Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2194 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	88R9335 CXP-F
2	2	By: Menéndez, et al. S.B. No. 2194
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to promoting racial equity in the hiring and promotion of
8	8	faculty members by public institutions of higher education.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Section 51.9085 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 51.9085. FACULTY DIVERSIFICATION PLAN AND REPORT. (a)
13	13	In this section, "institution of higher education" has the meaning
14	14	assigned by Section 61.003.
15	15	(b) Each institution of higher education shall develop a
16	16	five-year, research-based plan to increase racial diversity among
17	17	faculty members at the institution. The plan must include:
18	18	(1) diversity and equity assessments that include the
19	19	perspectives of faculty members of color;
20	20	(2) strategies for increasing racial diversity among
21	21	faculty members to the extent necessary to reflect the racial
22	22	diversity of the institution's student population; and
23	23	(3) research-based methods for supporting faculty
24	24	members of color to and through tenure and promotion.
25	25	(c) Each institution of higher education shall update its
26	26	plan as appropriate at the conclusion of each five-year period.
27	27	(d) Each institution of higher education shall annually
28	28	prepare and submit to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
29	29	a report on the institution's progress in increasing racial
30	30	diversity among faculty members in accordance with the plan
31	31	developed under this section. The report must include data on the
32	32	rank, salary, tenure, and promotion of faculty members of color as
33	33	compared to white faculty members at the institution, disaggregated
34	34	by department and college, as applicable.
35	35	SECTION 2. Section 61.057, Education Code, is amended to
36	36	read as follows:
37	37	Sec. 61.057. PROMOTION OF TEACHING EXCELLENCE AND EQUITY.
38	38	(a) To achieve excellence and equity in the teaching of students at
39	39	institutions and agencies of higher education, the board shall:
40	40	(1) develop and recommend:
41	41	(A) minimum equitable faculty compensation
42	42	plans, basic increment programs, and incentive salary increases;
43	43	(B) minimum equitable standards for faculty
44	44	appointment, advancement, promotion, and retirement;
45	45	(C) equitable [general] policies for faculty
46	46	teaching loads, and division of faculty time between teaching,
47	47	research, administrative duties, and special assignments;
48	48	(D) equitable faculty improvement programs,
49	49	including a plan for sabbatical leaves, appropriate for the junior
50	50	and senior colleges and universities, respectively; and
51	51	(E) minimum equitable standards for academic
52	52	freedom, academic responsibility, and tenure;
53	53	(2) pursue vigorously and continuously a goal of
54	54	having all college and university academic classes taught by
55	55	racially diverse faculty members [persons] holding the minimum of
56	56	an earned master's degree or its equivalent in academic training,
57	57	creative work, or professional accomplishment;
58	58	(3) explore, promote, and coordinate the use of
59	59	educational television among institutions of higher education and
60	60	encourage participation by public and private schools and private
61	61	institutions of higher education in educational television;
62	62	(4) conduct, and encourage the institutions of higher
63	63	education to conduct, research into new methods, materials, and
64	64	techniques for improving the quality of instruction and for the
65	65	maximum utilization of all available teaching techniques, devices,
66	66	and resources, including but not limited to large classes, team
67	67	teaching, programmed instruction, interlibrary exchanges, joint
68	68	libraries, specially-designed facilities, visual aids, and other
69	69	innovations that offer promise for superior teaching or for meeting
70	70	the need for new faculty members, especially faculty members of
71	71	color, to teach anticipated larger numbers of students; and
72	72	(5) assume initiative and leadership in providing
73	73	through the institutions of higher education in the state those
74	74	programs and offerings which will achieve the objectives set forth
75	75	in Section 61.002 [of this code].
76	76	(b) For purposes of this section, a plan, program, policy,
77	77	or standard is equitable if it is:
78	78	(1) free from racial bias and discriminatory barriers;
79	79	(2) characterized by support based on an understanding
80	80	of the distinct needs of faculty members of color;
81	81	(3) designed with structures that promote the success
82	82	of faculty members of color; and
83	83	(4) intentional about ensuring that faculty members of
84	84	color are represented at all levels of decision-making.
85	85	SECTION 3. Section 61.059(a), Education Code, is amended to
86	86	read as follows:
87	87	(a) To finance a system of higher education and to secure an
88	88	equitable distribution of state funds deemed to be available for
89	89	higher education, the board shall perform the functions described
90	90	in this section. Funding policies shall:
91	91	(1) allocate resources efficiently and provide
92	92	incentives for programs of superior quality and for institutional
93	93	diversity that reflects proportional racial representation between
94	94	faculty members and students, as provided in each institution of
95	95	higher education's faculty diversification plan developed under
96	96	Section 51.9085;
97	97	(2) provide incentives for supporting the five-year
98	98	master plan developed and revised under Section 61.051;
99	99	(3) discourage unnecessary duplication of course
100	100	offerings between institutions and unnecessary construction on any
101	101	campus; and
102	102	(4) emphasize an alignment with education goals
103	103	established by the board.
104	104	SECTION 4. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective
105	105	date of this Act, each public institution of higher education shall
106	106	develop the faculty diversification plan required under Section
107	107	51.9085, Education Code, as added by this Act.
108	108	(b) Not later than September 1, 2024, each public
109	109	institution of higher education shall prepare and submit to the
110	110	Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board the initial report
111	111	required under Section 51.9085, Education Code, as added by this
112	112	Act.
113	113	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.