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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of the School of Ethics, Western |
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Civilization, and American Traditions at The University of Texas at |
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Austin. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 67, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter E to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER E. SCHOOL OF ETHICS, WESTERN CIVILIZATION, AND |
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AMERICAN TRADITIONS (SEWCAT) |
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Sec. 67.81. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "General academic teaching institution" has the |
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meaning assigned by Section 61.003. |
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(2) "School" means the School of Ethics, Western |
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Civilization, and American Traditions established under this |
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subchapter. |
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Sec. 67.82. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the |
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legislature in establishing the School of Ethics, Western |
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Civilization, and American Traditions (SEWCAT) under this |
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subchapter: |
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(1) to foster an understanding among university |
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students and members of the general public regarding the |
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intellectual origins and traditions of our government and society; |
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(2) to build on the remarkable success of the Program |
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in Western Civilization and American Institutions at the university |
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by consolidating and rendering permanent that program; |
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(3) to lay the groundwork for the future |
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implementation of a new undergraduate degree program, the Bachelor |
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of Arts in Western Civilization and American Institutions, at the |
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university; and |
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(4) to establish a model of a standard curriculum in |
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Western civilization and American traditions that fosters the |
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thoughtful development of ethical character and civic |
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responsibility to be used by other general academic teaching |
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institutions in developing similar programs of study. |
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Sec. 67.83. ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOOL AS INTERDISCIPLINARY |
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UNIT OF UNIVERSITY. (a) The school is established as an |
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interdisciplinary academic unit of the university devoted to the |
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study of the Western intellectual tradition from antiquity to the |
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present in conjunction with the study of American institutions, |
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values, and principles. |
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(b) The school is a part of and under the direction and |
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control of the university. |
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Sec. 67.84. PROGRAMS AND COURSES. (a) The school shall |
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develop and offer students an interdisciplinary course of study in |
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Western civilization and American institutions and practices |
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designed to foster the thoughtful development of ethical character |
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and civic responsibility, including a sequence of six three-hour |
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courses, each covering one of the following topics: |
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(1) ancient philosophy and literature; |
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(2) ideas from the Bible; |
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(3) great works from the Middle Ages; |
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(4) classics of the Renaissance and the Age of |
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Enlightenment; |
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(5) the development of Western science and technology; |
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and |
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(6) classics of the American founding and development |
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of the American Republic. |
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(b) A student who completes the sequence of courses |
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described by Subsection (a) shall be considered by the university |
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to have satisfied 18 hours of core curriculum course work in the |
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following areas: |
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(1) three hours of communications; |
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(2) three hours of additional natural science; |
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(3) three hours of humanities; |
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(4) three hours of government; |
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(5) three hours of visual and performing arts; and |
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(6) three hours of any institutionally designated |
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optional or seminar course. |
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(c) A student who completes the sequence of courses |
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described by Subsection (a) in addition to 18 hours of |
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upper-division course work in the Western civilization (WCV) field |
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of study at the university shall be considered by the university to |
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have completed an undergraduate major in Western Ethics and |
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American Tradition for a bachelor of arts degree in the |
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university's College of Liberal Arts. |
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(d) Each course offered by the school must: |
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(1) be multidisciplinary; |
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(2) be based primarily on: |
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(A) a critical reading of the primary texts that |
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have shaped the tradition of Western civilization, including works |
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spanning a significant range of genres such as literature, |
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philosophy, religion, history, art, science, and technology; and |
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(B) a study of the institutions, ideals, and |
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principles of the United States and the development of the American |
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Republic; |
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(3) focus on developing a student's understanding of |
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the primary texts described by Subdivision (2)(A) that is based |
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primarily on the student's direct reading of those texts without |
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the introduction of external sources of interpretation or theory; |
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(4) employ the Western civilization (WCV) field of |
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study at the university; and |
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(5) be designed to engage students in exploring |
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enduring fundamental questions of profound ethical and |
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philosophical significance. |
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Sec. 67.85. SCHOOL FACULTY AND STAFF. The school may |
