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REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR ORANGE AND MAROON LEGISLATIVE DAY

Since 2003, Aggies and Longhorns have gathered at the Texas Capitol every other year as part of Orange and Maroon Legislative Day, an event utilizing current and former students to advocate for the shared goals of the state's two Tier 1 research universities, Texas A&M University and The University of Texas. This event is proudly planned and supported by The Association of Former Students and the Texas Exes.

OMLD 2023 is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 15, and registration for former students is now open!

Can you help us to show the Texas Legislature the impact of Texas A&M and Texas Aggies, and why we need its continued support? There are two ways to take part in OMLD on Feb. 15:

  1. Meet with legislators as a full day volunteer, or
  2. Attend the ceremonial resolution readings as a morning volunteer.

Full Day Volunteer: Visit with legislative offices to support higher education!
On Feb. 15, registered volunteers will attend a briefing to hear from university officials and leadership from The Association of Former Students and Texas Exes. Volunteers will be placed into groups made up of current and former students of Texas A&M and UT Austin and provided a schedule of legislative offices to visit to support the legislative priorities.

Visit tx.ag/OMLD2023Registration to learn more information and sign up to be a full day volunteer for OMLD by Jan. 31. You can find the schedule for the day at tx.ag/OMLD2023Schedule.

Please note that this registration is for former students only; selections for current Texas A&M students have closed.

Morning Volunteer: Attend the ceremonial resolution readings at the Texas Capitol
If you are not able to commit the full day but would still like to help with OMLD, an additional, shorter volunteer opportunity is available. OMLD will officially kick-off with the ceremonial resolution readings in the House and Senate to recognize OMLD.

Help us “pack the galleries” with a strong showing of former students! Learn more and let us know if you can attend by Feb. 9 at tx.ag/OMLD2023ResolutionVolunteer.


This event cannot happen without dedicated volunteers who take the time to share their support for the shared legislative priorities of Texas A&M and the University of Texas. We hope you will be able to join us for this important day in the 88th Legislative Session!

Questions? Contact TAMUAdvocacy@AggieNetwork.com.

The Texas A&M Advocacy Network provides a vehicle for former students to be a voice for Texas A&M and impact policy. Advocates are provided with resources on legislation and issues impacting higher education, and called upon to help when the voice of the Aggie Network is needed before key decision-makers. Whether you can take part in OMLD 2023 or not, be sure that you are signed up to be an Aggie Advocate to advocate for Texas A&M!

OMLD Group Photo

Resources

As we tell the stories of the Orange & Maroon, it's important to be equipped with the latest information and to know who your legislators are. Whether you email or contact them during the year or specifially as part of OMLD 2023, this section provides links to help you engage your representatives.

Floor of the Texas House of Representatives

FAQ

Although they educate almost 100,000 students a year, these two publicly supported state institutions depend on appropriations to fund instruction, research and infrastructure obligations. With a national trend of decreasing or static state support for higher education for the ever growing need for an educated workforce, the state's higher education system is attempting to provide a quality education to more students with rising costs. Faculty salaries must still be competitive and an adequate infrastructure must be in place to attract and retain top faculty. Texas A&M and UT have a state constitutional mandate to be universities of the "first class." Even though these universities have strong resource support, the cost for upholding this constitutional mandate is great. There are basically two sources of funds that support the core function of a state university: state funds and tuition.

Many people believe UT Austin and Texas A&M are "rich" because they receive funds from the PUF, which has a market value of $10.4 billion. A&M and UT are advantaged by the PUF and are very grateful to receive it, but are not the only benefactors of the PUF. Today, the PUF supports 18 institutions and 6 agencies from the UT and A&M Systems, serving more than 215,000 students. The income from the PUF (Available University Fund or the AUF) can only be used to pay for debt service on PUF bonds issued to fund capital expenditures at both systems institutions and to fund excellence programs at UT Austin, Texas A&M University and Prairie View A&M University. A&M and UT have made good use of these enhancement dollars by hiring new faculty, providing scholarships, purchasing specialized science and engineering equipment, and making library enhancements. However because state support has not kept pace with increasing costs, the advantage these schools receive from the AUF is diminished in the support for excellent academic programs. Unfortunately, the PUF does not have the same effect it once had in the contribution of excellence on each campus.

Texas does need more national research universities and it recognized this when it the legislature in 2009 adopted a pathway to provide incentives and funding for more universities to reach this important goal. Voters also approved a constitutional amendment providing additional funds to those emerging research institutions meeting critical milestones on the path to Tier 1 status. At this point, Texas Tech, University of North Texas, University of Houston, University of Texas at Arlington, University of Texas at Dallas, University of Texas at El Paso and University of Texas at San Antonio are focusing on moving to Tier 1 status.

National research universities draw talent, federal research dollars, and innovation to our state. They bring research that has both short and long-term impact on our economy. For every dollar the state invests in UT and A&M, more than $18 is generated in the Texas economy. That's an exceptional return on investment.

So where is Texas now? California and New York both have nine national research universities. Texas has three -- UT, Texas A&M, and Rice. We are a rapidly growing state, and having only three universities in this category limits the state's research capacity and innovation generation these important institutions produce, and it limits the appeal to both talented students, faculty and researchers to move to our state to be engaged with the excitement produced by a national research university.

While funding the efforts for additional Tier 1 universities is important, just as important to the state's economy is continuing to adequately fund the existing public research institutions. A&M and UT must be supported to continue to be premier institutions that attract research and innovation, and the nation's best and brightest students, faculty and researchers.

If you have additional questions or wish to contact us, you can email us at tamuadvocacy@aggienetwork.com or call us at (979) 845-7517.

Address

505 George Bush Drive
College Station, TX 77840

Phone Number

(979) 845-7514

© 2024 The Association of Former Students of Texas A&M University, All Rights Reserved