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Jessica Priest covers higher education, working in partnership with Open Campus. She joined the Tribune in 2022 as an engagement reporter in the ProPublica/Texas Tribune joint investigative unit, contributing to a series that was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in the explanatory reporting category. Prior to the Tribune, Jessica worked for the Fort Worth Report, USA Today, the Victoria Advocate and the Temple Daily Telegram, reporting on topics that included criminal justice, the environment and local government. Her work has often made an impact. The state’s highest criminal court granted a death row inmate a new trial after she detailed a prosecutor’s conflicts of interest. After she exposed questionable hirings and payments at a port and later a water district in another part of the state, both public entities underwent reforms. Jessica was born in Houston and graduated from Sam Houston State University.
In a split decision, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the school’s prohibition on drag performances, finding students are likely to prove it violates the First Amendment. Full Story
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While other universities move to preserve the advisory bodies, Texas State will abolish them under a new state law that curtails faculty’s influence on campuses. Full Story
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In an interview with the Tribune, Chancellor Glenn Hegar also said he would prioritize student outcomes over big projects and skirted questions about diversity and academic freedom. Full Story
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Both Zerwas and Davis had been serving as interim leaders of the university system and its flagship. Full Story
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The school sought to leave the church because of differences over gay marriage and clergy. The court did not decide whether SMU could be prevented from separating. Full Story
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The creation of the new accrediting agency comes as Republicans have criticized existing ones for reinforcing a liberal bias in the country's higher ed institutions. Full Story
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Lawmakers also approved direct pay for student athletes and sought better pathways from college to the workforce. Full Story
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College access experts urged affected students not to withdraw from school while they assess their options. Full Story
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Thousands of undocumented students who grew up in Texas now face college tuition costs that are more than twice what other state residents pay. Full Story
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Two groups tried to intervene in a case that blocked Texas’ decade-old law allowing certain undocumented students to pay the lower tuition rates at public universities. They’re appealing that decision. Full Story
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