hearings. At rst glance this may seem

no different, but, despite its name, theTBPG is NOT a professional organiza-

tion of Geoscientists but a Board of three

public and six professional members that

came into existence in 2001 and which

has been entirely appointed by Governor

Perry. The Board states its goals as to

protect public health, safety, welfare and

the states natural resources by ensuring

that only qualied persons carry out the

public practice of geoscience, and it was

initially set up to deal with oil and gas

issues. Only two of the current the Board

have Ph.D.s. The claim is that:

Licensure is a means to protect

the public, and the licensed profession,

from unqualied and unethical practitio-

ners of the profession. Licensing estab-

lishes a degree of legal accountability

for the work product of the regulated


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TACT

practitioners. The State legislation establishing a licensure program denes basic

experience and educational requirements that all licensees must meet. The legisla-

tion also sets civil penalties that can be enforced on licensees determined to have

violated the practice and ethical standards required by the legislation.

So what is the problem? In its recent actions the Board attempted to bring

climate change under its aegis, and it was clear to members of the Jackson School

of Geosciences at UT and the TAMU College of Geosciences that this, plus the re-

quirement that all Geoscientists be licensed, was a rst step to restricting academicspeech in such controversial areas as climate change and fracking technology for

natural gas. Although a great deal of pressure from the academic community has

been brought to bear on the Board and they have backed down somewhat, they

have by no means abandoned their positions, which are currently tabled.

My concern goes, however, much deeper than the TBPG. There are several

other Boards going under the title of Texas Board of Professional What con-

cerns me is to what extent other such Boards may also be being used to control

academic speech in the state. Please contact me with further information.

Presidents Letter (contd.)


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TACT

Executive Directors Report

by Chuck HempsteadTACT Executive Director

Wow! Has TACT ratcheted up its

activities since coming off a successful leg-

islative session? Remember, most policy

changes are at the margins, and we claim

a handful from this past summer. Guns oncampus, more money into TEXAS Grants

(and providing preference to merit-based

applications), slowing the outcomes-based

funding proposal, maintaining ORP local

supplements it was a good session con-

sidering the circumstances.

As we do at least twice each year,

your State Board Members recently pound-

ed the pavement at the Capitol visiting

with legislators and their staffers about is-sues of importance to you. While it is a bit

premature to adopt our legislative agenda

for next session, we did prepare a leave

behind you can review; it is attached to

Cindy Simpsons legislative article. We

also showed them data that while Texas

had been making progress in narrowing the

gap between our salaries and the average

of the top ten most populous states, that

positive trend has reversed.

That afternoon, TACT honored

State Representative Donna Howard as its

Legislator of the Year, primarily for her

work on the Higher Education Committee

in keeping student concerns at the top of

the discussions. Be sure to read my inter-

view with her beginning on page 6.

. . . Shifting gears for a moment,

are you aware that at each Coordinating

Board Meeting, they entertain a Major

Policy Discussion in order to delve into

issues that might not otherwise receive suf-

cient attention? This past meeting, board

members and audience were treated to alive streaming of Richard Arum, Professor

of Sociology and Education at New York

University, discussing his ndings out-

lined in his acclaimed book, Academically

Adrift. TACT Board Member Frank Fair

addresses some of these issues elsewhere

in this newsletter, but I wanted to share a

few thoughts from a legislative advocacy

perspective.

Circling back, one of the reasonsRepresentative Howard was honored by

TACT is her insistence on quality in higher

education. Too many inuential individu-

als at the Capitol have expanded the goals

of Closing the Gaps to mean derrieres

in seats. Recruit em and graduate em.

Preferably for $10,000. Whos talking

about what they learn that will benet them

and their employers?

Arums talking about it. Hes say-ing too many students arent improving

their critical thinking and writing skills.

Hes saying students learn when faculty

demand rigorous academic activities, like

studying, for Petes sake.

TACT talks about academic quality

at the State Capitol. And I want to thank

the professors who talk about it on your

campuses.


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An Interviewwith Representative Donna Howard

1. Representative Howard, we are

aware of your interest in education,

including having served on the school

board, but when you were elected to

the Legislature, what made you want to

specialize in higher education policy?

My rst full term in ofce,

Speaker Tom Craddick appointed me to

the Higher Education Committee. This

was a good t for my district because I

represent a large number of university

employees especially faculty as well

as Austin which is home to the Uni-

versity of Texas. It was also a good t

with my nursing background because

addressing the nursing shortage begins

with increasing the number of slots

available for nursing students.

2. You were very involved during thispast session in helping restore TEXAS

Grant scholarship money that had been

slashed from the rst draft budget. This

was part of TACTs legislative agenda,

including the new provision that the

limited funds be made available based

on merit awarded to those most likely

to succeed. What can you tell us about

that process and your success?

I began looking at the best way

to prioritize the award of our limited

TEXAS Grant funds in the 81st Legis-

lative Session. I led HB 3276 which

would have given priority to those stu-

dents who demonstrated nancial need

and met Texas Success Initiative (TSI)

standards or were exempt from tak-

ing a TSI assessment. I chose the TSI

because this is the assessment used to

determine whether or not a student must

enroll in developmental coursework. In

other words, it determines whether or

not a student is prepared for college-

level classes.

HB 3276 made it to the House

oor, but after much debate, was amend-

ed to instruct the THECB to continue

to study TEXAS grant allocation rather

than to implement the priority criteria.

SB 28, which passed this ses-

sion, included four merit criteria. A

student must achieve two of the four

criteria to be rst in line for a TEXAS

Grant. My proposal in HB 3276 was

rolled into SB 28 and meeting TSI stan-

dards or being TSI exempt was one of

the merit criteria.

State Representative Donna Howard sat down with eBulletin staff after receiving

the 2011 TACT Legislator of the Year Award for her student-centered service on the

House Committee on Higher Education and refusal to go along with appropriations

levels which underfund the rapid growth of higher education. Ed.

by Chuck Hempsteadthe TACT Fall Conference: October 28, 2011


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This was a very contentious issue

because of high tuition costs. Financial

aid contributes both to increasing access

to higher education, as well as increasing

college completion rates, and it is tough

to know exactly the best way to balance

these competing goals. I would prefer

that the Legislature fund TEXAS Grants

at a level that makes this type of aid

available to all eligible students, but until

that happens, I believe that SB 28 is the

best way to ensure that we are maximiz-

ing the funds we have allocated to the

TEXAS Grants program by rewarding

those students who are the most pre-

pared.

3. Our most important issue was guns

on campus, in which one poll showed 80

percent of faculty opposed any changes.One bill permitting concealed weapons

on campus had more than 80 cospon-

sors when only 75 votes were needed to

pass it in the House, and the majority of

the testimony supported the change. In

addition to our efforts, what do you think

turned the tide?

Due to the overwhelming sup-

port in the House, I think the plan was

to try and get the legislation through theSenate rst. Senator Wentworth did not

have any success with the stand alone

bill, so he resorted to trying to amend it

to another bill. He successfully attached

the guns on campus language to tone of

Senator Zafrinis bills, however, she

pulled her bill down because she did

not agree with the proposal. Wentworth

then added it to SB 1581 which passed

the Senate. Opponents of the bill on

the House side were able to use a pro-

cedural maneuver to send the bill back

to the Senate and have the amendment

removed.

4. You recently reported at the TACT

Fall Conference that the 2013 Legisla-

ture is again facing a $12 Billion decit.

Do you foresee another round of what

House Speaker Strauss called an as-

sault on higher education?

At this point, I honestly do not

know what to expect. I think the way

the Legislature will address any budget

shortfall next session will depend largely

on the results of the 2012 elections. If

we end up with 101 Republicans again, I

am not sure Speaker Straus will be opento anything other than a cuts-only ap-

proach to balancing the budget similar

to what was used this session. The only

thing I can say with some certainty is

that we will use money from the Rainy

Day fund to cover our unpaid bills from

this biennium. For example, the budget

we passed underfunds Medicaid by al-

most $5 billion, and we will need to pay

for that.

5. TACT sometimes feels like we are the

lone voice talking about the quality of

higher education when discussions in the

Legislature seem to be about quantity

increasing enrollments and graduations.

You seem to understand the quality issue.

Is it your nursing background that tells

you that no one wants dumb medical

professionals?

Donna Howard Interview (contd.)


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I agree that quality often gets lost in the discussion, in favor of other criteria

that is more easily measured like completion rates. I also think that state legislators

failed to learn an important lesson that was highlighted by the action at the federal

level to curb the amount of federal nancial aid dollars going to for-prot institutions

of higher education who were graduating students that could not nd meaningful

employment.

Coming from the health care industry, I believe I have a greater level of sensi-

tivity to the issue than some because of the severe consequences that can result from

the actions of a medical professional with improper or inadequate training.

6. O.K., open-ended time. Either as a parent of a student in this system or a legisla-

tor, what would you like to tell our faculty?

I would like to tell them, Thank you for performing what is often a thank-

less job. I would also like to say that there has been a rash of attacks on the value of

research at institutions of higher education. These attacks are in part due to increas-

ing tuition rates and are accompanied by a push for greater transparency and account-

ability for individual institutions. I think faculty are uniquely positioned to counter

the misinformation that is being spread about the unimportance of research. I wouldencourage TACT to monitor this issue and comment when appropriate.

Donna Howard Interview (contd.)


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TACT

Thank you for your time and dedication this year.Heres to a successful and bright 2012.

Give the gift of TACT.

For every new member you bring to TACT, be entered to win...

A brand-new Kindle Fire!

The more you recruit, the morechances you have to win.


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TACT

If we are Academically Adrift...in what direction should we sail now?

by Frank FairTACT VP of Financial Affairs

Richard Arum and Josipa

RoksasAcademically Adrifthas caught

the attention of many people who are

concerned about the state of higher edu-cation in this country. In our own state of

Texas, the Higher Education Coordinat-

ing Board recently held a videoconfer-

ence with Arum to discuss the ndings

reported in the book. Responses to the

book vary, but here is the view of Rep.

Virginia Foxx (R-North Carolina), chair

of the House Subcommittee on Higher

Education and Workforce Training since

January 2011, as reported in an inter-view in Academe, an AAUP publication:

Warren:In one interview, you referred

to the newly released book Academically

Adrift, noting that recent research by

two sociologists shows very little value

added to most of higher education. Stu-

dents in higher ed dont gain the kinds

of skills that they need to continue in the

work world. So I think higher education

is going to have to prove its worth inthe future. Could you expound on that

statement?

Foxx: This study speaks fairly well for

itself. According to this book, nearly half

of college students do not demonstrate

any signicant improvement in learning

after two years of undergraduate studies.

This is a scandal. If these ndings are

accurate, institutions of higher educa-

tion must examine whether those who

are paying for a college education are

getting their moneys worth. And thosewho are paying for college should ask

the very same question.

Note that Rep. Foxx speaks of

a scandal, and note how she moves

quickly to a question of accountability in

terms of people getting their moneys

worth. Her response is part of increas-

ing pressure on institutions of higher

education from quarters that are skepti-cal about the value added to many

of the student products who move

through the halls of academe.

Indeed, Arum and Roksas re-

ported ndings should concern all of us

who care about higher education since

there are precious few national samples

of their size (2,322 students) and diversi-

ty that have been followed long enough

and tested sufciently to provide anappropriate basis for signicant conclu-

sions. The conclusion that Rep. Foxx

cites is reported this way: With a large

sample of more than 2,300 students, we

observe no statistically signicant gains

in critical thinking, complex reason-

ing, and writing skills for at least 45%

of the students in our study. (p. 36)

The lack of gains is shown by students


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11


TACT

performance on the Collegiate Learning

Assessment (CLA) from a 2005 test ad-

ministration in their rst year of college

to a 2007 administration after comple-

tion of two years.

Obviously, there are questions

that can be raised about the representa-

tiveness of Arum and Roksas sampleand about the validity of the CLA as a

test of critical thinking, complex rea-

soning, and writing skills. Ill let others

debate those issues. I grant for the sake

of argument that the sample is represen-

tative and the CLA is valid. I would just

ask that we read the whole book before

coming to conclusions about what to do

and about how scandalous the situation

is.

