The latest higher education news from The Texas Tribune.
Don’t look for the Legislature to get in the middle of Texas A&M University’s split from the Big 12 Conference. Twice in the last 14 months, House Higher Education Chairman Dan Branch, R-Dallas, has called a hearing about universities leaving the Big 12 Conference — and twice he had to cancel it because the timing was off. In the meantime, the conservative blogosphere let him have it. Full Story
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Texas' institutions of higher education are increasingly looking to outside sources for help tackling low graduation rates. This week, Complete College America announced a million-dollar grant to help Texas handle students who show up to college ill-prepared. Full Story
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A new report by a University of Texas associate dean on the way UT handles tax dollars finds that the institution "excels" in the area of efficiency. Full Story
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The Dallas Republican who chairs the House Higher Education Committee said today that relevant questions about possible changes could be asked and answered in the public arena over time. Full Story
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Confirming the worst-kept secret in college football, Texas A&M University formally notified officials of the Big 12 this morning that it's applying to join another athletic conference. Full Story
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When UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa unveiled his action plan last week, it was national news. Not so when Brian McCall, chancellor of the Texas State University System, did the exact same thing — a week earlier. Full Story
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Tan on coming prison school cuts and online sales taxes, Root on Rick Perry's support for tax increases when he was a lawmaker, Ramshaw and Serafini on what "Perrycare" would entail, yours truly on the differences between Perry and George W. Bush, Philpott on the passions of the Paulites, Murphy and Seger unveil the Trib's Texas Public Schools Database, Hamilton on UT's answer to calls for improvements in higher ed, Galbraith on predictions that the record heat in Texas will be a long-term problem and Aguilar on the legal shootout over gun sales in Texas: The best of our best content from Aug. 22 to 26, 2011. Full Story
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The warring parties in the state’s ongoing debate over higher education reform experienced something new in the wake of this week's University of Texas System Board of Regents meeting: consensus. Full Story
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Lawmakers and local leaders are hopeful a plan unanimously adopted at Thursday's University of Texas System Board of Regents meeting means they could finally get what they've long been waiting for: a new medical school. Full Story
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At this morning's meeting of the University of Texas System Board of Regents, Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa won unanimous approval for a plan addressing hot-button higher ed issues of the moment like productivity, efficiency and accountability. Full Story
When University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa rises to address the UT System Board of Regents today, the room won't be quite the pressure cooker it was in May. Full Story
Despite the national media's intense scrutiny of his history of appointing big-dollar donors to high-profile positions, Gov. Rick Perry named two such donors to key boards Wednesday. Full Story
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Even as debate continues about how problems of rising costs and unsatisfactory graduation rates, innovative web-based approaches to higher education are being piloted around the state and being embraced by students and, yes, even some faculty and administrators. Full Story
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One day before a key University of Texas Board of Regents meeting, conservative groups called for increased transparency in higher education and the end of faculty tenure and "frivolous" research projects. Full Story
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Since it was created in May, little has been heard from the Legislature's Joint Oversight Committee on Higher Education Governance, Excellence and Transparency. But today, its first public hearing was set for Wednesday, Sept. 21. Full Story
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The president of Prairie View A&M University on higher ed budget cuts, the role of historically black colleges in Texas and why he'll soon be back in the classroom teaching the largest class on campus. Full Story
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George C. Wright: The TT Interview Audio Full Story
Aaronson analyzes TWIA claims and lawyer fees, Aguilar talks border security and voter ID with Chuy Hinojosa, Grissom on the latest inmate exonerated via DNA evidence, Hamilton interviews John Sharp on higher ed and the SEC, Murphy interactively maps the changes wrought by redistricting, Philpott on who's running Texas while Rick Perry is out campaigning for president, Ramsey on Perry's history of off-the-cuff remarks, Ramshaw on Perry's childhood years in Paint Creek, Root on Perry's extraordinary first week on the trail and Tan on even more ways Texas will change on Sept. 1: The best of our best content from Aug. 15-19, 2011. Full Story
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Who knew, when the 1998 race for lieutenant governor was raging, that the combatants would end up like this: Rick Perry is picking his way across Iowa and New Hampshire with his sights set on the White House, and John Sharp is the chancellor-apparent at the Texas A&M University System. Whodathunkit? Full Story
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As the last legislative session demonstrated, the governor has a failing record on issues important to Latinos, including public education, expanded pre-K, college access, redistricting and immigration. Full Story
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