The latest higher education news from The Texas Tribune.
For this week's installment of our non-scientific survey of political and policy insiders on issues of the moment, we focused on the budget. Specifically, we asked how big the shortfall is going to be, how the Legislature will close the gap and which areas of the budget are most likely to be cut. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/InsideIntelligence_Surveys.007.png)
Hu on the Perry-Bush rift, Ramshaw on the adult diaper wars, Ramsey's interview with conservative budget-slasher Arlene Wohlgemuth, Galbraith on the legislature's water agenda (maybe), M. Smith on Don McLeroy's last stand (maybe), Philpott on the end of earmarks (maybe), Hamilton on the merger of the Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Education Agency (maybe), Aguilar on Mexicans seeking refuge from drug violence, Grissom on inadequate health care in county jails and my conversation with Houston Mayor Annise Parker: The best of our best from November 15 to 19, 2010. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Tribweek.jpg)
Texas A&M University's Student Senate is set to take a final vote this evening on a controversial measure to oppose in-state tuition for undocumented students. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/AandM_ProfProfit.jpg)
With a budget shortfall of historic proportions looming and legislators looking desperately for savings, state Rep. Fred Brown, R-Bryan, is proposing a drastic step: the elimination of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/THECB.jpg)
Five private university presidents in Texas banked more than $1 million in 2008, according to a new report by The Chronicle of Higher Education. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/flickr.comphotosdborman2.jpg)
The session hasn't started yet, but the battles have. In a heated exchange over possible cuts to higher education at a post-election debrief, Democratic consultant Matt Angle spars with Gov. Rick Perry's campaign manager, Rob Johnson. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/mattrob.jpg)
According to a rosy new study, Texas taxpayers see a 6.9 percent rate of return on their investment in community colleges. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/DelMar_College.jpg)
How big is the state’s budget shortfall? It all depends on who's doing the math. A big number means the coming session will be all about what’s cut — what programs and services won’t be offered. A smaller one puts lawmakers in the position of deciding, in hard times, what they can add to current spending. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/budgetcuts004.jpg)
Who will be the most important legislators in Austin in 2011? UT Vice Chancellor Barry McBee has an answer. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/20100112-capitol7_cbm.jpg)
At a meeting today in Austin, the University of Texas System Board of Regents voted unanimously to terminate its partnership with Texas Southmost College in Brownsville. Now, a four-year process of phasing out the partnership will go into effect with an August 2015 deadline. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/utb_tsc_split.png)
Today, University of North Texas System Chancellor Lee Jackson announced his intention to nominate V. Lane Rawlins as the sole finalist for the presidency of the University of North Texas. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/PresRawlins1.jpg)
After a month of contentious debate, the future of a partnership between the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College that has flourished for the last two decades remains up in the air. Full Story
Higher Education Commissioner Raymund Paredes wants to change the way public universities and colleges are funded in Texas. Today, at a meeting of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, he will lay out his latest plan to do just that. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Paredes.jpg)
M. Smith on the frailties of electronic voting machines, Hu on the big bump in early voter turnout, Chang talks to the national coordinator of Health Information Technology, Hamilton on why the nondiscrimination policies of state university systems don't include sexual orientation, Aguilar on the prospect of high school football referees on strike, Stiles updates our government employee salary app to include 20 more public agencies, Philpott on where the candidates in HD-52 stand on fast growth, Galbraith on damage to Texas roads caused by heavy truck traffic, Grissom interviews the first Hispanic sheriff of Harris County and my one-hour sit-downs with Rick Perry and Bill White: The best of our best from October 18 to 22, 2010. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Tribweek_10_16_2010.jpg)
More than a quarter-century has passed since a landmark suit against Texas A&M University established the right of gay student groups to form on college campuses. Yet all these years later, half of the university systems in the state — the Texas A&M University System, the Texas State University System and the Texas Tech University System — do not include sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policies. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/CollegeOrientation.jpg)
A federal judge on Wednesday declined to rule on a request for an injunction filed by a group of high school sports officials seeking to prevent what they call a government takeover of an independent contracting agency. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/footballgoal.jpg)
The drama of the gridiron has found its way into a federal courtroom in a standoff between the Texas Association of Sports Officials and the University Interscholastic League. With the threat of a lockout of referees and their ilk, the result could be the hiring of scabs to replace them — or even the halting of games — just weeks before one of the year's most eagerly anticipated moments in Texas: the start of high school football playoffs. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/RefsOnStrike_d_notonstrike.jpg)
About 60 percent of Texas students who continue their education after high school start out at community colleges, whose payrolls have not been part of our database of public employee salaries — until today. We've added in the pay of nearly 20,000 administrators and faculty at seven Texas community colleges and college districts: Houston Community College, Dallas County Community College District, Alamo Colleges, Lone Star College, Austin Community College, Collin College and Tarrant County College. While the median salaries at community colleges are comparable to those of state universities, dramatic differences can be seen at the margins. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/ComColleges_App_2.jpg)
The Texas Association of Community Colleges is accusing the University of Texas of siphoning money from programs that support community colleges into UT’s College of Education. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/UT-Money-Vortex.jpg)
Thevenot on the fastest-growing charter school chain in Texas, Hu on the continuing legal fights between tort reformers and trial lawyers over the state's windstorm insurance pool, Hamilton on the push for accountability in Texas colleges, Philpott on legislative skirmishing over federal education funds, Grissom on misdemeanor convicts choosing jail time instead of probation that's more expensive for them but cheaper for the state, M. Smith on Bill Flores' challenge in what's billed as the hottest congressional race in the country, Ramshaw looks at scandals that have put some otherwise safe statehouse incumbents in deep electoral trouble, yours truly on the closest and ugliest race on the statewide ballot and Galbraith and Titus on pollution from idling vehicles and why it's so hard to control: The best of our best from September 27 to October 1, 2010. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Tribweek_09_27_2010_2_1.jpg)