INSIDER
Texas A&M regents overrule faculty, cut 52 “low-producing” programs including LGBTQ+ studies minor
Read full article: Texas A&M regents overrule faculty, cut 52 “low-producing” programs including LGBTQ+ studies minorAfter conservative criticism over the LGBTQ+ minor, university officials started looking at all its programs. Faculty say they were excluded from the process.
Queer students look for alternatives after Texas A&M ends transgender health care services
Read full article: Queer students look for alternatives after Texas A&M ends transgender health care servicesThe students saw the move as part of a political environment that has become increasingly hostile against LGBTQ+ people in Texas.
“Always go out on top”: Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp will retire June 2025
Read full article: “Always go out on top”: Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp will retire June 2025Sharp leaves after having transformed the institution, embedding it into state government, expanding its reach and boosting its academic and athletic reputation.
Push to enforce occupancy rule in College Station highlights Texas A&M students’ housing woes
Read full article: Push to enforce occupancy rule in College Station highlights Texas A&M students’ housing woesThe new fines underscore the challenges college students face when looking for affordable housing — and how cities struggle to provide it.
Small nuclear reactors may be coming to Texas, boosted by interest from Gov. Abbott
Read full article: Small nuclear reactors may be coming to Texas, boosted by interest from Gov. AbbottA nuclear power plant hasn’t been built in Texas in decades because of cost and public fears of a major accident. Now the governor wants to find out if smaller reactors could meet the state’s growing need for on-demand power.
Texas A&M students and faculty in Qatar slam decision to close Middle East campus
Read full article: Texas A&M students and faculty in Qatar slam decision to close Middle East campusProfessors and students on the Doha campus are devastated by the Board of Regents’ sudden decision to shutter the school by 2028.
Texas A&M University to close Qatar campus
Read full article: Texas A&M University to close Qatar campusThe Texas A&M Board cited heightened instability in the Middle East as the reason to end its contract with the Qatar Foundation to run the branch campus. The foundation accuses the board of falling prey to a “disinformation campaign.”
Mark Welsh III officially named president of Texas A&M University
Read full article: Mark Welsh III officially named president of Texas A&M UniversityWelsh served as interim president of the flagship university for a little over four months after the prior president resigned in the midst of a hiring scandal that drew national attention.
Texas A&M Board of Regents names Mark Welsh III sole finalist for president
Read full article: Texas A&M Board of Regents names Mark Welsh III sole finalist for presidentThe Texas A&M University System Board of Regents named the former dean and four-star general as the sole finalist for president Friday. Many believe Welsh is the right person to move the university forward after a pair of controversies bruised the school’s morale.
Texas A&M Interim President Mark Welsh will get nod to keep permanent position
Read full article: Texas A&M Interim President Mark Welsh will get nod to keep permanent positionA&M System Chancellor John Sharp will recommend Welsh, a retired Air Force general, as the sole finalist for the job at a Board of Regents meeting later this week. Welsh has held the position in the interim since July.
Texas to get four new maternal health research centers amid mortality crisis for moms
Read full article: Texas to get four new maternal health research centers amid mortality crisis for momsTexas continues to struggle with maternal mortality and morbidity, despite a decade of tracking and reviewing these cases. Four new research centers will pilot innovative solutions.
Proposition 5 on Texas ballot would create new endowment for ‘emerging’ research universities
Read full article: Proposition 5 on Texas ballot would create new endowment for ‘emerging’ research universitiesIf approved, the new fund would provide tens of millions of dollars to the University of Houston, Texas Tech, Texas State University and University of North Texas.
Interim Texas A&M University president sets new tone for reforms planned under his predecessor
Read full article: Interim Texas A&M University president sets new tone for reforms planned under his predecessorMark Welsh said that Texas A&M will stay the course on many controversial changes made by former President Kathy Banks. Professors welcomed Welsh’s commitment to faculty input moving forward.
Federal judge throws out hiring discrimination lawsuit against Texas A&M
Read full article: Federal judge throws out hiring discrimination lawsuit against Texas A&MThe judge tossed the suit after the university argued a new state law that will go into effect in January, Senate Bill 17, already prohibits preferential treatment in hiring at public universities.
Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones urges Texans to get organized, learn from history
Read full article: Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones urges Texans to get organized, learn from historyIn an interview for The Texas Tribune Festival, the journalist urged Texans to organize in response to the state’s book bans and restrictions on public school lessons.
Texas A&M System’s guidance on the state’s DEI ban shows compliance might be a hard needle to thread
Read full article: Texas A&M System’s guidance on the state’s DEI ban shows compliance might be a hard needle to threadThe guidance asks universities in the system to avoid using the acronym DEI on their websites and walk a fine line between organizing events that “support diversity in a general way” but don’t “promote preferential treatment of any particular group.”
Ken Paxton isn’t the only Texan fighting impeachment this week. Meet Texas A&M’s student body president.
Read full article: Ken Paxton isn’t the only Texan fighting impeachment this week. Meet Texas A&M’s student body president.Impeachment at all levels of government are becoming more common, a political scientist said. It could make the political tool pointless.
Texas A&M leaders’ text messages show desire to counteract perceived liberal agenda in higher education
Read full article: Texas A&M leaders’ text messages show desire to counteract perceived liberal agenda in higher educationSome members of the university system’s board of regents said they wanted to promote conservative causes at the flagship campus and resisted efforts to hire journalism professor Kathleen O. McElroy, who they believed would work counter to those goals.
Top Texas A&M officials were involved in botched recruiting of journalism professor, who will receive $1 million settlement
Read full article: Top Texas A&M officials were involved in botched recruiting of journalism professor, who will receive $1 million settlementA new internal report, conducted by the university system’s office of general counsel, also looked into Texas A&M’s decision to temporarily suspend a respected opioids expert after she was accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in a lecture.
Texas A&M interim president pledges more transparency after accusations of political interference
Read full article: Texas A&M interim president pledges more transparency after accusations of political interferenceIn his first comments as interim president, Mark A. Welsh IIII cast recent concerns over political interference in Texas A&M’s employment decisions as “communication breakdowns.”
Suspended Texas A&M professor denies saying Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick believes kids who die of overdoses “deserve to die”
Read full article: Suspended Texas A&M professor denies saying Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick believes kids who die of overdoses “deserve to die”Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham alleged Wednesday that opioids expert Joy Alonzo told students in a guest lecture that “Your Lt. Governor says those kids deserve to die.” Alonzo denied the claims.
Texas A&M regents could offer a settlement to the journalism professor at center of hiring controversy
Read full article: Texas A&M regents could offer a settlement to the journalism professor at center of hiring controversyThe system’s board also plans to formally appoint an interim president after Katherine Banks resigned last week following news that the school changed its job offer to Kathleen McElroy, a Black journalism professor, after outcries from conservative groups.
Faculty worry about Texas A&M’s future after controversies over higher ed politicization
Read full article: Faculty worry about Texas A&M’s future after controversies over higher ed politicizationThe university has been rattled by two cases in which university officials were apparently rushed into making faculty employment decisions due to political pressure.
Texas A&M suspends professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in lecture
Read full article: Texas A&M suspends professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in lectureThe professor, an expert on the opioids crisis, was placed on paid administrative leave and investigated, raising questions about the extent of political interference in higher education, particularly in health-related matters.
For Black Aggies, questions over professor’s botched hiring persist after president’s departure
Read full article: For Black Aggies, questions over professor’s botched hiring persist after president’s departureIn the fallout from A&M’s failure to hire Kathleen McElroy, students and alumni lament the missed opportunity to revive the university’s journalism program and provide students with mentorship.
Texas A&M President Katherine Banks resigns amid fallout from failed hiring of journalism professor
Read full article: Texas A&M President Katherine Banks resigns amid fallout from failed hiring of journalism professor“The recent challenges regarding Dr. McElroy have made it clear to me that I must retire immediately,” Banks wrote in her resignation letter. “The negative press is a distraction from the wonderful work being done here.”
Texas A&M president says she didn’t know about job offer changes that led to professor’s botched hiring
Read full article: Texas A&M president says she didn’t know about job offer changes that led to professor’s botched hiringM. Katherine Banks told faculty she was unaware of successive, diminished offers to Kathleen O. McElroy, who was recruited to revive a journalism program. Professors demanded an investigation.
A&M faculty leaders decry “appearance of outside influence” in botched hiring of journalism professor
Read full article: A&M faculty leaders decry “appearance of outside influence” in botched hiring of journalism professorThe university announced the hiring of Kathleen McElroy, a Black former New York Times journalist, but later backtracked on its offer amid conservative pushback.
Texas A&M recruited a UT professor to revive its journalism program, then backtracked after “DEI hysteria”
Read full article: Texas A&M recruited a UT professor to revive its journalism program, then backtracked after “DEI hysteria”The university celebrated its decision to hire Kathleen McElroy to revive its journalism program. She says she’s staying at UT after she felt judged because of her race and gender.
Texans have many educational credentials to choose from to begin a career. Here’s how to navigate them.
Read full article: Texans have many educational credentials to choose from to begin a career. Here’s how to navigate them.Texans who aren’t sure about college have several pathways to well-paying jobs. Here’s how those programs prepare people for careers when a four-year degree may not fit.
Texas colleges provide job training for students with disabilities. Here’s how to access it.
Read full article: Texas colleges provide job training for students with disabilities. Here’s how to access it.Students with disabilities can find success in college, live independently and get jobs with the right kind of help. Here are college programs that provide support.
Texas colleges offer job training for students with disabilities. Here’s how to use those programs.
Read full article: Texas colleges offer job training for students with disabilities. Here’s how to use those programs.Students with disabilities can succeed in college with the right kind of help. There are programs that can support them. The programs help them live on their own, find jobs, and make a difference where they live.
As demand for skilled workers rises in Texas, work-based educational programs see a resurgence
Read full article: As demand for skilled workers rises in Texas, work-based educational programs see a resurgenceMany Texas residents can opt for a variety of different educational programs that are shorter, more appropriate to their needs and often cost less than a bachelor’s degree.
What the possible end to race-conscious admissions means for Texas universities
Read full article: What the possible end to race-conscious admissions means for Texas universitiesHere’s what you need to know ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court’s expected ruling on two cases challenging the policy commonly known as affirmative action in college admissions.
With $1.4 billion investment, Texas hopes to sprint to the front of the microchip manufacturing race
Read full article: With $1.4 billion investment, Texas hopes to sprint to the front of the microchip manufacturing raceMicrochips are increasingly present in every day life, from phones and laptops to cars and washing machines. Gov. Greg Abbott approved last week a stimulus package in an effort to shore up the supply chain after the pandemic’s disruptions.
Texas House may revise anti-diversity legislation to allow some programs to maintain grants, federal funding
Read full article: Texas House may revise anti-diversity legislation to allow some programs to maintain grants, federal fundingA new version of Senate Bill 17 expected to be considered by the House’s Higher Education Committee on Monday would still ban DEI offices and prohibit required diversity training, but it would open the door for university boards of regents to approve such programs in certain circumstances.
For thousands of Texas professors seeking tenure, a bill banning the benefit could be a turning point in their careers
Read full article: For thousands of Texas professors seeking tenure, a bill banning the benefit could be a turning point in their careersWhile the proposed tenure ban will likely face steep opposition in the Texas House, faculty say lawmakers’ recent attacks on higher education have raised concerns about whether Texas is the best state to build their career.
Research leaders at Texas A&M University raise ‘serious concerns’ with President Kathy Banks’ leadership
Read full article: Research leaders at Texas A&M University raise ‘serious concerns’ with President Kathy Banks’ leadershipA poll conducted by the Council of Principal Investigators, an elected group of faculty who help oversee research activity at the school, found respondents distrust the president’s decision making since she took the helm nearly two years ago.
How Republicans’ threats to tenure and diversity might undercut their own efforts to advance Texas’ universities
Read full article: How Republicans’ threats to tenure and diversity might undercut their own efforts to advance Texas’ universitiesTexas lawmakers are poised to create a new multibillion-dollar endowment to boost emerging research universities in national rankings. But faculty members say banning diversity offices and tenure would stymie those efforts.
