Bill Powers, University Of Texas President, Clashes With Rick Perry Over Tuition Hikes

Students are rallying to make sure University of Texas President Bill Powers doesn't lose his job over a clash with Gov. Rick Perry and his appointees on the Board of Regents.

Last week, the Regents denied Powers' request for a 2.6 percent tuition hike for UT undergrads. Instead they directed UT to use $6.6 million from the system's higher education endowment, which Powers criticized as a temporary fix.

"There is a tremendous difference between one-time allocations and solid, recurring allocations," Powers said.

On Wednesday, Texas Monthly reported Regents chairman Gene Powell had asked UT Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa to fire Powers, in part due to his criticism of the decision by the Regents against tuition increases.

Cigarroa denied the rumors that Powers might lose his job, saying in a statement ”The chairman of the board of regents has never directed me to fire anyone," but declined to comment further. Despite students pointing the blame at Perry, Catherine Frazier, a spokeswoman for the governor, told the Daily Texan "the governor has had no involvement" in any potential plans to remove Powers from his position.

Yet, that hasn't done much to stop people from speaking out in support of Powers and in opposition of Perry and the Regents, just in case the rumors are true. Students, faculty and alumni have all quickly come to Powers' defense.

The UT faculty council, plans to draft a resolution in support of Powers, regardless of whether the UT president's job is in jeopardy. The UT alumni association, commonly called the Texas Exes, began speaking out as well.

"Regardless of where you stand on the issue of tuition, the President needs to be able to make his careful recommendation about what’s best for the University," a letter sent out to Texas Exes members read, "and to make that case as strongly and articulately as he can, even if he and the Regents disagree."

At least 11,000 people joined a group on Facebook called "I Stand With Bill Powers" and many students changed their profile photos to read "Stand With Bill Powers." At the same time, some UT students dissented, such as Phillip Graham, who wrote on Facebook "I will not stand with someone who fights to raise my tuition."

So what does Powers have to say about all the hysteria circulating online?

"I am deeply grateful for the support of our students, faculty, staff and the thousands of members of the UT family," Powers said in a statement. "I will continue to work with the entire UT community to move the university forward."

View some of the tweets with the hashtag #SaveBillPowers

#savebillpowers is now trending in #Austin trendsmap.com/us/austin

— Trendsmap Austin (@TrendsAustin) May 10, 2012

The GSA executive officers fully support Bill Powers. #savebillpowers

— UTEXAS GSA (@utgsa) May 10, 2012

As an Aggie/Longhorn, I want to save the UT President from being fired by Gov Good Hair. #SaveBillPowers bit.ly/LZdkiH (Via @KathTX)

— C Brannon Donoghue (@Courtney_BD) May 10, 2012

UT Department of English fully supports Bill Powers #savebillpowers

— UT English Dept (@ut_english) May 10, 2012

UT's Faculty Council to meet Monday to pass a resolution in support of Powers. ow.ly/aQ5Am #SaveBillPowers

— Save Bill Powers (@SaveBillPowers) May 11, 2012

Now is no time for instability: Texas Exes Prez calls on alumni to support @UTAustin Prez Powers txex.es/JE9ARW #savebillpowers

— Texas Exes (@TexasExes) May 11, 2012

If Bill goes, @aggieprez will be next. All part of @GovernorPerry's plan. #SaveBillPowers #FirePerry @MattPortillo @TrendsAustin

— Aggie Gossip '12 (@AggieGossip) May 10, 2012

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Comments

[Rob Reyes]

05:21 PM on 05/18/2012

Blogger provides fresh perspective of UT President Powers’ astroturf campaign to keep his job

Americans for Prosperity-Texas regularly highlights blog posts as providing information which can’t be found elsewhere. We have some tremendous citizen journalists in Texas. This blogger – Will Franklin -- has provided an interesting perspective that no other media has presented.

Read more: http://americansforprosperity.org/051612-blogger-provides-fresh-perspective-ut-president-powers%E2%80%99-astroturf-campaign-keep-his-job#ixzz1vG5ljYg5

http://americansforprosperity.org/051612-blogger-provides-fresh-perspective-ut-president-powers%E2%80%99-astroturf-campaign-keep-his-job

[Daniel Freysinger]

09:59 PM on 05/13/2012

College administrators need worry less about college reputation and focus on keep college affordable for in-state students. They spend far too much money turning college campuses into happy fun time to attract out-of-state and foreign students who pay the big money. Students just get in the way of their pet research.

[BlairCase]

05:57 PM on 05/13/2012

The 2.6 percent tuition increase would have been for each of the next two years, which would have raised the semester charge by $258 to $5,154. Although the regents rejected that, they allocated the Austin campus $6.6 million in each of the next two years from the system's higher education endowment. Perry's goal is keep tuition at or below $10,000 a year so a student can get a four-year degee for $40,000. Powers want to make the tuition increase permanent because he worries about funding in the out years, but if the economy continues to imporve, Texas may restore some of the funding cuts made during the recession.

