News + Publications
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- Developmental education and performance funding will see legislative activity in 2011.
- Formula funding for community and technical colleges for the next biennium rose significantly. See how much "general revenue" your school will get in each year, starting in 2010.
- TCCTA celebrates the life and shares in the loss of Dr. Joe F. Taylor, Amarillo College professor emeritus and former TCCTA President, 1952-53. Our sincere appreciation for his outstanding contribution to college teaching in Texas.
- "Dead" bills of particular interest to two-year colleges. Most deal with subjects that will likely return in 2011.
- TRS and ORP: Changes enacted in the rates paid by the state for the two retirement programs serving higher education employees.
- Proportionality: the good news and the not-so-good news for the 2010-11 biennium.
- HB 2504 "Transparency Bill" grows from 30 to 60 paragraphs, and from 566 to 1491 words to include faculty evaluations on The Web, in the final week of Session.
- HB 4149 has been sent to the governor requiring the Coordinating Board to study how to save costs in higher education. The board must submit the study no later than January 31, 2011
- Texas State Technical College makes virtual classroom history as it graduates its first student trained entirely via Second Life.
- Firearm bill SB 1164, permiting college students who are at least 21 and licensed to carry concealed handguns to bring those weapons into campus buildings, passed the Senate.
- The good, the bad, and the ugly of online instruction. Rob Weir of the "Instant Mentor" section of Inside Higher Ed. has written a great piece including practical tips in concise and thoughtful prose.
- E-books target colleges. Last week Amazon unveiled a larger version of its Kindle e-reader in the hopes of luring college students.
- Social Security Bills have been introduced again this session to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. They are HR 235 and S 484.
- 2009 Piper Professors: Five Texas community college educators have been chosen.
- Proportionality bill passes House. HB 2083 has passed the House overwhelmingly and will next be considered in the Senate.
- Joint Conference Committee set. The work of the Conference Committee will decide the fate of many important matters for community and technical college educators.
- College Readiness: HB 3, Rob Eissler’s school accountability bill, passed out of committee with only one “no” vote. The bill addresses “the three Rs—rigor, relevance and relationships.
- Teachers of developmental education are urged to examine HB 3791. The bill would assign the primary responsibility for developmental education to community colleges.
- Free Texas statewide conference aimed at improving the success of college transfer students is on Friday, May 22. Eight regional host sites will be: Dallas/Fort Worth, El Paso, Lubbock, Tyler, Houston, Austin, McAllen, and San Antonio.
- How colleges get through recession: A cry for fresh ideas beyond cutting travel, professional development and replacing retirees with adjunct instructors.
- SB 145, targeting book "bundling", by Sen. Rodney Ellis (D-Houston), has been scheduled for a hearing before the Senate Higher Education Committee Wednesday, April 15th.
TCCTA Blog
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Online voting has ended....
Voting for the 2009-10 TCCTA Officers will be offered during the 62nd Annual Convention, Friday, February 20 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
TCCTA Legislative Resources for 2009:
TCCTA "tracked" bills for 2009
Developmental Education "Talking Points"
Textbook Selection "Talking Points"
Performance Funding “Talking Points”
Proportionality "Talking Points"
Guide to Political Participation
TCCTA Messenger
TCCTA Messenger
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