Latest news with #UTSystem
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former governor Bill Haslam appointed to University of Tennessee Board of Trustees
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton has tapped Bill Haslam, the former governor of Tennessee and Knoxville mayor, to serve on the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees. The board serves as the governing body of the University of Tennessee system, overseeing operations across the system's five campuses. University of Tennessee loses $37M in grant funding amid federal funding cuts Sexton's announcement came on the day that a new state law took effect increasing the board membership from 12 to 14. The governor previously appointed 10 of the 12 board members. The new law requires the speaker of each chamber of the general assembly to appoint two board members each. Haslam was elected Mayor of Knoxville in 2003, winning re-election in 2007 and serving until 2011. He went on to succeed Phil Bredesen as the 49th Governor of Tennessee. The former governors now host the 'You Might Be Right' podcast together from Howard Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Lawmakers earmark $165M for new University of Tennessee chemistry building Haslam began his career working at Pilot Corporation, founded by his father Jim Haslam, and served as the company's president from 1995 to 1999. He is set to become the majority owner of the NHL's Nashville Predators and is spearheading an investment group aimed at bringing a WNBA franchise to the city. Forbes has estimated his current net worth at $5.1 billion. The Haslam family has been a major donor to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The business school was renamed the Haslam College of Business in 2014 and the music college became the the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music last year. ▶ See more top stories on 'Governor Bill Haslam's appointment to the University of Tennessee Board is a significant win for higher education in our state. Few leaders understand the importance of education and workforce development the way he does. From launching Tennessee Promise and Drive to 55 during his time as governor to working closely with both K–12 and higher education systems, Governor Haslam has always been committed to opening doors of opportunity for Tennesseans. His appointment comes at a time of strong growth and innovation across the UT System. His deep understanding of state government, his passion for education, and his results-driven approach will complement the outstanding work President Boyd and the board have already accomplished. Together, I believe they will continue to elevate the UT System as a national leader in higher education.' Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton statement on Haslam's appointment Randy Boyd, who has served at the UT System President since 2018, served as a Special Advisor on Higher Education to then-Governor Haslam in 2013 before being appointed commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development in 2015. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UT System chancellor leaves to lead University of California
University of Texas System Chancellor JB Milliken will leave the 256,000-student system to take a new out-of-state position as University of California president, system officials said Friday. "We are fortunate to have had Chancellor Milliken at the helm of the UT System for almost seven years,' said UT System Regents' Chair Kevin P. Eltife in a statement. 'The board and I are grateful for our close and very productive relationship with him, and we are proud of what we accomplished together. He has led the UT System admirably and innovatively." Milliken was appointed as UT System chancellor in 2018 after spending years as chancellor for City University of New York, and has also served as president of the University of Nebraska. Milliken was named the new president of the University of California on Friday, and will enter that role in August, according to statements from UC and the UT System. John Zerwas, the University of Texas System's executive vice chancellor for health affairs and a former Republican member of the Texas House, will serve as acting chancellor when Milliken leaves in June, according to a news release from the UT System. Zerwas, who is a doctor, retired from the Legislature in 2019 after seven terms in the House, at one point serving as chair of the budget-writing House Appropriations committee. Eltife praised Zerwas' work as vice chancellor and his ability to strengthen partnerships between UT and health institutions. 'We continue to have the benefit of Dr. Zerwas' long and distinguished service in the Texas Legislature as a higher education advocate and budget expert,' Eltife said. Milliken's exit is not the only pre-summer leadership shakeup at UT and other major Texas universities.. Jim Davis, former UT chief operating officer, was appointed as interim president of the University of Texas at Austin campus in February, months before former president Jay Hartzell indicated he would step down for a new role as Southern Methodist University's next president. Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp, the university's longest-serving chancellor, will be retiring in June. