Texas Tribune to host conversation event about Texas community colleges
Jan. 16—AUSTIN — The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan statewide media organization, will host a conversation event, "How New Laws are Affecting Texas Community Colleges," Wednesday, Jan. 24, at 9 a.m. in downtown Austin and online. The event will cover how Texas legislators passed House Bill 8 last May, dramatically overhauling how community colleges receive state funding, and how things are going since the law went into effect Sept. 1.
Sneha Dey, the Tribune's pathways from education to employment reporter, will moderate the conversation about how the state funds community colleges, how campuses are implementing changes, and what early outcomes they're seeing. We'll also discuss how community colleges fared in the 2023 session and what community college leaders are watching for in 2024, a news release said.
Confirmed speakers:
— Julian Cotto, recent Austin Community College graduate; 2023 Chancellor Student Achievement Award winner
— Denisa Gándara, assistant professor of educational leadership and policy, The University of Texas at Austin
— Brenda Hellyer, chancellor, San Jacinto College; member, Texas Commission on Community College Finance
RSVP to attend this free event.
The event will be held in the Tribune's Studio 919, located at 919 Congress Ave., Sixth Floor, Austin, Texas, 78701. Parking is not provided; street and garage parking and ride-sharing are recommended.
The 45-minute discussion will be followed by a 15-minute Q&A. The event will also be live-streamed online and available to watch on demand afterward at texastribune.org/events.
