Politics & Policy
December 14, 2013
A “Crisis” at Texas A&M
A fight over the interim president grips Texas A&M.
Texas A&M
Politics & Policy
December 12, 2013
A Perry-Sharp Rivalry at Texas A&M?
Is is Rick Perry versus John Sharp when it comes to naming an interim president at Texas A&M?
Politics & Policy
March 6, 2013
How Should History Be Taught at A&M and UT?
In a story with the headline “Legislators Seek to Tweak College History Requirement,” Ralph K.M. Haurwitz writes in today’s Austin American-Statesman: Some history courses offered at the University of Texas, Texas A&M University and other public institutions of higher learning in the state would no longer count toward core
Politics & Policy
January 7, 2013
The Aggies and the Ecstasy
I attended the AT&T Cotton Bowl game on Friday, which is no longer played at the Cotton Bowl but rather in Jerry Jones’ mammoth Cowboys Stadium, often referred to in extraterrestial terms like “The Death Star” or “the mother ship.” The place to be during the game was the Chancellor
Politics & Policy
April 23, 2012
Former A&M president, distinguished alumnus, assail regents
Writing in The Eagle, the newspaper for Bryan-College Station, president emeritus Ray Bowen and distinguished alumnus John Hagler charge that A&M regents have “failed the university.” The article appeared on April 21, San Jacinto Day, the most important date on the Aggie calendar. This is the day on
Politics & Policy
August 14, 2011
Perry, politics, and football [updated]
Texas A&M’s move to the Southeast Conference is not just about football. It is also about politics. It is a way for Perry to validate himself as a southerner. In one bold move–and don’t think for a moment that Perry didn’t orchestrate this–Perry has used A&M to leverage himself into
Politics & Policy
June 3, 2010
UT, A&M could split in football realignment
The hot topic on sports talk shows today was that the PAC-10 was set to issue invitations to six Big 12 schools: UT, A&M, OU, Okie State, Texas Tech, and Colorado. The PAC 10 commissioner issued an explicit denial late this afternoon. An A&M source told me after I posted
Politics & Policy
January 28, 2010
“Corps Values”
This was the headline for a story I wrote about the battle over changes that were taking place at Texas A&M, in the heyday of the Gates presidency (“Corps Values,” May 2004). Current A&M students have no historical memory of this period. So that readers may understand the
Politics & Policy
June 14, 2009
“Most important crisis at A&M since Earl Rudder”
I received an e-mail from a friend at Texas A&M that consists of an op-ed piece written by Jon Hagler, whose service to A&M includes board chairman of the Texas A&M Foundation and co-chairman of Vision 2020, a long-term project to enhance Texas A&M’s national prominence. He was named a
Politics & Policy
June 14, 2009
MURANO WILL RESIGN A&M POST
The following is A&M president Elsa Murano's statement, as released by a media firm on behalf of Murano and her attorneys, Glickman, Carter & Bachynsky, LLP: “The events of recent weeks have been very taxing for the entire Aggie family. The faculty, students and staff have demonstrated incredible loyalty to
Politics & Policy
May 27, 2009
Report: A&M may combine chancellor, president; Murano’s future uncertain
From today’s story in The Eagle, the newspaper for Bryan-College Station: Texas A&M University System officials are considering merging the jobs of system chancellor and Texas A&M University president, Chancellor Mike McKinney confirmed Tuesday. No plans for such a move are in place, McKinney told The Eagle, but he and
Politics & Policy
May 15, 2009
First Kill All the Law Schools
I would have voted against a law school for Dallas. Why build a new law school when a law school already exists at SMU? There are two alternatives to building a new law school in Dallas. (1) Arrange for the state to pay the operating costs for the SMU law
Politics & Policy
April 13, 2009
The governor’s “slush” funds: Should government pick winners and losers?
My post of last week, "Batteries not Included," elicited an interesting comment a frequent commenter who styles himself as "Conservative Texan." Why should government be deciding winners and losers among development projects? Government has a poor record in these endeavors. That’s because they tend to be controlled by which project
Politics & Policy
March 30, 2009
Nye urges Finance Committee to keep UTIMCO independent
UTIMCO was back before the Senate Finance Committee today, and what a different one regent can make. Texas A&M regent (and TXU chairman emeritus) Earl Nye, replacing former UT regent Robert Rowling as chairman of UTIMCO, gave a calm and convincing analysis of UTIMCO’s performance and urged lawmakers not to
Politics & Policy
November 23, 2008
Tuition de-reg: Will it be an issue in the speaker’s race?
Here’s the problem for Tom Craddick. The House passed tuition deregulation in 2003 for one reason and one reason only: The speaker twisted Republicans’ arms to get the votes. Almost six years later, tuition and fees at Texas’s public university have risen by an average of 50%, according to Robert