Bill Text: TX SR180 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Recognizing Raymund A. Paredes for his 15-year tenure as a Commissioner of Higher Education.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-03-06 - Again read [SR180 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-SR180-Enrolled.html

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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 180
WHEREAS, Dr. Raymund A. Paredes is concluding an
outstanding 15-year tenure as Texas commissioner of higher
education on August 31, 2019; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes is an alumnus of The University of
Texas at Austin, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in
English and a doctoral degree in American Civilization, and the
University of Southern California, where he earned a master's
degree in American Studies; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes joined the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board as commissioner of higher education in July
2004; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes has a long and broad range of
experience in public higher education; he served for 30 years as
a professor of English at the University of California, Los
Angeles, and he also served as department chair, dean, vice
chancellor, and special assistant to the president of the
University of California system; and
WHEREAS, As commissioner of higher education, Dr. Paredes
serves as the chief executive officer for the coordinating board
and manages staff and resources to achieve the goals for Texas
higher education as established by the board, the governor, and
the Texas legislature, and
WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes tirelessly advocates for the
importance of higher education in maintaining economic
competitiveness and quality of life in Texas; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes has had national influence on higher
education by effectively serving on the boards of various
national organizations, such as the American Association of
Colleges and Universities, The College Board, and the Education
Commission of the States, and he is the longest-serving current
member of the State Higher Education Executive Officers, the
national association of the chief executives of statewide
governing, policy, and coordinating boards of postsecondary
education; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes has worked effectively with
institutions of higher education, the legislature, the
governor's office, the business community, and primary school
and secondary school educational leaders to develop and
implement higher education policies that have improved student
access and success, raised educational excellence, and promoted
efficient use of state resources; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes focused on the importance of both
increasing access to postsecondary education and helping
students complete their certificates and degrees, and this has
led to Texas dramatically exceeding the student completion goal
of the state's previous higher education plan, Closing the Gaps
by 2015; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes has served as the primary advocate
for 60x30TX, the state's current higher education plan, and he
has consistently sought to expand public support for the plan and
identified and implemented strategies and practices to achieve
its goals; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes adheres to the highest standards of
integrity and ethical behavior and is an educational leader of
passion and vision who is fully committed to expanding
educational opportunity and success to Texans of all
backgrounds; and
WHEREAS, His many accomplishments as commissioner of
higher education include the reinvention of developmental
education and the implementation of an outcomes-based funding
model for two-year colleges that focuses on student success; he
also worked to establish the tri-agency partnership under
Governor Greg Abbott that includes the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board, the Texas Education Agency, and the Texas
Workforce Commission; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes came from a poor family where the
number-one priority was always education, and due to his
upbringing, he has been passionate his entire adult life about
extending educational opportunity to children from all
backgrounds; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes has advocated tirelessly for
increased funding for, and efficiencies in, the TEXAS Grant
program, the state's largest need-plus-merit grant program,
which has grown by 142 percent since 2004; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes has also promoted other models for
financial aid, such as expanded work-study and paid internships,
to help the state achieve the marketable skills and student debt
goals of 60x30TX; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Paredes has spearheaded the growth of the
Texas Affordable Baccalaureate to make college more affordable
to students by securing private grants to support the start-up of
these programs; as a result of his efforts, Texas now has 10
institutions participating in this program; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 86th
Legislature, hereby commend Dr. Raymund A. Paredes for his
exceptional career as commissioner of higher education and
extend to him sincere best wishes for continued success as he
embarks on the next chapter of his life; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
Dr. Paredes as an expression of high regard from the
Texas Senate.
Watson
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on February 11, 2019.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate