A Fascinating (But Difficult to Interpret) Development

"Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes;
But by a man of understanding and knowledge
Right will be prolonged."
Proverbs 28:2

ICYMI:

AUSTIN (KXAN) — University of Texas at Austin President Greg Fenves will leave the state’s flagship university for Emory University in Atlanta.

Fenves announced the move in a letter to the UT community. Fenves says the Emory Board of Trustees voted to approve him as its next president Tuesday morning.

Fenves has been president of UT-Austin since 2015 with 12 years in total at the university serving as dean of engineering and provost. He says this decision to leave Austin was made during the 2019-20 academic year before the coronavirus pandemic hit Texas.

Wow. It's tough to know what to make of this.  We've heard rumors, but none in which we have sufficient confidence to pass along.

Truth be told, internal university politics aren't very interesting as long as they're protected by the Governor.  And there's no reason to believe that's going to change any time soon.

Bottom Line: Churn tends to be healthy in these positions.

#TXLEGE: Will Abbott do anything after ANOTHER Higher Ed incident?!?

"Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
James 2:17

By now, you've heard:



Obviously, this isn't good.  There's a lot that can be said.  We've said a lot of it before.

But it comes down to this: Abbott has jurisdiction.  He's not using it.  Nothing else matters.

Last year, we predicted the situation would eventually get so bad that Fox News would notice.  Well, Fox News picked this one up.  And we all know how Greg Abbott feels about Fox News....

In fairness to Abbott, he's been telegraphing for awhile that he's getting sick of UT's nonsense.  He forced out the Chairman of the Board last fall.  But none of that has changed anything.

Instead, there's this:

Bottom Line: Abbott has jurisdiction.  He's not using it.  Nothing will change until he does....

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Governor Greg Abbott:

Phone - (512) 378-0285

Twitter - @GregAbbott_TX

#TXLEGE: An EXTREMELY Fishy Accusation Against Schwertner

"Let the righteous strike me;
It shall be a kindness.
And let him rebuke me;
It shall be as excellent oil;
Let my head not refuse it.

For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked."
Psalm 141:5

[Note: If anyone reading this has a better idea what's really happening, e-mail us at cahnman@hotmail.com; confidentiality guaranteed.]

Sssssssssssssssssay what?!?

The University of Texas is investigating an allegation that state Sen. Charles Schwertner sent a sexually explicit image and text message to a graduate student he met at an on-campus event this summer, three senior UT officials with knowledge of the investigation told the American-Statesman.

If the allegation is deemed true, the university would consider banning Schwertner from campus, two of the officials said. The third official said the university is also considering hiring outside legal counsel to investigate further.

Through a spokesman, Schwertner on Tuesday said he “categorically denies any knowledge of the accusations” and plans to cooperate with UT’s investigation.

The student met Schwertner, a Georgetown Republican and a UT alumnus, at an on-campus event to which Schwertner was invited and told him she was interested in working at the Legislature, according to two of the officials. After the event, they exchanged messages on the networking site LinkedIn before moving to text messaging, the two officials said.

During an otherwise professional exchange on networking and career advice, Schwertner abruptly wrote, “I just really want to f—- you,” and sent her an image that appeared to be a picture of his genitals that was taken in the shower, according to a UT official who has seen the exchange and the photo. The image does not include his face, the official said. The Statesman has not seen the photo.

The student told Schwertner that she thought he had acted inappropriately, the officials said, and Schwertner did not respond. The student then reported Schwertner’s behavior to the school, prompting the investigation, they said.

All UT officials interviewed by the Statesman declined to reveal the identity of the student out of respect for her privacy and to honor the promise of confidentiality that the university made to her when she reported the incident. Student privacy laws also prohibit the university from disclosing the student’s name.

The officials, who declined to be identified because they are not authorized to speak on the matter, said that the investigation into Schwertner has not found any potentially criminal misconduct.

Schwertner campaign spokesman Tom Holloway said Tuesday in a statement, “The Senator categorically denies any knowledge of the accusations leveled against him and only became aware of this allegation when contacted by the media late this afternoon. The Senator is eager to cooperate with the University of Texas and hopes to make clear he played no part in the behavior described.”

In a statement, UT spokesman Gary Susswein said the university does not discuss ongoing investigations “in order to protect the integrity of the investigative process.”

[Note: Emphasis added.]

Seriously...Charles Schwertner?!?

Wow.

Wasn't expecting that one.

Now, look, the Texas Legislature has a VERY serious problem with sketchy sexual behavior among its members.  Among its members, we wouldn't put this sort of behavior past ANY of them (including the ones we like).  But...Charles Schwertner?!?

We suppose it's possible.

But this is the first time we've ever heard Charles Schwertner's name associated with this sort of behavior.

Very few people have been more outspoken than this author about the Texas legislature's need to clean up this behavior (see here, and here, and here, and here, and here, and here).  During that time, we've heard unflattering reports about any number of legislators.  We've seen sketchy behavior from several legislators.  But this is the first time Charles Schwertner's name has come up.

We've been working sources since last night.  So far, it's unanimous.  This seems to be the first time anyone, anywhere, has heard any sort of allegation along these lines regarding Schwertner.

Then there's this:

Got lots of questions about this: No, I had not gotten any tips about Charles Schwertner. There are a lot of men in the #txlege I was told to look into, but he wasn't one of them.https://t.co/NT7plKVMCF

— Olivia Messer 💀 (@OliviaMesser) September 26, 2018

To be clear, that's not in any way meant to be a comment on the Statesman's story. Just that I was not independently aware of any allegations.

— Olivia Messer 💀 (@OliviaMesser) September 26, 2018

This is not to say it's impossible.  Certainly, none of us participated in the alleged conversation.  But it is to say that, as far as we can tell, this is the first time Charles Schwertner's name has ever come up in association with this sort of behavior.

