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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, Odessa College has been named the recipient of a |
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| 6 | 7 | | 2017 Rising Star award by the Aspen Institute; and |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, The Rising Star award recognizes public community |
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| 8 | 9 | | colleges across the country for exceptional achievement, measured |
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| 9 | 10 | | by outcomes in student learning, certificate and degree completion, |
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| 10 | 11 | | employment and earnings, and high levels of access and success for |
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| 11 | 12 | | minority and low-income students; the honor brings a monetary prize |
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| 12 | 13 | | of $100,000 to further advance the school's mission; and |
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| 13 | 14 | | WHEREAS, Many positive factors contributed to the selection |
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| 14 | 15 | | of Odessa College; the school increased its annual |
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| 15 | 16 | | graduation-transfer rates from 15 percent to 32 percent in just |
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| 16 | 17 | | four years, and it maintained a course withdrawal rate of only 1.8 |
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| 17 | 18 | | percent; five years after graduating, members of the Class of 2010 |
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| 18 | 19 | | earned more than double the wages of all other workers in the |
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| 19 | 20 | | region; moreover, OC prides itself on the cultural diversity of its |
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| 20 | 21 | | campus population; and |
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| 21 | 22 | | WHEREAS, Open access and affordability make community |
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| 22 | 23 | | colleges a vital component of higher education, and through its |
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| 23 | 24 | | long-standing commitment to excellence, Odessa College has |
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| 24 | 25 | | distinguished itself as a resource of immeasurable value to West |
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| 25 | 26 | | Texas and beyond; now, therefore, be it |
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| 26 | 27 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 27 | 28 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Odessa College on its receipt of a |
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| 28 | 29 | | Rising Star award from the Aspen Institute and extend to the |
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| 29 | 30 | | administration, faculty, students, and staff sincere best wishes |
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| 30 | 31 | | for continued success; and, be it further |
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| 31 | 32 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 32 | 33 | | prepared for Odessa College as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 33 | 34 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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