SHERMAN, TEXAS — Austin College will host its second Public Administration Symposium on Thursday, November 11, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in the Robert J. and Mary Wright Campus Center, Room 231. The registration fee, which includes lunch, is $15; payment may be made at the door, but advance reservations should be made by contacting Wanda Hardy. Contact her by email at whardy@austincollege.edu or by phone at (903) 813-2271 no later than Monday, November 9. The symposium is open to the public
Theme for the event is “Is the Texas Star rising?” Frank Rohmer, Austin College associate professor of political science and coordinator of the event, said the theme came from the July 9 issue of The Economist. The article compared the economy of Texas to that of California, marking Texas as a state likely to see further growth. Rohmer said Texas still faces great problems.
Rohmer posed the questions: “Will Texas be able to sustain economic development and fund state and local government with its current system of public finance? Will Texas continue to rise with its low educational performance? Can Texas make its sprawling suburban communities of isolated individuals into more livable communities? Can Texas produce sufficient energy to sustain growth without further destroying the environment?”
“These are huge issues facing Texas in the present and the near future,” Rohmer said. Without effective responses, the Texas star may fall even faster than it has risen.”
The Schedule
The 2009 Symposium will begin with one of three panel discussions focused on issues critical to the future of Texas.
11-12:25 a.m.
From 11:15 a.m. to 12:25 p.m., Dr. David Griffith, associate professor of business administration, will moderate the first panel, “Financing the Growth of Texas,” featuring Professor Robert Bland, director of the Master of Public Administration program at the University of North Texas, and Austin College alumnus Dan Johnson, deputy city manager for Richardson, Texas.
12:30 p.m.
A 12:30 p.m. luncheon will be held in Mabee Hall with a presentation from state Senator Florence Shapiro, chair of the Texas Senate Committee on Education. Senator Shapiro will address education within the broader context of Texas preparedness for the coming decades.
2 -3:10 p.m.
Dr. Nathan Bigelow, assistant professor of political science, will moderate a panel from 2 to 3:10 p.m. on the topic “Searching for Quality of Life in North Texas Cities,” featuring Austin College alumnus David Morgan, assistant city manager in Richardson.
3:15-4:25 p.m.
Dr. Jeff Czajkowski, assistant professor of economics, will moderate the third panel from 3:15 to 4:25 p.m. on “Meeting the Energy Needs of North Texas Growth,” featuring Wayne Morton, senior director of Panda Energy, and Michael King, regional planner for the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
The symposium will close with a roundtable discussion for students on careers in public administration, provided by various alumni of the College.
Sherman Mayor Bill Magers was a panelist for the 2008 event.
Austin College is a leading national independent liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas. Founded in 1849, making it the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original charter and name, the college is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA). Recognized nationally for academic excellence in the areas of international education, pre-professional training, and leadership studies, Austin College is one of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges that Change Lives.
