Latest news with #UniversityofTexasSystem
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UT System announces $100 million investment into civic leadership school
The University of Texas System announced on Thursday a $100 million investment for a permanent building for its School of Civic Leadership, a college created to house programs to help teach 'principles of freedom.' The nine-figure investment will go toward the renovation of the Biological Laboratories building on the University of Texas at Austin campus into a space for the new school. The school welcomes its inaugural class in the fall. Construction on the school is expected to be completed by 2028, according to a UT news release. Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov Dan Patrick and several UT officials gathered at UT Austin to celebrate the announced funding for the school. In a news release, Abbott said the $100 million investment will 'restore classical civics and leadership education' at UT. 'We need to get back on the pathway of ensuring that we're educating our students with the leading concepts that have led to the great country we are today,' Abbott said. The school, which was established in 2023, and the think tank Civitas Institute, which it houses, were developed by UT officials alongside conservative lawmakers and donors including Patrick. In 2021, Patrick and conservative donors assisted in the creation of Civitas' predecessor, the Liberty Institute, which sparked faculty concerns on the college's purpose. Programs at the school like its Society of Fellows were made to 'foster a thoughtful admiration for Western Civilization, constitutional government, and economic liberty,' according to its website. UT's investment in the school, once framed by Patrick as a way to fight critical race theory in colleges, comes as state legislators are considering a bill that would limit how universities can teach about race, history and inequality. While Senate Bill 37 passed in the Senate, a House committee proposed changes to the legislation that would roll back many of its stricter provisions. The school's inaugural freshman class will have 100 students, and the UT System said they are 'on track' to hire 20 dedicated tenured or tenure-track professors for the school by Fall 2026. Disclosure: The 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. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UT-Dallas' new president will be Prabhas Moghe, regents say
University of Texas System regents have named Prabhas Moghe, Rutgers University's chief academic officer, as the sole finalist in the running to become UT-Dallas' next president. Regents on Wednesday voted unanimously to name Mogue. The decision comes after UT-Dallas President Richard C. Benson announced last year he will step down. Regents are expected to officially name Moghe for the role after a 21-day waiting period required by Texas law. He would likely start his presidency this summer or early fall, following the end of the 2024-25 academic year, according to a news release. A presidential search advisory committee chaired by UT System Chancellor JB Milliken recommended Moghe's selection. The committee praised Moghe's leadership experience and academic background. 'Dr. Moghe's record of strengthening educational pathways and propelling research agendas forward reflect many of UT Dallas's strengths and continued aspirations. He has a deep appreciation for UTD's mission and extraordinary ascendancy among top universities,' Milliken said. Moghe has a long academic career. He joined Rutgers University in New Jersey in 1995. There, he was appointed a distinguished professor of biomedical engineering and chemical and biochemical engineering. He became the school's executive vice president for academic affairs in 2020. He was responsible for managing academic and research operations across four campuses and 29 academic units. Moghe, who was born in Bombay, India, came to the United States as an international student at the University of Minnesota. He shared his experience in an interview with Rutgers Today, a university publication. 'I had flown thousands of miles from the warmest place on the planet, to a country I had never visited,' Moghe said. 'But I always knew that I had to keep moving on and I was going to the top graduate program in the world at the time for chemical engineering.' UT-Dallas is a public research university located in Richardson. It enrolled 29,886 students in fall 2024, including students from 130 countries. Moghe's appointment comes at a challenging time for the school. Earlier this year, at least 19 international students from UT-Dallas were among thousands across the country who had their visas revoked. A subsequent federal court ruling temporarily restored several Texas students' visas, including at least one for a student from UT-Dallas. Federal immigration authorities had said they were targeting international students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests last year, though many of the students whose status was revoked had not protested. They appeared to have been targeted because of minor offenses or other interactions with law enforcement. Last spring, at least 17 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested at UT-Dallas. The administration called in law enforcement during the demonstrations, drawing criticism from some student groups. 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. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