My curiosity in this regard was

piqued early in reading the book when

on page 3 Arum and Roksa cite a study

by Philip Babcock and Mindy Marks

that indicates a pattern of declining

academic effort by college students

over the past several decades. Those of

us who got our undergraduate degrees

in the Stoned Aged of the 1960s can

remember being told that the expectedstandard was two hours work outside

of class for every hour in class. That is

why a 15 semester credit hour course

load was a full load since the combi-

nation of 15 hours in class and 30 hours

outside of class makes for a 45-hour

work week. Babcock and Markss nd-

ings are neatly summarized in an article

in American Enterprise Institutes

Education Outlook No. 7 August 2010.

Here are their numbers for full-time stu-

dents in four year institutions for study

time:

1961--24 hours per week (39 hours

per week when combined with class

time)

200314 hours per week (29 hoursper week when combined with class

time)

And they say further: The

evidence indicates not only that col-

lege students are studying less than they

used to, but also that the vast majority

of the time they once devoted to study-

ing is now being devoted to leisure

activities, rather than paid work. (Bab-

cock and Marks, p. 3)

This latter point is reinforced in

Arum and Roksas book by a pie chart

reporting on a survey from selective

institutions about how students use the

168 hours of the week: 9% in class, 7%

studying, 24% sleeping, 9% working,

volunteering, etc., and fully 51% of the

time socializing and recreating. That

works out to 15 hours in class, 12 hoursstudying, and 85 hours socializing and

recreating. (p. 97) Arum and Roksa also

state: Even more alarming, 37 percent

of students reported spending less than

5 hours per week preparing for their

courses. (p. 69)

That last gure is arresting.

One wonders how many of the type of

Academically Adrift (contd.)


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12


TACT

students represented by that 37% gure

are among the 45% of Arum and Roksas

sample who made no progress in think-

ing skills over the rst two years of their

college careers.

As Babcock and Marks note,

there are a variety of theories about what

may account for the decline in studenteffort, a decline, by the way, that was

sharper in the 1961-1981 period at 8

hours per week that it was from 1988-

2004 when it declined only two hours

per week. Their preferred explanation

is that that standards have declined

meaning that we faculty members have

gotten less demanding over time.

This explanation ts well with

Arum and Roksas contention that theirevidence shows a signicant positive ef-

fect of more demanding course work on

CLA scores. Their evidence shows that

courses which require:

1. 40 or more pages of reading per

week, and ...

2. 20 or more pages of writing over the

semester have a noticeable impact

on CLA scores, while courses which

meet only one of those requirements

do not.

Finally, it will come as no sur-

prise that Arum and Roksas data show

that students who came to college with

high GPAs and high SAT/ACT scores

and who took four or more AP courses

had notably higher growth in their think-

ing skills as compared with their less

well-prepared colleagues. (p. 49) Indeed,

they assert that academic preparation

is a key factor that shapes differen-

tial rates of growth in critical thinking,

complex reasoning, and writing skills

among students from different family

backgrounds during the rst two years in

college. (p. 50)

So, if we demand more of thestudents both in college and before they

get there, they will learn more and im-

prove their thinking skills after their rst

two years at a higher percentage than

they do now? I wonder if it will be that

simple.

And the pressures for account-

ability and efciency seem to push in

the opposite direction. As state support

for higher education has declined overthe years, one institutional response has

been to move to larger class sizes, espe-

cially in the introductory level courses

in many disciplines. I cannot imagine

how 20 pages of written work is going

to be required of 200 students in a U. S

History or Political Science introductory

course, for example.

But please take the time to read

Academically Adriftand start thinking

through your own analysis of how we

have come to this position. The book is

a very useful starting point for a discus-

sion of the direction in which we should

set sail to end our period of academic

drift and get back on course.

Academically Adrift (contd.)


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TACT

Representative Berman goes over the top in his ill-considered response, and

heres why. In the original article in the Austin American Statesman on Nov. 30,

2011, the main contention of Dr. Hillis is that: The issue, in the view of the creation

institutes critics, is whether it meets a requirement in state law to provide direct or

indirect health and human services.

It makes sense that for charitable giving purposes there be such a requirement

in state law, so the issue being raised is not about how baleful or benecial the inu-

ence in our society is of the Institute for Creation Research, but does the Institute

meet one of the legal requirements to be listed as a charity. I seriously doubt that itdoes, since the work of the Institute is to promote a particular educational agenda, not

to be a provider of direct or indirect health and human services.

Rep. Bermans response ignores that issue in favor of an intemperate re-

sponse: If I were Chancellor, I would re him for trying to deny individuals of their

rst amendment rights. It is almost too silly for words to suppose that any organi-

zation has a constitutional, First Amendment right to be included on a list of state-

approved charities for state employees to give to if the organization fails to meet one

of the legal requirements for being on that list.

Perhaps when Rep. Berman calms down he will realize how misplaced hisanger is.

Frank Fair

Psychology and Philosophy

Sam Houston State University

In the News:A TACT Member Responds

After hearing ofRepresentative Bermans responseto the issue in this Statesmanarticle, Frank Fair weighs-in on the issue of whether a Creationist organizationshould be included on a list of University charities.

by Frank FairTACT VP of Financial Affairs
mailto:tact%40bizaustin.rr.com?subject=http://tfninsider.org/2011/12/01/creationism-as-charity/http://www.statesman.com/news/local/ut-professors-object-to-creation-institutes-inclusion-in-2005416.htmlhttp://www.statesman.com/news/local/ut-professors-object-to-creation-institutes-inclusion-in-2005416.htmlhttp://www.statesman.com/news/local/ut-professors-object-to-creation-institutes-inclusion-in-2005416.htmlhttp://www.statesman.com/news/local/ut-professors-object-to-creation-institutes-inclusion-in-2005416.htmlhttp://tfninsider.org/2011/12/01/creationism-as-charity/mailto:tact%40bizaustin.rr.com?subject=


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TACT

Legislative Update

by Cindy SimpsonTACT VP of Legislative Affairs

The 82nd Texas Legislative Ses-

sion has come and gone, but TACT is

still advocating on the behalf of higher

education. During the TACT Fall Con-ference, at the end of October, TACT

board members sat down with the legis-

lative aides of a number of State Sena-

tors and Representatives to express our

concerns and goals for higher education.

We left behind copies of our TACT Is-

sues 2011-2012, listed below, for the

legislators to keep. A quick overview of

the visits is as follows:

The formation of the new Joint

Committee on Higher Education Gov-

ernance, Excellence and Transparency

looks to be a vital ingredient in im-

pacting the future of higher education.

TACT spoke with key gures from each

of the two Co-Chairs staffs: Senator

Judith Zafrini and Representative Dan

Branch. Senator Zafrini is the Co-

Chair for the Senate as well as Chair of

the Senate Higher Education Committee.Representative Branch is the Co-Chair

for the House and serves as the Chair of

the House Higher Education Commit-

tee. Both groups acknowledged that the

crisis for higher education will continue

into the next legislative session, but that

the Joint Committee will be an enduring

watchdog for the future of higher educa-

tion in Texas.

Senator Kirk Watson is also on

the Joint Committee on Higher Educa-

tion Governance, Excellence and Trans-

parency, and serves with Senator Zaf-rini on the Senate Higher Education

Committee. A visit to his ofce allowed

TACT to thank him for his commit-

ment to higher education. His is a voice

perennially on the side of higher educa-

tion, and TACT is condent that Senator

Watson is for improving the quality of

higher education in Texas, and not x-

ated on the reform ideas currently under

scrutiny.

Representative Vicki Truitt is the

Chair of the House Committee on Pen-

sions, Investments & Financial Services.

The visit with Representative Truitts

staff proved benecial since, during the

last legislative session, contribution lev-

els to the Texas Retirement System fell

to the Constitutional minimum of 6%.

Realizing this pitfall, TACT has already

begun to advocate on behalf of thosemembers in TRS in hopes of an increase

during the next legislative session.

As equally important as the

visit with Representative Truitt, TACT

members visited the ofce of Senator

Juan Chuy Hinojosa, Vice Chair of

the Senate Finance Committee. Senator

Hinojosa has a key role in determining


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Holiday Greeting

Academically Adrift


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Legislative Update


GRF Contributions

Membership

CONTENTS

15


TACT

how the state revenue is shared. He also

serves on the Subcommittee on Higher

Education funding. These duties could

be a pivotal combination for higher edu-

cation funding during the next legisla-

tive session.

