Gov. Greg Abbott has selected 13 members to serve on a Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board working group charged with developing a statewide framework for three-year bachelor’s degree pathways, his office announced in a Sept. 16 news release. The coordinating board carried the same announcement in its own newsroom.
The group grows out of an Abbott directive to the board, and the stakes are financial for students. A three-year bachelor’s degree could reduce the cost of earning a degree by up to 25% and save Texas students between $15,000 and $35,000, according to the governor’s office.
“Texas students deserve a clear and affordable pathway to high-paying jobs,” Abbott said in the release. “This working group will deliver a statewide framework for three-year bachelor’s degrees to keep Texas a national leader in affordable, accessible, high-quality education.”
“We look forward to hearing from these expert educators as they identify accelerated programs that can offer students a quality education leading to a durable, financially rewarding career,” Texas Higher Education Commissioner Wynn Rosser said in the release.
The working group includes staff and faculty leaders from four-year institutions and community colleges across the state, with expertise in academics, administration, accreditation and workforce education, the governor’s office said. At Abbott’s direction, the group will recommend academic standards and requirements for the pathways; identify degree programs and high-demand occupations where they may be most appropriate; weigh student demand and employer workforce needs; address accreditation and institutional approval requirements; and flag statutory, regulatory or administrative changes needed for statewide implementation.
Members named in the release are Brandon Griggs of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Rigoberto J. Rincones Gomez of the Lone Star College System, Stacey Silverman of the Texas A&M University System, Nancy Brickhouse of the Texas State University System, James White of Texas Southern University, Teri Longacre of the University of Houston, Cindy Akers of Texas Tech University, Lisa McIntyre of the University of North Texas, Belinda Prihoda of Tyler Junior College, Ali Esmaeili of South Texas College, Dava Washburn of Grayson College, Angela Bauer of Texas Woman’s University and Serenity Rose King of the University of Texas System.
The group will submit its recommendations and a proposed implementation framework to the Office of the Governor by Thursday, Dec. 31, 2026. The governor’s office said the initiative builds on broader state efforts to strengthen education and workforce connections, improve student completion and ensure that postsecondary credentials provide lasting value to graduates and Texas communities.