The latest higher education news from The Texas Tribune.
After one year, University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa and Board Chairman Gene Powell are proud of the progress they've made on their "Framework for Advancing Excellence," even as others begin to question it. Full Story
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Public research universities around the state are looking to absorb medical schools, which represents a break from Texas' traditional set up and may require some major legislative changes. But only if they can make the funding work. Full Story
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According to Washington Monthly's new college rankings, which uses unconventional methodology, Texas A&M University is the country's second-best institution. And the next best school from Texas? The University of Texas at El Paso. Full Story
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Rather than keep any bonus he earns under the University of Texas System's new incentive pay plan for presidents, University of Texas-Pan American President Robert Nelsen plans to give the bonuses to his institution. Full Story
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Like many of our state entities, the University of Texas at Austin has been asked to "do more with less," and it's soldiering on. Yet we cannot continue to underfund our institutions and hope for the best. Full Story
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The public is told by some that holding the line on tuition will imperil much-needed student programs, hold back research or result in a "dumbing down" of the university. This is a fundamentally misleading position. Full Story
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Where did a Lubbock County judge get the idea that the U.S. might cede sovereignty to the U.N.? In Texas, activists fearful of such a prospect have cited a 20-year-old resolution called Agenda 21. Full Story
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This week, both Brian McCall, chancellor of the Texas State University System, and Francisco Cigarroa, chancellor of the University of Texas System, celebrated the one-year anniversaries of their plans for reforming their systems. Full Story
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Texas State University in San Marcos on Friday will announce a major gift from the Meadows Foundation. The $1 million donation will help launch the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. Full Story
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According to news reports, former U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, on leave from his position as dean of Texas A&M University's Bush School of Government and Public Service, is facing charges for drunken driving and a hit and run. Full Story
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Virtually all Texas college students must be vaccinated against meningitis before classes start this fall. But state and federal cuts to vaccine funding have left low-income students, and some small schools, on edge. Full Story
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On Wednesday, a committee of the University of Texas System Board of Regents approved a new incentive plan that could drastically alter compensation for the presidents of its 15 institutions. Full Story
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The University of Texas at Austin is negotiating with Coursera and edX, massive open online course companies that make content from elite universities available for free on the internet. Full Story
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The University of Texas System Board of Regents' academic affairs committee approved a revised version of an embattled proposal to have the University of Texas at Austin expand KUT, Austin's public radio station. Full Story
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The president of St. Edward's University, a private Catholic university in Austin, on the state's primary grant program for students of private institutions, as well as the increasingly global nature of higher ed. Full Story
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Amid major changes at health science centers across the state, University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa on Friday announced his intention to establish a freestanding medical school in the Rio Grande Valley. Full Story
Public university libraries throughout Texas distinguish themselves by acquiring special collections that contain items that cannot be found anywhere else. Here are a few examples of what they contain. Full Story
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For public universities in Texas that are striving to distinguish themselves — particularly those vying to be the state’s next tier-one research institution — special collections in their libraries can provide a boost. Full Story
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The A&M System regents are expected to approve a resolution that will add “Texas A&M” to the name of each institution it oversees. The change is part of a massive rebranding effort, which is just one of many major changes Chancellor John Sharp has announced as he approaches his one-year anniversary on the job. Full Story
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College students hoping to have an easier time paying off their student loans may want to consider carefully which major they pursue, according to a new report prepared for the Legislature. Full Story
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