Flush with cash from its new football stadium and its move to the Southeastern Conference, Texas A&M University has developed plans to spend $68 million on new stadiums for its softball and track and field teams.
Matthew Watkins
Matthew Watkins began serving as editor in chief of the Tribune in September 2024. He is a Texas native, born in Houston and raised in Austin. He attended Texas A&M University and has spent his entire professional career in Texas journalism, including stints at The Eagle in Bryan-College Station and The Dallas Morning News. Matthew joined The Texas Tribune in 2015 has held various roles, including higher education reporter, breaking news editor and politics editor. He has helped guide the Tribune's award-winning journalism that has included coverage of six legislative sessions, multiple election cycles, natural disasters and political scandals. He lives in Austin with his wife, Susan, and their two children.
Posted in
Higher Education
As College Costs Rise, Texas Schools Open Food Pantries for Students
As tuition costs rise and the number of low-income students increases, at least 14 Texas colleges have opened food pantries for students who are having trouble affording meals.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Under New Campus Carry Rules, Texas A&M to Permit Handguns in Classrooms, Dorms
Texas A&M University’s proposed new campus carry rules include few major restrictions for handguns and will allow the weapons in classrooms and dormitories.
Posted in
Higher Education
Hutchison, Fenves Decry Dwindling State Support for Higher Education
Before meeting with state and higher ed leaders, UT-Austin President Greg Fenves and former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said Monday that universities, state governments and the private sector need to take action to preserve public colleges’ strengths.
Posted in
Higher Education
How UT-Dallas Transformed Itself into a Top Texas College
Once a commuter school, the University of Texas at Dallas has remodeled itself into one of the top-ranked public universities in the state.
Posted inState Government
UT Steps Up Security After Body of Student Found on Campus
Urging students to be more careful on campus, University of Texas at Austin officials are stepping up security after determining that a body found on campus this week belonged to a freshman dance student.
Posted in
Higher Education
House Higher Ed Chairman: “I Would Not Have Any Concern” if Top 10 Percent Rule Went Away
The chairman of the Texas House of Representatives’ Higher Education Committee said Thursday that he “would not have any concern” if the Top 10 Percent Rule governing college admissions in the state were eliminated.
Posted inDemographics, Higher Education, Immigration, Politics, Public Education, State Government
Fighting the Top 10 Percent Rule and Fighting to Make it Succeed
As many UT-Austin administrators say the Top 10 Percent Rule hurts the university’s national prestige, the college is focused on helping UT-Austin students who might not have otherwise been admitted. This is part of the Tribune’s “The Price of Admission” series.
Posted inState Government
Just Miles Apart But a World of Difference in College Paths
The Top 10 Percent Rule aims to give all Texas public high school students an equal shot at getting into the state’s top public universities. But that doesn’t guarantee that students will seize that opportunity. This story is part of the Tribune’s “Price of Admission” series.
Posted inState Government
Boosting Diversity at Texas Colleges Could Kill Affirmative Action
The controversy over Texas’ Top 10 Percent Rule for college admissions shows how fraught the debate over race and higher education has become. This story is part of our “Price of Admission” series.
