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House Appropriations met on September 9 to hear invited testimony on the following:

  • Texas Education Agency: Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund Expenditures
  • Higher Education: Examine options for increasing access to and affordability of successfully obtaining post-secondary degrees and credentials
  • Higher Education: Review current Texas research and endowment funds and explore opportunities for enhanced state investments
  • Texas Juvenile Justice Department: Explore the role of appropriations in the agency’s current efforts to improve staff recruitment and retention.

 

This report covers the first three charges listed above. Handouts from this hearing can be found here.

 

This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics taken up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the discussions but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.

 

Review the utilization by the Texas Education Agency and local school districts of federal dollars appropriated from the elementary and secondary school emergency relief funds made available by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 to address students’ instructional loss and mental health challenges

Mike Meyer, Deputy Commissioner of Finance Texas Education Agency

Cory Green, Associate Commissioner for Compliance and Administration Texas Education Agency

  • Reviews slides and federal funds
  • Additional teachers, student services and pay are being used for federal funds including “other”
  • They also collect data on if expenditures are one time or reoccurring
  • 9 months of data provided but notes they don’t have granular data
  • Because funds are one time, they are working with LEAs on smoothing to help avoid such a large drop off when funding expires
  • Encouraging LEAs to plan, federal dollars do not include a supplement/supplant requirement and can be used to help smooth out funding
  • Howard – Asked about $10.8 billion ESSER funding remaining, these are reimbursed funds so not necessarily funds remaining
    • Don’t have visibility into plans, won’t know if funds will be remining until all funds draw down
    • Could go through a data collection process to ask
    • There is always some funding that will not get used
  • Howard – State did hold harmless because of attendance
    • They did issue an attendance hold harmless between $12-14 billion and vast majority paid for with state funds
  • Howard – Looks like a MOF swap, are funds about meeting COVID needs
    • Federal legislation was flexible and gives LEAs options
  • Howard – Supplanting seems like it would be difficult for districts to manage
    • That may be true in some cases
  • Howard – Help for Uvalde to rebuild their school?
    • There is some flexibility in ESSER money, the problem with building a building is that is not common with grant funding
  • Howard and TEA continue to explore options on Uvalde for rebuilding (such as disaster remediation)
  • Dean – $2.3 billion of unknown spending of funds, is that troubling from accounting perspective
    • Certainty would like more granularity
    • Didn’t expect so much to be captured in their catch all category
  • M. Gonzalez – How much did TEA get exactly? What is left?
    • Refers to slides on ESSER, $1.8 billion which has gone into TCLAS and a big chunk goes to resources for LEA and Texas Home Learning
    • Also points out operation connectivity was funded partially
  • M. Gonzalez – How much left?
    • Spent about a third
  • M. Gonzalez – Would love to see usage data on TCLAS, Texas Home Learning
  • Toth – What percentage of districts are using funds for salaries?
    • Would need to compile that data
    • But 10% of ESSER funding draw down for teachers
  • Toth – How do districts ween themselves when funding goes away?
    • There can be smoothing, planning needs to happen at LEA level
  • Zwiener – Also wants to empathize concern on use of TCLAS and districts have already allocated funding, so would like usage and effectiveness data on TCLAS
  • Bell – Wants more details on “other”
    • Districts are reporting on about 30 line items, districts are delineating what other costs are and they can go back and get it through a huge data run
  • Bell – Can data be used to create subcategories on “other”
    • Reporting could be expanded, could re-program report to add another 30 line items which would double the size of the reporting but it can be done
    • For TEA it would be a data analysis process, it would lag a bit and it can be done it is just labor intensive
  • M. Gonzalez – Can schools use funding on HVAC repairs?
    • Yes if they go through the process
  • Zwiener – Would like to follow up on Bell questions, what type of things are under other
    • TEA knows what the other is but have not done a data analysis
    • Activities that run across multiple reporting categories
  • Thompson – Asked about teacher recruitment support and what is being done to help
    • Have a number of programs and assistance provided
    • Grow your own example
  • Bonnen – Update on how we are doing?
    • STAAR results in reading showing returned to pre-pandemic levels

 

