The latest higher education news from The Texas Tribune.
The University of Texas at Austin selected Justin Dyer to run The Civitas Institute, formerly referred to as the Liberty Institute. The center raised concerns among faculty after The Texas Tribune reported UT-Austin worked with conservative donors and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to bring the institute to the flagship UT campus. Full Story
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The conservative group Speech First argued that the anti-discrimination policy restricting “offensive speech about personal characteristics such race, ethnicity or gender” violates students’ First Amendment rights. The university agreed to keep its amended policy as part of a settlement. Full Story
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Emails obtained via an open records request show two professors who helped develop the new center believe UT-Austin President Jay Hartzell backed off a plan to bring “intellectual diversity” to campus. Full Story
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The Baylor Board of Regents approved a four-step plan to change the name of a campus quadrangle named after a slave-owning former university president and add more elements to provide a better representation of Baylor’s history. Full Story
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UT-San Antonio is the fifth public university in Texas to achieve Texas Tier One status. Full Story
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The board agreed to spend $85 million on a law and education building and another $85 million on a research and innovation center. Full Story
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After shifting from his role as Sam Houston State University’s chief financial officer, Hernandez will focus on student recruitment and bolstering academic programs at Sul Ross to combat declining enrollment. Full Story
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Texas is a great state, but there’s a lot of work to do, and it starts with the public — and what Texans really want. The political class isn’t going to do this on its own. Full Story
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Texas political leaders usually settle for caution. The big stuff is risky, but it’s also possible — and even inspiring — to see leaders ignoring the small stuff and aiming higher. Full Story
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After back-to-back major flooding events devastated Houston, the community college is launching a new program to ensure that citizens, businesses and emergency responders are better equipped to respond to catastrophic events. Full Story
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Many Texas public universities have committed to accepting students who do not submit SAT or ACT standardized test scores, signaling that test-optional policies could be here to stay. Full Story
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Like other states, Texas found out during the pandemic how critical high-speed broadband is for school, work and medicine. And the state is working to expand it — but it’s going to be at least a year before Texans start to see results. Full Story
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Senior Kelly Neidert has repeatedly thrust the University of North Texas into the conservative media spotlight, most recently by bringing Texas House candidate Jeff Younger to campus. Her motive? It depends on who you ask. Full Story
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The lawsuit against the University of North Texas argues out-of-state American citizens shouldn’t pay more than undocumented Texans. A federal judge agreed. Full Story
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The Board of Regents backed Gordon last year despite a vote of no confidence from faculty. Six months later, the board reversed course. It said Sunday that it was in everyone’s “best interest” to part ways and appointed an interim president. Full Story
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The two-year pilot program comes after at least 15 years of students asking for the change. It will allow UT-Austin students to live together in certain residence halls with students of any gender or sexual identity. Full Story
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The Florida law prohibits teachers from teaching sexual orientation or gender identity to kids below the fourth grade. Full Story
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Once confirmed, Kelly R. Damphousse will replace Denise Trauth to serve as the university’s 10th president. Full Story
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Simmons will teach, help maintain new fundraising partnerships and launch a college and university leadership training academy. Full Story
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So far, about 14 students could receive the aid, but the number might increase as more candidates are identified, the university system said. Full Story
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