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar will take on the role July 1. The transitions in university leadership come at a time where college campuses across Texas and the nation are under increased scrutiny from lawmakers. A bill passed by the state Senate would limit how universities could teach about race and history, while another passed by the House would require schools including universities adopt a controversial definition of antisemitism. Those bills come in the wake of pro-Palestinian protests across university campuses in Texas and the United States last year, and as lawmakers continue to crack down on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts on campuses. Milliken was one of several university leaders who testified during a 2024 state Senate subcommittee hearing aimed at ensuring campuses were complying with a 2023 ban on DEI offices and programs. 'Those degrees change the lives of our graduates for the better, absolutely. But they also change the trajectories of families and communities,' Milliken said in remarks to the UC Board of Regents during their meeting on Friday. 'Despite this, we know that confidence in higher education is at the lowest levels in the decades since it's been measured. Yet I remain firmly convinced that higher education is more important than at any point in our history.' Disclosure: Southern Methodist University, University of Texas at Austin and University of Texas System 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. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UT System Chancellor J.B. Milliken leaving for top job at University of California; new head named
University of Texas System Chancellor J.B. Milliken is stepping down at the end of this month to lead the University of California, the West Coast institution's Board of Regents announced Friday afternoon. Milliken, who has served as the UT System's chancellor since 2018, will be succeeded by John Zerwas, a physician who serves as the system's executive vice chancellor for health affairs and is a former seven-term state representative, UT System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife announced Friday. "As a top UT System executive, Dr. Zerwas has worked with regents over the five past years on initiatives that not only are strengthening the capabilities of the system's vast health enterprise but also implementing new partnerships between UT's academic universities and health institutions to broaden educational, research, clinical, and operational opportunities across the entire board," Eltife said in a news release. "We continue to have the benefit of Dr. Zerwas' long and distinguished service in the Texas Legislature as a higher education advocate and budget expert. It has served our UT institutions well." During his tenure in the Texas Legislature, Zerwas, who will become the UT System's acting chancellor beginning June 1, served as chairman of the House Appropriations and Higher Education Committees as well as the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services. Milliken is set to become president of the University of California on Aug. 1 and will earn a board-approved annual salary of $1.475 million. He will succeed President Michael V. Drake, who has served as the institution's leader since 2020 and announced he will step down in July 2025. 'The University of California is universally regarded as the preeminent public research university in the world, and I am deeply honored to have an opportunity to join the many talented faculty, staff, and campus leaders in their vital work. It is more important than ever that we expand the education, research, health care, and public service for which UC is so widely admired and which has benefited so many Californians,' Milliken said in a University of California news release. Milliken's departure leaves another leadership position open in the UT System. The University of Texas at Austin alone has had eight major leadership changes from January 2024 to January 2025. 'Chancellor Milliken's strong track record of collaborative leadership, his ability to listen, and his talent for building consensus serve him well as we enter a time of great change in higher education,' said Steven W. Cheung, M.D., chair of the Faculty Academic Senate. 'In Milliken, we have found a highly respected leader who shares our highest aspirations for UC. I am confident that he will build on the University's tradition of academic excellence, shared governance, indomitable resilience, and exceptional talent to ensure its continued positive impact on society and the world.' This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: University of Texas System Chancellor J.B. Milliken leaving to lead UC
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UT System chancellor leaves to lead University of California
University of Texas System Chancellor JB Milliken will leave the 256,000-student system to take a new out-of-state position as University of California president, system officials said Friday. "We are fortunate to have had Chancellor Milliken at the helm of the UT System for almost seven years,' said UT System Regents' Chair Kevin P. Eltife in a statement. 'The board and I are grateful for our close and very productive relationship with him, and we are proud of what we accomplished together. He has led the UT System admirably and innovatively." John Zerwas, the University of Texas System's executive vice chancellor for health affairs and who served seven terms in the Texas House of Representatives, will serve as acting chancellor when Milliken leaves in June, according to a news release from the UT System. Milliken was named the new president of the University of California on Friday, and will enter that role in August, according to statements from UC and UT. This is a developing story; check back for details. Disclosure: University of Texas System has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UT students hold May Day protest to rally for workers, immigrants, Palestinian liberation
