84R21669 BK-D
By: Anderson of McLennan H.R. No. 1994
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Students, faculty, and staff of Texas State
Technical College are gathering in Austin on April 22, 2015, in
celebration of Texas State Technical College Day at the State
Capitol as well as in observance of the 50th anniversary of the
school's founding; and
WHEREAS, On this date in 1965, the 59th Texas Legislature
signed a bill into law to create a new technical-vocational
institute as a branch of Texas A&M University; originally called
the James Connally Technical Institute, it was established on the
James Connally Air Force Base in Waco; four of the institute's
original campuses were founded on former air force bases that were
closed following the end of hostilities in Korea; and
WHEREAS, In 1969, the college became a stand-alone
institution by order of the legislature, and the first members of
the board of regents were appointed; to keep pace with demand,
extension centers were built across the state, and in 1991, these
centers were elevated to the status of two-year technical colleges
under the name Texas State Technical College; and
WHEREAS, Today, Texas State Technical College boasts 11
locations in Abilene, Breckenridge, Brownwood, Harlingen,
Ingleside, Marshall, Red Oak, Sweetwater, Waco, Fort Bend County,
and Williamson County; it offers 124 associate's degrees and 133
certification programs that are adapted to current industry needs,
and it ranks first in Texas in conferring associate's degrees in
engineering fields, computer and information science and support
services, and precision production; and
WHEREAS, Each branch of TSTC is committed to excellence in
teaching, research, public service, and economic development, and
collectively, they have graduated over 97,500 students since the
college's inception half a century ago; TSTC further benefits from
more than 40 partnerships with other colleges and universities,
businesses, and school districts, making technical education
accessible to a wide population of Texans; and
WHEREAS, The institution is focused on providing students
with a route to a financially rewarding career; from 2010 to 2012,
the average first-year earnings of TSTC graduates rose by 60
percent; in addition, from 2010 to 2014, TSTC saw a 23 percent
increase in the number of awards won by students, and to date, TSTC
students have received more national SkillsUSA medals than all
other two- and four-year colleges in Texas combined; in 2013, TSTC
became the first college in the nation to adopt an
accountability-based funding model in which funds received by the
school are determined by student earnings and associated state tax
revenues; and
WHEREAS, By equipping them with leading-edge technical
skills and knowledge, Texas State Technical College is setting
numerous Texans on a course to lifelong success, and the
contributions of the school and its alumni are helping to keep the
Lone Star State at the forefront of industry and innovation; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize April 22, 2015, as Texas State
Technical College Day at the State Capitol and extend to the
visiting delegation sincere best wishes for an enjoyable and
informative stay in Austin; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Texas State Technical College as an expression of high
regard by the Texas House of Representatives.