Federal Updates

Senate and House approve budget reconciliation bills; conference committee expected soon
The reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) has been highly anticipated since long before September 30, 2003, when the HEA was originally set to expire. Since then, the HEA has been extended several times (the latest extension is through the end of this year) as the Congress has moved the reauthorization process from the back burner to the front burner, and back and forth again. Making the situation even more interesting is the process of budget reconciliation which has been running concurrently with, and has recently outpaced, the progress of reauthorization.

TG Updates

Perturbed by persistent policy predicaments? Attend TG's free telephone conference
TG invites you to join a free telephone conference, titled "Things that make you go hmmm…" The telephone conference will cover a variety of recurring policy issues on Thursday, December 15, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (CST).

TG and state education leaders partner to benefit students
Leaders representing the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), Texas Education Agency (TEA), and TG have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will assist more Texas students in receiving the information and support they need to continue their education beyond high school. By signing the MOU, the three organizations have agreed to collaborate more closely in an effort to inform more students and families about the opportunities and benefits of a college education.

TG board chooses officers for 2006
The TG board of directors has elected a new slate of officers for fiscal year 2006. Albon O. Head Jr., managing partner of the Fort Worth office for Jackson Walker, LLP, has been named chair of the board. Ruben E. Esquivel, vice president for community and corporate relations for the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, will serve as vice chair; and Tommy Brooks, executive vice president and chief financial officer for Unity National Bank, will serve as board secretary.

Question of the week
Can a school add certain post-enrollment expenses (such as the cost of studying for or taking a professional examination, such as the bar exam) to a student's cost of attendance?

Legislative Update

The November 28 issue of TG's Legislative Report includes an update on the tasks the Congress will tackle when the House and Senate reconvene for about two weeks on December 5 and December 12, respectively. A congressional conference committee will attempt to adjust the differences between the four House and Senate spending and tax reconciliation bills; the Congress will attempt to pass the fiscal year 2006 appropriations bills for the Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, Labor, and Defense; and Congress will attempt to reauthorize the Patriot Act. Keep up with the latest developments by reading the full report on TG Online at www.tgslc.org/lege_report/index.cfm.

This, That, and the Other...

Three decades after bursting into pool halls and living rooms, video games are taking a place in academia. A handful of relatively obscure vocational schools have long taught basic game programming. But in the last few years, according to a November 22 New York Times article, a small but growing cadre of well-known universities has started formal programs in game design and the academic study of video games as a slice of contemporary culture.

Traditionalists in both education and the video game industry scoff at the trend, but others believe that video games — which already rival movie tickets in sales — are poised to become one of the dominant media of the new century.

Universities now are stocked with both students and young faculty members who grew up with joystick in hand. And some educators say that studying games will soon seem no less fanciful than going to film school or examining the cultural impact of television.

According to the International Game Developers Association, fewer than a dozen North American universities offered game-related programs five years ago. Now, that figure is more than 100, with dozens more overseas. To read the article, visit www.nytimes.com/2005/11/
22/arts/design/22vide.html.