Contact: Monty Jones, (512) 499-4363

Date: January 21, 1998

UT System News Media Advisory

The Texas Higher Education Coalition
The Texas Association of Community Colleges
The Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas
The Texas State University System
The Texas A&M University System
The Texas Tech University System
The University of Houston System
The University of North Texas System
The University of Texas System

The statewide Texas Commission on a Representative Student Body, composed of 24 community leaders from across the state, will hold its first meeting on Monday, January 26, 1998, in Austin. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. in the 2nd Floor Conference Room of Ashbel Smith Hall, 201 W. 7th Street. (Ashbel Smith Hall is part of The University of Texas System's administrative offices in downtown Austin.)

From 10 a.m. to noon, the commission will hear briefings from state, federal, and higher education officials on issues related to diversity and equal opportunity in higher education. That portion of the meeting is open to the news media.

In the afternoon, the commission will hold a closed meeting to elect a chair and vice chairs and to begin organizing its work. After it has organized, the commission itself will determine its schedule of meetings and its procedures.

The commission was formed in October by the Texas Higher Education Coalition to make recommendations on how colleges and universities can increase minority enrollment without affirmative action programs, which were outlawed in Texas by a federal appeals court in the Hopwood case.

The coalition represents 43 public universities and health institutions, 50 public community college districts, and 41 independent colleges and universities, which have a combined enrollment of more than 925,000 students. Each of the eight higher education entities named three members to the commission.

AGENDA

I. CALL TO ORDER - INTRODUCTIONS - REVIEW OF THE CHARGE TO THE COMMISSION

II. BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND PARAMETERS: A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE HOPWOOD DECISION AND ITS INTERPRETATION - Mr. Ray Farabee, U. T. System Vice Chancellor and General Counsel, and Mr. Jay Aguilar, Special Assistant Attorney General, State of Texas

III. POST-HOPWOOD RESPONSES AND ACTIONS BY THE TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD - Dr. Don W. Brown, Commissioner

IV. REVIEW OF OTHER POST-HOPWOOD EFFORTS AND STUDIES

A. A Report Regarding the Texas Comptroller's Disparity Study - Mr. Ray Bonilla, General Counsel, Office of the Comptroller

B. Comments Regarding Federal Initiatives and Activities

Mrs. Sally Cain, Secretary's Regional Representative, Department of Education

Mr. Taylor D. August, Director, Dallas Office, Southern Division, Office of Civil Rights

V. COMMENTS BY THE PRESIDENT & CHANCELLORS OF THE TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COALITION

President John Anthony, Collin County Community College District - Representing the Texas Association of Community Colleges

Chancellor Herbert H. Reynolds, Baylor University - Representing the Independent Colleges of Texas

Chancellor Barry B. Thompson, Texas A&M University System

Chancellor Lamar G. Urbanovsky, Texas State University System

Chancellor John T. Montford, Texas Tech University System

Chancellor Arthur K. Smith, University of Houston System

Chancellor Alfred F. Hurley, University of North Texas System

Chancellor William H. Cunningham, University of Texas System

VI. CONSULTATION WITH THE PRESIDENT AND CHANCELLORS - GENERAL DISCUSSION REGARDING THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION

VII. BREAK AND WORKING LUNCH

[Note: The President and Chancellors will leave the meeting at this juncture. Resource Persons for the eight higher education coalition entities will remain to assist the Commission as needed and as requested.]

VIII. ELECTION OF THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIRS OF THE COMMISSION

IX. DISCUSSION OF THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION

X. FOCUS ON THE FUTURE: MEETING DATES, LOCATIONS, GUEST SPEAKERS, CONSULTANTS, AND OTHER ITEMS OF RELEVANCE

XI. ADJOURNMENT (By 3:00 p.m.)

More background information about the commission is available on the U. T. System web site