As soon as Gov. Rick Perry signs Senate Bill 24, which creates a new university in the Rio Grande Valley, "the real work begins," says University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa. 

Root considers Rick Perry’s next move, Rocha and Dehn take a fast look back at the regular session, KUT’s Philpott on the return of redistricting, Murphy’s interactive look at 40 years of special sessions, Aaronson on calls for conservative issues in the special session, M. Smith on the education bills in front of the governor, Ramshaw on the fate of transparency legislation, E. Smith’s TribLive review of the Senate’s session, Hamilton finds the work of UT regents undisturbed by the session, Galbraith on new obstacles for water planning, Batheja reports on a revived search for highway money, and Aguilar on increasing numbers of naturalized citizens: The best of our best for the week of May 27-31, 2013.

UPDATED: After months of waiting, there is finally movement on legislation to create a new university and medical school in South Texas. But now disagreements are emerging over who will decide where the medical school is located.

Ken Starr became the 14th president of Baylor University in June 2010. Before coming to Waco, he was the dean and a professor of law at Pepperdine University, where he taught current constitutional issues and civil procedure.

Starr has argued 36 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, including 25 cases during his tenure as solicitor general of the United States from 1989-93. He also served as U.S. judge for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1983 to 1989, as law clerk to Chief Justice Warren Burger from 1975-77 and as law clerk to U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge David W. Dyer from 1973 to 1974.

This event was recorded before a live audience in Austin on April 29, 2013. Our TribLive events feature discussions with our honored guests followed by questions from the audience. For more information on Tribune events, please visit http://www.texastribune.org/events/.

M. Smith on a shock awaiting the state’s fifth- and eighth-graders, E. Smith’s interview with two of Washington’s Gang of Eight, Dehn and Rocha on legislative inquiries into the explosion and fire in West, Ramshaw on state leaders’ apparent disinterest in transparency, KUT’s Philpott explains points of order, Murphy and Ramshaw on the current status of ethics bills, Hamilton finds that not all college degrees are equal, Galbraith on the budget and the shale boom, Batheja on the Legislature’s do-over votes, Aguilar on a Texas application for more border drones: The best of our best for the week of April 29-May 3, 2012.

Full video of my 4/29 TribLive conversation with Baylor University President Ken Starr. 

The implementation of a robust but controversial conflict-of-interest policy at institutions in the University of Texas System that was originally scheduled for this spring has been delayed until at least September.

In an exclusive interview with Texas Monthly, controversial University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall acknowledged that he did not recognize the need for ongoing communication with the Legislature.

As they gather in Austin on Thursday, the University of Texas System regents are at a crossroads, and lawmakers are paying close attention to which path they take. But the tension isn't new. It dates back more than two years.

Francisco Cigarroa, chancellor of The University of Texas System, and John Sharp, chancellor of The Texas A&M University System, join Evan Smith, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Texas Tribune, in a conversation about higher education and the future of Texas' largest two university systems. 

This event was recorded before a live audience in Austin on March 28, 2013. TribLives feature moderated discussion with our honored guests followed by questions from the audience. For more information on Tribune events, please visit http://www.texastribune.org/events/.

Batheja on a House budget without vouchers or Medicaid expansion, Aguilar on obstacles to a new power plant in El Paso, Permenter on deer breeder regulations, E. Smith’s interview with San Antonio’s Castro twins, Galbraith on proposals for new underground water reservoirs, Root finds holes in a UT regent's appointment files, M. Smith on a planned school rating system that defied recommendations, Murphy maps oil and gas disposal wells in Texas, Dehn on objections to a bigger Medicaid program and Hamilton on efforts to lure gun makers to Texas: The best of our best for the week of April 1-5, 2013.

Full video of my 3/28 TribLive conversation with University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa and Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp. 

Getting rid of standardized tests in public education would make it impossible to find out whether students have mastered the basics or acquired the skills necessary for success. Tests are the best way to measure results for students.

Texas outspends every state in the nation on testing and leads in the number of tests it requires students to pass to graduate from high school. But that has not translated to a lead in students' education performance.

A Texas State University System Board of Regents nominee said Monday at a Senate committee hearing that his job as owner of the state's largest alternative teacher certification program would not conflict with his duties as a regent.

In an effort to prevent the perception of conflicts of interest, faculty in the University of Texas System could soon be subject to more robust public disclosure requirements than lawmakers and even university system regents.

In his State of the State address on Tuesday, Gov. Rick Perry touted the $10,000 bachelor's degrees at Texas universities he called for two years ago. Now that they exist, how can cash-strapped Texas students access them?

In his seventh State of the State address, Gov. Rick Perry ignored controversial issues and urged state lawmakers to do the nitty gritty work of government: fund water projects, build more roads and improve education.