The latest higher education news from The Texas Tribune.
The University of Texas System Board of Regents will allow member Wallace Hall to see some data and documents compiled during an outside investigation into outside influence on UT-Austin admissions. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/12/18/BestOf-2014-005.jpg)
The Texas House on Wednesday tentatively approved a package of bonds worth $3.1 billion to support construction on college campuses. Legislators haven't authorized such spending in a decade. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/cdf19b041497c864c9ccafd2610a8e89/BD%20INC%20Zerwas%2001%202011)
A Senate committee has approved a bill that would limit tuition increases to the rate of inflation unless universities meet "performance measures." Meanwhile, a House committee is considering a bill to tie tuition increases only to inflation. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/University_Tuition_Money.jpg)
Former Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday deferred to state lawmakers on whether they want to repeal Texas' in-state tuition law, a measure he signed into law in 2001 and has defended to varying degrees ever since. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/02/05/Rick_Perry_WaPo_Interview_2.jpg)
The meeting comes after UT System Regent Wallace Hall asked to visit with one of the investigators from Kroll Associates, which found that UT-Austin President Bill Powers helped secure admittance for some students over the objections of the admissions office. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/05/19/BDA_3552.jpg)
Why would Shaka Smart take a basketball job where football is king? For one, Texas is swimming in cash as one of the few schools that actually makes money off its athletic programs. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/04/03/Shaka_and_Tower_MoneyTT_g6ZfFTz.jpg)
Buyouts for Rick Barnes and Shaka Smart could force the Longhorns to pay $2.5 million. Full Story
A grand jury in Travis County did a peculiar thing this week. It decided Wallace Hall had not broken the law, and then recommended removing him from the University of Texas System Board of Regents. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/09/04/_BDA0247CMS.jpg)
Call it the Houston Buyers Club: The University of Houston is paying $135,000 plus travel expenses to get Matthew McConaughey to speak at its spring commencement. The actor is donating the money to charity. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/03/31/Matthew_McConaughey.jpg)
The Texas Senate has already passed a bill allowing handguns on college campuses. Now the House is poised to consider its own measure. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/HandGunRestingOnWhite.jpg)
In an unusual, strongly worded report, a Travis County grand jury recommended this week that University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall be removed from office. Full Story
Zachry Group, a San Antonio-based construction and engineering firm, is donating $25 million to Texas A&M University’s engineering college, aiming to help the college's plans to become the country's largest engineering school. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/AnM_Tower_AggieLand.jpg)
A budget amendment from San Antonio state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer will seek better accounting of discrimination complaints at universities, specifically cases involving fraternities and sororities. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/06/30/TMF-1.jpg)
University of Texas at Austin provost Gregory Fenves may not have always appeared to be the top choice in the search to replace UT-Austin President Bill Powers, but faculty leaders say he has the skills to thrive in the top spot. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/07/10/7C2A0671.jpg)
The University of Texas System Board of Regents on Friday named University of Texas at Austin provost Gregory Fenves the sole finalist for the flagship's presidency. Full Story
Full video of my 3/26 conversation with Clay Johnston, dean of the University of Texas at Austin's Dell Medical School. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/DSC_7942.jpg)
Five state lawmakers — all former college athletes — gathered at the University of Texas at Austin to talk about the parallels between athletics and governing and the lessons they learned from high school and college sports. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Helmets-11.jpg)
Gregory Fenves will likely be named the sole finalist to replace Bill Powers as president of the University of Texas at Austin this Friday, sources say. Fenves is currently the school's provost. Full Story
We've updated our Higher Education Outcomes app with two new years of data, showing the percentage of Texas eighth-graders — by county, ethnicity and other factors — who earned degrees or certificates within six years of graduating from high school. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/03/20/Cohorts-App.jpg)
More Texans are earning higher education degrees within six years of graduating from high school than ever before. But the year-over-year growth is painfully slow. And attainment is abysmal among poor black and Hispanic men. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/03/20/Cohorts-App-Students.jpg)