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Which begs a natural follow up question.  Where, pray tell, did this accusation emerge?!?  Glad you asked:

[T]hree senior UT officials

So, the accusation isn't coming from the afflicted party.  It's coming from "three senior UT officials" not speaking on the record.  No doubt laundered through several layers of the UT bureaucracy.

Why does this matter?!?

Because UT has a history with Schwertner.  And UT also has a history of fighting dirty when their financial interests are threatened.  Very dirty.

More than any other Senator, Charles Schwertner has taken the lead against UT's incessant tuition hikes.  Schwertner has also voted against Regent nominees.  Thus, he's a threat.  If you don't think UT is willing to fight this dirty to protect its financial interests, you don't know UT.

Then there's the alleged matter of privacy.  It would not be difficult to redact the accuser's personally identifiable information.  Even if they didn't want to make it public, they could have at least show a copy of the picture to the Statesman.  That they didn't, while hiding behind the cloak of anonymity, is suspicious.

Again, that's not to say it's impossible.  UT could be telling the truth.  But their record of truthfulness, especially where money is concerned leaves a lot to be desired.

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That being said, for UT's sake, they better have the goods.

From the Lt. Governor:

PR 09 26 2018 Lt. Gov. Patrick Statement on Allegations Against Sen. Sch... by Cahnman on Scribd

It doesn't take a genius to read between those lines.  If UT doesn't have the goods, they just picked a gigantic fight with the Senate and the Lt. Governor.  That suggests UT knows what they're doing.  But the UT politburo's record also suggests they're arrogant enough to try.

Only time will tell.

Last session, the Senate caved on Regents and the higher ed budget.  Efforts on tuition fizzled in the house.  That can change.

But here's where they're really playing with fire: UT's record on Title IX leaves a lot to be desired.  Now they're making an, at best, thinly sourced allegation against a Senator.  Woe unto them if they are wrong.

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Even more than Dan Patrick, however, the person to watch is Greg Abbott.  It's not a secret that, both as Governor and as Attorney General, Greg Abbott has run a lot of interference for UT.  Does that continue?!?

There are already signs Abbott is getting sick of UT's nonsense.  Late last year, Abbott's staff started leaking about his displeasure with the University.  And that was after Abbott forced out the Chairman of the Board after he started working to undermine Abbott's legislative agenda.

And now "three senior UT officials" are leaking to the Statesman about this sensitive of a topic.

Does anybody think they gave the Governor's office a head's up?!?

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Since this issue re-emerged last year, our biggest fear has been that it would become weaponized for political purposes.  We don't know that that's what happened in this instance.  But it's happened before.

On the other hand, the Senate's reaction to previous allegations has sucked.

If it takes a weak accusation against a Republican for the Senate to get its act together, that might be a silver lining.

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Finally: This is exactly why we offered our platform amendment at the convention.  We specifically called on the Legislature to establish a "credible system of due process."  At the time, it was primarily about the known cases.  But imagine if such a system was in place now.

Unfortunately, RPT convention delegates, YOU'RE the ones who voted it down.

The Schwertner situation is a textbook example of why the adopted platform language is dangerous.

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Bottom Line: It's a mess.  We'll have to see how it unfolds.  But there's A LOT of history between these two parties.

Update on the original UT admissions Scandal

"He that hideth his sins, shall not prosper: but he that confesseth, and forsaketh them, shall have mercy."
Proverbs 28:13

All these years later, the indefatigable Jon Cassidy remains on top of the admissions scandal:

The University of Texas bestowed a Presidential Citation this week on an evidence-shredding administrator who was instrumental in the secret backdoor admissions program that cost former President Bill Powers his job.

Nancy Brazzil, the deputy to UT president Greg Fenves and Powers before him, was named as one of four winners of the award this year.

“The Presidential Citations are awarded to the most exceptional friends of our university — the people who invest their time, passion and resources into our students and faculty, so Longhorns can go out and change the world,” Fenves said in a statement.

Brazzil ran the backdoor admissions program for Powers. In the Kroll report on the admissions office scandal, her name is mentioned 84 times.

Brazzil was the one who placed “Q holds” on the applications of special candidates supported by lawmakers, regents, and wealthy donors. Each year, she placed up to 300 of these holds, which prevented the admissions office from rejecting an unqualified candidate.

“In sit-down meetings between the Admissions Director and Nancy Brazzil before the decision deadline each year, Admissions was essentially ‘forced to admit’ many of these applicants over the objection of Admissions, including some applicants who, in this former official’s opinion, clearly did not qualify for admission,” according to the Kroll report.

“Because written records or notes of meetings and discussions between the President’s Office and Admissions are not maintained and are typically shredded, it is not known in particular cases why some applicants with sub-par academic credentials were placed on a hold list and eventually admitted,” the report states.

....

In the report, the former dean of the law school, Larry Sager, says that he received 10 to 20 calls a year from Brazzil meant to sway his admissions decisions.

....

While Brazzil operated as Powers’ right hand, she also interacted directly with politicians such as former state Rep. Dan Branch and state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, whose influence over education budgets in the Legislature gave them special clout with Brazzil.

After Fenves replaced Powers, he chose to keep Brazzil on in a similar function. In the citation, he even touts how Brazzil “works closely with high-profile friends of the university, legislators and major donors, helping them find innovative ways to contribute to UT’s advancement.”

Bottom Line: Considering the escalating series of debacles over the past couple years, providing favorable admissions treatment to the unqualified children of powerful legislators and their donors seems almost quaint.  But it happened.  And they're still doubling down on the cover up.

Don't Blame Shaka for Fenves' Toxic Culture

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;
But when a wicked man rules, the people groan."
Proverbs 29:2

Well...it's over.

