Bill Text: TX SB1709 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to promoting racial equity in the hiring and promotion of faculty members by public institutions of higher education.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-26 - Referred to Higher Education [SB1709 Detail]

Download: Texas-2021-SB1709-Introduced.html
  87R9295 CXP-F
 
  By: Blanco, Menéndez S.B. No. 1709
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to promoting racial equity in the hiring and promotion of
  faculty members by public institutions of higher education.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 51.9085 to read as follows:
         Sec. 51.9085.  FACULTY DIVERSIFICATION PLAN AND REPORT. (a)
  In this section, "institution of higher education" has the meaning
  assigned by Section 61.003.
         (b)  Each institution of higher education shall develop a
  five-year, research-based plan to increase racial diversity among
  faculty members at the institution. The plan must include:
               (1)  diversity and equity assessments that include the
  perspectives of faculty members of color;
               (2)  strategies for increasing racial diversity among
  faculty members to the extent necessary to reflect the racial
  diversity of the institution's student population; and
               (3)  research-based methods for supporting faculty
  members of color to and through tenure and promotion.
         (c)  Each institution of higher education shall update its
  plan as appropriate at the conclusion of each five-year period.
         (d)  Each institution of higher education shall annually
  prepare and submit to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
  a report on the institution's progress in increasing racial
  diversity among faculty members in accordance with the plan
  developed under this section. The report must include data on the
  rank, salary, tenure, and promotion of faculty members of color as
  compared to white faculty members at the institution, disaggregated
  by department and college, as applicable.
         SECTION 2.  Section 61.057, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 61.057.  PROMOTION OF TEACHING EXCELLENCE AND EQUITY.
  (a) To achieve excellence and equity in the teaching of students at
  institutions and agencies of higher education, the board shall:
               (1)  develop and recommend:
                     (A)  minimum equitable faculty compensation
  plans, basic increment programs, and incentive salary increases;
                     (B)  minimum equitable standards for faculty
  appointment, advancement, promotion, and retirement;
                     (C)  equitable [general] policies for faculty
  teaching loads, and division of faculty time between teaching,
  research, administrative duties, and special assignments;
                     (D)  equitable faculty improvement programs,
  including a plan for sabbatical leaves, appropriate for the junior
  and senior colleges and universities, respectively; and
                     (E)  minimum equitable standards for academic
  freedom, academic responsibility, and tenure;
               (2)  pursue vigorously and continuously a goal of
  having all college and university academic classes taught by
  racially diverse faculty members [persons] holding the minimum of
  an earned master's degree or its equivalent in academic training,
  creative work, or professional accomplishment;
               (3)  explore, promote, and coordinate the use of
  educational television among institutions of higher education and
  encourage participation by public and private schools and private
  institutions of higher education in educational television;
               (4)  conduct, and encourage the institutions of higher
  education to conduct, research into new methods, materials, and
  techniques for improving the quality of instruction and for the
  maximum utilization of all available teaching techniques, devices,
  and resources, including but not limited to large classes, team
  teaching, programmed instruction, interlibrary exchanges, joint
  libraries, specially-designed facilities, visual aids, and other
  innovations that offer promise for superior teaching or for meeting
  the need for new faculty members, especially faculty members of
  color, to teach anticipated larger numbers of students; and
               (5)  assume initiative and leadership in providing
  through the institutions of higher education in the state those
  programs and offerings which will achieve the objectives set forth
  in Section 61.002 [of this code].
         (b)  For purposes of this section, a plan, program, policy,
  or standard is equitable if it is:
               (1)  free from racial bias and discriminatory barriers; 
               (2)  characterized by support based on an understanding
  of the distinct needs of faculty members of color;
               (3)  designed with structures that promote the success
  of faculty members of color; and
               (4)  intentional about ensuring that faculty members of
  color are represented at all levels of decision-making.
         SECTION 3.  Section 61.059(a), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  To finance a system of higher education and to secure an
  equitable distribution of state funds deemed to be available for
  higher education, the board shall perform the functions described
  in this section. Funding policies shall:
               (1)  allocate resources efficiently and provide
  incentives for programs of superior quality and for institutional
  diversity that reflects proportional racial representation between
  faculty members and students, as provided in each institution of
  higher education's faculty diversification plan developed under
  Section 51.9085;
               (2)  provide incentives for supporting the five-year
  master plan developed and revised under Section 61.051;
               (3)  discourage unnecessary duplication of course
  offerings between institutions and unnecessary construction on any
  campus; and
               (4)  emphasize an alignment with education goals
  established by the board.
         SECTION 4.  (a) As soon as practicable after the effective
  date of this Act, each public institution of higher education shall
  develop the faculty diversification plan required under Section
  51.9085, Education Code, as added by this Act.
         (b)  Not later than September 1, 2022, each public
  institution of higher education shall prepare and submit to the
  Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board the initial report
  required under Section 51.9085, Education Code, as added by this
  Act.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
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