MEETING OF THE
EXTERNAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE
OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
May 12, 2011
Minutes
The External Relations Committee of the Board of Trustees of Houston Community College held a meeting on Thursday, May 12, 2011, at the HCC Administration Building, 3100 Main,
2nd Floor, Seminar Room A, Houston, Texas.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT
Sandie Mullins, Committee Chair
Mary Ann Perez, Committee Member
Richard Schechter, Alternate Committee Member
Bruce Austin
Eva Loredo
Christopher W. Oliver
ADMINISTRATION
Mary S. Spangler, Chancellor
Art Tyler, Deputy Chancellor/COO
Renee Byas, General Counsel
William Carter, Vice Chancellor, Information Technology
Charles Cook, Vice Chancellor for Instruction
Diana Pino, Vice Chancellor, Student Services
Daniel Seymour, Vice Chancellor, Planning & Institutional Effectiveness
William Harmon, President, Central College
Zachary Hodges, President, Northwest College
Betty Young, President, Coleman College
Remmele Young, Executive Director, Government Relations
OTHERS PRESENT
Jarvis Hollingsworth, System Counsel, Bracewell & Giuliani
Alan Ainsworth, President, Faculty Senate
Other administrators, citizens and representatives from the news media
CALL TO ORDER
Ms. Mullins called the meeting to order at 1:40 p.m. and declared the Committee convened to consider matters pertaining to Houston Community College as listed on the duly posted
Meeting Notice.
REPORT ON CURRENT LEGISLATIVE DISCUSSIONS
Mr. Remmele Young provided an overview of the legislative topics to include:
•
State Budget (HB 1) o Estimated budgetary shortfall: between $15-$27 billion

Houston Community College
External Relations Committee – May 12, 2011 - Page 2 o HB 1 is now the primary budget bill for State appropriations o HB 1 goes to the Conference Committee o Appearance: No political will to tap Rainy Day Fund (RDF); however, estimated $9.4 billion in RDF at the end of next biennium
•
Conference Committee Considerations o Conference Committee must reconcile the differences in the House and
Senate versions of HB 1 o Senate mark-up of HB 1 provides more funding than House version of HB 1 o Failure to reach consensus could result in special session on the budget for
2012-13
(Ms. Loredo arrived at 1:51 p.m.) o No funding for enrollment growth o Severe cuts in employee benefits o TRS/ORP appropriation based on 6% of unrestricted general revenue o Allocation method for dispersing funds (utilizing certified contact hours data from previous academic year) o Establishment of state system to oversee community colleges
•
Funding At-A-Glance o Community Colleges funding for FY2010-2011 appropriation $1.8 billion of which HCC was appropriated $140,674,225
(Mr. Austin arrived at 1:59 p.m.) o Community Colleges HB1 engrossed $1.5 billion for FY2012-2013 of which
HCC portion would be $125,020,194 o Senate markup of HB1 includes $1.7 billion for Community Colleges of which
HCC appropriations would be $139,196,478
(Mr. Schechter arrived at 2:01 p.m.)
(Mr. Oliver arrived 2:04 p.m.)
•
Other Policy Considerations o Concealed handgun legislation moves, via amendment, to House for consideration o HB 9 establishes the outcome-based Funding Act (relates to student successbased funding for higher education institutions o Relating to HB 9, GHP supported our position to fund program with new money and not take the same from base
(Mr. Oliver stepped out at 2:06 p.m.)

Houston Community College
External Relations Committee – May 12, 2011 - Page 3
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Advocacy o Tracking 269 bills o Budget – primary consideration o Handgun Legislation (HCC media and amendment) o HCC Board Chair Richard Schechter writes Op Ed
•
Session End Date is Monday, May 30, 2011 (passed the House on April 3, 2011 as substituted)
Mr. Schechter inquired about the rider that would establish a state system to oversee community colleges and inquired of the effects. Mr. Young apprised that TACC would still exist; however, there would be concerns as to who would be the advocacy for community colleges.
ADJOURNMENT
With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 2:19 p.m.
Recorded, transcribed and submitted by:
Sharon R. Wright, Manager, Board Services
Minutes Approved: _________________________________