Quotes to note: Legislature’s Joint Oversight Committee on Higher Education

The Daily Texan Editorial Board

October 18, 2011

Editor’s Note: The following quotes are from the second hearing of the Legislature’s Joint Oversight Committee on Higher Education Governance, Excellence and Transparency held Monday at the Capitol.

“Those rumors are unfounded.”
— Gene Powell, chairman of the UT System Board of Regents, addressing a question by State Sen. Judith Zaffrini, D-Laredo, on whether there was an interest among the regents to fire Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa and President William Powers Jr. amidst the higher education controversy earlier this year.

“I would say that it was a mistake on my part.”
— Powell on hiring Rick O’Donnell.

“So if I see your fingers in, I can slap them?”
— Zaffirini to Powell after the latter agreed to the recommendation of Hunter Rawlings, president of the American Association of Universities, for regents to stick their noses in [but keep their] fingers out’ when it comes to implementing university policy.