Advancing Accessibility and Affordability in Higher Education

Panel 1

Louellen Lowe, Legislative Budget Board

  • Reviews presentation slides concerning federal funding and appropriations
  • Legislature provides formula funding through the Instruction and Operation Formula & Teaching Experience Supplement and the Infrastructure Formula & Small Institution Supplement
  • Certain items are set aside and not used for formula calculations like Texas Public Education Grants to students
  • Provides an overview of the I&O and Teaching Experience Supplement formulas
    • Total funding this biennium is $4.4b All funds
    • Basis of I&O formula is based on the weights granted to each course
  • GAI Infrastructure formula includes the Lamar State Colleges and Texas State Technical Colleges
    • Total funding this biennium is $823.4m All funds
  • Small Institution Supplement with those of less than 10k students
    • Sixteen were eligible in 2022-23 and totaled $30.2m
  • General Academic Institution received $756.7m for non-formula support items 2022-23
    • Was $421.4m 2018-219, $759.6m in 2020-21
  • Research appropriations may be direct or indirect
  • In 2022-23 and 2020-21 research appropriations remained constant for the Texas Research University Fund ($147.1m), Core Research Support Fund ($117.1m), and Comprehensive Research Fund ($14.3m)
  • National Research University Funds were $50.0m in 2020-21 and $43.3m in 2022-23 Texas Research Incentive Program was $35.0m in 2020-21 and $33.3m in 2022-23
  • $228.2m appropriated to the coordinating board of Capital Construction Assistance Projects, formerly Tuition Revenue Bonds per SB 3 87(3)
  • Debt service for CCAP totaled $873.2m in 2022-23, $677.8m in 2020-21, and $709.m in 2018-19
  • Are other funds appropriated outside of the GAA and outside of the treasury such as endowments, designated tuition, federal funds, and other institutional funds

 

