With school districts across the state passing belt-tightening budgets due to cuts expected at the Legislature, Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports that some districts are gearing up for legal challenges.
Politics
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Higher Education
UT System Releases Data on Faculty “Productivity”
This afternoon, the University of Texas System released much-anticipated data on faculty “productivity” — noting, however, that the 821-page spreadsheet is in a raw draft form that has not been fully verified and “cannot yield accurate analysis, interpretations or conclusions.”
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Higher Education
Jeff Sandefer Opens Up on Higher Ed Debate
Jeff Sandefer, the author of the “seven breakthrough solutions” that have rocked the Texas higher education community, has broken his silence on the matter.
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Higher Education
TribLive: Powers and Loftin on “Breakthrough Solutions”
At last Thursday’s TribLive conversation, I interviewed Bill Powers and Bowen Loftin, the presidents of the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, respectively, about the seven “breakthrough solutions” proposed for higher ed by advocates of reform.
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Higher Education
TribLive: Powers and Loftin on Faculty Accountability
At last Thursday’s TribLive conversation, I interviewed Bill Powers and Bowen Loftin, the presidents of the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, respectively, about the need to quantify the financial contribution of faculty members as part of a higher ed accountability effort.
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Higher Education
Highlights: TPPF’s Higher Ed Reform Panel
At a panel hosted by the Texas Public Policy Foundation, UT president Bill Powers, TPPF senior fellow Ronbald Trowbridge and speaker of the A&M faculty senate Robert Strawser discuss the conservative think tank’s seven proposed reforms to higher education.
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Higher Education
UT President, A&M Professor Tussle With TPPF
At a panel hosted by the Texas Public Policy Foundation today, Bill Powers, the president of the University of Texas, and Robert Strawser, an accounting professor at Texas A&M University and the speaker of its faculty senate, responded to the conservative think tank’s proposed higher education reforms.
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Higher Education
Guest Column: The Case for Higher Ed Accountability
Taxpayers and students make considerable financial investments in Texas universities. As such, they deserve excellence in both teaching and research. Full transparency and accountability are needed to ensure that neither of those priorities is shortchanged.
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Higher Education
After Rick O’Donnell, Now What?
One week ago, Rick O’Donnell’s employment at the University of Texas System came to an abrupt end after 50 days marked by tension and confusion in the higher education community — especially at the University of Texas at Austin. So what happens now that he’s gone?
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Health care
Outside Groups Lobby Texas Budget Writers
With the Senate set to debate the state budget this week, Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports that several outside groups want to shape the conversation.