Universities are moving forward with reopening plans for the fall semester, anxious to bring students back. But faced with online classes and an altered campus, students are questioning if college is still worth what they’re paying.
Raga Justin
Raga Justin covered higher education at The Texas Tribune in 2020. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Raga has worked as a reporting fellow at the Tribune, a reporting intern in the Houston Chronicle’s Austin bureau, and a news desk editor and city and state reporter for The Daily Texan. She was also a journalism coach for the Moody College of Communication’s writing program and the board chair of media and public relations for the Indian Students Association.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas’ biggest public universities will require masks this fall. Enforcement will be a challenge.
Enforcement methods will largely focus on persuasion, but schools say they may discipline students or professors who don’t comply.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas universities are shelving SAT and ACT requirements as coronavirus scrambles admissions process
Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin are the latest schools to announce a temporary suspension of test requirements. Others already had doubts about how well standardized tests predict student performance, and the pandemic has them rethinking their admissions approach.
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Coronavirus in Texas
13 University of Texas football players test positive for coronavirus
Across the state, other universities have also reported student athletes testing positive for COVID-19 as workouts for sports have resumed.
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Demographics
Texas A&M announces task force to weigh removing statue of Sul Ross, Confederate general and former governor
Texas A&M President Michael Young is urging the task forces to make a decision whether to remove a statue of Confederate general Lawrence Sullivan Ross in the near future. This move follows recent protests against the statue and accusations of racism on campus from students.
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Higher Education
Targeting a statue at A&M and a school song at UT, Texas college students are pushing for a reckoning on race
Major higher education institutions across Texas have largely condemned racial injustice in the past few weeks, but students are protesting what they view as symbols of racism at their schools.
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Higher Education
Texas A&M System approves $100 million scholarship fund to address “diversity issues”
Chancellor John Sharp said the goal is for the demographics of the system’s students to reflect the demographics of Texas.
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Higher Education
UT-Austin football players demand school rename buildings named after racist figures, donate to Black Lives Matter
Athletes say they will forgo participating in recruiting and donor-related events if campus and athletic leadership fails to implement their demands, which are aimed at supporting students of color.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas A&M and University of Texas at Austin will require everyone to wear masks inside campus buildings
The two flagships are among the first Texas higher education institutions to announce mask requirements this fall.
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Coronavirus in Texas
In rural Texas, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought more accessible mental health care
Mental health services have always been scarce in Texas’ vast rural stretches. But the pandemic has caused the state to lift restrictions on providing care online or by phone.