Harrison Keller, Commissioner Higher Education Coordinating Board

  • Students are feeling the effects of inflation
  • Public institutions room/board and transportation are a larger and faster growing cost of attendance
  • Has led to hesitance on students pursing higher education
  • Have a formula in the new THECB strategic plan to determine total student investment; one of the ways students can lower the cost is to spend less time getting credentialed
    • Need to ensure these goals are equitable since 95% of growth has been from communities of color
  • Goals of the new state plan includes three goals: increasing degree attainment among all working age Texans, ensure they are credentials of value, and emphasis on R&D
  • Set a target of producing 550k credentials of value a year; currently at 347,669 a year
  • Goal students either having no debt at all or having manageable debt
  • Are the first state to condition goals on the value of credential
  • Administer more than $600m annually in state need-based financial aid; benefits more than 100k students
  • Exceptional item request FY24-25 for student financial aid $153m; to hold steady on number of students helped
  • Do not see differences between debt between transfer students and students who did not transfer; focused GEER funds on targeting these strategies
    • During session will provide legislature with impacts of the two programs created
  • SB 1295 comprehensive regional university funding to support at-risk students
    • $20m from ARPA funds allocated $250k for base funding and $441 per at-risk degrees
  • Walle – Asks about financial aid
    • Is a prioritization model with need and likelihood students would be able to complete their program
    • Some states shifted from needs-based to merit-based; have been efforts here to keep focus on needs-based
  • Walle – Threshold on need levels in FAFSA?
    • Varies and based on family contribution; simplified version of FAFSA application will roll out in next 3-5 years
  • Walle – Cost of fully funding financial aid? Other programs offered?
    • If fully funded TEOG and Texas grants would be additional $661m per biennium; independent colleges have tuition equalization grants and targeted loan forgiveness
  • Walle – Surprised there is no financial difference between starting at community college or starting at a four-year
    • Correct – have also underfunded financial aid for students at community colleges
  • Walle and Harrison discuss how 70% of students work and how prioritization of financial aid is not in favor of transfer students or those who work
  • Walle – Thoughts on how to reign-in tuition with rising costs?
    • Tuition is going up less than the rate of inflation and other costs are rising higher than anticipated
    • See a lot of low-income students opting to work higher paying entry jobs over higher education
  • Bonnen – Skyrocketing tuition or cost? Cost of living biggest cost to students
    • Cost; correct
  • Bonnen – Have a Community College Funding Commission; thoughts on how addressing financial aid for community colleges?
    • Commission will have recommendations discussed during meeting on 9/12/2022
    • Aim to set a new floor to increase participation; $127m on TEOG side
    • Will recommend targeted financial aid for dual enrollment students
  • Stucky – 4-year degree how many credit hours?
    • Is under 160 credit hours – will get back to you
  • Stucky – Have skin in the game with some debt, but needs to be manageable; housing costs have risen the highest in Austin
    • Will be rolling out one-stop advising portal; manageable debt differs upon credential
    • About 8k students a year graduate with debt far above credential
  • González – Agency will do this type of analysis with Master’s degrees?
    • Will be doing that, but will start with undergraduate credential analysis first
  • González – Can be better in ensuring grants supports a student completing degree?
    • Notes Texas A&M does well in using support data to show students’ eligibility
    • Will be able to provide real time information on student success; would like to make student aid more portable and predictable
  • González – Are those statute or rule changes?
    • Statute; want to work with the legislature to test that direction in appropriations
  • González – Data will show best practices on who is using grants in the best ways?
    • Yes, putting together student best practices and doing deeper dives on where there are outliers; will identify other one-time expenditures
  • González – Reiterates the state is not funding financial aid fully for those who need it
  • Howard – What was the percentage of state support to higher education in the 70s?
    • Likely around 70%
  • Howard – What is it now? Need to look at better funding for higher ed
    • For UT Austin is probably single digits
  • Howard asked Harrison about the exceptional item request to bring up the floor to meet 70% of needs based financial aid
  • Howard and Harrison discussed the TXCCCF draft recommendations concerning paid internships and making continuing education credentials stackable
    • Austin CC, San Jacinto, Lone Star, Del Mar, and El Paso have been working on convertibility/compatibility
  • Howard – Health care work force shortages, how addressing that?
    • $25m allocated to deploy competency based nursing curriculum, loan repayment program for faculty, and targeted reimbursements
    • Nursing schools have asked how to fast track those with prior medic or military training
  • Howard – Loan repayment program for part-time faculty?
    • Yes, statute does not clarify if can be used for those without an advanced degree
  • Howard and Harrison discuss other health care shortages
  • Thompson – Lack of transferability is frustrating and leads to dropouts; what doing to prevent?
    • Are a number of reasons a credit would not transfer; need to make things clear on an advising front
    • Partnered with universities and community colleges to refine transfer pathways; is room to work with what is already in statute
    • Currently working on highest demand and enrolled pathways; will have set up by legislative session
    • Need to ensure there are more teeth in statute to ensure everyone is recognizing credits
    • Proposed we brand these as “direct transfer degree”

 

Panel 2

John Sharp, Chancellor Texas A&M University System

  • Have submitted joint testimony with the university systems presenting today
  • Overviews a number of strategies university systems have used to keep tuition down
  • Have had to provide more to help students in need; have set up grant programs and scholarships through the PUF
  • Public university students have seen a reduction in time to complete degree programs; from 5.3 years in 2012 to 4.7 years in 2021
  • Number of hours per degree average 133, down from 2012’s 146 hours
  • Will do more with the work of the legislature through the comprehensive regional university student success; ask the legislature increase student outcomes funding next session
  • Board has become increasingly concerned about students’ costs given inflation/pandemic
  • Purdue is the only school that has lowered tuition, but can use out of state students and other fees to make up for that
  • Student debt has been declining for a decade; need the state to increase its support to keep student reliance on loans low
    • At our institutions those who have student debt averages to $21k
  • Need to reverse the declines in state support to higher education
  • Funding for A&M 33% from the state 67% from tuition and fees
  • Are gaps in state support for Hazelwood Legacy and higher ed group insurance
    • Hazelwood cost for A&M is $24m and higher ed employee insurance is funded at a lower percentage than ERS
  • Need help with rising student mental health needs
  • In 2021 A&M implemented if parents make 130k or below, student pays no tuition and fees
  • Provides an overview of the implementation of engineering academies and transfer programs within the system than aim to lower student cost
  • Want to address a question Schaefer asked yesterday about China; have been deemed the most secure military instillation in the nation
  • Bonnen asks Sharp to discuss scope of their military work and research; discusses hypersonic and autonomous vehicle research and the increased PUF investment at Prairie View
  • Wu asks Sharp to expand
    • Sharp notes Purdue and Alabama depend on up charging out-of-state students
  • Wu – Tuition since I graduated A&M has at least more than doubled; data on that?
    • In last 11 years have not increased tuition has increased more than rate of inflation
  • Johnson and Sharp discuss improvement of Prairie View in recent years
  • Johnson – Asks for data that shows economic burden of student services on Prairie View
    • Disproportionate amount of regent’s funds is used at Prairie View; will get data to you
    • Notes Biden administration has discussed putting a large amount of money into a consortium of HBCUs for various types of research
  • Bell – Discusses improvements to Prairie View; represent them

