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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Dr. W. David Watts will retire as president of The |
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| 6 | 7 | | University of Texas of the Permian Basin in August 2017, drawing to |
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| 7 | 8 | | a close more than 16 years of exemplary service to the university; |
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| 8 | 9 | | and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, A native Texan, David Watts received his bachelor's |
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| 10 | 11 | | degree in sociology and English from The University of Texas at |
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| 11 | 12 | | Austin and his master's and doctoral degrees in sociology from the |
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| 12 | 13 | | State University of New York at Buffalo; early in his academic |
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| 13 | 14 | | career, he taught in the sociology and anthropology department of |
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| 14 | 15 | | Ohio University and at Southwest Texas State University, where he |
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| 15 | 16 | | also served as department chair; he went on to assume the post of |
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| 16 | 17 | | dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Southeastern Louisiana |
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| 17 | 18 | | University and subsequently served as vice president for academic |
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| 18 | 19 | | and student affairs at Jacksonville State University in Alabama; |
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| 19 | 20 | | and |
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| 20 | 21 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Watts became the fifth president of The |
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| 21 | 22 | | University of Texas of the Permian Basin in February 2001, and over |
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| 22 | 23 | | the course of his exemplary 15-year tenure, UTPB has grown from |
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| 23 | 24 | | 2,200 students to more than 6,100, while the enrollment in |
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| 24 | 25 | | engineering classes has nearly quintupled, from 111 students in |
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| 25 | 26 | | 2009 to 541 in 2014; under his stewardship, the university has |
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| 26 | 27 | | earned professional accreditation for its programs in business, |
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| 27 | 28 | | engineering, nursing, education, music, athletic training, and |
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| 28 | 29 | | social work; and |
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| 29 | 30 | | WHEREAS, In his work to expand the school's Midland campus, |
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| 30 | 31 | | Dr. Watts has overseen the creation of the Wagner Noel Performing |
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| 31 | 32 | | Arts Center as well as the planning for a new 80,000-square-foot |
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| 32 | 33 | | engineering school; moreover, UTPB has created a STEM Charter |
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| 33 | 34 | | School and a pioneering virtual Early College High School network |
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| 34 | 35 | | that serves nine school districts in Texas, and it has also become |
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| 35 | 36 | | the first university in Texas to offer a $10,000 bachelor's degree |
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| 36 | 37 | | in selected majors; in 2015, Dr. Watts was selected as the Citizen |
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| 37 | 38 | | of the Year by the Odessa Chamber of Commerce; and |
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| 38 | 39 | | WHEREAS, This esteemed administrator's dedication, visionary |
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| 39 | 40 | | leadership, and commitment to excellence have greatly benefited The |
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| 40 | 41 | | University of Texas of the Permian Basin and earned him the respect |
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| 41 | 42 | | and admiration of its students, faculty, and staff, and he may |
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| 42 | 43 | | indeed reflect with pride on a career well spent as he embarks on |
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| 43 | 44 | | the next exciting chapter of his life; now, therefore, be it |
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| 44 | 45 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 45 | 46 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Dr. W. David Watts on his |
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| 46 | 47 | | retirement as president of The University of Texas of the Permian |
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| 47 | 48 | | Basin and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued success |
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| 48 | 49 | | and happiness; and, be it further |
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| 49 | 50 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 50 | 51 | | prepared for Dr. Watts as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 51 | 52 | | House of Representatives. |
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