Last night's loss in the first round of the NCAA tournament was incredibly disappointing.  That they blew a fourteen point lead made it that much worse.  Infuriating.

But here's the thing: The chronic underperformance in the athletic department is just a symptom.  The real problem is the toxic, money-worshipping, culture of the entire institution.  What's happening in the athletic department is a microcosm of the University of Texas as a whole.

Shaka's an easy scapegoat.  But he's being set-up to fail.  We know more than we can publish, but the buck stops with Greg Fenves and the Board of Regents.

A year and a half ago, during last Basketball season, we wrote: "the corrupt institutional mismanagement that has plagued the past decade has finally bled into the athletic department."  Last night was a continuation and acceleration of that trend.  And nothing is going to change as long as the corrupt, money-worshipping, UT Politburo remains in charge.

It's fascinating how arrogance is almost always accompanied by ineptitude.

Bottom Line: To attack symptoms, while leaving the underlying pathology intact, is pointless.  Throwing Shaka under the bus for the sake of a "new coach" dog-and-pony show is a waste of time and (especially) money.  The University of Texas needs a much deeper top-to-bottom housecleaning, and it needs to start in the President's office.

Alongside TWO Title IX lawsuits IN SIX MONTHS, UT-Austin protects Tenured professor with Criminal Domestic Violence CONVICTION

"He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."
Proverbs 28:13

Last August:

According to the lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Austin, Fenves on April 12 overruled a university hearing officer who determined that there had been no assault. In a letter informing the student of his suspension, Fenves asserted that the woman was highly intoxicated and “someone who is intoxicated cannot give consent to sexual activity because they are incapacitated.”

Fenves, citing testimony by a witness who attended the formal, added, “While parties may disagree as to whether intoxication and incapacitation are synonymous, certainly, someone described as: ‘incredibly intoxicated, no longer coherent, at a point where she needed to be taken home away from the event because she couldn’t form sentences,’ meets the definition of incapacitated.”

The lawsuit accuses Fenves of coming up with his own standard for incapacitation and ignoring the university’s standard, which defines it as “a state of being that prevents an individual from having the capacity to give consent” and “could result from the use of drugs or alcohol.”

The lawsuit also says Fenves has a possible conflict of interest because the father of the woman is a university donor who gave a significant sum within a month of her allegations. And, while the school’s investigation was ongoing, the lawsuit says the university brought on the father to be an adviser at the school.

Two weeks ago:

The lawsuit states Doe will not be treated justly in the Feb. 7 hearing because UT amended the Title IX case report three different times after receiving notice of an impending lawsuit. The report was allegedly amended by replacing the word “incapacitation” with “intoxication” in a sentence that originally said a witness observed that Roe was showing signs of incapacitation by acting less “socially inhibited” that she would normally.

Later pages of the report however were not amended to replace the “incapacitation” with “intoxication,” according to the lawsuit.

“If UT can’t get their story straight on what the definition of incapacitation is after months of contemplation and a recent Federal Court suit and public admonitions on the same topic from (a) Federal Judge, how in the world are a couple of hormone filled college students supposed to do it after a night of drinking?” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit also said the University’s “bumbling” attempts to amend the use of incapacitation with intoxication in only one instance of the word’s use in the report show its desire to equate the two. If this is the case, and the standard for intoxication is simply “diminished social inhibitions,” then the hearing is “merely a facade for a predetermined conclusion,” according to the lawsuit.

Annnd, then yesterday:

More than two dozen protesters gathered outside the University of Texas College of Pharmacy on Tuesday to demand that school officials fire professor Richard Morrisett, who pleaded guilty in 2016 to a felony charge accusing him of choking his girlfriend.

The university placed Morrisett on paid administrative leave after learning of the charge, but declined to sanction him. Since the American-Statesman published an investigation on the charges against Morrisett, people have sprayed graffiti outside the College of Pharmacy building and posted flyers with Morrisett’s mug shot around campus.

On Tuesday, about 35 people marched from the pharmacy school to the UT Tower with signs that read “Stop harboring abusers” and “Watch your back Richard,” calling university officials to take further action.

“He should be in jail, but at the very least he should be fired,” psychology senior Jasmine Bell said. “I don’t feel safe on this campus and neither do most of my friends.”

....

Morrisett pleaded guilty in 2016 to a felony charge for trying to strangle his girlfriend, according to documents obtained by the Statesman. He was also accused of a second violent incident that sent his girlfriend to the hospital and for violating a court order to stay away from her, records show. He was sentenced to four years of community supervision for the offenses but failed to inform the university of the charges, which is a violation of its policies.

Morrisett has been allowed to continue teaching. In their review of the incident, university officials determined that there was “no relation between how the professor acted in this situation and how he acted on campus,” according to an emailed statement from university spokesman J.B. Bird.

“I cannot express how angry I am to find out that UT didn’t do anything about having an abusive professor on campus,” government and economics junior Austin Smith said. “In my opinion, almost killing someone is universally immoral … if they are going to make excuses for why this man is still here, it’s just not good enough for me.”

Bottom Line: It takes a special degree of mendacity to make up Title IX standards out of thin air while simultaneously refusing to discipline a tenured faculty member (making $169,892) with a CRIMINAL CONVICTION.

UT (once again) in deep legal doo-doo over Sexual matters in TWO lawsuits....

"He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."
Proverbs 28:13

Great weekend for UT Athletics.

Not so much on the legal front.

On Friday, we saw the second Title IX lawsuit in six months:

An unnamed student accused of sexual assault is suing UT ahead of a Title IX hearing set for next week. The hearing will decide if he should be punished with a potential two-year suspension.

The student, referred to in the lawsuit as John Doe, is accused of assaulting a female student, referred to as Jane Roe, at a party that took place on April 28, 2017. Doe is being represented by Brian Roark. Roark represented another male student accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit against UT President Gregory Fenves that was settled last November.

