The THECB met on October 21st to discuss agenda items, including an update on the 60x30TX revision and committee updates and reports. The agenda for the meeting can be found here. A video of the meeting 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.

 

  • Chair Fred Farias – Introduces new board members, discusses new appointments to committees
  • Commissioner Harrison Keller – Promotes annual higher education conference, talks about work to refresh the 60x30TX plan, looking forward to discussing it during meeting
  • Gives legislative update, $3.3 billion in capital construction given to universities during special session, looking forward to being able to tackle important issues on campuses with money
  • Money also allocated to coordinating board through SB 8, funding for upscale program, funding for schools that serve at-risk students, funding for institutional enhancements
  • $270 million allocated for GEAR funded initiatives, financial aid for those who have been impacted by COVID-19 pandemic
  • Allocated up to $25 million of GEAR funding for community colleges, complementing legislature support for 2-year colleges; additional $15 million to go toward this as well
  • Focus on financial support for upscale/rescale students; $19 million going toward this
  • Areas of concern for talent pipeline for state are digital skills, data analytics, programs for frontline health workers; grants for this to facilitate growth in these areas
  • Farias – Minutes approved from past board meeting; consent calendars approved

 

Major Policy Discussion

60x30TX revision update, discussion, and possible action on revision of the plan PPT

  • Melissa Henderson, THECB – Have worked to develop robust stakeholder engagement, engaging with public and independent institutions of higher education, business leaders, educators, employers and leading experts
  • Henderson – Discussions provoked conversations about the best way to address research and development, adult learners, and credentials of value
  • Henderson – Conducted message testing with external constituents
  • Keller – Takeaways were important to shape work on talent pipeline with institutions
  • Henderson – Public comment was valuable and encouraged:
    • Tri-agency alignment; establish a statewide credential repository
    • Definition of credential of value
    • Equitable outcomes in resource allocation; balance funding mix of state appropriations, tuition and fees; keep debt low
    • Pipeline of postsecondary completion; streamline students’ paths to credentials of value
  • Henderson – Goal is to build a talent strong Texas; goal to ensure equity across goals of attainment of postsecondary credentials, production of postsecondary credentials of value, and promotion of research and development
  • Henderson – Will look at primary indicators and future indicators and evolve them as time goes on to ensure that board maintains understanding of impact; don’t have numeric targets yet, will determine these alongside institutions
  • Keller – Want to expand scope of credentials, would be pioneer in connecting data of credentials to wage premium to highlight connection between the two
  • Henderson – Regarding attainment of postsecondary credentials, most straightforward; ages 25-34 forecast is 10% above actual, similar numbers for ages 35-64
    • Recommend adding primary indicator “or other postsecondary credential of value by 2030”
    • Recommend future indicator of unfilled high and middle-skilled jobs in high-demand and/or high-growth industries
    • Keller – Setting ambitious goals, currently not on track to meet current goals; need to work to increase enrollment; raising bar of ambition
  • Henderson – Regarding promotion of research, development and innovation, research expenditures expected to increase
    • Recommendation for primary indictor to add annual private and federal research and development expenditures
    • For future indicators, recommend adding measures of commercialization, knowledge transfer and economic impact
    • Keller – Increasingly important to invest in research, development and infrastructure for TX to stay competitive; mission that aligns with goals of Governor; new direction for plan
  • Henderson – Regarding production of credentials of value, starts with notion that credentials students earn give them a strong ROI; modern economy demands more
    • Expanding depth of what credentials are included, complexity of defining what credentials are included; lack of data inhibits development in this area
    • Students lack clarity on value of some credentials/skills; goal to create a clear line of sight for students/employers/higher education by gathering transparent data and informing constituents of value
    • Developing a framework for how individual colleges and universities create equitable value for students
    • Threshold zero sets minimum economic return, signaling that no student should be left worse off after education
    • For primary indicator, recommend adding # of students completing postsecondary credentials of value each year and % of graduates with no or low student debt in relation to their potential earnings
    • For future indicator, recommend adding # of students graduating with credentials linked to high-demand occupations, disaggregated by race, gender, and outcome
    • Keller – With new direction, TX would be first to set goals connected directly with earnings premium; work important for policy, indicators will inform on debt-related costs
    • Emphasis on shared responsibility between students and families, institutions, and state to ensure that education will be effective and affordable; as it is, only 56% of eligible students receive financial aid
    • Need to align incentives in interest of students, institutions and state
  • Henderson – Aim to work closely with stakeholders to continue to refine definitions and set targets
  • Welcome Wilson, THECB – Aligning the incentives is important
  • Emma Schwartz, THECB – Data is important, continue striving toward that
  • Keller – Data hasn’t been being collected, will take a lot of work but is an important tool; will be a dynamic process
  • Motion approved

