When it comes to higher education and the 2023 Texas legislative session, most of the discussions revolve around money. Several of the state’s four-year university systems are proposing to freeze undergraduate tuition for two years in exchange for nearly $1 billion in additional state funding assistance. And two-year community colleges could see a radical change in how their funding models work. How will these proposals progress as state lawmakers debate how to support higher education to best help students enroll and earn a degree? Join us for a conversation diving into these questions and more about higher ed and the Legislature.Â
 Join The Texas Tribune at 8:00 a.m. Central in Austin for a panel discussion with moderator Kate McGee, higher education reporter for The Texas Tribune, and panelists Harrison Keller, commissioner, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; Brenda Hellyer, chancellor, San Jacinto College; state Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas; and Lesia L. Crumpton-Young, president, Texas Southern University, on how they think higher education might fit into the new legislative budget.
Doors will open at 7:30 a.m. at the Tribune’s Studio 919, 919 Congress Ave., Sixth Floor, in Austin. The hourlong conversation will begin at 8 a.m.
Parking will not be provided. Street and garage parking as well as ride-sharing are recommended.
This in-person event will be live streamed for virtual attendees and will be available to watch on demand afterward at texastribune.org/events.
Harrison Keller is commissioner of higher education for the state of Texas and CEO of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. He has nearly 25 years of experience in state budget and policy, university administration, fundraising and building coalitions among higher education institutions, school districts and policymakers. He is a recognized innovator in programs to improve college readiness and student success, especially for low-income and first-generation students. Keller has taught at Georgetown University, St. Edward’s University and the University of Texas at Austin.Â
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Brenda Hellyer, Ed.D., serves as the fifth chancellor of San Jacinto College (SJC) SJC is the eighth-largest community college in Texas and recognized as a national Top 5 College by the Aspen Institute’s Community College Excellence Program. Before assuming her role as chancellor in 2009, her roles at SJC included executive vice president for resource development, vice chancellor for fiscal affairs and executive vice chancellor. Prior to that, she worked in accounting and was a small business owner.Â
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State Sen. Royce West was elected in 1992 to serve the citizens of Dallas County in Texas Senate District 23. West was chief felony prosecutor for the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office before entering private practice. He serves as managing partner of West & Associates, LLP. His vision helped to establish the University of North Texas at Dallas and its College of Law and created the nation’s first doctorate program in juvenile justice at Prairie View A&M.
Dr. Crumpton-Young serves as the President of Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas. Crumpton-Young received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University where she was the first African American female to receive a Ph.D. in engineering. President Crumpton-Young is a recipient of the US Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring.Â
Kate McGee is The Texas Tribune’s higher education reporter. She joined after nearly a decade as a reporter at public radio stations across the country, most recently covering higher ed at WBEZ in Chicago and starting on the education beat in 2013 at KUT in Austin. She has also worked at NPR affiliates in Washington, D.C., New York City and Reno, Nevada.Her work has appeared on NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Here and Now, and The Takeaway.
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism.
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Email us at events@texastribune.org
Sab Pell is senior director of product marketing at Openform, where her goal is to help people unlock the power of in-person events. Prior to Openform, she led global product marketing teams. Sab Pell is senior director of product marketing at Openform, where her goal is to help people unlock the power of in-person events. Prior to Openform, she led global product marketing teams.
