Bill establishing TWU System becomes law

DENTON, TX — Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into law Senate Bill 1126, which establishes the three campuses of Texas Woman’s University as the state’s seventh university system. The legislation, signed Wednesday, paves the way for the newly created Texas Woman’s University System to enhance operations, expand programming, accelerate community and corporate partnerships, increase philanthropy and have a greater impact on the state’s workforce.

“The mission of Texas Woman’s remains the same – we are still about transforming lives, cultivating leaders and inspiring excellence in an inclusive, diverse environment – but now we have a better platform from which to achieve that,” said TWU Chancellor Carine M. Feyten, whose role as chancellor and president will remain in place under the system structure. "This elevates Texas Woman’s stature as a university committed to producing women leaders in business, health, education, science, the arts and public service. We are especially grateful for the support of Senator Springer and Representative Stucky, who were instrumental in crafting and shepherding this legislation to fruition."

“Unifying the Denton, Dallas, and Houston campuses further ensures Texas Woman's University will be a national leader in the healthcare and nursing fields," said State Senator Drew Springer, the author of SB 1126. "TWU has a long history of cultivating strong women who step into leadership roles and with two TWU graduates in my family, I have seen this firsthand. I am proud of the work that went into this bill with my colleagues to establish the first woman-focused university system. This law will guarantee TWU remains at the helm of equipping graduates to meet the future healthcare workforce needs of Texas.”

“Texas Woman’s University has exemplified the best of Texas higher education for many years,” said State Representative Lynn Stucky of Denton, the bill’s House sponsor. “Even while experiencing record enrollment growth, TWU is the third-most affordable institution in Texas for total cost. I am proud to have authored this important legislation that will enable TWU to build on its success in producing high-quality graduates at a low cost for Texas taxpayers and students.”

According to state higher education data, TWU recently moved from the fourth-most affordable institution to the third-most affordable institution in the state. Among Texas’s comprehensive public universities, Texas Woman’s is the state’s most affordable institution.

SB 1126 will allow for the Denton-based university system to bolster operations at its Dallas and Houston campuses, a multi-year process that ultimately could establish those campuses as stand-alone universities that better address student and community needs. Additionally, the law reinforces the university’s standing as the largest woman-focused institution in the country.

The system’s headquarters will be in Denton, and for now will be made up of existing staff from the university’s Office of the Chancellor and President.