Members of the Texas Tech System Board of Regents and the system's component institutions gathered in Lubbock on Thursday and Friday to discuss various agenda items and construction plans.
Among the agenda items was a visit from the chair of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board—the governing body for all higher education institutions in Texas—who shared with the regents strategic initiatives to increase a strong workforce in Texas through higher education.
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Also among the items was a presentation from the Texas Tech System's audit office over the system's compliance with Senate Bill 17 — recent state legislation that bans many diversity, equity and inclusion practices, offices and programs at state colleges.
Here is a quick rundown of what was said about each topic.
Texas Tech System in compliance with Senate Bill 17
SB 17 focused on eliminating diversity, equity and practices across Texas' higher education institutions during the Texas legislative session in 2023. The bill came in to effect on Jan. 1, 2024, forcing universities to comply with its requirements by then.
Dig Deeper:Texas Tech response to new state DEI laws concerns some on campus
In previous A-J reporting, sources from Texas Tech told a reporter that "people who hold racist or hom*ophobic or transphobic beliefs have been a lot more outspoken in ways that are not creating a campus community that is welcoming and safe for everyone" with the loss of the DEI offices and programs on the Texas Tech campus.
Now, after a few months of the bill being in effect, universities must submit a report to the HECB and the Texas Legislature that certifies the systems and its component institution's compliance with the law.
In order to ensure its institutions are in compliance, the Texas Tech University System Office of Audit Services conducted an audit of each component institution, with Teresa Jack, assistant chief audit executive for the system, looking at key points to determine compliance:
- Verified the closure or repurposing of DEI offices, divisions, or other units.
- Reviewed job duties of repurposed or reassigned employees from DEI offices
- Verified termination of DEI-related third parties
- Verified employees with DEI-related duties outside of DEI offices have been repurposed or reassigned to non-DEI jobs.
- Verified diversity plans and reports have been discounted and removed from websites.
- Verified DEI-related programs and activities have been discontinued or revised.
- Verified using keyword searches that unallowable DEI activities or references have been identified and removed from websites and social media.
- Verified that hiring and employment practices have been updated to exclude required DEI statements and preferential treatment.
- Tested samples of job postings and hiring files.
- Reviewed employment forms.
- Verified unallowable required training has been discontinued.
- Verified that the TTU System and institutional policies aligned with the Texas Education Code and were communicated to faculty, staff and students.
- Determined what internal control and monitoring processes are in place to ensure ongoing compliance.
- Determined whether the institution has a process in place that provides reasonable assurance that certification of compliance for the President to the chancellor and Board of Regents is accurate and complete.
"Teresa and her team looked at not only the letter of the law but they discerned whether the institutions were following the spirit of the law," said Kim Turner, chief audit executive for the system. "All five institutions are following both the letter and spirit of the law."
One recommendation for the regents to consider moving forward is to devise a comprehensive monitoring program at each of the five universities to ensure ongoing compliance with the law, as the board must submit a report stating its compliance by Aug. 31 of each year to the Texas Legislature and HECB.
Jack noted that the Texas State Auditor's Office oversees ensuring that the universities follow the law; however, since this is the first year, it is unknown how the type of audit will be conducted.
HECB's plan to build a strong Texas workforce through higher ed
Named "Building a Talent Strong Texas," Chairman Dr. Fred Farias III of the HECB presented the coordinating board's strategic plan to ensure an educated workforce in Texas.
"Over the last decade, Texans have earned more degrees, certificates and credentials than any other time in our history," Farias III said. "We have outpaced every state in the nation in growing our undergraduate and graduate student enrollments."
Farias III said that the Georgetown Center on Education and Workforce projects that by 2031, 63% of all jobs across Texas will require education beyond a high school diploma. To ensure that Texas is ready for this shift, Farias III said the coordinating board has devised three major ways to prepare the workforce for this shift.
One of the ways is to ensure the affordability of getting post-secondary credentials or degrees.
"Our new goal is that by 2030, 95% of Texas students should be able to complete their undergraduate degree with no or manageable student debt," Farias III said.
This will increase the number of degrees Texas gives out each year with a target goal of 550,000 degrees each year.
Another way is to make sure 60% of the individuals in the 25-34 and 35-64 age range demographic have a degree, certificate or other postsecondary credential. The last way is to increase research, development and innovation throughout the state.
"We've included new goals to increase annual private and federal sponsored research by $1 billion by 2030 and to increase our production of research doctorates to 7,500 a year," Farias III said.
With ambitious goals set for the state, Farias III said its institutions, like those within the Texas Tech University System, will help achieve these goals. He also expressed gratitude to TTU Chancellor Tedd Mitchell for his leadership.
"Thank you for your commitment and your work - for your collective efforts in expanding access to higher education and fostering a culture of excellence at the Texas Tech University System," Farias III said.
