Editor’s Note: What book did you read in college that most influences the way you think today? We posed that question to a well-known UT alum, a coach, two professors and a high-profile administrator....

Does baking a cake make a mess in the kitchen? No, not literally. The chemical changes that occur when cake batter sits in a hot oven do not directly cause spills, greasy counter tops and other reasons...

Editor’s note: Many college students rely on their parents’ health insurance plan, but soon they may well be on their own and planning to care for their parents. What should students look out...

Last month Dr. David Laude, current interim dean of the College of Natural Sciences, was appointed “Graduation Rate Champion.” When he begins his new job in July, Laude will be charged with...

Editor’s note: David Laude, currently interim dean of the College of Natural Sciences, will begin serving as Graduation Rate Champion July 15. During one of a series of interviews with new hires...

Zachary Foust wants to teach high school history after he graduates from UT. From his outer-aisle seat in Hogg Auditorium, Zachary looked wide-eyed at the name-tagged, incoming-freshman masses all waiting...

Editor’s note: Ward Farnsworth began June 1 as dean of the University of Texas School of Law. Before he started, Farnsworth served as an associate dean at Boston University School of Law. Farnsworth...

Ross McBee, a third-year biology major, remembers driving to dinner on 24th Street with his roommates last fall, when a black Porsche pulled up. At first, McBee and his pals merely admired the car, and...

Editors’ Note: In the May 29 primary, both parties put non-binding propositions on their ballots, which don’t become law, but merely gauge support for an issue. Texas Democrats voted on and...

Judith Zaffirini The state senator from Laredo and proud UT alumna has been the defender-in-chief for her alma mater at the not-always-friendly state Capitol. Zaffirini’s main line of work this...

The UT System Board of Regents granted permission to the University to negotiate the purchase of another piece of land at its meeting Wednesday, according to The Daily Texan. The land is in the area currently...

Tuition may be important enough for the UT System Board of Regents to talk about after all. Today marks the beginning of the board’s two-day meeting, and tuition has finally made the agenda. Students...

Editor’s note: From a former UT quarterback to the new UT System student regent, these are among our favorite quotes from the past several days. “Funny, I thought the taxpayers of Texas had...

Students should make sure to exercise their hefty political potential by voting in city elections, as early voting begins today. All of the incumbents — Mayor Lee Leffingwell and city council members...

“When we recognize that commercialization is a tool for the university to achieve its mission — research, education, service, public good — the way we deal with industry will fundamentally...

On Sunday, the Austin American-Statesman reported that the Seton Family of Hospitals pledged up to $250 million for a new Austin hospital to replace the University Medical Center at Brackenridge. Brackenridge...

In February, Austin’s Charter Revision Committee approved a “10-1” proposal for City Council representation — with 10 geographic, single-member districts and one at-large mayor...

Earlier this month, the Faculty Council sent a letter to UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa to convey its “strong support” of the tuition increases proposed by the Tuition Policy Advisory...

Editor’s note: From the election of a mascot to the re-election of a governor, these are among our favorite quotes from the past several days. “It’s certainly good to have someone who’s...

“Students took lessons that they learned in the classes taught here at UT ... and applied them to the real-world situation of the conditions of their own education and asked the University to commit...

The Daily Texan Editorial Board is seeking suggestions for our Longhorn of the Year distinction. The Longhorn of the Year is an individual who had the most positive impact on the UT community throughout...

As students in the UT System await the decision that will mean the fate of tuition for the next two academic years, researchers warn that tuition increases across the state are limiting the accessibility...

Dispelling any concerns that he would avoid the spotlight after his spectacularly failed presidential run, Gov. Rick Perry unveiled his new budget proposal, the Texas Budget Compact, on Monday. The proposal...

As Marvel Studios gets ready to roll out its planet-saving team in The Avengers, President William Powers Jr. triumphantly announced the creation of his own squad of well-footed business leaders to improve...

Editor’s note: From tobacco bans to text messages, these are among our favorite quotes from the past several days. “You might say — just this one time — that what STOPS here changes...

Thursday’s UT System Board of Regents meeting came and went with perhaps the most unwelcome news possible regarding tuition for the next two years: No news at all. The regents’ decision hurls...

The University’s tobacco use policy went up in smoke Wednesday afternoon with an email — with the spelling properly checked — ­declaring that the campus is now 100-percent tobacco-free....

Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will deliver the commencement address at graduation this May. Of all Washington D.C. political veterans whom UT officials might pick to set an example for the graduating...

The TEXAS Grant program, not long ago written off as doomed, is undergoing some major reconstruction by the trauma surgeons at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Last year, the Legislature...

Editor’s note: From a change in automotive topography to Bibles and pornography, these are among our favorite quotes from the past several days. “When [Bernard] Rapoport took an interest in...

Editor’s note: From redistricting to the state’s B-On-Time loan program, these are among our favorite quotes from the past several days. “There would be very little time before November...

The state’s critiquer-in-chief, the Sunset Advisory Commission, issued its verdict on the state’s chief higher education overseer — and the results weren’t pretty. Late last month,...

The University is wasting little time plowing ahead with plans to dramatically increase its four-year graduation rates. Late last month, the College of Liberal Arts sent an email to all of its students...

The season started long ago, the stakes as high as ever. The month of March embraced the nationwide competition and whittled the field of more than 64 down to the Final Four. Now we wait to crown a winner. While...

Finally, all is quiet on the Student Government front. The bombs have mercifully stopped falling just short of total devastation — that is, a redo of the entire election. But as students emerged,...

Update: The cartoon was taken down from The Daily Texan website.   On Tuesday, a cartoon ran on the Opinion page of The Daily Texan that offended many readers, and we sincerely apologize for our...

The Daily Texan Editorial Board endorses John Lawler and Terrence Maas for Student Government president and vice president. The Lawler/Maas campaign has made several pledges to the student body that include...

Editor’s note: An editorial cartoon on the Trayvon Martin case that ran Tuesday has generated many responses, several of which appear below: In light of all of the incredibly offensive, racist...

Early last week, Texans for a Conservative Budget, a coalition composed of powerful small-government proponents, released a proposal containing solutions for the current state budget deficit. But the proposed...

Editor’s note: From the Republican presidential candidates to efficiency in higher education, these are among our favorite quotes from the past several days. “You’ll have the opportunity...

Earlier this month, the UT System launched a Web page for Texans to track the split between UT-Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, both located in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The page offers a healthy...

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has been busy lately. With the redistricting battle temporarily settled — though the final outcome is still uncertain — the attorney general’s office...

Editor’s note: From all of Greg Abbott’s lawsuits to the rejection of the state voter ID law, these are among our favorite quotes from the past several days. “Don’t think I let...

The Daily Texan and Texas Student Media, the organization that oversees the paper’s budget, confront a projected budget deficit of $175,000 for 2012. Former TSM director Gary Borders resigned Feb....

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board recently released a report outlining updates to its long-term goal of aligning Adult Basic Education (ABE) with postsecondary education. ABE seeks to supplement...

The half-year birthday for the network that was supposed to change all networks came and went without the celebration many had anticipated back in August. At that time, the biggest concern on the campus...

Horns up: Austin bans single-use bags from retail stores Early Friday morning, the Austin City Council unanimously voted to ban single-use shopping bags at Austin-area retail stores. The ban will affect...

From the recent city council decision to ban disposable bags to Ted Nugent’s endorsement of Mitt Romney for president, these are among our favorite quotes from the past several days. “The...

After the release of the final report from the task force on 4-year graduation rates, many leaders throughout the state are expressing doubts about the mania surrounding on-time graduation. The report...

Earlier this week, federal judges in San Antonio released interim maps for Texas’ congressional districts. The approval of the new maps would allow Texas to hold its primary elections on May 29....

On Tuesday, a Travis County judge issued a temporary restraining order against UT, postponing the elections for student body president and vice president for at least two weeks. The decision came after...

Editor’s note: The Daily Texan Editorial Board sent questionnaires to Student Government candidates running for executive alliance, University-wide, college-wide, University Co-op Board of Directors...

From the attorney general’s response to the president’s contraception mandate to the governor’s defense of his compensation, the following quotes are among the best from the last few...

Voter turnout in this year's Student Government elections may end up being the lowest in decades. Of course, that may have something to do with the fact that the contest is beginning to look less like...

On Feb. 8, then-Texas Student Media director Gary Borders announced his resignation, a move that came as a surprise to TSM board members and student staffers alike. Juan Gonzalez, the outgoing vice president...

On Friday, The Daily Texan Editorial Board interviewed each team of candidates running for Student Government president and vice president. The following quotes are from our interview with executive alliance...

“They’re trying to do this to further their political careers. We’re not trying to be senators someday; we’re just trying to be here for the students.” — Lund on how...

UT students received an email from President William Powers Jr. on Wednesday afternoon announcing the culminating report of the Undergraduate Graduation Task Force. The report, authored by Liberal Arts...

Editor's Note: Below is a copy of Madison Gardner’s 2010 endorsement questionnaire, in which he sought The Daily Texan’s endorsement for University-wide representative. In light of today’s...

Editor’s note: On Friday, The Daily Texan Editorial Board interviewed each team of candidates running for Student Government president and vice president. The following quotes are from our interview...

From the Red River Rivalry to redistricting, the following quotes are among the best from the last few days. “Some of the recommendations will have a longer time of implementation inevitably, but...

While you were studying, enjoying “Dollar Beer Night” or sleeping soundly last night, they were strategically planning how to attract students’ attention on the West Mall with swag and...

As the Republican presidential primary somehow continues to smolder, the continuing redistricting battle between the state of Texas and various Texas minority advocacy groups is making Texas voters less...

On Friday, the University announced that it will review its tobacco use policy to ensure that it complies with a new mandate from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. Two weeks ago, CPRIT...

