The early results of the latest leg in a key fundraising race for Texas universities seeking tier-one status are in — and the University of Texas at Dallas is in the lead. But there's still more than $1.2 million up for grabs this biennium. Full Story
Aaronson on the stats behind the Texas Miracle, Aguilar on an area of the budget that didn't get cut during the session, Dehn and Tan wrap-up our 31 Days, 31 Ways project, Galbraith talks to Todd Staples about the drought, Grissom on controversial executions during Rick Perry's tenure (plus a visualization by Murphy and Seger), Hamilton on the Rodney Dangerfield of Texas universities, Philpott on the search for clues in past Perry debates, Ramshaw on Perry's opposition to abortion rights and Root on Perry's assurances to conservatives that his past won't embarrass them: The best of our best content from Aug. 29 to Sept. 2, 2011. Full Story
Don’t look for the Legislature to get in the middle of Texas A&M University’s split from the Big 12 Conference. Twice in the last 14 months, House Higher Education Chairman Dan Branch, R-Dallas, has called a hearing about universities leaving the Big 12 Conference — and twice he had to cancel it because the timing was off. In the meantime, the conservative blogosphere let him have it. Full Story
Texas' institutions of higher education are increasingly looking to outside sources for help tackling low graduation rates. This week, Complete College America announced a million-dollar grant to help Texas handle students who show up to college ill-prepared. Full Story
A new report by a University of Texas associate dean on the way UT handles tax dollars finds that the institution "excels" in the area of efficiency. Full Story
The Dallas Republican who chairs the House Higher Education Committee said today that relevant questions about possible changes could be asked and answered in the public arena over time. Full Story
Confirming the worst-kept secret in college football, Texas A&M University formally notified officials of the Big 12 this morning that it's applying to join another athletic conference. Full Story
When UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa unveiled his action plan last week, it was national news. Not so when Brian McCall, chancellor of the Texas State University System, did the exact same thing — a week earlier. Full Story
Tan on coming prison school cuts and online sales taxes, Root on Rick Perry's support for tax increases when he was a lawmaker, Ramshaw and Serafini on what "Perrycare" would entail, yours truly on the differences between Perry and George W. Bush, Philpott on the passions of the Paulites, Murphy and Seger unveil the Trib's Texas Public Schools Database, Hamilton on UT's answer to calls for improvements in higher ed, Galbraith on predictions that the record heat in Texas will be a long-term problem and Aguilar on the legal shootout over gun sales in Texas: The best of our best content from Aug. 22 to 26, 2011. Full Story
The warring parties in the state’s ongoing debate over higher education reform experienced something new in the wake of this week's University of Texas System Board of Regents meeting: consensus. Full Story
Lawmakers and local leaders are hopeful a plan unanimously adopted at Thursday's University of Texas System Board of Regents meeting means they could finally get what they've long been waiting for: a new medical school. Full Story
At this morning's meeting of the University of Texas System Board of Regents, Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa won unanimous approval for a plan addressing hot-button higher ed issues of the moment like productivity, efficiency and accountability. Full Story
Despite the national media's intense scrutiny of his history of appointing big-dollar donors to high-profile positions, Gov. Rick Perry named two such donors to key boards Wednesday. Full Story
When University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa rises to address the UT System Board of Regents today, the room won't be quite the pressure cooker it was in May. Full Story
Even as debate continues about how problems of rising costs and unsatisfactory graduation rates, innovative web-based approaches to higher education are being piloted around the state and being embraced by students and, yes, even some faculty and administrators. Full Story
One day before a key University of Texas Board of Regents meeting, conservative groups called for increased transparency in higher education and the end of faculty tenure and "frivolous" research projects. Full Story
Since it was created in May, little has been heard from the Legislature's Joint Oversight Committee on Higher Education Governance, Excellence and Transparency. But today, its first public hearing was set for Wednesday, Sept. 21. Full Story
The president of Prairie View A&M University on higher ed budget cuts, the role of historically black colleges in Texas and why he'll soon be back in the classroom teaching the largest class on campus. Full Story
Aaronson analyzes TWIA claims and lawyer fees, Aguilar talks border security and voter ID with Chuy Hinojosa, Grissom on the latest inmate exonerated via DNA evidence, Hamilton interviews John Sharp on higher ed and the SEC, Murphy interactively maps the changes wrought by redistricting, Philpott on who's running Texas while Rick Perry is out campaigning for president, Ramsey on Perry's history of off-the-cuff remarks, Ramshaw on Perry's childhood years in Paint Creek, Root on Perry's extraordinary first week on the trail and Tan on even more ways Texas will change on Sept. 1: The best of our best content from Aug. 15-19, 2011. Full Story