Former UT System adviser Rick O’Donnell published a report Wednesday that categorized UT professors based on teaching workloads and the amount of research revenue generated. The report segmented professors into five categories: “dodgers,” “coasters,” “sherpas,” “pioneers” and “stars.”

“The research university’s employment practices look remarkably like a Himalayan trek, where indigenous Sherpas carry the heavy loads so Western tourists can simply enjoy the view.”
— O’Donnell in his report.

“There can be many different approaches to closing the faculty productivity gap, but first, state policymakers, university boards and senior university leadership must acknowledge a significant gap even exists and not flinch from taking a hard look at the data.”
— O’Donnell in his report’s conclusion.

“The data that the Boards of Regents of the University of Texas and Texas A&M systems have made public is now being misused to diminish the national stature of our state’s premiere public institutions.”
— The Texas Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education in a response published after the release of O’Donnell’s report.

“[The report] is a dance remix of a bad song. It doesn’t appear that there is any new framework that’s helping to advance the discussion.”
— JJ Baskin, a member of the coalition’s executive committee, according to The Daily Texan.

“Frankly, it is insulting to the professors at UT to be categorized that way.”
— Baskin in response to the report, according to the Texan.