 

James Milliken, Chancellor University of Texas System

  • A college degree is important today and the future’s economy
  • Need to do a better job in providing more credentials and more degrees; need to do it in non-traditional ways like online learning, pathways to short credentials, more early college, etc.
  • Notes UT has been an esteemed research university in the nation
  • Tuition is 40% of the direct cost of education
  • This year tuition did not increase and in previous years has not risen above the rate of inflation
  • Hazelwood student costs have increased 200%; need to consider increasing contributions to this and higher education health care
  • Have a high percentage of students who receive Pell grants among other financial aid
  • Discussed the creation if the Promise Plus endowment program; finding more ways to increase commitment to student
  • Student debt is lower than the state and national average
  • Have seen increases in graduation percent among many demographics; generally, from 53% to 72%
  • Have the best tool in the nation that gives future students income level and debt expectations

 

Brian McCall, Chancellor Texas State University System

  • Majority of students are first-generation college students; have put aggressive mentoring and counseling facilities in place
  • Graduation rates has increased for African American and Hispanic students
  • Overviews administrative measures to cut costs and tiered free/discounted tuition
  • Legislature has funded in two tranches ability to lower tuition by 50%
  • 55% of students do not have debt and those who do have between $25k-$30k

 

Q&A Panel 2

  • Howard – How to we use research to better inform policy, for example the energy grid?
    • Sharp – Is generated through the private sector, federal government, or state; would expand health care more if ARPA-H comes to the state and have DARPA
    • Sharp – Notes the Governor’s Research University Initiative has helped
    • Milliken – Legislature can take advantage of information we have available
    • McCall notes the state’s assistance to research institutions is unique to the state
    • Sharp highlights work being done at AgriLife and the legislature’s funding through CPRIT
  • González – How ensure liberal arts degrees are not devalued while pushing for more STEM students?
    • McCall – Industry is stepping up to the plate to hire those with liberal arts degrees and applicable certificates
    • Milliken – Cannot determine what the marketplace is going to do for graduates; discusses short-term credentials that add value to degrees
  • González – Recommendations for the legislature?
    • Formula work, recognizing formula growth, fully fund requirements institutions have, and support research growth
  • González – Feel recommendations take into consideration of communities with less access such as special education?
    • Sharp – Working to recruit first generation students
    • Milliken –
  • Schaefer – Students are paying high tuition costs; need to address specifically pharmacy school costs at UT Tyler
  • Schaefer – Would agree to freeze costs for two years? Need to make a big move
    • Chancellors discuss their agreement to do something big like that
  • Schaefer – Discusses the concept of the vanishing man at institutions
    • Chancellors agree anecdotally they see more women on campus
  • Shaefer asks they agreed that there were only two genders based on biological sexes and suggested that it was a deterrent to applying to their institutions
    • Milliken – Do not believe in applying a philosophy or gender identity requirement of students or job applicants
  • Shaefer notes to Milliken that staying in the Big 12 is a big deal “to a lot of people”
  • Bonnen – Need to define what variables in controlling cost we can control
  • Dominguez – Consider requesting this body to amend the constitution to allow you to use PUF to invest in student housing? If not, some other answer?
    • Sharp – Use P3s to build student housing
    • Milliken – Not going to request amendment to constitution, are other ways to do it; are going to purchase more to build student/faculty housing
    • McCall – Would not ask for an amendment; would not shift funding to room/board
  • Dominguez – Timeline on when this can be completed
    • Chancellors discuss work is underway, do not know timetable
  • Wilson and Milliken discuss Hazelwood; Wilson requested more information on recommendations to increase research funding
    • Milliken notes a number of universities have grown their research/investment

