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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Raymund A. Paredes is retiring from his post as |
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| 6 | 7 | | the Texas commissioner of higher education in August 2019, drawing |
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| 7 | 8 | | to a close a tenure distinguished by significant progress and |
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| 8 | 9 | | achievement; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes has served as CEO of the Texas Higher |
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| 10 | 11 | | Education Coordinating Board since 2004, overseeing statewide |
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| 11 | 12 | | strategic planning for education and the administration of |
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| 12 | 13 | | financial aid; over the course of his exemplary 15-year tenure, he |
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| 13 | 14 | | has led the effort to reinvent developmental education in Texas, |
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| 14 | 15 | | introduced outcome-based funding for community and technical |
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| 15 | 16 | | colleges, and launched an affordable bachelor's degree program at |
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| 16 | 17 | | more than 10 institutions; and |
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| 17 | 18 | | WHEREAS, A native of El Paso, Raymund Paredes earned his |
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| 18 | 19 | | bachelor's degree in English from The University of Texas at |
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| 19 | 20 | | Austin; he served for two years in the U.S. Army, including a |
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| 20 | 21 | | 14-month tour of duty in Vietnam with the First Infantry Division, |
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| 21 | 22 | | and after returning to civilian life, he received a master's degree |
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| 22 | 23 | | in American studies from the University of Southern California and |
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| 23 | 24 | | a Ph.D. in American civilization from UT Austin in 1973; and |
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| 24 | 25 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes spent much of his academic career at the |
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| 25 | 26 | | University of California, Los Angeles, where he was an English |
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| 26 | 27 | | professor and vice chancellor for academic development; he also |
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| 27 | 28 | | served as special assistant to the president of the UC System, |
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| 28 | 29 | | working on outreach efforts to improve access to education for |
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| 29 | 30 | | students from educationally disadvantaged communities; he went on |
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| 30 | 31 | | to serve as director of creativity and culture at the Rockefeller |
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| 31 | 32 | | Foundation and as president for programs for the Hispanic |
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| 32 | 33 | | Scholarship Fund; and |
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| 33 | 34 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes has been a member of the Education |
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| 34 | 35 | | Commission of the States, the national board of Big Brothers Big |
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| 35 | 36 | | Sisters, and the board of the Texas Cultural Trust, as well as a |
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| 36 | 37 | | trustee of the College Board and Mercy College of New York; in 2007, |
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| 37 | 38 | | he was named one of Hispanic Business magazine's 100 Most |
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| 38 | 39 | | Influential Hispanics; and |
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| 39 | 40 | | WHEREAS, This esteemed professional's vision, leadership, |
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| 40 | 41 | | and commitment to the mission of higher education have greatly |
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| 41 | 42 | | benefited the students of Texas, and he may indeed reflect with |
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| 42 | 43 | | pride on all that he has accomplished; now, therefore, be it |
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| 43 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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| 44 | 45 | | Legislature hereby commend Dr. Raymund A. Paredes on his 15 years |
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| 45 | 46 | | of service as Texas commissioner of higher education and extend to |
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| 46 | 47 | | him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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| 47 | 48 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 48 | 49 | | prepared for Dr. Paredes as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 49 | 50 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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