Joining nationwide protests Thursday against the Trump administration, a few dozen University of Texas students gathered below the iconic UT Tower to rally in support of migrant rights and free speech. May Day, also known as International Workers' Day, is celebrated May 1 as a day of protest linked to a history spanning more than a century of labor organizing. At this year's gathering of about 40 to 50 people at UT, organizers said a climate of fear around pro-Palestinian and anti-Trump speech has chilled expressive activity on college campuses ― but it has also revealed the need for continued advocacy. In addition to immigrant and workers' rights, protesters also chanted for a free Palestine and for LGBTQ+ rights, and against racism, arguing that all those causes are "interconnected." "It's even more important to stand together," said Javier Perez, a first-year UT student in biomedical engineering and a member of the Students for a Democratic Society. "These are not abstract political developments. They are here on our campuses." In April, at least 260 international students in Texas, including 176 at UT System institutions, had been affected by the Trump administration's changes to their legal statuses, some losing their visas for violations such as parking tickets or for no reason. More than 100 lawsuits were filed about the visa terminations nationwide, including in North Texas. In a sudden reversal April 25, the Justice Department restored visas for thousands of students across the country who had minor or dismissed legal infractions. UT confirmed to the American-Statesman that "multiple" visas had been restored at its campus. UT System spokesperson Randa Safady said in an email Friday that "some universities recently learned about the reinstatement of the status of some international students whose visas were previously revoked." But in newly released court documents, the Trump administration unveiled plans for a new policy and system to terminate the legal residency of international students "as needed," Inside Higher Ed reported. The policy is not yet final, but it could signal more visa revocations ahead. "We do not have any additional information on how many students were affected or whose visa status was reinstated," Safady, the UT System spokesperson, said in an email Friday. Protesters on Thursday repeated calls for the university to offer more public support to international students. At a UT Faculty Council meeting last week, a representative from Senior Vice Provost for Global Engagement Sonia Feigenbaum said Texas Global has been in touch with students individually by connecting them to resources and information. It is not sharing specific information about how many students have been affected, and the university declined to comment further. "We have been working very closely with a variety of offices and units across the university to make sure that we support all international students and scholars with concerns," Feigenbaum told faculty April 21. "One of the things that's really important is for us to keep the privacy of every single one of these students. ... We are not here to talk about numbers, because we want to make sure that what really ensues is our support of each individual." Tim, an international student at UT from Taiwan who declined to share his last name for fear of retaliation, said he and other international students are fearful of speaking out because of the Trump administration, but he showed up to the protest because he believes in the importance of the Palestinian liberation movement and protections for international workers. "America is a country of free speech, and that's an important reason I chose UT," Tim said. "We are not only immigrants. We are workers. We are teaching assistants." The local chapter of the Texas State Employees Union released a statement condemning the targeting of international students by the federal government, and union representatives spoke at the rally in support of international students' rights. "The attacks on students, institutions, and academic freedom have not only silenced university administrators at a critical time, but members of the university community under threat have been given insufficient support and guidance," the union's statement said. "TSEU is calling on public higher education (institutions) to provide accurate information about visa revocations; provide useful support to students, staff, and faculty that could be affected; and to protect university community members from these attacks" Just down the road earlier that day, thousands of protesters gathered at the Capitol to demonstrate against President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, and they marched to Austin City Hall in the early evening. In an interview, Perez, the first-year UT student, said that Students for a Democratic Society has been working to organize the campus around progressive causes regardless of how speech is being chilled. He said UT should follow Harvard's lead in standing up for students, but he understands the university's constraints due to its reliance on public funds. "But above all else, we should stand up for students' rights," he said. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: UT students hold May Day protest for workers, immigrants, Palestinians
