New Presidents, Old Statues and Guns: The Year in Higher Education
College campuses always seem to attract controversy, but in 2015 Texas universities seemed to have more than their normal share. Full Story
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Matthew Watkins began serving as editor in chief of the Tribune in September 2024. Matthew is a Texas native, born in Houston and raised in Austin. He attended public schools and graduated from Texas A&M University. He’s spent nearly two decades in Texas journalism, and previously worked at The Eagle in Bryan-College Station and The Dallas Morning News. Matthew joined the Tribune in 2015 has held various roles, including higher education reporter, breaking news editor and politics editor. As a managing editor, Matthew has guided the Tribune’s award-winning journalism and other reporting of statewide significance, including coverage of elections and legislative sessions to major breaking news and ambitious storytelling about the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the Texas-Mexico border, the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, the impeachment of Texas attorney general and battles over public education. He lives in Austin with his wife, Susan, and their two children.
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SMU Opts Out of Campus Carry
Southern Methodist University in Dallas has joined the growing list of private colleges in Texas opting out of the state's new campus carry law. Full Story
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As Texas Universities Expand, Political Fights Grow Over Turf
Texas universities have been aggressively expanding their geographic reach in recent years, opening up new educational opportunities for students. But the growth has also led to complaints from state leaders and turf wars between schools. Full Story
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![Students at Texas A&M students in Doha, Qatar.]()
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Judge Dismisses UT Regent Hall's Suit Seeking Access to Admissions Records
A state district judge has thrown out a lawsuit by University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall that sought to force the system to turn over records related to an admissions scandal last year. Full Story
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![Regent Wallace Hall, Jr. at a regular meeting of the University of Texas Board of Regents in Ashbell Smith Hall in Austin.]()
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Texas A&M Scales Back Plans for an Israeli Campus
Two years after the announcement of ambitious plans to open a branch campus in Israel, Texas A&M University is scaling back. Full Story
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If UT-Austin Loses Case, It Could Face Another Top 10 Percent "Crisis"
Lost in the debate over the Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin case is this: For UT-Austin, more than racial preferences in admissions are at stake. If the university loses, the entire way it selects its incoming freshman class could be at risk. Full Story
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Supreme Court Justices Question UT-Austin's Affirmative Action Policy
U.S. Supreme Court justices dissected UT-Austin's unusual admissions procedures on Wednesday, questioning whether Texas' flagship campus should keep using race as a factor when evaluating some of its applicants. Full Story
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![Abigail Fisher, right, plaintiff in Fisher v. University of Texas, leaves the U.S. Supreme Court with Edward Blum of the Project on Fair Representation after oral arguments in the case, in Washington, D.C., Dec. 9, 2015.]()
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Affirmative Action at UT and Beyond at Stake in Supreme Court Case
The eyes of higher education will be upon the University of Texas at Austin v. Fisher on Wednesday, as the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments about the future of affirmative action. Full Story
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UT-Austin Proposes 3.1 Percent Tuition Increase
University of Texas at Austin President Greg Fenves is proposing a 3.1 percent tuition increase for next school year, he said Monday in a letter to students. Full Story
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Former FDA Head To Join UT-Austin Medical School Faculty
Mark McClellan, who ran the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under George W. Bush, will focus on reforming medical care and lowering costs. Full Story
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![Former federal agency head Mark McClellan.]()