The students in the current case were both drinking at the party and left together around 2 a.m. and had sex afterward at Roe’s apartment, according to the lawsuit. The following day, Roe told her friends she blacked out and did not remember anything until “moments just before she and John finished having sex.”

The lawsuit states Doe will not be treated justly in the Feb. 7 hearing because UT amended the Title IX case report three different times after receiving notice of an impending lawsuit. The report was allegedly amended by replacing the word “incapacitation” with “intoxication” in a sentence that originally said a witness observed that Roe was showing signs of incapacitation by acting less “socially inhibited” that she would normally.

Later pages of the report however were not amended to replace the “incapacitation” with “intoxication,” according to the lawsuit.

“If UT can’t get their story straight on what the definition of incapacitation is after months of contemplation and a recent Federal Court suit and public admonitions on the same topic from (a) Federal Judge, how in the world are a couple of hormone filled college students supposed to do it after a night of drinking?” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit also said the University’s “bumbling” attempts to amend the use of incapacitation with intoxication in only one instance of the word’s use in the report show its desire to equate the two. If this is the case, and the standard for intoxication is simply “diminished social inhibitions,” then the hearing is “merely a facade for a predetermined conclusion,” according to the lawsuit.

This is awful.  If you don't have a credible system for dealing with this nonsense, you hurt actual survivors of sexual assault.  This enables predators.

But, if that wasn't enough, speaking of the athletic department:

A lawsuit filed by the former women’s track and field coach of the University of Texas could cause widespread embarrassment for current and former university officials.

Former coach Bev Kearney filed the lawsuit four years ago, claiming that the university had discriminated against her by firing her over a decade-old relationship with one of her athletes, while condoning an affair that football coach Major Applewhite had with a student trainer.

Then the case stalled on appeal, but the state Supreme Court ruled last year that Kearney’s discrimination lawsuit could proceed, and her attorneys have been vigorously pursuing potentially embarrassing depositions since then, as the Associated Press reported Monday.

Kearney’s legal claim fires warning shots all over the place, claiming that “other University employees (all of whom are white males) have been involved in relationships with students or direct subordinates and have not been subjected to termination, let alone any meaningful disciplinary actions. These University employees include Major Applewhite (current Co-Offensive Coordinator for the football team) (sic), other coaches within the University’s Athletic Department, current and former law school professors, current and former professors within the University’s undergraduate school, and a department chairperson.”

The reference to the former law school professor is likely an allusion to then-university President Bill Powers, who met his wife of more than three decades when she was a law student of his in the late ’70s, at a time he was married to another woman.

Applewhite has gained an even higher profile since the lawsuit was filed, as he was hired this offseason as the new head coach at the University of Houston. One of his first hires was an assistant coach tarnished by the sexual assault scandal at Baylor University.

Kearney’s court papers claim there are other coaches and officials who either have married former athletes or conducted affairs with employees they supervise. While university policy explicitly permits consensual relationships between an “employee with direct teaching, supervisory, advisory, or evaluative responsibility over other employees, students, and/or student employees,” Kearney claims she was “singled out” as “an African American female” and regarded as different based on a nearly 10 year old relationship.”

In the last two months, Kearney’s attorneys have filed records with the court regarding the depositions of former President Bill Powers, former football coach Mack Brown, and former athletic director DeLoss Dodds.

The university has persuaded the court to seal the depositions themselves for now, but even the brief deposition certification forms hint at more trouble, with Brown revising his interview to make clear that “no arrest or issues brought to me (sic).”

This could get interesting.  We've long suspected, just as a hunch based on their arrogance and entitlement, that there was a lot of this nonsense in the senior levels of the UT leadership.  In the current climate, this could get them in a lot of trouble.

But what's even more mind-blowing is that they're simultaneously being sued for discrimination both against, and in favor of, white men.  For these two cases to be occurring alongside each other is a textbook example of how making up arbitrary standards out of thin air always comes back to haunt you.  If UT had clear and consistent standards as it relates to these matters, neither of these lawsuits would be occurring.

Bottom Line: Yes, they really are this incompetent.

Longhorns Play Defense for Five Minutes...AND BEAT OU!!! #HookEm #Longhorns

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
2 Timothy 4:7

Holy [REDACTED} what a finish!!!

This author attended this evening's UT basketball game against Oklahoma.  To be honest, for 35 minutes it looked like it was going to be the type of dumpster fire of a game that has become all too typical for this athletic department over the past five years.  We spent most of the game pondering how we could spin the loss we assumed was inevitable to make it as politically painful for Greg Fenves (who was at today's game) as possible.

Then the final five minutes happened.

For most of the game, OU led between 5 and 8 points.  The Longhorns would occasionally make a push, but OU consistently used superior effort on defense and higher percentage shot selection to maintain their lead.  Everything seemed to point towards yet another one of those type of Longhorn games that have become all too typical across the athletic department over the past five year.

But then, with five minutes to go, the team pulled their heads out of their backsides and played real defense.  It was the first time during the Shaka Smart era that the team's effort matched their talent.  We weren't taking notes, so we'll leave it to Burnt Orange Nation to explain the details:

Roach responded with a three-pointer before Texas cashed in with six straight free throws to tie the game at 66 with 5:39 remaining. After a Young three-pointer didn’t find its mark the ensuing possession, Coleman continued his offensive hot streak, giving Texas its first lead since 10-9 with 5:01 left to play.

After playing from behind throughout much of the evening, Texas was now the aggressor, utilizing high ball screens and isolations on Young for points at the rim and from the charity stripe down the stretch to assure the lead wasn’t relinquished.

Much of that had to do with Coleman.

