Texas is home to three universities that have received the tier-one designation: The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University and the private Rice University.
Schools that receive at least $100 million each year in research grants, have selective admissions and low student-faculty ratios and competitive faculty salaries are typically considered tier-one universities.
Members of the American Association ...
There are now eight Texas universities vying to be the state's next tier-one university. Texas State University-San Marcos has officially been reclassified as an "emerging research university," making it eligible for the state-sanctioned competition designed to grow the next great public research university in Texas.
Full StoryM. Smith on Rick Perry's allergic reaction to federal school money, E. Smith elicits Ted Cruz's take on David Dewhurst, Root and Ramshaw cover Perry's first presidential debate, Ramshaw and Aguilar poke at Perry's immigration record and how it plays among Republicans, Hamilton on the dash for top status among Texas colleges, Galbraith on an environmental ruling from the White House that got conservative applause and one that didn't, Grissom has the latest on the Willingham arson case and the state's plans to look at other fires and Aaronson's widget for comparing the presidential candidates: The best of our best content from Sept. 5 to 9, 2011.
Full StoryThe report on UT teachers' productivity by Richard Vedder and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity is technically accurate — but substantively misleading. A deeper analysis raises troubling questions about how Vedder would change UT.
Full StoryAfter hitting a brief snag, the bill that creates a mechanism for the leaders in the race to become the state's next tier-one university passed the state Senate today.
Full StoryA panel of higher education and business executives at the University of Texas at Austin reflected high anxiety about the future of research universities — especially in Texas, which has just three of the nation's top research universities compared to California's nine.
Full StoryThere's a substantial cash prize awaiting Texas' seven emerging research universities, if they can meet the criteria to be considered "tier one." But there's no way to get at it right now, and there won't be unless they can all reach an agreement.
Full StoryHamilton on Victoria's efforts to divorce the University of Houston, Ramshaw on a disagreement between right-to-life groups over laws governing when life ends, E. Smith's TribLive interview with Sen. Kel Seliger and Rep. Burt Solomons on redistricting, Aguilar's interview with the mayor of Juárez, Tan on the continuing hunt for money to buy down budget cuts, Grissom on a psychologist who found more than a dozen inmates mentally competent to face the death penalty, Stiles and yours truly on the House redistricting maps and Galbraith on cutting or killing a tax break for high-cost natural gas producers: The best of our best content from April 11 to 15, 2011.
Full StoryFor those betting on the horserace to be the next state's next public national research — or tier-one — university, the winners are about to be crowned. Today, the House tentatively passed House Bill 1000, which creates a mechanism to claim the prize money.
Full StoryHouse Speaker Joe Straus was interviewed eariler this week by Jim Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin, government prof and half of the Tribune's polling team, about the session so far, the budget, gambling, rewriting state taxes, federal stimulus money and what he thinks about the tempest over research and teaching at the state's top universities.
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Jim Spaniolo, the president of UT-Arlington, said the university is committed to increasing its engagement with research that “could change the quality of life of many, many people” — but funding cuts resulting from the state’s budget shortfall would slow that momentum.
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The former chairman of the UT System Board of Regents on why demography is destiny, why higher education isn't necessarily the key determinant of the state’s economic future, why Texas doesn't need more tier-one schools and how colleges abuse the financial aid system.
Full StoryThink fast, Texas Democrats.
Full StoryIt could take years before the seven emerging research universities in Texas (Texas Tech University, the University of Houston, the University of North Texas, the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of Texas at El Paso) transform themselves into top-tier research campuses — if they do at all. But the state now pays them for demonstrated progress toward that goal, pitting them against one another in competition for limited funds. Officials from all seven will appear before a joint hearing of the House and Senate higher education committees today, seeking to show off progress to lawmakers and to size up where they stand against their peers.
Full StoryUT-San Antonio isn't the only Texas university looking to make a jump to FBS football competition.
Full StoryThe University of Texas at San Antonio hopes the fastest route to tier-one status is straight down the middle of the football field.
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