INSIDER
UNT faculty slam university for removing references to race and equity in course names
Read full article: UNT faculty slam university for removing references to race and equity in course namesProfessors and instructors say the university is preemptively censoring itself after administrators removed references to race and equity in dozens of College of Education course titles and descriptions.
Texas students with immigrant parents lost out on college aid because of FAFSA glitch
Read full article: Texas students with immigrant parents lost out on college aid because of FAFSA glitchThe glitch kept the students from submitting the form on time, which put them last in line to receive aid this year.
North Texas colleges want to make transferring between schools easier, saving students time and money
Read full article: North Texas colleges want to make transferring between schools easier, saving students time and moneyThousands of Texas transfer students each year don’t get credit for some community college courses. The partnership seeks to address that.
Federal judge blocks Biden administration’s Title IX guidelines to protect LGBTQ+ students
Read full article: Federal judge blocks Biden administration’s Title IX guidelines to protect LGBTQ+ studentsJudge Reed O’Connor said the Biden administration didn’t have the authority to make the changes, which would expand anti-discrimination protections.
Diversity offices on college campuses will soon be illegal in Texas, as 30 new laws go into effect
Read full article: Diversity offices on college campuses will soon be illegal in Texas, as 30 new laws go into effectOther new laws make changes to the tax code, criminal justice and health care systems.
New anti-DEI law for public Texas colleges goes into effect in 2024: What to know
Read full article: New anti-DEI law for public Texas colleges goes into effect in 2024: What to knowA new law dismantling the state’s diversity, equity and inclusion offices at publicly-funded universities and colleges will go into effect in 2024.
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.
Texas’ political environment driving faculty to leave, survey finds
Read full article: Texas’ political environment driving faculty to leave, survey findsAfter legislators passed laws banning diversity initiatives and targeting tenure at state universities, more than a quarter of the 1,900 Texas professors surveyed by faculty associations said they plan to look for positions out of state.
University of North Texas can charge out-of-state students higher tuition than undocumented Texans, appeals court rules
Read full article: University of North Texas can charge out-of-state students higher tuition than undocumented Texans, appeals court rulesThe 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a federal judge’s previous injunction that barred the college from charging out-of-state American citizens more than undocumented immigrants living in the state.
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.
Future of university tenure in Texas likely will be decided in last-minute negotiations
Read full article: Future of university tenure in Texas likely will be decided in last-minute negotiationsThe Texas Senate wants to ban tenure. The House gave initial approval Monday to a bill that would instead enshrine tenure policies in state law. After final passage, the two chambers have a week left to come to a compromise.
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.
Texas universities block access to TikTok on campus Wi-Fi networks
Read full article: Texas universities block access to TikTok on campus Wi-Fi networksStudents and faculty will not be able to access the popular social media app while connected to university internet servers. It’s the latest step to limit access to the service after Gov. Greg Abbott directed state agencies to ban the app on government-issued devices citing cybersecurity risks.
Supreme Court leaves student debt relief program on hold after Texas judge blocked it
Read full article: Supreme Court leaves student debt relief program on hold after Texas judge blocked itMore than 16 million people had already been approved for student loan debt relief by the Education Department when a federal judge in North Texas struck down the plan last month.
Only one Texas Republican in Congress voted to protect marriage equality
Read full article: Only one Texas Republican in Congress voted to protect marriage equalityU.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales was the only Texas Republican to vote for a bill seeking to codify the right to same-sex marriage. The measure passed the House, but its fate in the Senate is uncertain.
Settlement with conservative free speech group forces University of Houston to keep amended anti-harassment policy
Read full article: Settlement with conservative free speech group forces University of Houston to keep amended anti-harassment policyThe 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.
“The most hated conservative college student in the state”: How a UNT student embroiled her campus in a culture war
Read full article: “The most hated conservative college student in the state”: How a UNT student embroiled her campus in a culture warSenior 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.
