NASHVILLE – Senate Education Committee members today unanimously approved a higher education overhaul.
The bill was sent on to the Finance Committee after several provisions involving research at public universities were included.
Among the provisions is one that says nothing in the bill shall stop public universities from continuing to pursue “research and related activities” that are “consistent” with their individual institution’s “mission.”
“It does not prohibit any institution from during research,” Senate Minority Leader Jim Kyle, D-Memphis, assured Education Committee members.
Other language was also accepted involving a proposed research collaboration involving Oak Ridge National Laboratory and graduate students from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
The original bill created a graduate program in energy research with Oak Ridge researchers serving as UT faculty and using UT-Knoxville doctoral students in math, science, engineering and technology as their assistants.
As a result of concerns raised by lawmakers, the bill’s language was changed to extend the program to graduate students at “other state universities” as well.
Yet another compromise recognizes a research “consortium” between the University of Memphis and other institutes in the Memphis area that would seek grants, much as the proposed UT-Oak Ridge National Laboratory proposal would.
But unlike the UT proposal, which provides nearly $6.2 million in startup money, the Memphis proposal contains no public funding.
An identical amendment is expected to be offered on the bill in the House Education Committee later today.