The Texas Education Code lays out the state’s expectations for regents of public university systems, and state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, is now questioning whether the University of Texas System board is living up to them.
Judith Zaffirini
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Higher Education
Updated: Panel Discusses UT System Records Request
Sen. Kel Seliger, who co-chairs the Legislature’s joint higher education oversight committee, said UT regents should have access to the information they have requested, but the committee wants to make sure it is being gathered and used appropriately.
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Criminal Justice
Lawmakers Renew Push to Ban Texting While Driving
At a briefing Tuesday, lawmakers and relatives of people killed while texting and driving renewed a push to make the practice illegal. A proposal passed during the last session but was vetoed by Gov. Rick Perry.
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State Government
TribLive: Carona on Supporting Democrats
At this morning’s TribLive conversation, state Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, explained why it’s okay for a “committed conservative” to host fundraisers for and give money to Democrats.
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Higher Education
Texas State Upgraded to Emerging Research Status
There are now eight Texas universities vying to be the state’s next tier-one university. Texas State University has officially been reclassified as an “emerging research university.”
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Guides
Texplainer: Could Universities Be Put Under Sunset Review?
Could the state’s public universities go through the so-called sunset review process, forcing them to periodically defend their existence to state legislators?
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Inside Intelligence
Inside Intelligence: Tweaking Judges and Lawmakers
Gov. Rick Perry proposed term limits for federal judges and cuts in pay and work hours for Congress, so we put those issues to the insiders and added Texas versions: What about a full-time Legislature, and appointed judges instead of elected ones?
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Higher Education
Regents’ Potential Conflicts of Interest to Receive More Scrutiny
Legislators and other concerned groups are preparing for a thorough review of the conflict of interest policies — or lack of policies — that apply to regents of the state’s public university systems.
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Higher Education
A Fight Outlasts the Proposal that Sparked It
A recurring theme questioned the status quo of the boards that govern higher education at this week’s day-long meeting of the Joint Oversight Committee on Higher Education Governance, Excellence, and Transparency: Are the boards that govern higher education due for more restrictive conflict-of-interest policies?
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Higher Education
Higher Ed Oversight Committee Revisits “Solutions”
At today’s hearing of the Joint Oversight Committee on Higher Education Governance, Excellence and Transparency, experts weighed in on how — and how not — to make universities in Texas more accountable and transparent.
