Emails obtained via an open records request show two professors who helped develop the new center believe UT-Austin President Jay Hartzell backed off a plan to bring “intellectual diversity” to campus.
Kate McGee
Kate McGee is an Austin-based enterprise and investigative reporter. She joined the Tribune in October 2020 as a higher education reporter. She was a three-time finalist for the Education Writers Association's Beat Reporter of the Year award, winning the title in 2024. She was also a Livingston Award finalist for her coverage of the University of Texas at Austin. Before the Tribune, she spent nearly a decade as a reporter at public radio stations nationwide, including in Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Austin; Reno, Nevada; and New York. Kate was born in New York City and primarily raised in New Jersey. She earned her bachelor's degree from Fordham University.
Posted in
Uvalde school shooting
Texas Republicans want to arm more school employees, but few districts are opting in
Since Texas launched the school marshal program in 2013, just 84 school districts out of more than 1,200 have armed school staff. Educators say the program’s lack of popularity shows that teachers don’t want to be the ones to defend schools from mass shootings.
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Politics
Kyle Rittenhouse now says he’s going to Blinn College, after Texas A&M said he’s not a student
Rittenhouse corrected himself on Monday saying he was attending the Brenham-based community college. Over the weekend, he made a splash when Texas A&M refuted his claim he was an incoming Aggie.
Posted in
Uvalde school shooting
Gov. Greg Abbott instructs school safety officials to conduct “unannounced, random intruder” audits of Texas public schools
Abbott has tasked the Texas School Safety Center with conducting in-person, unannounced audits of public schools to see how quickly staff can enter a building without being stopped and detect weak points.
Posted in
Uvalde school shooting
Five injured victims remain hospitalized one week after Uvalde school shooting
A 10-year-old girl is still in serious condition at University Hospital in San Antonio while the rest of the injured patients at various hospitals have been discharged or are hospitalized in good condition.
Posted in
Uvalde school shooting
Texas Senate Democrats call for special session to raise the age to purchase guns, require universal background checks
All 13 Senate Democrats demanded lawmakers pass legislation that raises the minimum age to purchase a firearm and requires universal background checks, among other measures.
Posted in
Uvalde school shooting
Texas already “hardened” schools. It didn’t save Uvalde.
After the Uvalde mass shooting, GOP leaders are again pushing to boost school security. But similar legislation after a 2018 school shooting has fallen short of its goals, and experts said there’s no evidence such tactics work.
Posted in
Guns in Texas
Confronted with mass shootings, Texas Republicans have repeatedly loosened gun laws
Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republican leaders signaled an openness to some gun restrictions after recent mass shootings. But in the last several years, lawmakers have eased gun laws, most notably by passing a permitless carry bill last year.
Posted in
Politics
Texas school board association breaks from national group over letter requesting help from Biden administration
An independent investigation released last week showed the National School Board Association planned to ask the Biden administration for National Guard troops and the military to be sent to school board meetings.
Posted in
Higher Education
UT-San Antonio reaches Texas Tier One status, allowing access to state funds for research
UT-San Antonio is the fifth public university in Texas to achieve Texas Tier One status.
