By Juan Montoya
In 1991, when the TSC and the University of Texas System completed their “partnership,” many of us thought that the pairing of the prestigious university with our local community college was a good thing.
And in many ways, it has been. However, problems have arisen that were unforeseen by the signers of the agreement back then.
Today, we are in the process of “enhancing” that partnership. We are currently involved in re-negotiations with the University of Texas System Board of Regents.
The TSC board wants to tailor the agreement between the two entities to reflect that it "understands the importance of seeking a more efficient, effective model of collaboration to fully realize the challenges in higher education in the coming years."
In 1991, when the TSC and the University of Texas System completed their “partnership,” many of us thought that the pairing of the prestigious university with our local community college was a good thing.
And in many ways, it has been. However, problems have arisen that were unforeseen by the signers of the agreement back then.
Today, we are in the process of “enhancing” that partnership. We are currently involved in re-negotiations with the University of Texas System Board of Regents.
The TSC board wants to tailor the agreement between the two entities to reflect that it "understands the importance of seeking a more efficient, effective model of collaboration to fully realize the challenges in higher education in the coming years."
The regents also agreed to "clarify ownership and responsibilities within the partnership, streamline organizational and reporting structure, establish more clearly defined leadership goals, offer transparency and clearer understanding of mission to all stakeholders, and provide a funding model that builds on efficiencies of partnership," among other principles.
TSC at the genesis of the partnership agreed that local college district taxpayers would foot the bill for all construction on the UTB-TSC Brownsville college campus. TSC also agreed the Brownsville campus would not be included in getting a share of the Permanent University Fund (PUF) that derives its money from oil and gas royalties paid by companies drilling on university lands.
These lands constitute the bulk of what is commonly referred to as the University lands or PUF lands. Now totaling approximately 2.1 million acres, most of this land is located in the West Texas. Since this beginning, a total of $4.87 billion has been deposited into the PUF from oil and gas royalties, lease bonuses and rentals generated from the exploration and development of the University lands.
These lands constitute the bulk of what is commonly referred to as the University lands or PUF lands. Now totaling approximately 2.1 million acres, most of this land is located in the West Texas. Since this beginning, a total of $4.87 billion has been deposited into the PUF from oil and gas royalties, lease bonuses and rentals generated from the exploration and development of the University lands.
Investment income from the PUF, which is shared by the University of Texas System and Texas A&M University System, is used to finance construction, renovations, major library acquisitions, significant educational and research equipment and academic excellence programs. (Except, as we noted, for the UT-B Campus, where all this is paid for by local taxpayers as a result of the partnership agreement.)
In the partnership agreement, the UT System would in turn pay the college district for leasing the buildings and property for its facilities buildings and share in administrative costs.
Yet, today the oil and gas-rich UT System is some $10.8 million in arrears to TSC taxpayers.
The committee to renegotiate the agreement has met more than half a dozen times and no details of whether TSC’s objectives to collect more revenue from the UT System or the PUF are being realized has been announced.
To date, none of Juliette Garcia's handpicked candidates to the board (Eddie "Pee-Wee" Rodriguez, Rosemary Breedlove, who's been there 12 years, or Dr. Robert Lozano) have voiced their opinions on this matter.
In the partnership agreement, the UT System would in turn pay the college district for leasing the buildings and property for its facilities buildings and share in administrative costs.
Yet, today the oil and gas-rich UT System is some $10.8 million in arrears to TSC taxpayers.
The committee to renegotiate the agreement has met more than half a dozen times and no details of whether TSC’s objectives to collect more revenue from the UT System or the PUF are being realized has been announced.
To date, none of Juliette Garcia's handpicked candidates to the board (Eddie "Pee-Wee" Rodriguez, Rosemary Breedlove, who's been there 12 years, or Dr. Robert Lozano) have voiced their opinions on this matter.
Conversely, Trey Mendez, Kiko Rendon and Robert Lopez have indicated that they are interested in "revisiting" the agreement and changing it to remove the onerous economic burden of our taxpayers subsidizing this oil-rich UT System.
They are tired of the shell game being played by the UT System of sending us begging the Texas Legislature instead of the UT System fulfilling its rightful obligations.
El Rrun-Rrun believes that any new agreement should contain the following
1. Make the UT System pay for its buildings.
1. Make the UT System pay for its buildings.
2. Make the state include UTB-TSC in the Permanent University Fund from oil and gas.
3. Include late charges on the $10.8 million in rent arrears.
4. Have local taxpayers pay only for the junior college functions, not for the construction of the university.
5. Have the salaries and benefits extended to the administration paid for by the UT System, not by local residents.
The average income level of the average South Texas resident hovers in the low $30,000s and they shouldn't have to bear the burden of paying those earning $100,000 or more.
Unless Rodriguez, Breedlove, and Lozano break immediately from the administration line(which they won't), we urge our three readers to support the Mendez-Rendon-Lopez slate.
Our residents need our help. All you need to do is vote.
2 comments:
Perhaps, because of the recalcitrance on the part of UT, it might be time to divorce our partner and use the 10 mil they owe us in back rent to establish a real community college.
This idea has been floated time and again. There is no doubt that we need a community college and that the existence of such an independent unit would free UT to assume its proper responsibilities. Taxpayers have been victimized by this shell game quite enough. What is needed is an amicable divorce between TSC and UTB. They need to remain friends but part to pursue their quite distinct functions.
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