[Sumz54]

05:05 AM on 05/14/2012

Here's the thing though, they won't. Even before the recession there has been a longstanding record of education cuts - the schools have been FORCED to cover increasing amounts of funding with student tuition. Perry's nice little sound-bite said he was looking to CREATE/expand programs with $10000/year student funding - not convert all existing programs into those degrees. Do you seriously think you can get a professional engineering degree for $10000/year? How about a degree in advanced physics, math, chemistry, biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, neurobiology - WITH research experience OF COURSE, so one can be taken seriously when competing against students from ivy's and other renowned research universities for graduate admissions??? That's what UT Austin is, it's the Berkeley of Texas. It's one of the premiere public universities in the nation, and renowned for its research around the world. We have professors that are the top and among the top in their respective fields - UT Austin is not Walmart University and we don't want to be. If you look into Perry's "awesome" $10,000 plan you'll see that it has only been successful in very few disciplines (none of them being sciences, mathematics or engineering) and the few successes it's resulted in are ONLY because of utilizing the maximum allowable community college credits or high school dual credit courses. Why? Because those courses are SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper! (continued)

[ObamaSheeple]

03:30 PM on 05/14/2012

Young 'un, quit avoiding your significant writing component classes and learn to use paragraphs. It makes it harder to read and understand your thoughts when they are lumped into one giant amalgam of words.

Your thoughts, enthusiasm and pride come shining through however. Keep studying and doing all your projects on time. You'll succeed eventually.

You don't have to defend our university from the jealous hordes. Our academic achievements are renowned worldwide as is Berkeley's.

-Texas Ex

Hook 'em!

[Sumz54]

05:06 AM on 05/14/2012

(part 2) I should add that no major state university in Texas has taken up this $10000 tuition idea - not UT Austin, not Texas A&M, not Texas Tech or University of North Texas and NOT EVEN Texas State University or SFA. The only schools that have are places like Tarleton University - in Business Administration ONLY, Texas A&M San Antonio in IT cybersecurity, South Texas College in Organizational Leadership (note the single program offerings, and none of which allow or prepare a student to advance to graduate level studies). These degrees are general to the max and scarcely above the educational rigor of an associates degree. You cannot get a quality education for a bargain price - not without substantial state funding to make up the difference!! Perry is trying to dumb down education. But only for the masses, so the state can cut more and more funding from education! This way Perry gets a PR plus (Cheap tuition for all, whoo!!) while getting to slash education funds AGAIN. You can bet though that Perry and his pals will be sending THEIR children to places where they'll get a quality degree, not any school that comes near this $10000 bull. (continued)

[BlueLily216]

02:25 PM on 05/13/2012

Unless you're parents are paying tuition, which if you go to UT they probably are, I can't understand how anyone can stand behind a man fighting for a tuition increase. For those of us who actually have to work our way through college, even 2% is too much.

[Sumz54]

05:19 AM on 05/14/2012

I guess UT students understand that in the face of MAJOR state education cuts, the difference in funding must be made up somewhere. We'll be okay in the short term (ie by the time I graduate), especially with the endowment, but I fear for the quality embodied by UT Austin as I (and my peers) know it if Perry is allowed to continue with state cut after cut. Texas politicans can't seem to see the importance of investment into education in the long run, and its truly a shame. Education gives a bigger return on investment than dare I say any other government expense - education results in advances in medicine, technology, engineering, science, etc. Technological advances create booming industries which create JOBS, AND technological advances result in healthier populations which allows for far less expenditures on treating the sick.

[PhillipGraham]

04:23 PM on 05/14/2012

I am the Phillip Graham quoted in the article. My parents are paying for my college 100% out of pocket. I am blessed that they can afford to do this. However, as the article states, I don't want their burden to be increased.

[OHexpat12]

04:55 AM on 05/13/2012

President Ghee of Ohio State University will not find the support of students for astronomical payraises/benefits for token few and astronomical fee hikes and building campaigns. The trustees are being asked to resign en-mass.

[BevTX84]

03:44 PM on 05/12/2012

Don't mess with Texas, country bumpkin

[liberalpolicysucks]

12:33 AM on 05/12/2012

Tuition hikes: gotta pay for instate tuition for illegals somehow.

[cisellus]

10:10 PM on 05/11/2012

Where was Obama when this was put to vote in 2007?
Out campaigning..
Now he cares...lol

[mira chancleta]

06:37 PM on 05/11/2012

there's a university in Texas?

[DeeKres]

08:34 PM on 05/11/2012

A pretty damn good one as long as Perry keeps his claws off of UT.

[FilipeCastro]

06:28 PM on 05/12/2012

Not "pretty damn good." It is OK. It looks awesome because it is in Texas.

[BlueLily216]

02:36 PM on 05/13/2012

Totally agree. I'm from Texas, but left as soon as possible. Sorry for the Bush clan folks!

[BevTX84]

03:45 PM on 05/12/2012

Yes, we're only ranked in the top 30 globally, but we like to think we're alight.