TACT members also visited

Representative Sylvester Turners Chiefof Staff. Representative Turner serves as

the Vice-Chair of the House Appropria-

tions Committee. Like Senator Hino-

josa, Representative Turner has a great

deal of input in how the available mon-

ies are distributed. Since faculty salaries

in Texas are lower than the average of

the ten most populous states TACT was

careful to address this funding issue in

both the House and Senate.

Overall, the legislative visits

were a success and we feel that all who

represented TACT at these visits com-

municated the importance of continued

and increased higher education fund-

ing to all of our audiences. TACT will

continue to advocate during the interim

in hopes the 83rd Texas Legislative Ses-

sion will be a successful year for higher

education. During the interim ses-sion TACT will keep up with pertinent

committees, make more visits to those

representatives and senators who are

key constituents in interim charges, and

continue to share the 2011-2012 TACT

issues.

TACT Issues 2011-2012

1. Faculty Salaries. Salaries in Texas

are lower than the average of the

ten most populous states. (See 2011

AAUP study) Also, enrollment

in public universities in Texas has

grown by more than 260,000 over

the past three years. (Texas Tribune,

Oct 27, 2011)

2. Higher Education Funding should be

a priority: the current biennium saw

a 9.3% decrease in G.R. funding.

Texas GRANTS was cut by $55 mil-

lion. We cannot expect to increase

the number of Texas university grad-

uates while simultaneously slashing

the Higher Education budget.

3. Texas Retirement System. TACT

wants to maintain the solvency of the

system, maintaining current ben-

ets and allowing for cost of living

increases. The latest budget dropped

the contribution levels to the con-

stitutional minimum of 6%. TACT

opposes reform ideas that would take

the guaranteed money of a pension

and transfer it to a 401(k) type plan.

4. TACT is concerned about some of

the recent higher education reform

ideas. TACT is open to higher

education reform but it must be

done with faculty input (such as the

AAUP criteria recently put in place

at the University of Texas), not by

think tanks whose only motivations

are scally based.

Legislative Update (contd.)


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16


TACT

TACT Fall Conference Photos

TACT President PeterHugill, Representative

Donna Howard, andExecutive Director Chuck

Hempstead pose asRep. Howard receives her

TACT: Legislator of theYear Award.

Representative Donna Howarddelivers her address to theassembled members of TACT at

the Fall Conference on October26th.

Dr. Debbie Price, Dr. Gary Coulton, and Dr. Frank Fair attendthe TACT Fall Board Meeting.


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TACT

The James M. Puckett, Ph. D.Government Relations Fund

The TACT Dr. James M. Puckett, Ph.D. Government Relations Fund is a result of optional

contributions made by those committed to TACTs public affairs program. It is not used

for candidate contributions, but for activities that will increase awareness of TACT among

opinion leaders of public policy. Your contribution will assist in TACTs legislative efforts

to improve Texas higher education. All expenditures are approved in advance by TACTs

President, President-elect and Legislative Committee Chair.

Click Here to Contribute!

Thank you to the following contributorsGary Coulton

Mary DeShazo

Frank Fair

Chuck Hempstead

Russ Higham

Joe Kemble

Doreen Kinkel

John Payton

John Rugh

Cindy Simpson

Texas A&M TACT Chapter

Andrea Williams
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TACT

Visit www.tact.org, and

join TACT Today!

$158 Regular Membership. Professional staff, full-time faculty, librarians,

administrators and other professionals. Includes Educators Professional

Liability Insurance starting 11/1/2011 and ending 10/31/2012.

$113 Afliate Membership. Administrative assistants, retired faculty, part-

time faculty, graduate students, subscription members and libraries. Includes

Educators Professional Liability Insurance starting 11/1/2011 and ending

10/31/2012.

$250 Annual Business Membership.

Renew your TACT membership online by visiting Join TACT

or renew over the phone by calling (512) 873-7404.

Membership Rates
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