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
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
More than 260 Texas international students had visas revoked, legal status changed
As part of the Trump administration's effort to remove international students from the U.S. who have participated in pro-Palestinian activism or have had criminal offenses, the federal government has revoked visas or terminated legal statuses for more than 1,000 students across the country, including hundreds in Texas. Students in some cases have been given no reason for the change in their status or have had their visas terminated for minor infractions such as parking tickets or disputes with roommates, according to media reports. Some have sued the federal government over the lack of due process, while others have self-deported out of fear. Here's what is happening in Texas: More than 260 Texas higher education students have had their visas revoked or legal status changed as of Tuesday, an American-Statesman analysis shows. Students can sometimes extend their visas to work in the U.S. after their studies for short periods. This means that recent alumni on student visas have reportedly also been affected. More: More than 170 international students at UT System schools have had visas revoked: officials Universities are limited in the information they can share under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, but in some cases they've shared specific numbers. The breakdown of known students who have had their legal immigration status changed is as follows: University of Texas System — 176, Randa Safady, vice chancellor for communications, confirmed Monday. Safady declined to break down the numbers for the system's specific institutions. UT-Dallas, which has the second-highest percentage of international students in the state behind Rice University, recorded 19 visas revocations, according to the Texas Tribune, which also reported that UT-Arlington had 27 students affected. UT-Austin confirmed that "multiple" students had visa changes but would not confirm specific numbers. Texas A&M System — 38, Jim Suydam spokesperson for the system, confirmed Monday. Texas A&M: 23 Texas A&M University Kingsville: 9 Texas A&M University Corpus Christi: 3 Prairie View A&M University: 1 Texas A&M University Texarkana: 1 Texas A&M International University: 1 Texas State University System — 10 people, spokesperson Mike Wintemute confirmed Tuesday. Lamar University: 5 Sam Houston State University: 3 Texas State University: 2 Texas Tech University System - at least three, the system confirmed Tuesday Last week, Texas Tech University said three students had their visas revoked, spokesperson Kristina Woods Butler confirmed to the American-Statesman. Although she declined to provide the system's updated numbers, she said that "we are committed to supporting our students to the extent permitted by law to help them navigate the disruption in their academic journeys." University of North Texas System — 30, according to a spokesperson Tuesday. UNT System spokesperson Devynn Case said the most recent data showed nine undergraduate and 21 graduate students had their visas terminated. University of Houston — a "small number," the system told the Statesman. "Since March 25, a small number of our international students have been impacted by SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) terminations and/or visa revocations," spokesperson Shawn Lindsey said in a statement, declining to share specific numbers. "Our practice is to notify these students directly of these changes." Texas Woman's University — Six at its flagship campus, according to the Texas Tribune. Texas Woman's University System did not respond to a Statesman request for the information by Tuesday afternoon. Rice University — Five people, according to the Houston Chronicle. International students are accepted by U.S. institutions, which then submit a form, typically an I-20, to the federal government, which then issues a visa that asserts their right to enter and stay in the country, Faye Kolly, an immigration attorney in Austin, told the Statesman. David Donatti, senior staff attorney for the ACLU of Texas, said in a statement that students are being notified of their legal status decisions without due process to correct or address alleged violations. "The federal government didn't simply revoke student visas, which would limit travel in and out of the country but took the more severe step of altering students' legal statuses," Donatti said. "Interrupting their academic and professional pursuits mid-stream and exposing them to arrest, detention, and deportation, often just weeks before the end of term and graduation ceremonies is cruel." It also means international students will likely be more averse to studying in the United States, hurting universities' ability to recruit the best talent and drive innovation, Kolly said. Some students have appealed their legal status changes. Kolly said, however, that students may preemptively self-deport due to the "climate of fear" around what will happen if they do not leave. In some cases, students were reportedly told to self-deport, according to USA Today. ICYMI: Trump administration revokes 15 TAMU student visas, UT students protest new crackdown The Trump administration threatened to deport international students involved in pro-Palestinian protests during his 2024 presidential campaign and quickly acted on such promises. In late March, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said