Nothing has helped Texas “close the gaps” of higher education achievement more than financial aid for low-income students. But with coming budget cuts, tens of thousands of students could lose out on the state’s largest and most generous financial aid program.
Higher Education
Coverage of universities, colleges, student issues, and education policy shaping Texas’ campuses, from The Texas Tribune.
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Higher Education
TribBlog: Institute for Creation Research Ends Legal Fight
The Institute for Creation Research has ended its fight with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which denied the Dallas-based Christian school the authority to offer master’s degrees in science education.
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Higher Education
TribBlog: Billionaire Former Regent on Donor-Appointees
“The whole idea that the big donors give [Gov. Rick Perry] money and get the appointment in return? My gosh, spare me,” says billionaire former University of Texas Regent Robert Rowling. “I already had good football tickets — you know what I’m saying?”
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Higher Education
Data App: Regents Who Give
Over the past decade, the men and women chosen by Rick Perry to serve as regents of the state’s universities have given his campaigns a total of at least $5.8 million, according to a Texas Tribune analysis.
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Higher Education
Off-Base?
The Texas commission charged with aiding economies hit by military base closures will spend millions for a vaccine plant in Bryan-College Station — even though the region’s military base closed nearly five decades ago.
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Higher Education
TribBlog: Former UT Chancellor in Housing Flap
The Bay Citizen reports that University of California System Chancellor Mark Yudof, who served as chancellor of the University of Texas System from August 2002 to May 2008 and was previously dean of the UT law school, is embroiled in a controversy over his state-funded housing.
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Demographics
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Galbraith on grass, federal money and efforts to prevent another dust bowl, Ergenbright on school suspensions and who gets punished; Aguilar’s interview with Alan Bersin, whose job is to keep the U.S./Mexico border secure, M. Smith on why it would be harder than you think to ditch the 14th Amendment, Adler and me on whether controversy is politically contagious, Ramshaw on the flap over funding for the state’s institutions for the disabled (it’s not about the money), my meditation on the state’s fiscal woes (including a $1.3 billion deficit in the current budget), Philpott on proposed cuts to the state’s food stamp program, Grissom on the push by Hidalgo County officials for a special election that might not be legal; Hamilton on the seven Texas universities that are making a play for Tier One status and Stiles on the mid-year cash-on-hand numbers reported by campaigns and political action committees: The best of our best from August 16 to 23, 2010.
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Higher Education
The Tracks of Our Tiers
It could take years before the seven emerging research universities in Texas (Texas Tech University, the University of Houston, the University of North Texas, the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of Texas at El Paso) transform themselves into top-tier research campuses — if they do at all. But the state now pays them for demonstrated progress toward that goal, pitting them against one another in competition for limited funds. Officials from all seven will appear before a joint hearing of the House and Senate higher education committees today, seeking to show off progress to lawmakers and to size up where they stand against their peers.
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Higher Education
TribBlog: How Texas Colleges Stack Up [Updated]
The day that universities have been waiting for — some eagerly, others with a healthy dose of dread — is finally here. The 2011 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s influential (and often controversial) college rankings have finally been released.