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recruit, hire, and supervise: |
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(1) postdoctoral teaching fellows, lecturers, |
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assistant instructors, and visiting and adjunct professors to teach |
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courses at the school in addition to the university's regular |
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tenure-track professors; and |
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(2) any necessary support staff. |
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Sec. 67.86. SPECIAL EVENTS AND OUTREACH. The school may |
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host events and other opportunities for students and faculty of the |
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university and members of the public to learn more about the |
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heritage of Western civilization and American history, including |
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lecture series, conferences, workshops, book clubs, student |
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organization activities of a scholarly, literary, and |
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philosophical nature, and summer institutes for graduate, |
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undergraduate, and high school students and for middle school and |
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high school teachers. |
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Sec. 67.87. APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTOR; QUALIFICATIONS. The |
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university shall appoint a director for the school. To serve as |
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director, a person must have: |
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(1) earned the rank of full professor at the |
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university or another distinguished public or private institution |
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of higher education; |
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(2) significant, demonstrated expertise and a |
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national reputation in one or more fields relevant to the school; |
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(3) at least 20 years of experience as a highly |
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regarded undergraduate instructor; |
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(4) extensive experience in academic administration; |
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(5) a proven record of: |
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(A) fund-raising success; |
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(B) junior faculty mentorship; and |
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(C) academic innovation and leadership; and |
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(6) significant experience in curriculum design. |
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Sec. 67.88. RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF DIRECTOR. (a) The school's |
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director has the rights and privileges of a dean of the university. |
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(b) The director shall oversee: |
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(1) the establishment of the school's curriculum; |
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(2) the evaluation of the school's course offerings; |
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(3) the hiring of school faculty; and |
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(4) the school's fund-raising activities. |
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(c) The director shall: |
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(1) report directly to the university's provost; and |
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(2) on request, be available to report personally on |
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the progress and activities of the school to any standing committee |
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of the Texas Legislature with jurisdiction over higher education |
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matters. |
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(d) The director may: |
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(1) hold an affiliation with another academic |
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department of the university in addition to the position of |
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director; and |
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(2) elect to continue as an instructor or be relieved |
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of teaching responsibilities. |
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Sec. 67.89. QUARTERLY REPORT. The university's provost |
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shall review the school's activities quarterly and make a report of |
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the provost's findings to the chair of each standing committee of |
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the Texas Legislature with primary jurisdiction over higher |
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education matters. |
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Sec. 67.90. STEERING COMMITTEE. The university's provost, |
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in consultation with the school's director, shall appoint a |
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steering committee for the school. Once appointed, the steering |
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committee may add additional members to the committee. |
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Sec. 67.91. ACCEPTANCE OF FUNDS. The school may solicit and |
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accept funds, including gifts and grants, from any public or |
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private source for the purpose of the school. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 51.977 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.977. FEASIBILITY STUDY REGARDING ESTABLISHMENT OF |
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PROGRAM OF STUDY IN ETHICS, WESTERN CIVILIZATION, AND AMERICAN |
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TRADITIONS. (a) In this section, "general academic teaching |
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institution" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003. |
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(b) Each general academic teaching institution shall |
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conduct a study regarding the feasibility of establishing a program |
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of study in ethics, Western civilization, and American traditions |
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at the institution using a curriculum modeled on the curriculum |
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established under Subchapter E, Chapter 67, for the School of |
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Ethics, Western Civilization, and American Traditions at The |
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University of Texas at Austin. |
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(c) Not later than December 1, 2010, each general academic |
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teaching institution shall submit to each standing committee of the |
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Texas Legislature with primary jurisdiction over higher education |
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matters a written report of the institution's findings and |
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recommendations regarding the feasibility of establishing a |
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program of study in ethics, Western civilization, and American |
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traditions at the institution. Based on the findings and |
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recommendations received, the committees shall recommend whether |
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legislation is needed to implement the program at each general |
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academic teaching institution. |
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(d) This section expires September 1, 2011. |
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SECTION 3. Not later than October 1, 2009, The University of |
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Texas at Austin shall appoint a director of the School of Ethics, |
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Western Civilization, and American Traditions established under |
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Subchapter E, Chapter 67, Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |