By Junell H.B. No. 2780 75R3482 JSA-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to standards for faculty teaching loads and class 1-3 enrollment at public institutions of higher education and to 1-4 related funding formula adjustments. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is 1-7 amended by adding Sections 61.0571 and 61.0572 to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 61.0571. STANDARDS FOR FACULTY WORKLOADS. (a) The 1-9 board shall establish minimum standards for classroom teaching 1-10 loads for full-time professors, including assistant professors, at 1-11 general academic teaching institutions. The board shall adopt 1-12 separate standards for each major class of institution taking into 1-13 account the role and mission of each institution, the number and 1-14 type of doctoral programs offered, and the institution's research 1-15 activities. In establishing the standards, the board shall 1-16 consider practices in other states and shall solicit a diversity of 1-17 relevant information and recommendations from interested persons. 1-18 (b) Each year, the board shall collect from each general 1-19 academic teaching institution information on the classroom teaching 1-20 workload of the institution's faculty and the institution's level 1-21 of compliance with the standards established under Subsection (a). 1-22 (c) In the formulas established under Section 61.059, the 1-23 board shall provide for a reduction in the amount of state funding 1-24 for a general academic teaching institution for which the total 2-1 classroom teaching load of the faculty of professorial rank is less 2-2 than the total classroom teaching load for that faculty determined 2-3 according to the standards established under Subsection (a). The 2-4 board shall make the reduction in proportion to the percentage by 2-5 which the actual total classroom teaching load falls short of the 2-6 total classroom teaching load determined according to the 2-7 standards. 2-8 (d) Until the board establishes classroom teaching load 2-9 standards under Subsection (a), the following classroom teaching 2-10 loads shall be used for purposes of this section, using the 2-11 institution classifications of the Carnegie Foundation for the 2-12 Advancement of Teaching: 2-13 (1) two courses per professor per semester at a 2-14 research institution; 2-15 (2) 2.5 courses per professor per semester at a 2-16 doctoral institution; and 2-17 (3) 3.25 courses per professor per semester at a 2-18 comprehensive institution. 2-19 Sec. 61.0572. MINIMUM CLASS ENROLLMENT STANDARDS. (a) For 2-20 purposes of this section, the minimum class enrollment standard for 2-21 a general academic teaching institution is: 2-22 (1) 10 students for an undergraduate course; and 2-23 (2) five students for a graduate course. 2-24 (b) In the formulas established under Section 61.059, the 2-25 board shall provide for a reduction in the amount of state funding 2-26 for a general academic teaching institution for each class in which 2-27 the number of students registered is less than the minimum standard 3-1 prescribed by Subsection (a). The board shall make the reduction 3-2 in proportion to the percentage by which the actual class 3-3 enrollment falls short of the minimum standard. 3-4 (c) The board may exempt a class offered at a general 3-5 academic teaching institution from the reduction required by 3-6 Subsection (b) if the board determines that a compelling or 3-7 critical need for the class exists regardless of the class 3-8 enrollment. 3-9 SECTION 2. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 3-10 (b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall 3-11 adopt standards for classroom teaching loads under Section 61.0571, 3-12 Education Code, as added by this Act, to be in effect beginning 3-13 with the fall semester 1998. 3-14 (c) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall 3-15 incorporate the formula finding adjustments required by Sections 3-16 61.0571(c) and 61.0572(b), Education Code, as added by this Act, 3-17 beginning with formulas applicable to the fiscal year that begins 3-18 September 1, 2000. 3-19 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 3-20 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-21 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-22 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-23 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.