 

Matters relating to the full Board

Update on the Texas Higher Education Foundation PPT

  • Neal Adams, Texas Higher Education Foundation – Gives background for new members as to what foundation does
  • Henderson – THEF supports board by raising funds, facilitating partnerships with philanthropy, managing contracts and grants, and collaborating with THECB staff and leadership on key strategic initiatives and TX higher education policy; raised over $26 million since 2001, $8 million in past year
  • Henderson – Value of foundation comes from leveraging of public and philanthropic resources to improve outcome
  • Henderson – Foundation supporting data modernization, GradTX 2.0/My Texas Future, strategic planning, community college finance commission, Texas Emergency Aid Grant Program
  • Keller – Texas Emergency Aid Grant Program came out of pandemic, allowed institutions to distribute aid to students
  • Henderson – Also gave institutions education of best practices when it came to emergency aid
  • Adams – Want corporate companies to step up with donations, right now it’s just private foundations
  • Sam Torn, THECB – How do you increase money raised by foundation?
    • Adams – Steadily increasing, specific initiatives that donors can identify and know where their money is going; wants to expand foundation board to capitalize on networks
  • Torn – Keep donors updated of what their money achieved?
    • Adams – Yes, through newsletter
    • Henderson – Stay in close communication with funders
    • Keller – Foundation a huge asset, ahead on initiatives due to foundation, moving faster and more effectively
    • Adams – Working on a dinner to get Board and foundation together

 

Gifts and Donations to the full Board

  • Acceptance of gifts and donations to the Board

 

Update on Texas Transfer Initiatives

  • Deputy Commissioner Ray Martinez – Many initiatives going on to improve transfers
  • Stacey Silverman, THECB – Meeting SB 25 obligations, new GEAR funded grant opportunity to allow students access to high value skills to allow them to contribute to workforce as highest level
  • Silverman – Data collection effort will help students, provide real-time info about undergraduate programs and the best way for students to progress through desired degree program
  • Silverman – Created two subcommittees to facilitate Texas transfer field of study, includes criminal justice committee; will run 10 disciplines through TX Transfer framework by end of 2022
  • Silverman – New grant program will improve credentials for students to contribute short-term to workforce

 

Consideration and possible action to approve a Memorandum of Understanding between the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Higher Education Foundation to Implement General Appropriations Act, Rider 53

  • *Audio cuts out every other word, begins at 1:39:30
  • Henderson – Rider authorizes board to commercialize products and tools
  • Motion passes


Star Award Program 
PPT

  • Ginger Gauzman, THECB – Gives historical timeline and background on Star Awards
  • Gives examples of Texas COVID-19 response, including outreach to students, mental health services, PPE, digital learning support, etc.
  • 10 recipients of Star Awards

 

*Break to resolve audio problem, Board convenes Executive Session, break in video takes place from 1:47:44-4:11:33 in archive

  • No action was taken during Executive Session

 

Consideration and possible action on the performance evaluations of the Commissioner of Higher Education, General Counsel, and Internal Auditor

  • Motion passes

 

Board revisits Star Award Program 

  • Gauzman – Reviews the 10 recipients of the Star Awards
  • Keller – Excellent and heroic efforts by schools and staff during pandemic

 

Matters relating to the Committee on Innovation, Data, and Educational Analytics

Committee chair’s overview

  • Wilson – Items from committee were approved on consent agenda

 

Matters relating to the Committee on Academic and Workforce Success

Committee chair’s overview

  • Donna Williams, THECB – Gives overview of what was addressed in committee meeting and what will be presented to the Board


Consideration of adopting the Certification Advisory Council’s recommendation relating to a request from Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine for a Second Certificate of Authority to grant degrees in Texas

  • Tina Jackson, THECB – For regional education center in El Paso; degree has programmatic accreditation from osteopathic association, working toward institutional accreditation by Higher Learning Commission
  • First certificate of authority was approved by Board in 2019; confirmed adequate clinical faculty available sufficient to train both Burrell and Texas Tech students in El Paso area
  • 2nd certificate of authority would be valid from Dec. 2021 to Dec. 2023
  • SB 1490 requires applicants to prove capacity, market needs, faculty resources, sufficient placement for field-based learning; confirmed that this was all sufficient for request
  • Motion passes

 

