Visiting Legislatures in Austin and Washington D.C.
Gov. Rick Perry, former Rep. Delwin Jones, Chancellor Hance, Senator Robert Duncan and former Rep. Joe Heflin celebrated a grant to support Texas Tech leadership in wind energy.
A very important function managed at the Texas Tech University System is governmental relations. As a former Texas Senator and U.S. Congressman, Chancellor Hance is no stranger to the legislative process.
He knows how things work in Austin and Washington D.C. and this plays a big role in the system's efforts with the legislature.
In conjunction with the Office of Governmental Relations, Hance works with elected officials at the state capital to ensure that the Texas Tech University System and its component institutions receive adequate state funding.
Texas taxpayers provide about 36 percent of the funding needed to operate the Texas Tech University System, and the system leadership team does an excellent job making sure we’re well represented.
Once a year, the Texas Tech University System and the Texas Tech Alumni Association host a "Texas Tech Day" in Austin. This event provides our students, alumni and system and university representatives with an united opportunity to communicate the importance of higher education and state funding for the Texas Tech University System.
Chancellor Hance and Texas Tech University President Guy Bailey pose for a picture with Lauren Williamson at a reception on Capitol Hill.
This demonstration, along with continued communication with state officials throughout the year, helps explain the great things happening at the Texas Tech University System and what our universities and graduates are doing for the betterment of the state.
Hance also works in Washington D.C. with federal officials to make sure that the component institutions compete for federal money available to help develop research programs.
In a very similar fashion to the visits in Austin, Hance and members of the Texas Tech University System travel to Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. System and university leadership showcase the interesting research projects underway at our universities and look for areas of collaboration.
In addition to visiting with federal and state officials, Hance checks in on Texas Tech students who are interning as part of the university's Congressional Internship Program. Internships are available every semester, and students have the option to intern in Austin, Washington D.C. or Lubbock, Texas. These students do a great job representing Texas Tech, and the program is highly-valued by Congressional offices.