Battle lines are being drawn as the 83rd Texas Legislature is underway. Until May, lawmakers will debate everything from outcomes-based funding to allowing guns on college campus. University President Jesse Rogers is watching a number of bills that could impact Midwestern.

GUN CONTROL

During this session, Sen. Brian Birdwell (R-Grandbury) filed a bill that would allow concealed firearms on university campuses. Rogers said he is opposed to allowing concealed firearms at Midwestern or any other university.

“It is my firm belief that we cannot defend ourselves against possible danger by bringing more firearms on campus,” Rogers said. “I greatly fear that within a very short period of time, we would have someone wounded or killed in our campus housing or building.”

Rogers, who said he has been against allowing guns on campus since the first bill was introduced a few years ago, said this legislature might have good intentions with this proposed bill, but it is not reasonable.

“I want only our campus police to be armed,” he said.  “They are trained in use of firearms, and I trust their judgment in the use of such. Of course, campuses are porous, and it is difficult to ensure that we could never have a shooting incident. However, such an instance could not reasonably be expected to be controlled by someone not trained in the use of handguns against a shooter.”

Rogers said his greatest hope is the bill will, again, be debated.

FIXED TUTION RATES

Gov. Rick Perry is pushing for a flat rate, four-year tuition plan.

Despite some negative criticism, Rogers said fixed tuition is not all that it seems.

“It is a way of ensuring an entering freshman that the price of tuition and fees would not change for four years,” he said. “It is little known that those universities setting fixed tuition have built inflation into the flat cost. This is actually more beneficial to the university than the students.”

Rogers cited the University of Texas at El Paso and University of Texas at Dallas as examples of colleges that have had a positive response to fixed tuition rates.

OUTCOME BASED FUNDING

Perry also said he wants colleges to earn outcomes-based funding by reportedly tying at least ten percent of the money to how many students graduate. Rogers was a member of the original formula study committee whom recommended incentives to be related to the number of graduates of a university.

According to Rogers, the dollars related to each graduate would be weighted as a result of several factors, which include high-risk students and students graduating in the STEM or other high-demand fields.

“This type of funding came to Midwestern State two years ago in addition to our formula funding from the state,” Rogers said. “Midwestern would do well if incentive funding is used again this next biennium because we have a number of high-risk students and a relatively large number of STEM graduates each year.”

Even though Midwestern is a small university, incentive funding would be a welcome financial relief for the university, Rogers said.

TUITION EXEMPTION FOR VETERAN’S FAMILIES

Another hot topic lawmakers will be discussing in Austin is concerning the Hazelwood Legacy Act, which is costing the university approximately $1 million per year.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is requesting state reimbursements to public colleges for tuition exemption made by the Act, which gives tuition exemptions to veteran’s family members.

“I am pleased to see that the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is requesting reimbursement for the Hazelwood exemptions,” Rogers said. “Certainly, the Hazelwood Legacy Act was well meaning and it is difficult to ever argue against benefits for our veterans, particularly when we send our troops on repeated missions to Afghanistan and previously to Iraq.”

However, Rogers said for the state to pass such an act without appropriating funds and requiring universities to waive tuitions and fees of spouses and children of veterans has proved to be financially onerous.

“The funding of this mandate by the state as opposed to Midwestern State University would be a significant boost and it would allow us to maintain lower tuition and give much needed raises to our faculty and staff,” Rogers said.