 

Panel 3

Renu Khator, Chancellor, University of Houston System

  • Important to consider affordability for lower income students; understand that affordability and success are linked
  • Inflation has caused pressure & cost of hiring staff is high, but UoH kept tuition flat
  • Provides examples of how UoH is pushing for affordability with fixed tuition programs, tuition promise programs at all campuses, guaranteed assistance between $65k and $125k, Guided Pathways to Success (GPS), etc.
  • In UoH’s GPS program, 4-year and 2-year programs work together to provide a transfer pathway
  • UoH launched a textbook program last year, digital coursework program pilot this year that provides materials for a set fee; saved $1m for students through this pilot so far
  • UoH is focused on affordability for students, core mission is student success
  • Requests incl. significant investment in the base funding formula, investment from the state per student has significantly reduced & partially has been filled by tuition
  • Requesting legislature expand the Texas grants programs
  • Requesting fulling funding the Comprehensive Regional University (CRU) program, critical for improving time to graduate at 3 UoH institutions, UoH Clearlake, UoH Downtown, and UoH Victoria

 

Tedd Mitchell, Chancellor, Texas Tech University System

  • Agrees with statements made by other systems
  • Affordability is a national issue, enrollment rates peaked prior to the pandemic and have been falling ever since; many defer college education in favor of jobs out of high school
  • Working towards programs to reduce or eliminate tuition & fees for students
  • Tuition and fees are a small portion of health-related institutions typically
  • For general academics, have tuition & fee cap programs
  • Critical to support universities and reduce time to graduate
  • State funds do not cover housing, athletics, etc. that are typically covered by fees
  • Supporting universities supports economic growth of the state

 

Michael Williams, Chancellor, University of North Texas System

  • Nationally, value proposition for higher education is being challenged by private sector, businesses
  • Value proposition for higher education in Texas is very high, all systems are customer-focused, not only students and families, but industry as well
  • UNT Dallas has raised tuition once in ten years, UNT has not raised tuition at all over the last five years, board passed budget that does not allow for tuition increases over the next year
  • Have not yet discussed cost of students who are enrolling and unprepared for college; costs associated with making sure students are successful
  • Looking for every partner to help decrease costs for students
  • Heavily supportive of Hazelwood and veterans, Hazelwood program continues to grow, deficit is now up to $12m, substantial for a system of UNT’s size
  • Need to work together to make graduation pathways easier
  • Earlier financial literacy training would help students, need to be taught how to manage debt, manage savings, etc.
  • Should support research growth across all state systems
  • Balancing humanities degrees with higher paying opportunities is something we need to look at, UNT has access to certificate programs to assist with student employment
  • Also need to understand which degrees are relevant

 

Panel 3 Questions

  • Stucky – 47% of the students out of UNT have no debt, what are you doing to help increase this number?
    • Williams, UNT – Financial literacy training is a key part of this
    • Also institutional efficiencies, reducing redundancies, operational costs, etc.
    • Also looking at helping students get good advising to help minimize time on campus and get a degree they can get a job with
  • Schaefer – If the legislature came to the table with a certain amount of money to cover costs you can control, would you be willing to freeze costs for two years?
    • Khator, UoH – Absolutely, do not enjoy increasing tuition, did not increase tuition over the last year; cannot attract and retain students with high tuition
    • Williams, UNT – Goes to what costs we can control, highest cost across the board is personnel and difficult to control
  • Schaefer – Important conversation to have, Hazelwood keeps coming up, difficult conversation from a legislative standpoint as the law has inequity built in; some veterans can’t benefit from it, want to find a way to fix these issues without damaging the bill
  • Schaefer – Not willing to backfill Hazelwood without a conversation about controlling costs
  • Chair Bonnen – Seems like the experience of students now is different than many of us recall; seems common that students are working while going to school, living at home, etc.; may be more cost effective, but also friction against completing degrees
  • Chair Bonnen – Also seeing students take all their classes on Monday & Tuesday, then working the rest of the week
    • Williams, UNT – There are conversations that need to be had with families often to not push students towards working more; need to have conversations to take pressure off students
    • Also complicated by issues with how students attend classes or housing, etc.
    • Khator, UoH – Paid internships are a very good opportunity to obtain skills; students are also getting pressured by family businesses to work and not return to school
    • Mitchell, Texas Tech – 20%-30% of hours were taken online before COVID, remote learning is interfering with the scheduling of classes; need to emphasize graduation in 4 years, maintaining a 3.0 GPA, study time, involvement in extracurriculars, etc.
  • Walle – Heard yesterday from Houston aerospace industry & one witness spoke on how students need role models; recruitment and retention of inexperienced students is important, information like spacing classes, hours needed to study, English support, etc.
  • Walle – Important to have faculty and staff that represent minorities or first generation students; what are your institutions doing to recruit and retain people of color and women?
    • Williams – Need to create an environment where students can relate to the faculty and staff; UNT has worked through many different programs, need to hit a threshold of personnel and programs to make students comfortable
    • Khator – People need to see role models and be inspired; started looking at faculty and admin diversity 6 years, received a grant from NSF 5 years for diversification of the faculty; this was specific to gender & STEM, but have worked to institutionalize lessons learned
    • Important to work towards a diverse pool of applicants and hire based on merit
    • Mitchell – Agrees, work to get a diverse pool and then hire based on merit
  • Thompson – On controlling costs, a couple institutions here aren’t covered under the PUF, how does this affect costs? Not sure we’re talking about an even playing field
    • Mitchell – Work towards providing an education with what is available; establishing a fund to support all institutions could be a more consistent long-term approach to funding
    • Khator – Happy for institutions who have PUF, would not have had institutions that compete on a world stage without that; could do more with more funding, but currently with tuition promises, Hazelwood, etc. are funded by other students; need to consider this aspect & how much more regional institutions could do with more funding
    • Williams – Not a level playing field, many institutions are doing more with less, state needs to have a clear direction of what they want in higher education
  • Wilson – This is my concern, want a level playing field for everyone & would be better for students who don’t happen to attend one of the universities that benefit
  • Chair Bonnen – Sounds like there may be an opportunity to look at funding, whether it is enrollment growth, Hazelwood, insurance, and maybe we could freeze tuition & fees for a couple years

 

Building for the Future: Investing in Higher Education Research and Excellence Funding

Panel 1

Casey Floren, Budget Analyst, Legislative Budget Board

  • Link to presentation
  • Highlights 3 funding methods for higher education (Available university Fund, Permanent University Fund, Higher Education Fund) & Research Funding (Texas Research Incentive Program, National Research University Fund, Texas Research University Fund, Core Research Support Fund, Comprehensive Research Fund)
  • Texas A&M and UT are authorized to issue bonds financed by the PUF to finance capital projects
  • After AUF funds have paid for debt service on PUF bonds, reaming funds may be used by Texas A&M, UT, Prairie View, and the 2 system offices for system office operations, support initiatives, and other maintenance costs
  • HEF was established out of GR for institutions not eligible for PUF support
  • Highlights funding through research programs on slide 9 & programs requirements on slides 10-14

 

Panel 2

Billy Hamilton, Deputy Chancellor and CFO, Texas A&M University System

  • Encouraged to hear discussion on affordability
  • Texas A&M is 8th in research universities with over $1.1b in expenditures, goal is to break into the top 5; highlights awards received by Texas A&M
  • Research projects contribute to overall health of the state, continuation of TRUF is important to the two flagship institutions and pulling research projects to Texas
  • TX’s 27 regional universities have not received much support, CRF supports these institutions; $27m for all, not large for each institution
  • Most immediate return can be made via the SB 1295 student success model; A&M is requesting full funding for two years this biennium @~$80m
  • Prairie View PUF allocation shas more than doubled during Chancellor Sharp’s tenure, has helped Prairie View become the 4th best regional university
  • 4 institutions are eligible for both PUF operating & capital funds, 9 eligible for capital funds only, 6 are eligible for HEF and blocked from PUF

 

Archie Holmes Jr., Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, University of Texas System

  • Speaking on success UT system universities have seen due to state investment in research
  • $3.5b annual research expenditures, second largest in the US, largest in TX
  • Highlights UTD activities, 200 active patents, 5 startups recently acquired or merged
  • Time for TX to increase investments in emerging research universities
  • TRIP has a backlog of funding of ~$3.7m and the last match gift was made in 2017; should add additional funding & revisit payout guidelines
  • Support looking at research institutions outside of NRUF and how they can be supported
  • UT Austin, UT Arlington, UTSA, & UTEP have joined with 16 other universities to form the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities; 20 members are R1 research universities & designated as Hispanic Serving Institutions by the Dept. of Ed
  • Highlights symposium on combat casualty care & trauma care; taking steps to explore this further
  • Texas Institute for Electronics (TIE) is a P3 between industry and 13 universities to support semiconductor manufacturing & secure supply chain; received bonds to modernize Pickle Center
  • Coalition led by UTEP was awarded a $40m grant for advanced manufacturing to support aerospace & defense industry
  • NSF awarded $15m to UT Austin for researcher training program focused on moving research to market
  • Investments in research helps bring talent to the state & drives the economy; continuing and increasing investments will be money well spent

 

Panel 2 Questions

  • Jarvis Johnson – Appreciative that people are paying attention to what Prairie View has done; can you tell me how Prairie View numbers have gone up over the years?
    • Hamilton, Texas A&M – $12m to $21m a year
  • Jarvis Johnson – Based in statute or allocation?
    • Statute adjusts inequitable funding; Texas A&M looks at this as equitable division between Texas A&M and Prairie View based on a number of factors
    • Have made a significant effort to allocate additional funds to Prairie View
  • Jarvis Johnson – Asking if there is a little predictability for the funding; how do you determine funding for institutions? A&M and UT understands how much they get
    • Don’t know the certain amounts, much of it depends on UT and the investment management company; allocations vary with investments
    • Generally speaking Prairie View and Texas A&M has been moving up year to year
  • Jarvis Johnson – What was the allocation for Texas A&M?
    • Approaching $130m in a year
  • Jarvis Johnson – And for UT?
    • 2/3rds over this, mostly goes to UT Austin

 

Panel 3

Renu Khator, President, University of Houston

  • 81st Legislature recognized the potential of universities to become highly rated research universities, created NRUF and TRIP; subsequent legislatures expanded this support
  • Investment has now grown to $1b overall, attracted 6 federal research centers, Houston recruited 18 new members of National Academy of Engineering & Sciences, 29 programs nationally ranked
  • UoH is one of the fastest growing public universities, poised to become a top 50
  • Requesting full funding TRIP, currently has $300m in unfunded matches
  • Requesting additional and permanent investment in UoH on top of what is already received; UoH has started to plan on how to use funds to double research portfolio
  • Need more research personnel in cybersecurity, health care research, drug resiliency, etc.; need to collocate research facilities
  • New state endowment is critical to supporting new investments, clear what PUF has done for UT and Texas A&M

 

Lawrence Schovanec, President, Texas Tech University

  • State investments need to make a difference for the state and citizens; Texas Tech and UoH are 2 of the 20 Carnegie R1 institutions that are also Hispanic Serving Institutions, part of the Alliance
  • Texas Tech has capitalized on its location to address local problems that have implications for the state & world, incl. energy, water, health, etc.
  • Predictable re-occurring funding stream would strengthen competitive position for universities in Texas
  • TX has a net outward migration of students, institutions in the state need to be seen as the very best option with access to work opportunities and best economy
  • Most populous state, but rank only 7th in federal R&D funding
  • Need to invest further to have more top research universities
  • Provides history of Texas Tech’s growth as a research university on gaining access to NRUF
  • Highlights programs, incl. collaboration with One Health on disease connection between people, animals, and plants, food reliability and fertilizer access, etc.
  • Through GURI, Texas Tech was able to hire their first member of the National Academy of Science focused on crop genomics and ability to withstand heat & stress

 

