Every two years, hundreds of alumni and supporters of the Texas Tech University System come together in the halls of the Texas State Capitol in Austin for Texas Tech System Day.
Sponsored by the Texas Tech Alumni Association (TTAA), the March 1, 2017 event is an opportunity to rally supporters and alumni from the four component institutions, Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Angelo State University and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, in an effort to spread awareness and endorse adequate funding for higher education, health care, research and outreach.
This upcoming legislative session is important to the TTU System’s higher education priorities. Robert L. Duncan, TTU System chancellor, and other system leaders will be in Austin to show their support of all four component institutions and visit with legislators.
“Texas Tech System Day is an exciting time for everyone associated with our system and four institutions,” Duncan said. “We are fortunate to have this opportunity to bring together our system’s leadership, alumni and supporters to meet and spend time with the members of our legislature who do so much for our state and higher education.”
During the day, alumni, students and supporters of each institution will hand deliver one-of-a-kind, personalized TTU System gifts to each state legislator. The gifts will feature specialty beef and pork from the meat labs at Texas Tech University and Angelo State University. Also, leaders from the TTU System components will be recognized in both the House and Senate Chambers as March 1 is dedicated as Texas Tech System Day in Austin.
“The success and progress of Texas Tech University would not have been possible without the contributions of alumni and we appreciate their continued commitment to the university beyond graduation,” said Lawrence Schovanec, Texas Tech University president. “Texas Tech System Day gives us an opportunity to work side-by-side with alumni as we walk the halls of the Texas State Capitol and share our pride in the university and express our appreciation for state leadership representing us in Austin.”
This event is held in the spring of every odd-numbered year in conjunction with the State of Texas legislative session. TTAA has sponsored the event for the past seven sessions (14 years). Hundreds of alumni and supporters from every district in the state are anticipated to travel to Austin to visit with their specific legislator. This year, members of the TTAA National Board will also participate in sharing their pride in the TTU System at the Capitol.
“The Texas Tech Alumni Association is proud to be a partner in the Texas Tech System Day effort and we invite proud Red Raiders from all over Texas to join us,” said Jim Douglass, TTAA associate vice president. “This is a special opportunity for alumni and supporters to be ‘loud and proud’ in front of our state’s elected leaders. It is a fun day, for sure, but it is also an important day as we collectively advocate for adequate funding of higher education in Texas.”
Texas Tech System Day was created by the Texas Tech Board of Regents in 1996 to expand on the existing Texas Tech Day and include the other entities of the Texas Tech University System. After two decades, the TTU System has emerged as one of the top public university systems in the nation and is a dynamic force in higher education. To find out more about Texas Tech System Day and RSVP for events, visit www.texastechalumni.org/systemday.
For more information, contact Jim Douglass, associate vice president, Texas Tech Alumni Association, (806) 834-1053 or jim.douglass@ttu.edu.
(News release from Texas Tech University)