higher education

Texas A&M System Bidding for Biosecurity Center

By Reeve Hamilton May 22, 2011

The Texas A&M University System announced a bid today to become one of the nation’s key centers for defense against infectious diseases and other biological threats. Full Story

Credit: Todd Wiseman
Anxious High School Seniors Await Word on College Grants

By Thanh Tan May 22, 2011

Thousands of Texas students have been forced to put their college plans on hold as the Legislature, working on the state budget, determines what level of funding there will be for TEXAS Grants, the state's principal financial aid program for financially needy college students. Full Story

Credit: Muliadi Soenaryo
Interactive: 2006-2010 TEXAS Grant Distributions

By Ryan Murphy and Thanh Tan May 22, 2011

The Texas Legislature created the TEXAS (Towards EXcellence, Access and Success) Grant program in 1999 to make higher education more accessible to students from low-income families. Check out the interactive to see how much in TEXAS Grants funding has been allocated to the state's 94 public colleges and universities between 2006 and 2010. Full Story
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Evan Smith May 21, 2011

Root and Galbraith on a Dallas billionaire's radioactive waste dump victory, Grissom on the passage of eyewitness ID reform, Hamilton on the old grudges bedeviling the debate over higher ed, Philpott on the status of congressional redistricting, Ramsey on Rick Perry's un-campaign for president, Ramshaw on why medical schools are the scorned children of the state's education budget, my session-wrap interview with three veteran Democrats, M. Smith on why Rob Eissler can't pass mandate relief for school districts and Stiles on who's giving what to which Texas candidates in 2011-12 congressional races: The best of our best content from May 16 to 20, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Old Grudges, Rivalries Bedevil Higher Education Debate

By Reeve Hamilton May 20, 2011

As the debate over the future of Texas’ higher education continues to swirl, it's increasingly intertwined in old political rivalries and long-held grudges and resentments. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Texas A&M Faculty Want Transparency From Regents

By Reeve Hamilton May 19, 2011

The ongoing debate about the future of of Texas higher education has, until this point, been most dynamic at the University of Texas at Austin. With a recent dispatch from the Texas A&M University faculty, that appears to be changing. Full Story

Credit: Todd Wiseman/The Texas Tribune
Panel Debates Future of Research Universities

By Kate Galbraith May 19, 2011

A panel of higher education and business executives at the University of Texas at Austin reflected high anxiety about the future of research universities — especially in Texas, which has just three of the nation's top research universities compared to California's nine. Full Story

Credit: Muliadi Soenaryo
GOP Lawmakers Target In-State Tuition for Students in Texas Illegally

By Aziza Musa May 19, 2011

A bill by state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, seeks to repeal in-state tuition for students who are not living in Texas legally. He says it will make tuition rates fairer, but others argue that the tuition break ultimately benefits the state. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Jacob Villanueva
UT System Regent's Request Stirs More Controversy

By Reeve Hamilton May 18, 2011

After a public display of harmony last week, controversy continues to surround UT System Board of Regents. Does a request made by regent Alex Cranberg amount to the kind of micromanaging criticized by the system's chancellor? Cranberg insists it is no such thing. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Overshadowed by Other Cuts, Med Schools Face Drastic Reductions

By Emily Ramshaw May 18, 2011

Texas medical schools feel like the scorned children of the state’s education budget. Lost amid the pleas of parents to restore funding for public education, and the demands of college students to preserve financial aid, the state’s health care institutions say few seem to understand the drastic situation they face. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey May 14, 2011

Aaronson on pork choppers, Aguilar on sanctuary cities legislation, Galbraith on Brownsville's ban on plastic bags, Grissom on Delma Banks and prosecutorial misconduct, Hamilton on a tough week for higher education in Texas, Philpott on wildfires and politics, Ramshaw on the state's pursuit of a federal Medicaid overhaul, M. Smith on what would happen if lawmakers don't rewrite school finance formulas, yours truly on the Lege as schoolyard and Stiles with interactive graphics on how the proposed Senate redistricting maps compare with current ones: The best of our best content from May 9 to 13, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
Texas Warned About Cuts to Historically Black Universities

By Reeve Hamilton May 13, 2011

In April, Gov. Rick Perry received a letter from Russlynn Ali, assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education, reminding him of the state's commitment to Prairie View A&M University and Texas Southern University. Full Story

Credit: wikipedia.org
House Passes Outcomes-Based Higher Ed Funding Bill

By Reeve Hamilton May 13, 2011

A bill allowing a chunk of funding for colleges and universities to be dedicated to "outcomes-based" funding passed through the House today and is headed to the Senate. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
A Tale of Two Chancellors

By Reeve Hamilton May 13, 2011

At the end of a turbulent week in Texas higher education, the circumstances of the chancellors of the state’s two largest university systems stand in stark contrast. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
UT Regents Unanimously Support Chancellor's Vision

By Reeve Hamilton May 12, 2011

At a meeting of the University of Texas System Board of Regents in Austin Thursday, UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa won unanimous support after laying out his “framework for advancing excellence throughout the university system.” Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Was McKinney's Departure From A&M System Voluntary?

By Reeve Hamilton May 11, 2011

Multiple higher education sources with knowledge of the events that transpired before the Texas A&M chancellor's surprise "retirement" announcement on Tuesday say that members of the system's board of regents told him it was time for a change. Full Story
The Weekly TribCast: Episode 79

By Reeve Hamilton May 11, 2011

In this week's episode of the TribCast, Evan, Reeve, Julian and Ben discuss the meltdown in the House, the debate over sanctuary cities, and the latest in higher education. Full Story

Credit: Todd Wiseman
UT Regents Select Next President of MD Anderson

By Reeve Hamilton May 11, 2011

On Wednesday, The University of Texas System Regents unanimously approved Dr. Ronald A. DePinho as the sole finalist for the position of president of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
John Mendelsohn: The TT Interview

By Reeve Hamilton May 11, 2011

Dr. John Mendelsohn, the outgoing president of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, discusses the significance of budget cuts for his institutions, the value of public research and his advice for his successor. Full Story
Bill to Ease College Transfers Passes House

By Reeve Hamilton and Andrew Weber May 10, 2011

A bill that streamlines the process for community college students seeking to transfer into a four-year universities was kicked out of the House — passing unanimously — and over to the Senate this afternoon. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera