Among Gov. Rick Perry’s slew of vetoes Friday were two bills targeting Texas public universities’ administrative power and funding, denying the UH System $250,000 in special programs support.

Gov. Rick Perry line-item vetoed several special program funding requests on Friday submitted by multiple public Texas universities. Perry said the vetoes are his efforts to fighting rising tuition.  |  Gage Skidmore/Creative Commons

The governor made several line-item vetoes in House Bill 1025, a key budget bill of the session, rejecting a series of special funding requests to multiple higher education institutions. Perry’s vetoes denied the University $100,000 for the William P. Hobby Jr. School of Public Affairs and UH-Downtown $150,000 for its Community Development Project.

According to Perry’s veto statement, “the University did not request this special item in its Legislative Appropriations Request for FY 2014-15. If the William P. Hobby Jr. School of Public Affairs is a priority, the University can use its $3.8 million appropriation for institutional enhancement.”

Perry likewise prefaced his line-item vetoes for all higher education special item funding with a lengthy explanation.

“Some special items are initially requested to provide start-up funds for new academic programs, but once funded, they seldom go away,” Perry said. “One institution has four short-term special items that have been funded for the last 30 years. Institutions are rarely held accountable for these funds, which is why many of them stay in the budget, year after year, even after their purpose is no longer clear. This is not the best use of hard-earned tax dollars.”

As public universities struggle with the rising cost of tuition, Perry explained that those vetoes are his efforts to combat rising tuition.

“Because of the growth in special item funding, there is less state money to teach college students, which contributes to rising tuition,” Perry said.

Students, like political science senior Diane Stout, believe Perry is using a false argument to keep crucial funding for reasons unclear.

“It is especially worrisome for me, as a public university student, that he says that (special programs funding) is not the best use of hard earned tax dollars. Even if they are start-up special projects, specialization of fields are necessary for most degrees,” Stout said.

“He’s also saying he would use the funding to cut tuition but doesn’t seem to be doing that either. I’m confused as to where the money is going.”

Senate Bill 15, the second higher education bill vetoed by Perry, aimed to rein in regent power after accusations of micromanaging UT and harassing its president, Bill Powers, were supported by legislators against the UT System Board of Regents.

The governor’s veto of this higher education oversight bill, which included a provision that regents could not fire a university president without a recommendation from a chancellor, caused many heated discussions Friday night.

Yet Perry, who appoints university regents, said that they will keep all their power and authority.

“Limiting oversight authority of a board of regents is a step in the wrong direction,” Perry said in a statement Friday. “History has taught us that the lack of board oversight diminishes accountability and provides fertile ground for organizational malfeasance.”

The bill would have also required that university governing board regent appointments be approved by the Senate before they could vote on personnel or governing board matters and furthermore would have prevented interim appointments.

Although SB 15 was passed overwhelmingly by both chambers and underwent a number of amendments after negotiations with the governor’s office, the bill was still vetoed, provoking bipartisan outrage.

Sen. Kel Seliger, the author of the bill, described the veto as a blow to the state’s public universities.

“Given the continued lack of transparency and persistent conflicts, this legislation clearly was necessary, due in no small part to some of Governor Perry’s appointees,” Seliger said.

“The decision to veto SB 15 ensures that the conflicts, controversies and lack of transparency will continue. It harms the reputation of Texas’ world class public universities and hinders their ability to attract the best students, faculty and administrators to this great state. ”

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The division of University Advancement is in the planning and preparation phase of a university-wide campaign that will raise $1 billion in the coming five to seven years.

The hallmarks of the campaign effort will consist of meaningful alumni and community engagement, along with private philanthropic partnerships, and the goal of raising at least $100 million annually for the duration of the campaign. These will be built on the pre-existing strengths of UH to create a bigger and better University.

“We will raise at least $1 billion, that’s our league,” said Eloise Stuhr, vice president and vice chancellor for University Advancement for UH and the UH System.

“The focus of the campaign is not about that number. It’s about transforming the University and taking it to the next level of excellence.”

Driving the success of UH’s strategic plan will be projects that stretch across departments and a comprehensive development effort, said Richard Bonnin, interim associate vice chancellor and associate vice president for marketing and communication.

Some students believe that the initiative is a good sign.

“I think this is great,” said advertising senior Angela Beltran. “The school has made tremendous progress in the past few years. The fact that we are now in position to take on a campaign as ambitious as this means that we are going to continue to grow and improve in the near future.”

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Students will begin paying higher tuition after the Board of Regents unanimously approved a proposal on Monday to increase the rates by approximately 4 percent.

The percentage increase translates to an additional $13 per undergraduate semester credit hour or an additional $195.17 per semester for students who take 15 credit hours. The increase will be used to improve advising, hire additional faculty, increase financial aid and improve the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library but not all students approve of the decision.

“Any raise in tuition affects all of us, especially if you pay out of pocket or if you’re taking out loans,” said chemical engineering junior Daniel Sierra. “Any increase is going to put a bigger burden on us.”

Sierra, who finances his education through scholarships and loans, said the University could have used its current funds more wisely, instead of increasing tuition rates.

“I feel there are funds going where they probably shouldn’t be,” Sierra said. “We pay enough for the education we get. Not everybody has a full ride or is funded by the University.”

Sophomore pre-business major John Hounihan supports the decision to raise the rates, as state funding has dropped to 25 percent from 39 percent of UH’s budget in the last 10 years.

“It’s not like they’re wasting the money,” Hounihan said. “I feel like it’s a necessary thing that universities do, especially since we’re still an affordable school.”

The $10 million in additional revenue generated and the targeted improvements are designed to increase the University’s U.S. News and World Report’s ranking.

“It’s important to attend a university that is competitive with the other universities in the state. If raising tuition is one of the steps we need to take to get up there with those universities, it’s worth it,” Hounihan said.

Samantha Rodriguez, a single parent who works part-time, understands the need for the tuition increases but is concerned about the impact it could have on her daughter’s eligibility of scholarships at UH’s Children’s Learning Center.

“The issue is not just the tuition increasing for my education at a Tier One university, that’s expected,” Rodriguez said. “It’s just unfortunate that all the other factors are influenced by the financial aid and tuition rates.”

Sierra, Hounihan and Rodriguez were unaware of the proposal to increase tuition rates, despite the administration holding multiple public forums before submitting the proposal.

“I think it’s an insult to the students, who already have to pay a lot,” Sierra said. “This is the first time I’ve heard about any sort of increase, so the fact that I’m being told now is kind of upsetting.”

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The Board of Regents unanimously passed proposals Monday to increase tuition rates, issue bonds to raise money for new construction and approve the appointment of Paula Short as provost.

Tuition will increase by $13 per undergraduate semester hour beginning this August, and will generate $10 million to be used to lower student to adviser ratio, student to faculty ratio, increasing need-based financial aid and improving the M. D. Anderson Library.

The Board of Regents voted Monday to increase tuition beginning in the fall. Part of the estimated $10 million raised will go towards improving the M.D. Anderson Library. | Nam-My Le/The Daily Cougar

“I see it as a significant investment in areas where we have significant problems,” said Student Government Association President Cedric Bandoh, who is a member of the Tuition and Fee committee.

Associate Vice Chancellor for Planning and Analysis Chris Stanich presented the plan to the Board, citing that UH is ranked No. 7 in the nation for graduating students with the least amount of debt and is still more affordable than Texas peer institutions and national peer institutions.

“Even with the proposed increases, we would still be below [in cost to] University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, and University of Texas at Dallas,” Stanich said.

The presentation also cited that UH did not increase tuition last year, and will begin to offer a 4-year fixed tuition program in 2014.

“The expectation is that students who participate in the fixed tuition program will, over the course of four years, pay less than those students who go through the tradition tuition and fees route,” Stanich said.

The Regents’ approval to issue new bonds will raise also money that will go toward the construction of the football stadium and arena, the Health and Biomedical Sciences 2 building and the Multidisciplinary Research and Engineering building.

