Bill Text: TX HR1081 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Congratulating James D. Spaniolo on his retirement as president of The University of Texas at Arlington.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 3-1)
Status: (Passed) 2013-04-04 - Reported enrolled [HR1081 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HR1081-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 1081 | ||
|
|
||
| WHEREAS, James D. Spaniolo is retiring as president of The | ||
| University of Texas at Arlington on May 31, 2013, drawing to a close | ||
| more than nine years of outstanding service to that institution; | ||
| and | ||
| WHEREAS, Mr. Spaniolo earned his bachelor's degree magna cum | ||
| laude from Michigan State University, where he was also the | ||
| editor-in-chief of the student newspaper; he went on to earn both a | ||
| master's degree in public administration and a law degree from the | ||
| University of Michigan in 1975; moreover, during those years, he | ||
| served his country as a medical corpsman in the U.S. Army Reserve; | ||
| and | ||
| WHEREAS, After handling libel and First Amendment cases for | ||
| the law firm of Paul and Thomson in Miami, Florida, Mr. Spaniolo | ||
| established the first in-house legal departments at the Miami | ||
| Herald and the American Newspaper Publishers Association; from 1977 | ||
| to 1989, he held several positions with the Knight-Ridder newspaper | ||
| chain, serving as general counsel and general executive at the | ||
| Miami Herald and vice president for human resources and assistant | ||
| to the publisher at the Detroit Free Press; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Mr. Spaniolo then went on to serve as vice president | ||
| and chief program officer for the John S. and James L. Knight | ||
| Foundation from 1989 to 1996, and from 1996 to 2004, he was the dean | ||
| of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences and a professor at | ||
| the School of Journalism at Michigan State University; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In 2004, Mr. Spaniolo became the seventh president | ||
| of The University of Texas at Arlington, and under his | ||
| administration, the university's research budget has tripled to | ||
| more than $71.4 million; the university has also increased its | ||
| investment in faculty recruitment and retention, creating more than | ||
| 100 new positions and establishing new endowed chairs and | ||
| professorships; the number of private donors to the university has | ||
| increased by 34 percent, and donations have grown from $5.8 million | ||
| in 2005 to more than $23.2 million in 2012; the university's | ||
| endowment has more than doubled, from $39 million in 2004 to $95 | ||
| million in 2013; and | ||
| WHEREAS, During President Spaniolo's tenure, enrollment has | ||
| increased at UT Arlington from 25,000 in 2004 to more than 33,800 | ||
| students in 2013, and new residence halls and apartments have | ||
| increased the number of students living on campus to 5,300; in | ||
| addition, President Spaniolo has played a leading role in making | ||
| the university one of the most diverse in the nation, with a student | ||
| population that is 21 percent Hispanic, 15 percent African | ||
| American, 10 percent Asian, and 8.3 percent from foreign countries; | ||
| the average SAT score of full-time students rose to a new high of | ||
| 1088 in 2012; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The university's infrastructure and physical plant | ||
| have also improved under President Spaniolo's leadership, with more | ||
| than a dozen new or renovated buildings marking an increase of 1.5 | ||
| million square feet in the past five years; new facilities include | ||
| the Engineering Research Building and the 20.5 acre College Park | ||
| District, which incorporates parking structures, a residence hall | ||
| and student apartments, a welcome center, retail space, and a | ||
| 7,000-seat events center; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Despite his many professional responsibilities, | ||
| President Spaniolo has found time to give back to the community as a | ||
| member of the executive committee of the Arlington Chamber of | ||
| Commerce and a member of the boards of the Arlington Tomorrow | ||
| Foundation, the Center for Innovation, the Fort Worth Chamber of | ||
| Commerce, the North Texas Commission, and the Van Cliburn | ||
| Foundation; he has earned the Arlington Chamber of Commerce Star | ||
| Award, the Sally Kallam Award for support of Leadership Arlington, | ||
| and the Silver Eagle Award from the Boy Scouts of America for his | ||
| service to Arlington; and | ||
| WHEREAS, James Spaniolo's vision, energy, and commitment to | ||
| excellence have greatly benefited The University of Texas at | ||
| Arlington and earned him the respect and admiration of the entire UT | ||
| Arlington community, and he may indeed reflect with pride on all | ||
| that he has achieved; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby congratulate James D. Spaniolo on his retirement | ||
| as president of The University of Texas at Arlington and extend to | ||
| him sincere best wishes for continued success and happiness; and, | ||
| be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
| prepared for President Spaniolo as an expression of high regard by | ||
| the Texas House of Representatives. | ||
| Patrick | ||
| Burnam | ||
| Burkett | ||
| Branch | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 1081 was adopted by the House on April | ||
| 3, 2013, by a non-record vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