Consideration of adopting the “Texas General Academic Institutions: Increasing Successful Community College Transfer Report” (General Appropriations Act, Senate Bill 1, Article III, Section 47, 87th Texas Legislature, Regular Session)

  • Silverman – Directs public universities to submit annual report on general success of community college transfers; includes staff analysis
  • 11th report, would be due to legislature
  • Motion passes

 

Consideration of approving the following requests for new degree programs:

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY (1) Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Nursing Practice

  • Silverman – Would require 38 semester hours, prepare students to become clinical leaders
  • Nancy Fahrenwald, Texas A&M – DNPs common in other areas, important to developing skills
  • Farias – Concerned about lack of nursing in state, this program would help with this
  • Motion passes

 

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY (2) Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mechanical Engineering

  • Silverman – Would prepare students for careers in traditional engineering principles and foundation in emerging digital infrastructure
  • Will hire 11 new core faculty members with adoption of program
  • Gene Bourgeois, Texas State University – Will significantly help address workforce needs throughout TX
  • Christine Hailey, Texas State University – Will prepare leaders to meet current and future workforce needs
  • Jesus Jimenez, Texas State University – Agrees with Bourgeois and Hailey
  • Richard Clemmons, THECB – Will impact the way companies do their business, will make them better; requires relationships with other engineering areas so you can have a forward looking program that will add a significant amount of value
  • Motion passes

 

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER (3) Doctor of Science (ScD) in Rehabilitation Sciences

  • Silverman – Delivered primarily online in hybrid format; clinical research or clinical education; no other programs like this in Texas in this CIP code
  • 5 year costs would total $3.72 million
  • Kari Dickson, Texas Tech University – Appreciative of Board, program will be valuable to students
  • Motion passes

 

TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY (4) Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Education, Leadership, and Organization

  • Silverman – Would prepare students for educational leadership roles; start date would be Jan. 2022; 75 semester credit hours post master’s degree, online-program
  • Population served would be different, would be statewide service
  • Costs would be $2.2 million
  • Carolyn Kapinus, Texas Woman’s University – Leadership central part of institution, interdisciplinary non-profit track sets it apart from other programs; online-format expands reach
  • Holly Hansen-Thomas, Texas Woman’s University – Appreciate opportunity to present proposed program
  • Motion passes

 

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO (5) Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in School Psychology

  • Silverman – Would prepare graduates for careers in licensed psychology; would seek accreditation from psychology association after approval
  • 87 credit hours for applicants with bachelor’s degree
  • Would hire 2 core faculty members
  • 5 year costs would total $4 million
  • Sharon Nichols, UT San Antonio – Would be only PHD in psychology degree in South Texas
  • Motion passes

 

Proposed rules:

Consideration of adopting the proposed amendments to Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter D, Section 4.84 of Board rules concerning institutional agreements for dual credit programs

  • Silverman – Brings code in accordance with SB 1277; academic advising for students in dual-credit courses, ensures that students take classes that pertain to their degree paths
  • Motion passes

 

Consideration of adopting the proposed amendments to Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 7, Subchapter A, Sections 7.7 and 7.8 of Board rules, incorporating restrictions added by Texas Education Code, Title 3, Subtitle B, Chapter 61, Section 61.303(c) and (c-1) and Section 61.306(a), (c), (c-1), and (d), enacted by the 87th Texas Legislature, Regular Session

  • Jackson – Brings code in accordance with SB 1490; authorization for institutions to offer degrees and courses leading to Texas locations, certification authority gives timelines for institutions seeking accreditation
  • Motion passes

 

Consideration of adopting the proposed amendments to Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 9, Subchapter N, Section 9.673 of Board rules, concerning baccalaureate degree programs at public junior colleges

  • Silverman – Brings code in accordance with HB 3348 and HB 885; increases number of bachelor competition programs that junior colleges are able to provide
  • Motion passes

 

Matters relating to the Agency Operations Committee

Committee Chair’s Overview

  • Schwartz – Gives overview of committee meeting; report on grants and contracts doesn’t require any action

 

Consideration of adopting a resolution authorizing the issuance of State of Texas College Student Loan Bonds in one or more series; and delegation of the authority for administration and approval of the activities necessary to complete the sale of the private activity bonds

  • Ken Martin, THECB – Bonds fund student loans for each year; resolution is to go to market, sell bonds in July, proceeds would fund academic year 2022-23; resolution delegates authority to act on behalf of Board on all matters necessary to close on bonds and receive those proceeds
  • Wilson – So would delegate for someone to negotiate legal/financial matters? So they can decide on those matters?
    • Martin – Correct
    • Richard Donoghue – No further action required from board
  • Motion passes