A commission charged by the Legislature to suggest new ways of funding Texas community colleges is poised to recommend a complete system overhaul that would tie state dollars to how successful schools are at getting students to graduation or four-year universities.
The Texas Commission on Community College Finance, a group of lawmakers, business leaders and community college presidents created last legislative session, released its draft recommendations ahead of a meeting Monday to hear testimony on its vision. The group has been meeting throughout the past year, but the draft recommendations are the first glimpse into what types of changes lawmakers might consider when they convene in January.
The major recommended change would be to fund schools based on the number of students who complete their certificate or degree programs or transfer to a four-year university to continue their
Austin, TX - The T.L.L. Temple Foundation awarded $2.2 million over five years to the Texas Success Center, a Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC) division, to improve young adults’ postsecondary and employment outcomes in rural areas of East Texas.
Through the foundation’s generous support, the Talent Strong East Texas Strategy will strengthen, scale, and expand guided pathways into a regional pipeline strategy targeting postsecondary degrees or credentials that lead to high-demand, high-wage jobs. The goal is to upskill East Texans, especially students who are Black, Latinx, or from low-income communities, by building sustainable pipelines that create a steady flow of valuably credentialed workers for thriving East Texas businesses.
“There is an urgent need to enable well-trained East Texans to enter meaningful careers with family-sustaining wages while providing an
Congratulations to Dr. Kurt Ewen,Vice Chancellor for Strategy Planning & Institutional Effectiveness and Chief of Staff at Houston Community College for winning the Carl “Cheesie” Nelson Award for 2022.
Dr. Ewen has exemplified what it means to be a transformational leader by developing a vision for HCC’s future that follows uncharted pathways. He has a deep understanding of organizational design, is adept at mobilizing commitment from people, and, most importantly, is able to institutionalize that commitment. With more than 20 years of experience in higher education, he is fully committed to creating large-scale change that impacts the greatest number of students.
During the awards ceremony, Dr. Cesar Maldonado, Chancellor of HCCS, said, “Dr. Ewen’s contributions to HCC have greatly impacted both the experience of our students and the Houston community. By identifying ways to be
Austin, TX – The Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC) announced today that the Board has appointed Ray Martinez III as President & Chief Executive Officer. He will officially assume leadership of the association on August 22, 2022. Martinez will provide leadership to advance state policy, institutional practice, and research in support of the Texas community colleges that comprise the TACC membership.
“The Board and I are confident Ray is the right leader for the association as he was unanimously supported by the TACC Board. I’m certain he will continue to build on the momentum the association has created leading up to the 88th legislative session with a passion for the students we serve,” said William Serrata, TACC Board Chair and President of El Paso Community College. “We are fortunate to have him.”
"Community colleges serve as a foundation of the higher education
I recently sat down with policy leaders from across the country at a meeting hosted by Business Roundtable in Washington, D.C. As you can imagine, the economy and workforce were top of mind for all of us.
Employers statewide are having varying levels of difficulty finding skilled workers. While there’s no one tool that can alleviate this nationwide challenge, there is a toolbox.
Take the Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education (TRUE) initiative, for example. This tool was passed by the Texas Legislature in 2021 and focuses on bringing industry and education together to launch or upgrade industry-aligned, high-demand career programs that can be completed in six months or less. Under TRUE, Texas has already directed $26 million to skills training at 46 colleges and multi-college collaboratives across the state, with $15 million more recently announced. TRUE also aligns with Tex