After missing three potential game-winning free throws against Texas Tech, the Longhorns freshman guard nailed all four attempts in the final two minutes to push Texas’ lead to 76-70. Of course, seemingly no lead is safe with the sharpshooting Young on the other end, but after a prayer from three fell short, Texas got out in transition for an Eric Davis Jr. lob to Bamba to seal the win, capping a 20-4 Longhorns run.

Bottom Line: For the first time during the Shaka Smart era, the Longhorns had five minutes where their effort matched their talent.  The results speak for themselves.  Imagine what could happen if this sort of effort were delivered on a more consistent basis.

Cruz saves UT Politburo from itself (prevents National Security crisis in the process)

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;
But when a wicked man rules, the people groan."
Proverbs 29:2

Holy late afternoon on a holiday document dump Batman:

After months of internal uproar and a letter from U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, the University of Texas at Austin has declared its China center will not accept funding from a Hong Kong-based foundation that the Republican from Texas said helps spread Chinese government propaganda abroad.

The decision – first reported in an article in the “Opinions” section of The Washington Post – was disclosed in a letter sent Friday from UT-Austin President Greg Fenves to Cruz.

The school must "ensure that the receipt of outside funding does not create potential conflicts of interest or place limits on academic freedom and the robust exchange of ideas,” Fenves wrote. “I am concerned about this if we were to accept funding from [the foundation].”

The week before, Cruz had written to Fenves to “express concern” about UT-Austin's new China center's relationship with the China-United States Exchange Foundation – a “pseudo-philanthropic foundation,” Cruz wrote, that has ties to an arm of the Chinese government that manages “foreign influence operations.”

In his letter, dated Jan. 2, Cruz wrote he’d heard that the UT-Austin center was considering a partnership with the foundation. Launched around the start of the fall semester, the China Public Policy Center was charged with making “fresh and enduring contributions to the study of China-related policy topics while advancing U.S.-China relations and Texas-China relations,” according to a UT news release.

Its executive director, David Firestein, was formerly a U.S. diplomat and senior vice president at the EastWest Institute. He did not respond to requests for comment made by phone and email.

Cruz said in his letter that he was worried about the center's collaboration with the foundation and that it would disseminate “propaganda within the center and compromise its credibility.” The same concerns were raised in emails circulated on an internal UT-Austin faculty e-mail list in December, just four months after the China center launched.

Seriously, do read the whole thing here.

Bottom Line: In their neverending financial avarice, the University of Texas was initially willing to accept money to spread propaganda for the Chinese government.  They were only thwarted by an attentive United States Senator.  On a semi related note: Yes, this is the same University of Texas that wants to manage the nation's nuclear weapons....

Abbott Fires GIGANTIC Shot Across UT's Bow

"And this is a simple matter in the sight of the Lord; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand."
2 Kings 3:18

From a write up about McRaven's departure from Horns 24/7:

McRaven’s three-year tenure has been a tumultuous one. While McRaven laid out an ambitious agenda, McRaven became mired in politics after a failed $215 million purchase of 300 acres of land in Houston for a UT campus as well as McRaven’s opposition to the state’s “campus carry” law passed two years ago.

Sources said Abbott and Patrick, but specifically Abbott, who signed SB11 into law (effective Jan. 1, 2016) allowing those with concealed handgun licenses to carry on college campuses, resented McRaven for his outspoken stance that the law would make campuses less safe.

Reports on social media surfaced a person with a concealed carry license drew a firearm to stop a suspect accused of three stabbings (including one fatality) on the UT campus on May 1 from further attacks. But police wouldn’t confirm those reports and credited an officer who arrived two minutes after being called with stopping the attacker.

As far as McRaven leading the UT System’s purchase of 300 acres for a UT campus in Houston, I'm told he did so without clearing it with key Houston politicos, including Abbott and Patrick (both from Houston), as well as key Houston legislators who have to answer to the University of Houston in their districts.

I’m told McRaven didn’t even involve UT president Greg Fenves before the land purchase, which became a bit of a political minefield for Fenves while the Big 12 was exploring expansion a year ago.

Sources said Houston lawmakers put pressure on Texas to help the University of Houston get into the Big 12 as a way of making up for - or even in exchange for - McRaven’s purchase. Fenves played the situation perfectly, announcing in a tweet that if Houston was to be considered for the Big 12, UH would make a great candidate. In the end, the out-of-state members of the Big 12 didn’t want another school in Texas added to the league.

McRaven abruptly abandoned the land purchase, announcing earlier this year the UT System would sell the property after McRaven was undressed in a public forum by UT regent Kevin Eltife, a former state senator from Tyler and perhaps Abbott’s closest confidante on the regents board.

It's very subtle.  And, unless you understand UT politics, you might miss it.  But it's difficult to overstate the magnitude of what just happened.

Clearly, Kevin Eltife is this reporter's primary source.  One of the oldest tricks in the anonymous source book is to say something complimentary about your source after the controversial stuff.  And look how the reporter characterized Abbott's relationship with Eltife.  We also wouldn't be surprised if other members of the Board of Regents spoke with the reporter

Then there's the fact that this report appeared in the sports media, instead of the political media.  One of the ways the U.T. politburo keeps the alumni at bay is via Pravda-esque levels of manipulation of media coverage of the athletic department.  We've never had a reason to discuss it publicly, but we have personal experience attempting to cover the athletic department to back this up.  The result is to create a fan-boy media culture that echoes the Politburo line.

But by leaking to the fan-boy sports media, instead of the Trib or the Statesmen [Note: How much egg do those two have on their face after getting scooped this big?!?], Abbott is essentially telling the politburo "if you guys don't shape up soon (*), I'm about to start taking my case directly to the alumni."

That being said, this is still Greg Abbott (and UT) about whom we're talking.  So it shouldn't surprise anyone if follow though is lacking.  But if you know what to look for, this is pretty huge.