his office was working "every day" to deport "lunatics," and pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University and Tufts University were detained and had their visas revoked. But there have been two more "waves" of visa revocations that don't appear to involve activism. One, Kolly described, seemed to target students with any criminal record, including parking tickets. The other seemed to be more random and nonspecific, she said, referring to vague violations of their visa status. Universities can see if a student's status has changed by checking the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System maintained by the designated school official and by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration services. Kolly said students who face visa changes have received an email from the State Department alerting them to a change of status and the reason for the change. Kolly said it's important that students who receive such an email contact their university to understand the implications, as a visa and status are connected, but they are two different things. "Visas are the stamps that are issued in passports, and they're only issued by U.S. consulates abroad," Kolly said. "What seems to be happening (is) the status is being terminated and the visa is being revoked, but you have to look at each case separately." If a visa is revoked, students should contact their university, save all their academic and immigration forms, and find a lawyer, Kolly said. In some cases, the university can resubmit a form for a student to seek to reestablish their legal status or a lawyer can fight the federal government's decision, she said. Some students have filed class action lawsuits, Kolly said. Nineteen state attorney generals have sued the federal government over its actions, seeking an injunction to temporarily block the administration from canceling student visas. International students are coveted by universities who seek world-class talent in their student bodies to drive innovation, cultural diversity and excellence. These students pay full tuition and are not eligible for financial or state aid. They are estimated to contribute about $2 billion to the Texas economy alone, according to the Higher Education Immigration Portal. Texas has more than 80,000 international students, making the number affected by the visa revocations a small percentage. But the fear of what will come next is strong and extends beyond immigrant students, Kolly said. Even U.S. citizens are calling her office to ask if they should travel, she said. "The impacts are going to be long term and ultimately devastating as we continue on this path," said Kolly, adding that it will affect trust in the immigration system for lawful immigrants who come to the United States. "My fear is that the damage is already done." This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Trump revokes visas, changes status for more than 260 Texas students
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
More than 170 international students at UT System schools have had visas revoked: officials
More than 170 students across University of Texas System educational institutions have had their visas revoked by the federal government, the system's vice chancellor for external relations confirmed to the American-Statesman on Monday. "UT institutions learn of the revocation of student visas or immigration status changes by checking the Federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a federal tracking system for exchange visitors," according to Randa Safady, the vice chancellor. "As of Friday, April 11, the UT System learned that 176 students have been affected by the action." The Trump administration has pushed to deport foreign-born students involved in pro-Palestinian protests, which the White House has deemed as sympathetic to Hamas, the militant governing body of Gaza, which the U.S. has identified as a terrorist organization. However, it has largely been reported that some students are finding their visas terminated for reasons such as roommate disputes, traffic violations or for no explanation at all. The number of visa revocations has been spiking since last week, when officials estimated the number of students affected was more around 300, based on a late March statistic from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who called international students who engage in pro-Palestinian protests "lunatics" and said his office is working "every day" to deport them. Inside Higher Ed, which is tracking the visa status changes, found that more than 1,000 international students have had their visas revoked across the country. Nineteen state attorney generals have sued the federal government over its action, seeking an injunction to temporarily block the administration from canceling student visas. The University of Texas confirmed that "multiple" international students in Austin have "unexpectedly" faced changes to their visas but would not confirm to the Statesman exactly how many have been affected. On Wednesday, dozens of students protested the Trump administration's student visa cancellations as well as UT, accusing the school of a lack of communication on the issue. "All international students have been put in a state of fear," said Arshia Papari, a UT sophomore and organizer with Students for a Democratic Society. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: UT System says 176 students had visas revoked under Trump
