College teachers group tracks pending legislation in Austin

"Building a Better Texas" is the Texas Community College Teachers Association's theme this year. TCCTA members participated in Community College Day Feb. 19 at the state Capitol in Austin to further this goal.

The regular session of the 81st Texas Legislature began in January, and since then, more than 100 bills relating to higher education have gone to committee.

TCCTA is keeping track of 82 bills that could directly affect the students, faculty and staff of community colleges.

Senate Bill 454 relates to increasing the affordability of textbooks used for higher education courses at public institutions.

SB41 addresses proportionality in the health benefits of junior college employees. Proportionality would base funds for these employees on the state's portion of community college funding.

TCCTA and the Texas Association of Community Colleges oppose this method. According to the TCCTA blog, "This would result in a drastic reduction in revenue for health benefits and make it difficult to recruit and retain talented educators."

TCCTA President Revis Bell said it was important for community college educators to participate in the legislative process by voicing their experiences, and any concerns, to their lawmakers.

"Social responsibility is one of the main focal points of my presidency," Bell said.

Bell said members of the Senate and House Higher Education Committees do have positions on the bills they will be voting on, but are receptive to input from TCCTA members that could possibly affect their votes.

Bell also said two of the biggest issues TCCTA is interested in this legislative session are textbook prices and proportionality.

"Any way you look at it, our students need to be able to afford the textbooks," Bell said. "We (community colleges) have a very important part in the education of the citizenry of Texas, which directly impacts the workforce of the 21st century."

Suzanna Miller, surgical technology program coordinator at Galveston College who attended Community College Day for the first time, used the meeting as a learning experience.

"It's good to come, so that we'll learn the process, and be more prepared next time," Miller said. "Voices speak volumes."

Miller said she was interested in appropriation and the cost of textbooks.

"I think textbooks should not cost more than the cost of tuition," Miller said. "In any given situation, there is always room for give and take.

"The publishers should look at it from the students' point of view. Some students don't come because it is cost prohibitive," Miller said.

TCCTA lobbyist Beaman Floyd was available to advise participating educators.

"I would say that the most important thing I do is educate both my clients about the Legislature, and the legislators about my clients," Floyd said.

"I have had the good fortune in my career to choose clients whose positions I agree with.

"The underlying value of my job is I get to facilitate freedom of assembly," Floyd said.

Floyd continued, "There is an unhealthy aspect of politics where people rant, and it doesn't accomplish anything. It's not like you have a license to yell at your elected officials. Nor do you defer and say, 'This person is important, and I'm not.'

"I think there needs to be a healthy accountability in government. When you get people who come in and communicate in a real way with policymakers, it's very powerful," Floyd said.

TCCTA's 62nd annual convention was scheduled to coincide with Community College Day. Psychology Chair Thomas E. Billimek said reduced funding may have deterred some faculty members from going.

"Typically, the college paid for the registration fee, and $100 for travel expenses. This year, the college paid $75 for the registration, and $25 for travel. I think most of us would rather have funding for the summer session than for the convention," Billimek said.

On Feb. 12, President Robert Zeigler gave department chairs a choice between cutting 30 percent of their operating budgets, or offering summer courses. Every departmental account was reduced by Feb. 16.

Zeigler said the budget was not an attendance factor.

"The funding was reduced due to general budget concerns." In the past the registration was $50 and the college paid a total of $150, Zeigler said.

"This year 79 went, last year only 50, and the year before, about 83 went," Zeigler said.

"The numbers do not show that people did not go due to the cuts."

For more information on TCCTA, visit tccta.org.