Bottom Line: An Abbott-appointed regent leaking this sort of a BOMBSHELL to the athletic department's fan boy media doesn't happen by accident.

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* -- ie. 'by the time I'm re-elected and no longer need your money'

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Then there's this: "But sources close to Fenves, who earns $750,000 per year, indicated Fenves has “three to five years” of agenda items he wants to help carry out as UT president."

Considering that Fenves has already been there 2.5 years, does that mean they're laying the foundation for his departure along with McRaven at the end of the current school year?!?

Sycophantic Lickspittle pens ABSURD pro-Fenves Propaganda

Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
1 Corinthians 15:33

Apparently, some hack named "Del Williams" is the current president of the Texas Exes; you'll never believe what he wrote in the Dallas Morning News yesterday:

UT-Austin President Greg Fenves is my Texan of the Year for his devotion to opportunity for all

Formatting note: We'll address the claims Williams makes in his DMN piece first, then we'll point out other Fenves actions (or lack thereof) from 2017 that Williams neglected to mention.

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• Claim: "He gracefully led the university after a pair of unthinkable murders of students"
  
  Reality: Fenves hasn't done a damn thing about the two murders.

• Claim: "fighting sexual assault"
  
  Reality: By inventing arbitrary standards to please big donors then bribing the student in question to drop the resulting lawsuit.
  
• Claim: "removed the statues of Confederate leaders from the Main Mall, which kept that issue from becoming a distracting spectacle"
  
  Reality: Anyone who claims the statue removal wasn't "a distracting spectacle" clearly wasn't paying attention in August.

• Claim: "But Fenves' experience has been most directly relevant to promoting student success. He launched his career at UT Austin in the 1980s and returned a decade ago to become dean of engineering, then provost and, in 2015, president. This coincided with UT's commitment to raising its four-year graduation rate from 51 percent — tops in Texas but lower than flagship universities in most other states — to 70 percent."
  
  Reality: NEWSFLASH -- Colleges and Universities are supposed to graduate their students; you don't get to take a victory lap for doing the bare minimum.
  
  [Note: It's also worth point out that we've heard over the years that the University is fudging these numbers, but that's not something we can prove.]

• Claim: "Fenves worked with the university's Board of Regents to secure an additional $24 million from the state's oil and gas royalties for the Austin campus. And he raised $450 million from donors in 2016-17 -- the most ever outside of a capital campaign. He's brought in game-changing gifts for the medical school and petroleum engineering, social work and liberal arts."
  
  Reality (a): Assuming they're telling the truth about their fundraising numbers which, to put it mildly, they haven't always done in the past.
  
  Reality (b): If Fenves IS telling the truth, that probably means they don't need a tuition hike.

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Now, let's consider several other incidents from 2017 that didn't make Mr. Williams list:

• Basketball team goes 11-22.
• Note: Ok, fine, technically part of that happened during 2016.

• Violent communists recruit on campus.

• Politically motivated violence against Fraternities.

• Politically motivated violence against Student Reporter.

• Politically motivated violence against widely respected student organization, on multiple occasions.

• The latest tuition hike.

• Another debacle of a Football season, despite the shiny new coach (while paying millions in buyouts to the last guy).

------

Bottom Line: George Orwell would be proud.

UT abruptly "settles" (aka. bribes/covers up) lawsuit over Fenves' arbitrary "Sexual Assault" policy

"He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."
Proverbs 28:13

[Note: Learn about the origins of this case here.]

On the one hand, it's appalling; on the other hand, this is SUCH a UT politburo thing to do:

A settlement reached after about 45 minutes of closed-door negotiations has spared University of Texas President Gregory L. Fenves from having to testify about the school’s sexual misconduct policy, and it also effectively cleared a male student who had been accused of such misconduct.

U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks said simply that the student’s lawsuit against UT and its president had been “concluded by settlement.”

Brian Roark, a lawyer for the student, told reporters that the student’s reinstatement last week by the university will remain in effect and that there will be no further review of the matter by the school. UT agreed to drop its plan to turn the matter over to an unnamed third party.

“There’s been a settlement,” Fenves told reporters. “I have no other comments to make. That’s all I can say at this time.”

A few thoughts:

• So that's why they called a last minute Board meeting for this afternoon.

• Can't have a discussion in open court about the relationship between the university President and big donors, now can we?!?

• What sort of astronomical sum will the final settlement be?!?

• Meanwhile, they're in the process of raising tuition; in terms of cost controls, these sorts of settlements would be a good place to start.

Read the whole thing here.

UT politburo moves forward on the tuition hike we predicted....

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
Matthew 6:24

This happened a week ago, but is still worth noting:

The University is collecting student input on a possible 2 percent tuition increase until Thursday.

The preliminary recommendations to increase tuition for the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 academic years were announced by UT’s Tuition Policy Advisory Committee last Wednesday in an email that included an online feedback survey.

Under the recommendations, tuition would increase in both the 2018 and 2019 fall semesters by about $100 for in-state undergraduates and by about $370 for non-resident undergraduates. In-state graduate students would pay about $90 more both years, while tuition for out-of-state graduate students would increase by about $180 both years.

Executive Vice President Maurie McInnis, who co-chairs UT’s tuition committee, said the tuition increases are necessary because the University is implementing a $20 million budget cut due to decreased state funding.

“Even with a tuition increase, we are behind the amount needed just to keep doing everything that we are doing,” McInnis said. “It’s not new money and it doesn’t even make up for everything that we were cut. It just makes that cut less intense.”

The tuition increases are projected to bring an additional $10 million to the University, according to UT’s tuition webpage. Funding from the increases would go towards financial aid as well as operational and inflation costs, McInnis said.

....

After the survey closes Thursday, the committee will help UT President Gregory Fenves draft an official tuition proposal to be approved by the UT System Board of Regents (*) in February.

[Author's note: Emphasis added.]

* -- This is an extraordinary statement.  Note that they said "to be approved" not "subject to approval.  NEWSFLASH: Greg Fenves works for the Board of Regents, NOT the other way around.

 A few thoughts:

• Who predicted this to the Texas Senate back in January?!?

• That it took us a week to address this story points to why there's a very good chance UT gets away with this: There are so many major stories constantly breaking that it's going to be difficult for any outside groups to put sustained pressure on the university.

• That being said, there are signs this proposal is wildly unpopular on campus.  We suspect that if on-campus groups were to fight the tuition hike, they could win.  At a minimum, they could make it very embarrassing politically.

• Dan Patrick has been remarkably silent on this subject compared to the last time UT pulled this stunt two years ago.

• Maybe it's time to "have a conversation" about UT's $30 BILLION endowment.

• Political correctness on college campuses is the natural result of them having more money than they know what to do with; step 1 is to eliminate their ability to raise tuition at will.

Bottom Line: This was so predicable (which is why we predicted it).

UT Board discusses several interesting items IN SECRET this week....

"For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light."
Luke 8:17

With the busy week this week, we're only getting to the agenda book from Wednesday/Thursday's UT Board meeting today, but it certainly looks like they had some interesting "executive session" discussions.

McRaven's future:

[Note: They're actually going to have to make an announcement pretty soon.]

MUNY Golf Course:

[Note: Sell it to a private party = good; give it to another state agency = bad.]

Whatever this means:

Their foolish pursuit of nuclear weapons:

Statesman: University of Texas System regents on Thursday unexpectedly postponed a vote on submitting a proposal to manage and operate Los Alamos National Laboratory, birthplace of the nation’s nuclear arsenal.

Regents’ Chairwoman Sara Martinez Tucker gave no reason for the delay, simply saying that the matter was being postponed until Nov. 27. Other than her brief comment, the regents did not discuss Los Alamos in public, although it was part of their closed-door discussion earlier in the day.

The postponement was surprising because the regents’ agenda called for “discussion and appropriate action regarding development of a bid for management” of the lab. In September, the regents authorized the system to spend up to $4.5 million to prepare a bid to run the storied lab in the mountains of northern New Mexico, where physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer led development of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan during World War II.

Proposals are due on Dec. 11 at the National Nuclear Security Administration, an arm of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Asked whether the regents had questions that couldn’t be answered at this point, Deputy Chancellor David Daniel told reporters, “No, I would just say this is a continuing process. We’re developing more information, and because the board is going to meet again, as it turns out, we’ll have an opportunity to discuss it with them then.”

Asked whether he expects the board to authorize a bid, Daniel, the system’s point person on the project, replied, “I’m not going to try to speculate what the board’s going to do. We’ll wait and see what the board decides to do.”

Given that we haven't recieved any press releases and haven't seen any media reports, we suspect that no action was taken on any of these items.

Furthermore, this now marks the third regularly scheduled board meeting (to say nothing of the seven special called meetings) since the second on campus murder in 13 months last May without a public discussion of on-campus security.

Bottom Line: Why does the public need to hear important policy discussions at the wealthiest public university in the world?!?

UT Communists Vandalize Private Property...AGAIN!!! (Fenves, Board of Regents, and Abbott STILL SILENT)

"As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the Lord has truly sent."
Jeremiah 28:9

On Wednesday, we reported on the communist inspired vandalism against a widely respected right of center student organization that has been active in Texas politics for four decades.

It happened again.

From a campus source:

At this point, the following must happen:

• President Greg Fenves needs to take all necessary steps to ensure that the free speech rights of all students on campus are protected from violent political intimidation.
• Note: Considering that this is the same Greg Fenves who hasn't done a damn thing about two on campus murders in 13 months, consider us skeptical that this step will occur.

• If President Greg Fenves fails to fulfill his responsibility to maintain a campus free from violent political intimidation, then the Board of Regents needs to fire him and replace him with someone who will.

• If President Greg Fenves fails to fulfill his responsibility to maintain a campus free from violent political intimidation, and the Board of Regents fails to fire him, then the allegedly conservative Governor who has appointed a majority of the currently seated Regents (and who, just this past Monday, had his handpicked choice elected to chair the Board) needs to explain to the public why he is allowing a culture of violent political intimidation to fester on the state's flagship public university campus.
• Note: Keep in mind, this is the Governor who once bragged about giving "marching orders" to his university Regent appointments.

Bottom Line: The festering culture of violent political intimidation on Texas' flagship university campus cannot continue.

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President Greg Fenves:
(512) 471-1232
president@utexas.edu

Board of Regents:
(512) 499-4402
bor@utsystem.edu

Governor Greg Abbott:
(512) 463-2000

Speaking of Greg Abbott's ownership of UT....

Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
1 Corinthians 15:33

Yesterday, we discussed how the UT board just elected Abbott's hand picked choice as chair; we suppose when it rains it pours:

AUSTIN, Texas — Two-time Texas Ex and state Capitol veteran Jay Dyer is returning to The University of Texas at Austin to oversee the flagship campus’s government relations office. Dyer, who most recently served as legislative director for Gov. Greg Abbott, will be UT’s deputy to the president for government relations beginning Oct. 16.

“Jay brings tremendous knowledge and experience in state government as well as a deep commitment to The University of Texas,” said President Gregory L. Fenves. “As the state’s flagship university, our future depends on having the trust of the Texas Legislature and state leadership, being accessible and affordable for students and their families, and providing value to the entire state. Jay will help us accomplish these goals.”

