1. Staff Recommendations for the 2016 Texas Higher Education Star Awards
Committee on Academic and Workforce Success
March 30, 2016

2. Texas Higher Education Star Awards
Established by THECB in 2001
Competitive:
Positive recognition provided for exceptional contributions toward achieving one or more goals of Closing the Gaps
From :
920 applications received
180 finalists honored (20% of applications received)
74 awards presented (8% of applications received)
Summaries of programs/projects/activities of finalists and awardees:

3. Winners Proudly Display Awards on Web
Posted November 20, 2015
“The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board recognized Lone Star College-University Park as the winner of its prestigious 2015 Star Award. The College won for its innovative Education and Career Positioning System (ECPS) – a suite of computer applications that help students in planning for their futures.”
Posted November 24, 2014
“The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has awarded the Texas A&M Blinn Transfer Enrollment at A&M (TEAM) Program its coveted Star Award as one of the top educational initiatives in the state.”

4. THECB Staff’s Overall Recommendation
Given the success of the Star Awards program, staff recommends continuing the program, but with revised guidelines to reflect the goals of the state’s new higher education plan, 60x30TX.

5. THECB Staff’s Recommendations for 2016
Retain . . .
Basic eligibility & categories
Programs/projects/activities at Texas institutions of higher education
Groups/organizations in Texas
Partnerships in Texas
Basic nomination, application, and review processes
Public recognition of finalists
Presentation of award(s) to outstanding finalist(s)

6. THECB Staff’s Recommendations for 2016
Revise . . .
Recognition to “exceptional contributions toward achieving one or more of the goals of 60x30TX”
Example of groups/organizations to “such as those that help promote student completion of a certificate or degree, or help reduce student loan debt”
Data evaluation criteria to “a clear demonstration of improvement and excellence through the use of benchmarks and other comparison data”
Number of potential awards annually to “up to 7”

7. Recommended Timeline Date What Occurs May 9
Call for 2016 Star Award nominations
June 13
Nomination deadline
July 18
Application deadline
July 22 – August 5
Internal Staff Review Panel reviews all applications
August 12 – August 18
Commissioner recommends finalists to the Chair of THECB
August 19 – September 5
External Review Committee reviews all finalists’ applications
September 15
Finalists notified and invited to attend Star Awards Ceremony
Fall 2016
2016 Awards presented at Leadership Conference