Kate McGee

The new guidance comes after ICE added 700,000 individuals with deportation orders to a national crime database that law enforcement uses to track warrants.

At a public event last week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said higher ed would get less funding if they don’t “kick DEI out of their schools,” a few weeks after lawmakers proposed a massive cut to public universities.

Sources indicate the board has narrowed its search to five candidates: Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, Texas A&M Foundation President Tyson Voelkel, University of Alabama President Stuart Bell and state Rep. Trent Ashby, R-Lufkin.

Davis, who was named interim president one day earlier, replaced a provost who was named to the position by the university’s previous leader last month.

The decision to name Davis, UT-Austin's chief operating officer since 2023, ends President Jay Hartzell’s tenure months earlier than anticipated.

A pair of lawsuits filed by allies of West Texas megadonor Tim Dunn shut down laws that banned outside spending in the House leadership race, allowing for more political mudslinging and raising questions about ethics rules.

Rep. Cody Harris had accused Abraham George of improperly threatening to send mailers and censure lawmakers who backed Rep. Dustin Burrows as House speaker.

Hartzell’s formal installation as president of SMU is tentatively scheduled for next fall. It was immediately unclear who will lead UT-Austin in the meantime.

Southern Methodist University in Dallas tried to declare its independence after the church voted to ban gay weddings and clergy in 2019.

At least a third of respondents at UT-Austin, UT-Dallas and Texas A&M said they’re not sure administrators at their universities protect free speech on campus.