“If it’s halftime in America, I’m fearful of what the final score’s going to be if we let this president start the second half as a quarterback.” — Texas Gov. Rick...

A strange creature exists on the UT campus, emerging once every year in traffic-clogging numbers only to vanish two weeks later. Unlike certain campus squirrels, seeing one is unlikely to help you on your...

Late last month, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board voted unanimously to update the state law that grants in-state tuition to undocumented students attending college. The rule change would require...

Austin’s 2012 Charter Revision Committee approved a plan at its final meeting last week that could mean increased representation for students on the City Council. The committee, charged with drafting...

In March, the UT System Board of Regents will likely raise tuition for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 academic years, per President William Powers Jr.’s recommendation. In December, Powers forwarded to...

Editor’s note: From developments in the Occupy movement to Willie Nelson’s endorsement of Mayor Lee Leffingwell, the following quotes are among the best from the last few days. “While...

Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell has a new challenger in former City Council member Brigid Shea. Shea is a co-founder of Save Our Springs, an environmental group that advocates the protection of the Edwards...

While speaking before 4,000 school officials at the Texas Association of School Administrators’ midwinter conference, Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott said that standardized testing in Texas...

In conversations about the future of higher education, dual credit elicits a wide range of opinions. Considered a cure-all by some and a cop-out by others, dual credit offers students the opportunity to...

During his speech Friday at the University of Michigan, President Barack Obama scrutinized the rising cost of attending college. Echoing sentiments from his State of the Union speech last week, Obama put...

Last Wednesday, teams from the biology, chemistry and statistics departments presented the first round of results of the University’s Course Transformation Project. The CTP is a collaborative effort...

“If we are going to take any kind of money, certainly tax dollars, with an idea that we’re actually trying to accomplish some things with that, we’d better pay attention to: Are we actually...

At its meeting Monday, Faculty Council discussed a new University policy, issued Jan. 11, prohibiting camping on University property. Few in attendance doubted what triggered the policy change: the Occupy...

After months of debate, the city of Austin’s 2012 Charter Revision Committee is poised to hold a final vote on a proposal that has the potential to create single-member districts for city council...

The Texas attorney general announced Monday that the state of Texas filed suit in federal court for approval of its controversial voter ID law passed last spring. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 requires...

Faculty Council passed a resolution Monday that requires faculty members to submit the textbooks they plan to use for their classes to bookstores at least 30 days before the first day of class. The council...

“You don’t need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas...

“The worst presidential candidate in American history,” according to liberal political commentator James Carville, is returning to Texas to continue his reign as the longest-serving governor...

In December, Austin Energy, the city-owned utility company, proposed increasing electricity rates by 12 percent. Austin City Council’s consideration of the proposal is ongoing, but the plan is drawing...

From porn peddlers to district meddlers, the following quotes are among the best from the last few weeks. “There’s no doubt that [President Obama] has a significant interest in higher education....

Editor’s note: We anticipate covering the following issues as they unfold this semester. Fisher v. University of Texas The U.S. Supreme Court will soon decide whether to hear Abigail Fisher’s...

 The following quotes are from viewpoints and overviews written by The Daily Texan Editorial Board this semester. We’ve selected quotes that paint a picture of the noteworthy events that occurred...

The Texas Politics Speaker Series, which brings state leaders to the UT campus, featured interviews last week with Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, and Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, on education in the...

From the debate surrounding the Tuition Policy Advisory Committee’s proposed tuition increases to Gov. Rick Perry’s latest presidential campaign ad, the following quotes are among the best...

Wednesday’s open forum put an end to the motions of the Tuition Policy Advisory Committee, as it presented its proposal to the public. And that’s all the process consisted of — motions. TPAC...

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott fired another salvo on Monday in the ongoing duel between Texas legislators and federal judges over the set of newly drawn political district maps. The redistricting...

 President William Powers Jr. spent a good portion of Monday’s Faculty Council meeting explaining the University’s recent decision to move certain funding decisions from the Graduate School...

Tuition increases on the horizon After deliberating for less than two months, the Tuition Policy Advisory Committee submitted its recommendation today to President William Powers Jr. The committee proposes...

Given the current state of higher education, university administrators around the country are working to champion timeless buzzwords such as “creativity,” “innovation” and “entrepreneurship”...

“Ruffled feathers are good — they make us all better.” These were ending words of sorts, delivered by Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, at Friday’s hearing held by the Joint Oversight...

A panel of federal judges released a new set of maps for state legislative districts Thursday. The process of re-drawing these maps, known as redistricting, happens every 10 years to account for population...

Members of the Tuition Policy Advisory Committee indicated Wednesday in their second open forum of the semester that they are considering recommending a 2.6-percent tuition increase for resident undergraduate...

Following the UT System’s announcement of a unique $10-million investment in MyEdu, members of the UT community have questioned the transparency surrounding the deal. The purpose of the investment...

The University released a second productivity report Friday, continuing its battle of numbers against critics of public higher education. Authored again by Marc Musick, sociology professor and associate...