The legislature finds that higher education is vitally important to the welfare, if not the survival, of Texas and the United States at this stage in history and that the quality of higher education is dependent upon the quality of college and university faculties. The legislature finds, therefore, that money spent on recognized means for producing an excellent system of public higher education is money spent to serve a public purpose of great importance. The legislature finds further that a sound program of faculty development leaves of absence designed to enable the faculty member to engage in study, research, writing, and similar projects for the purpose of adding to the knowledge available to himself, his students, his institution, and society generally is a well-recognized means for improving a state’s program of public higher education. The legislature’s purpose in establishing the faculty development leave program provided for by this subchapter is to improve further the higher education available to the youth at the state-supported colleges and universities and to establish this program of faculty development leaves as part of the plan of compensation for the faculty of these colleges and universities.