85R1264 KEL-D     By: Kolkhorst S.B. No. 516       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to a study and report concerning faculty productivity at   general academic teaching institutions.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Subchapter H, Chapter 51, Education Code, is   amended by adding Section 51.4033 to read as follows:          Sec. 51.4033.  STUDY AND REPORT REGARDING FACULTY   PRODUCTIVITY. (a) In this section:                (1)  "Faculty member" means a person who is employed   full time by a general academic teaching institution as a member of   the faculty whose primary duties include teaching or research. The   term does not include:                      (A)  a person employed in the classified personnel   system of the institution or a person employed in a similar type of   position if the institution does not have a classified personnel   system; or                      (B)  a person who holds faculty rank but who   spends a majority of the person's time for the institution engaged   in managerial or supervisory activities, including a chancellor,   vice chancellor, president, vice president, provost, associate or   assistant provost, dean, or associate or assistant dean.                (2)  "General academic teaching institution,"   "governing board," and "university system" have the meanings   assigned by Section 61.003.          (b)  To ensure the best use of state funds and the delivery of   high-quality postsecondary education to students in this state,   each general academic teaching institution shall conduct a study to   determine whether tenured faculty members are making a significant   professional contribution to their employing institutions or to the   academic community. The study must cover the five-year period   ending August 31, 2017, and include data regarding the number of   tenured faculty members who during that period did not achieve any   of the following performance benchmarks:                (1)  teaching a class at the institution;                (2)  actively conducting sponsored or   institution-funded research at the institution;                (3)  authoring an article that is in the faculty   member's academic field and published by a major peer-reviewed   academic journal, as identified for the purpose of the study by the   Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under Subsection (c); or                (4)  making a significant written contribution to a   published book in the faculty member's academic field.          (c)  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall   identify, with respect to each academic field taught in a general   academic teaching institution, all major peer-reviewed academic   journals and shall make that information available on the board's   Internet website not later than November 1, 2017. A general   academic teaching institution may recommend one or more journals   for inclusion in the journals identified by the coordinating board.          (d)  The governing board of a general academic teaching   institution may appoint a committee to conduct the study required   by this section. A university system may conduct the study for one   or more of the system's component institutions or may direct a   component institution to conduct the study with respect to that   institution and to submit its report in a timely manner to the   university system administration.          (e)  Each general academic teaching institution or   university system, as applicable, shall prepare a report based on   the study required by Subsection (b). The institution or system   shall submit the report to the coordinating board not later than   August 1, 2018. The coordinating board may adopt standards   governing the form and content of the reports. The coordinating   board shall compile the reports submitted to the board under this   subsection and, not later than December 1, 2018, shall submit the   compilation to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker   of the house of representatives, and the presiding officer of each   legislative standing committee with primary jurisdiction over   higher education.          (f)  This section expires January 1, 2019.          SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives   a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as   provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this   Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this   Act takes effect September 1, 2017.