Federal judge rules UNT can’t charge out-of-state students more tuition than undocumented students
Read full article: Federal judge rules UNT can’t charge out-of-state students more tuition than undocumented studentsThe lawsuit against the University of North Texas argues out-of-state American citizens shouldn’t pay more than undocumented Texans. A federal judge agreed.
UT System Board names Jennifer Evans-Cowley as sole finalist for president of UT-Arlington
Read full article: UT System Board names Jennifer Evans-Cowley as sole finalist for president of UT-ArlingtonThe board must wait a state-mandated 21 days before the finalist is officially named the 10th president of UT-Arlington. If approved, Evans-Cowley will be the first female president at the university.
University of North Texas names health school president Michael Williams sole finalist for system chancellor
Read full article: University of North Texas names health school president Michael Williams sole finalist for system chancellorWilliams is currently president of the UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth and is a former system regent. He also served as the CEO of Hill Country Memorial Hospital from 2008 to 2013.
Despite rising COVID-19 cases, universities including Texas Tech and Texas A&M are planning in-person fall graduations
Read full article: Despite rising COVID-19 cases, universities including Texas Tech and Texas A&M are planning in-person fall graduationsTexas Tech University senior Klay Davis is thrilled he'll have the chance to graduate college in-person this December. Texas Tech administrators said last month the university will host multiple in-person commencement ceremonies over a two-day period, as well as a virtual ceremony. At Texas Tech, students helped drive the effort to bring back in-person commencement. Other universities plan to hold in-person commencement ceremonies throughout spring 2021 for those who graduated in spring 2020, depending on the status of the pandemic. Disclosure: Lamar University, Sam Houston State University, Texas A&M University, Texas Southern University, Texas Tech University, University of Texas at El Paso, University of Texas at San Antonio and University of North Texas have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.
Texas students said pandemic-era tuition should be cut. But its going up at some schools due to distance learning fees.
Read full article: Texas students said pandemic-era tuition should be cut. But its going up at some schools due to distance learning fees.At the University of North Texas, the distance learning fee is $35 per credit hour, capped at $315. At other schools across Texas, students are facing sticker shock over some price hikes made months before the pandemic. It sucks ... that the general consensus is that we feel Texas State doesnt care about us. Texas State leadership recognizes the hardships our Bobcat Community is experiencing because of COVID-19, a message from the school reads. Disclosure: The University of Texas at Austin, the University of Texas System, the University of North Texas and Texas State University have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.
Texas universities are moving more classes online, but keeping tuition the same. Students are asking if it's worth the money.
Read full article: Texas universities are moving more classes online, but keeping tuition the same. Students are asking if it's worth the money.Allie Goulding/The Texas TribuneSarah Ramos has spent her summer anxiously awaiting a fall return to Texas A&Ms campus at College Station. But while school will look different, the tuition rates for many of Texas largest universities, including UT-Austin, University of Houston, University of North Texas and Texas Tech, will stay the same. This summer, nearly all Texas universities went completely online and schools including UT-Austin and Baylor offered reduced tuition while several others waived fees for campus services like parking. Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec said that while around 80% of Texas Tech Universitys 1,000 fall courses will be online, tuition will not be decreased in the fall. Theres a misunderstanding that online classes are cheaper, Schovanec said.
Texas colleges expect larger online summer classes as students lose jobs, internships
Read full article: Texas colleges expect larger online summer classes as students lose jobs, internshipsCollege students suddenly finding more time on their hands with canceled jobs, internships and trips abroad are flocking to online summer classes at Texas institutions en masse. Summer enrollment on the riseThe University of Texas at Austin, which starts summer school Thursday, slashed the costs of summer classes, and students and parents have responded. The summer classes are usually offered at 85% of the regular cost of fall and spring semester classes. In the past, most institutions have offered both in-person and online summer classes. And while universities are seeing an increase in summer enrollment, some Texas community colleges are reporting drops in summer enrollment that paint an uncertain picture for fall.