BLINN BOARD SETS PRIORITIES FOR 89TH LEGISLATURE

  

The Blinn Board of Trustees met Wednesday to adopt Blinn College’s priorities for lawmakers to address in the 89^th Texas Legislative Session.

Of importance to the College is cleaning up House Bill 8 from the 88^th Legislature, which revamped the community college funding model by shifting from funding colleges based on how many hours students spend in the classroom to how many students receive a degree or certificate or transfer to a four-year university. 

Executive Vice Chancellor Leighton Schubert explained several issues and oversights in the bill that led to Blinn losing $4.4 million in state appropriations in the second year of the bill’s implementation.  The main contributor to that drop in funding, according to Schubert, is a rule disqualifying transfer students from the funding formula if, prior to their transfer from a community college to a four-year university, they took any semester credit hours at a four-year institution prior to enrolling at the community college. 

Schubert said the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board reduced Blinn’s transfer numbers in the funding formula by around 1,500 students based on the current rule.  He said he does not know what the exact number of semester credit hours allowed should be, but cutting off at one semester credit hour is too strict. 

Another change requested by Blinn is to allow students who transfer from community colleges to private or independent Texas universities to count toward the funding formula, as currently, only transfers to public universities count.  Schubert said there have been discussions at the state level about allowing transfers to universities just outside of Texas, but those discussions have not gone far.   

Additionally, Blinn is asking the state to adjust the base tier funding formula to allow colleges with ad valorem tax rates below 5 cents to use their actual tax rates in base tier calculations.  Blinn has a tax rate of 4.21 cents per $100 valuation.

Blinn Chancellor Dr. Mary Hensley said the College is closely monitoring what changes come to the funding model, as it notably affects Blinn as the statewide leader in transfers.

Outside of House Bill 8, Blinn is also seeking changes to Section 51.981 of Texas Education Code, pertaining to how employers request off-campus workforce education programs with institutions of higher learning.  Schubert said the College would like a longer timeline to accept proposals from employers and greater involvement by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in overseeing that process.

Schubert said this session will serve as “the first litmus test” in determining how committed the state is to giving community colleges support through this new and ongoing community college funding structure.  

In other business, the board approved the naming of two rooms in the Bryan Campus Administration Building.

The first-floor meeting room honors Ben and Sue Boehnke, following a donation from Bodley and Karen Thornton.  Karen, a member of the Blinn Foundation Board, is their daughter.  Ben served as a teacher and coach at Blinn for 27 years, leading the 1972 undefeated football team and earning induction into the NJCAA Football Hall of Fame in 1998.  Sue was an art professor and Blinn’s first drill team instructor, serving the College for over 20 years.

The first-floor conference room recognizes William S. Thornton and Nita B. Thornton, thanks to a donation from their son, William S. Thornton Jr.  William Thornton Sr. was a respected business leader in Bryan-College Station, serving as a Brazos County Commissioner, President of the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce, and the first president of the Economic Development Corporation.

The board also authorized the College to negotiate and execute contracts for roofing contractor services related to roof replacement at Buildings F and H on the Bryan Campus, and general contractor services related to paving repairs at the Blinn Boulevard entrance of the Bryan Campus.