An Austin native, Dyer earned a B.A. in government from the College of Liberal Arts in 1995 and a J.D. from the School of Law in 1998. After holding several positions in the private sector, he served as general counsel to the Texas secretary of state from 2006 to 2008; deputy attorney general for intergovernmental relations and special assistant/senior counsel to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott between 2008 and 2014; and deputy legislative director and then legislative director to Gov. Abbott between 2015 and 2017. He served in the governor’s office through two regular legislative sessions and one special session.

In his new role, Dyer will oversee the university’s interactions with the Legislature and state agencies on all issues including those related to funding, research and student support.

“It was an honor and privilege to serve the state of Texas as a part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s administration,” Dyer said. “I very much appreciate the opportunity to return to The University of Texas, and I look forward to helping UT build upon its well-established commitment to excellence.”

Violent UT Communists Vandalize Conservative Students' Property

"As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the Lord has truly sent."
Jeremiah 28:9

Remember, back in June, when we observed that violent communists were recruiting at the University of Texas' flagship campus and that it would lead to some very bad incidents this fall?!?

Yeah, about that:

A campus source sent the following pictures:

The original sign

How the sign was discovered.

We also received video of one of the RSF vandals fleeing after being caught:

And all this, literally, on the day after Abbott's hand picked candidate is elected to chair the Board of Regents.

Obviously, President Fenves and (to a lesser degree) Chancellor McRaven are the ones who should take the lead rooting out this nonsense.  If history is any guide, they won't.  Assuming Fenves and McRaven refuse to do their jobs, the Board of Regents (which Abbott controls) should fire BOTH.

Bottom Line: Greg Abbott owns this.  It's his Board of Regents and his hand picked board chair.  If Fenves, McRaven, and the Board refuse to act that's where the blame lies.

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President Greg Fenves:
(512) 471-1232
president@utexas.edu

Board of Regents:
(512) 499-4402
bor@utsystem.edu

Governor Greg Abbott:
(512) 463-2000

Abbott quietly asserts further ownership over the University of Texas

Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
1 Corinthians 15:33

[Note: The most interesting aspect of Sarah Martinez Tucker's background can be found here.]

Another very interesting tidbit from yesterday's special UT board meeting:

AUSTIN—Regent Sara Martinez Tucker, appointed in 2015 by Governor Greg Abbott to a six-year term on The University of Texas System Board of Regents, was unanimously elected chairman of the board at a special called meeting Monday.

Tucker was nominated by Chairman Paul Foster, and the motion was seconded by Vice Chairman Steve Hicks.

Chairman Sara Martinez Tucker

“It has been an immense honor to serve as chairman of the board these last four years, but it was time to pass the gavel to a new leader,” Foster said. “It was a pleasure to nominate Regent Tucker, who has brought great insight and guidance to the Board over the last two years. The UT System and all of its institutions are going to benefit greatly under her very capable leadership.”

Prior to her appointment as regent, Tucker, a native of Laredo and resident of Dallas, served as the nation’s top higher education official as under secretary of the U.S. Department of Education under President George W. Bush. There, she oversaw all policies, programs, and activities related to postsecondary education, vocational and adult education, and federal student aid.

Tucker also served as the CEO and president of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, where she pursued an aggressive goal to double the rate of Hispanics earning college degrees. Prior to her work in the nonprofit sector, she was a long-time executive at AT&T.

Tucker currently serves as chairman of the Regents’ academic affairs committee, in addition to serving on the health affairs, finance and planning, and audit, compliance and risk management committees.

“Sara Martinez Tucker is going to be an incredibly effective chairman, and I know that I and everyone at the UT System is looking forward to working with her in her new capacity,” Chancellor William McRaven said. “She gives tremendous time and energy to the UT System, and she is extremely knowledgeable and cares very deeply about higher education. We could not ask for a better leader to guide us forward.”

Tucker earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in business administration from UT Austin. Tucker has been named as an Outstanding Young Texas Ex and a Distinguished Alumna at UT Austin and among many honors has received honorary doctorates from the University of Notre Dame, Boston College, and the University of Maryland University College.

“I am honored and humbled by this great privilege, and I am grateful to my colleagues for entrusting me with this responsibility. Having the opportunity to work with extraordinary board members, system administration leaders and visionary university presidents to ensure that UT students and patients have access to the best possible outcomes is and will always be my top priority,” said Chairman Tucker, following her appointment.

LOL, as the Statesman's Ralph Haurwitz explains:

Although by outward appearances the regents select their own leader, in actual practice the governor’s office signals the choice and the regents follow suit.

In other words, the UT Board now not only contains a majority of Abbott appointees, but it's now led by Abbott's hand picked chairwoman.

Given that the Board of Regents is now led by Abbott's hand picked chair, let's consider several incidents that have occurred since May 1st of this year (the Board has jurisdiction over all of these):

• Second on campus murder in 13 months.

• Following the afore mentioned second murder in 13 months, the Board of Regents has declined to have a public discussion of on-campus security in not one, not two, but three separate Board meetings.

• UTIMCO's refusal to deposit their gold at the state bullion depository.

• Violent communists recruiting on campus.

• Creation of an arbitrary "sexual assault" policy to please a big donor, which predictably leads to them getting sued.

• The early seeds of another tuition hike.

• Defying Abbott over statue removal.

• An absurd proposal to supervise the nation's nuclear weapons arsenal.

• The Maryland debacle.

• The University chancellor grandstanding over immigration in response to a sensible change in federal policy.

• A separate Abbott-appointed regent expanding so-called "social work."

• A left wing student assaulting a student reporter for the Daily Texan.

[Note: Even we didn't realize that there had been 12 separate terrible incidents in the past 4.5 months and we follow this stuff closely.]

Bottom Line: Anytime you wonder how the University of Texas consistently gets away with terrible behavior, and what can be done about it, remember that the Governor's office controls the Board of Regents.