College voters held back by Texas election law, lack of on-campus polling sites
Read full article: College voters held back by Texas election law, lack of on-campus polling sitesMany Texas universities don’t have early-voting locations on campus. And state laws regarding voter ID and registration make it hard to turn out younger voters, advocates say.
Two-thirds of board members overseeing Texas public universities are Abbott donors. They’re not shy about wielding influence.
Read full article: Two-thirds of board members overseeing Texas public universities are Abbott donors. They’re not shy about wielding influence.High-money donors are concentrated on larger boards, including those of the University of Texas System and Texas A&M University System.
In lawsuit, UT-Austin professor accuses Texas A&M faculty program of discriminating against white and Asian men
Read full article: In lawsuit, UT-Austin professor accuses Texas A&M faculty program of discriminating against white and Asian menUT-Austin professor Richard Lowery is represented by America First Legal — a group created by Stephen Miller, a policy adviser for former President Donald Trump, and Jonathan Mitchell, a former solicitor general for Texas and the legal architect of the state’s six-week abortion ban.
Texas A&M faculty leaders say President Kathy Banks is leaving them out of major decisions
Read full article: Texas A&M faculty leaders say President Kathy Banks is leaving them out of major decisionsFaculty members say Banks could have been more communicative and transparent about a variety of organizational changes she put in motion during her first year as president.
As monkeypox spreads, health experts urge Texas universities to prepare for outbreaks
Read full article: As monkeypox spreads, health experts urge Texas universities to prepare for outbreaksWhile the risk of exposure to monkeypox remains low, health experts say college students living in close proximity to each other could spur outbreaks. They encourage schools to share their plans and relevant information about the virus.
Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp orders school leaders to sever research ties with Russian entities
Read full article: Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp orders school leaders to sever research ties with Russian entitiesThe chancellor instructed universities and agencies in the system to dissolve all agreements, especially those related to academics, research and intellectual property.
Analysis: Giving professors freedom, so long as they agree with politicians
Read full article: Analysis: Giving professors freedom, so long as they agree with politiciansLt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants to revoke tenure for professors teaching lessons about race that he disagrees with. It’s a new chapter of an old fight between academics and populist politicians.
Texas A&M students protest after president ends print publication of 129-year-old Battalion newspaper
Read full article: Texas A&M students protest after president ends print publication of 129-year-old Battalion newspaperThe student newspaper will continue as an online-only news organization after the spring semester. But the university’s unilateral decision to end the print edition without student input has students and faculty concerned about its editorial independence.
Texas college students confront anxiety, apathy as another pandemic semester begins
Read full article: Texas college students confront anxiety, apathy as another pandemic semester beginsAs Texas universities and colleges begin a fifth semester during the COVID-19 pandemic, many students say they are struggling with uncertainty and an indifference toward school and the future.
Watch Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp talk about the pandemic, college football and more at The Texas Tribune Festival
Read full article: Watch Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp talk about the pandemic, college football and more at The Texas Tribune FestivalSharp talked about how higher ed survives the pandemic, the obstacles to running a world-class public university and the future of college football.
After Texas A&M student died from COVID-19, students and faculty rally for more safety precautions
Read full article: After Texas A&M student died from COVID-19, students and faculty rally for more safety precautionsUniversity leaders have encouraged mask-wearing and getting vaccinated, but they say Gov. Greg Abbott has prevented them from requiring either.
University of Texas president defends decision to join SEC as lawmakers criticize timing and impact on other schools
Read full article: University of Texas president defends decision to join SEC as lawmakers criticize timing and impact on other schoolsJay Hartzell said the switch to the Southeastern Conference was the best thing for UT-Austin’s student athletes and the university. Texas senators expressed disdain for the move and questioned how it came about.
Texas universities urge passage of funding bill for campus construction to train more medical students after pandemic
Read full article: Texas universities urge passage of funding bill for campus construction to train more medical students after pandemicRep. Jim Murphy said lawmakers selected projects that would address the state’s nursing and medical professional shortages as the COVID-19 pandemic reiterated additional need for skilled workers.