Panel 3 Questions

  • Walle – How much funding are you talking about?
    • Khator, UoH – Would be nice to have a fund, not asking for money given to UoH, but at least $100m for each public institution
    • Schovanec, Texas Tech – Awarded $50m last session and was amazing what it was able to do; $50m is a start
  • Walle – Other institutions that are close to this status, not sure how far away they are
    • First resource available was the NRUF that incentivized certain behavior; currently 4 institutions share & are the logical institutions to make the next step
  • Chair Bonnen – Conceptually, idea is to lead the nation and we have a ways to go; means a substantial investment, an endowment that lives in perpetuity and grows over time; growth is part of what is so powerful about the PUF
  • Chair Bonnen – Would also need metrics where other universities could grow and reach that same status
  • Wilson – Understand that investments will not come without appropriate laboratories and facilities; Texas Tech has terrific labs; highlights importance of ownership of research
  •  Wilson – What would it take for you to do classified research?
    • Khator – Need the facilities, Houston is a good location for classified research in energy & health care with the appropriate facilities
    • Schovanec – Must have facilities with a demonstrable track record people want to engage with
  • Wilson – Missed a wonderful opportunity for collaboration between Texas Tech and semiconductor manufacturers that we could’ve had if we invested 6 years ago; other states now leading in that potential
  • Wilson – Other states moving quickly to bring technical colleges onto university campuses; is there anything similar in Texas? In terms of community college and partnerships? May have been more fair to UT and Texas A&M
    • Schovanec – Tech is an anomaly, students come from far away but don’t attract many transfers because of the geographical isolation; in process to revamp & have not yet engaged in workforce training related to research done, but should
    • Khator – Do have some workforce training; highlights 2 areas where Texas is very close to getting federal funding, carbon management and hydrogen
  • Gonzalez – Important to understand research is about people, some communities will have the benefit of research and some won’t; without Texas Tech’s research it would be devastating to the community economy
    • Schovanec – Need to constantly cultivate the people who will do the research
    • Khator – UoH is proving diversity and excellence are not mutually exclusive

 

Panel 4

Kelly Damphousse, President, Texas State University

  • In the past decade, research funding has tripled to $100m, private funding has grown endowment, 60% increase in PhDs, etc.
  • Central Texas needs more R1 institutions, Texas State is well placed between Austin & San Antonio
  • Texas must continue to invest in its research infrastructure to support its economy; research universities like Texas State are economic engines
  • Research personnel are disseminators of knowledge
  • Texas State has twice received non-formula support, receive $2.5m/year from Core Research Support Fund; TRIP has encouraged private investment & have received $19.6m in Trip matching funds so far
  • Have note yet achieved NRUF funding eligibility, but making progress
  • Texas School Safety Center supports training and materials for school safety, Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center is recognized as the standard for rapid response to shootings, Science, Technology, and Advanced Research Park is the largest tech incubator in TX
  • Impact could be magnified with appropriations on par with other ERUs

 

Neal Smatresk, President, University of North Texas

  • Provides overview of UNT, designated Carnegie R1 in 2015 and now one of 20 R1s designated as Hispanic Serving Institutions
  • UNT is the highest ranked R1 in North Texas, moved from 132nd to 86th in the last 2 years
  • Glad Commissioner Keller has pushed to add research, development & innovation metrics
  • Have nearly tripled total research expenditure since 2018, UNT has the largest research park with 300 dedicated acres, grateful for legislature funding new STEM building
  • Legislature understands that research funding benefits the state, in areas where the state has invested seeing large returns in federal and other fundings
  • Investments are seed capital for institutions that lead to real-world outcomes; supporting ERUs will establish talent pipelines necessary to sustain the state’s economy
  • DFW is well-positioned economically
  • UNT is one of the fastest growing institutions, graduates tend to stay in the region and contribute to the economy
  • UNT currently receives 50%-70% less funding per student than other flagships, similar to Texas State, but has proven it can utilize and leverage research funding
  • Last session received exceptional item funding for advanced manufacturing, leading to other requests for autonomy, supply chain logistics, etc.
  • Able to leverage more funding thanks to legislature’s investment, saw large success as a result of a relatively moderate investment in one research area

 

Panel 4 Questions

  • Zwiener – Appreciates President Damphousse’s efforts in leading Texas State to be a leading research university