Legislature bills filed to place SFA into University of Texas System

NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KTRE) - Two bills have been filed in the Texas Legislature to formalize the affiliation of Stephen F. Austin University with The Univeristy of Texas System. The process involves “abolishing Stephen F. Austin University” in order to legally re-establish the institution under the same name as “a member of The University of Texas System.”

The bills, filed in the Texas Senate by Robert Nichols and in the Texas House by Travis Clardy, give direction on how control will transfer between the current SFA board of regents and The UT System board, which will take over management of the university.

The current board of regents is advised to “take all actions necessary” to set up the new administration and manage “the winding up of the affairs” of the old, before transferring control to the board of regents of The University of Texas System.

The terms of the current board members will be ended on the date the university officially enters the UT System, according to the bills. That date will be set by the UT System board and declared in their meeting minutes, representing both the abolition of the old entity and creation of the new, concurrently.

The new board of regents is directed to coordinate the employment of as many of the current faculty and staff as is “prudent and practical,” the bills say. Tenured positions will be recognized equivalently under the new institution, and currently admitted students will be entitled to admission under the new organization.

These identical bills, labeled S.B. No. 1055 in the Senate and H.B. No. 2639 in the House, have not yet been assigned to a committee.

Read the Senate version of the full 14-page document here.

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