Closing the Gaps

Closing the Gaps

Thursday, 07 June 2007

The Closing the Gaps by 2015 plan is directed at closing educational gaps in student participation, student success, excellence and research.

The initiative was adopted in October 2000 by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. ACC spokesperson Veronica Obregon and Texas State President Denise Trauth cite the THECB initiative as a standard for their institution’s efforts to expand their programs in Central Texas.

Close the Gaps in participation

• By 2015, close the gaps in participation rates across Texas to add 500,000 more students.
• A revised target from 2006 requires increasing the overall number of students completing bachelor’s degrees, associate’s degrees and certificates to 171,000 by 2010; and to 210,000 by 2015.*

Close the Gaps in success

• By 2015, increase by 50 percent the number of degrees, certificates and other identifiable student successes from high quality programs.
• The plan specifies the importance of developing health programs, which includes public awareness campaigns, scholarship opportunities and recruitment efforts. A revised target from 2006 cited the need to increase the number of students completing allied health and nursing bachelor’s and associate’s degrees and certificates to 20,300 by 2010 and to 26,100 by 2015.*

Close the Gaps in excellence

• By 2015, substantially increase the number of nationally recognized programs or services at colleges and universities in Texas.
• Includes establishment of competitive grants to community and technical colleges and universities to match business contributions for acquiring equipment and software and maintaining high-tech instructional laboratories.

Close the Gaps in research

• By 2015, increase the level of federal science and engineering research funding to Texas institutions by 50 percent to $1.3 billion.
• A revised target in 2006 said to increase research expenditures by Texas public universities and health-related institutions from $1.45 billion to $3 billion by 2015 (approximate five percent increase per year).*

*Many Closing the Gaps targets and two of the goals were achieved in FY 2004 or earlier, which led to revisions.

Source: www.thecb.state.tx.us