Message-ID: <25183204.1075854359848.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 12:06:00 -0700 (PDT) From: owner-texasexes@avatartechnology.com To: texasexes@avatartechnology.com Subject: Your University Needs Your Help! Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: owner-texasexes@avatartechnology.com X-To: Multiple recipients of list texasexes X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \Darron_Giron_Jun2001\Notes Folders\All documents X-Origin: Giron-D X-FileName: dgiron.nsf This message is brought to you by The Texas Exes. If you have any comments or suggestions about its content, contact us at mailto:UTAdvocates@alumni.utexas.edu Please do not respond to this message using the "reply" function. To be removed from our mailing list see instructions at the bottom of this message. ******************************************************** Dear UT Alumni and Friends, There are two funding issues before the Texas Legislature that are of critical importance to The University of Texas at Austin and all of higher education. These issues are: Increasing university tuition rates by $2 a semester credit hour each year through the 2005-2006 academic year; and Retaining 100% of indirect cost funding earned on research awards and contracts. WE NEED YOU TO CONTACT LEGISLATORS TO VOICE YOUR SUPPORT FOR THESE MEASURES. Unless these two issues are passed by the Legislature, UT Austin risks being less competitive with its peer institutions for faculty and research dollars, and will lose the momentum that resulted from the investment made in higher education for the last two legislative sessions. INCREASING TUITION: Senate Bill 1466 by Senator Teel Bivins and House Bill 2531 by Representative Rob Junell would authorize a $2 a semester credit hour increase in tuition rates each year through the 2005-2006 academic year. The House bill also increases tuition by $1 a semester credit hour for each of the following five years. We do not know which bill will move first. However, one of these bills should be before the full Senate or House soon. Please call your State Senator and Representative and other members you know and say, "I support SB 1466 and HB 2531, the bills to increase tuition rates at universities, and urge you to vote for this legislation when it reaches the Senate/House floor." (Phone numbers available at http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/senmem.htm and http://www.house.state.tx.us/house/member.htm) (or copy this address into the location/address field of your browser) Reasons to support the bill include: Texas ranks 32nd among the states in total tuition and fees paid to comprehensive colleges and universities. Tuition is a necessary part of the financing for university operations since general revenue provides only a portion of state appropriated funds. The first year revenue gain from the tuition increase for all universities would be about $22 million. Of that amount, over $6 million would flow to UT System universities. Fifteen percent of the tuition increase is devoted automatically to student financial aid. RETENTION OF 100% OF INDIRECT COST FUNDING: Senate Bill 1, the State budget bill, uses 50% of the indirect cost funds earned by a university on research awards and contracts to offset university appropriations. The Conference Committee on SB 1 may consider allowing universities to retain up to 100% of these funds. Please call members of the Conference Committee on SB 1 and say, "I support allowing universities to retain 100% of indirect cost funds earned on research grants and contracts, and urge you to make that change in the Appropriations Bill, SB 1." The 10 Senators and Representatives on the Conference Committee are: Senators Rodney Ellis (512-463-0113), Robert Duncan (512-463-0128), Chris Harris (512-463-0110), Steve Ogden (512-463-0105) and Judith Zaffirini (512-463-0121), and Representatives Rob Junell (512-463-0472), Garnet Coleman (512-463-0524), Pete Gallego (512-463-0566), Talmadge Heflin (512-463-0568), and Buddy West (512-463-0546). Reasons to support this change are: All of the ten most populous states allow their institutions to retain 100% of their indirect costs, except for Florida, whose institutions retain 98%, and Texas, whose universities get only 50%. UT Austin would gain an estimated $16.3 million per year in additional revenue with this change. This revenue could be used to expand UT's research capabilities by supporting faculty, providing seed money for new projects and purchasing research-related equipment. Three recent reports recommend that Texas universities be allowed to retain 100% of indirect cost funding. These include reports from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, a special commission appointed by then-Lieutenant Governor Rick Perry, and Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Carole Rylander. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO SUPPORT YOUR UNIVERSITY BY CONTACTING LEGISLATORS ON THESE TWO IMPORTANT ISSUES. ******************************************************** The Ex-Students' Association maintains alumni records for The University of Texas and from time to time may provide you with information regarding The University or Association, which we believe you may have an interest. 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