The bonds will additionally fund projects on the UH-Downtown and UH-Victoria campuses and tuition rates will also increase for UHD, UHV, and UH-Clear Lake.

Short’s appointment as provost by Chancellor and President Renu Khator on June 4 after serving as interim provost during the past semester was likewise unanimously passed Monday.

“We had some really good candidates and any of them could be very good provosts on their merit, but the campus started to rally behind Paula,” Khator said. “So I had to call her again and ask her again if she would mind coming aboard and I didn’t even give her a chance to say no.”

Short joined UH in 2012 as a distinguished professor in the College of Education and director of the Institute for Policy, Research, and Evaluation. She will begin serving as provost immediately.

“I can assure you that you have my total dedication to be diligent and to making our academic enterprise the best in the country, maybe the best in the world,” Short said.

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With 41.9 percent of its population being of Hispanic descent, Houston has long since been characterized by its Hispanic population, culture and history. Now, UH has been declared a Hispanic-Serving Institution  by the U.S. Department of Education, showing that Houston’s largest university has grown to reflect its community.

To be a HIS, a university must be not-for-profit, offer two-year academic programs that lead to a degree, be accredited by the Department of Education, have a high enrollment of needy students and have at least 25 percent Hispanic undergraduate students.

Five UH students spent one week at the Harvard/John F. Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to grow and learn more as leaders. | Photo courtesy of Hannah Do

“From a symbolic point of view, (this designation) clearly points to more and more Hispanics entering college and receiving an education, and so it bodes well for not only the local community and the state community, but for the nation as a whole,” said the director for the Center for Mexican American Studies, Tatcho Mindiola, Jr.

“Hispanics tend to be one of the groups that have the least number of educated people in their midst. But now … if you plotted enrollment, Hispanic enrollment from the University of Houston from 1980 to the present, you’d see the trajectory is straight up.”

Large grants are offered to universities that fulfill these requirements, which may be used to fund improvements across the university for all ethnicities.

Additionally, five UH students had been chosen for the “Latino Leadership Initiative” (LLI) program, developed by the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. The five students, chosen on their academic merit, leadership skills and community involvement, traveled to the Harvard/John F. Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Mass. from June 8 to 15.

“Participating in the LLI is not just about the networking and leadership development skills I anticipate developing, but it is about the lifelong connections I hope to gain, as well as the possibilities it provides for me to make a difference in my community and my school,” said marketing and supply chain management junior Teresita Madero.

“I see this program as a chance to show others that it is not about where you come from, your economic status, your gender or your ethnicity that determines who you are, but what truly defines you is what you do for others.”

The program was first developed in 2010 and usually takes up to 42 undergraduate students a year. This year, Madero, business junior Johan Casella, biology senior Hannah Do, art junior Brenda Franco and construction management and business junior Arturo Garcia were nominated by the Center for Mexican American Studies, and henceforth chosen.

“I look forward to exceeding the expectations set by the LLI and embracing my obligation to be a leader and do something that will not only impact students at University of Houston, but will change future college students’ perspective on education,” Madero said.

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The UH System Board of Regents will meet Monday to vote on the appointment of Paula Short as provost in addition to proposed increases to tuition rates beginning this fall.

Scheduled for 2 p.m. in the Waldorf Astoria Ballroom E of the Hilton Hotel, the meeting will begin with the Finance & Administration committee, which will vote on the proposal to increase tuition by approximately 4 percent.

The rate increases will be used to lower adviser/student and faculty/student ratio, provide additional financial aid and funding for teaching assistants and to improve the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library. The committee will also vote on a proposal to issue new bonds, raising money for construction.

If the proposals pass, they will be reviewed by the full Board of Regents, scheduled to meet at 2:30 p.m. at the same location. The Board will then vote on the appointment of Short and any proposals approved by the Finance & Administration committee.

Short joined UH in 2012 as a distinguished professor in the College of Education. She was appointed as provost by President and Chancellor Renu Khator on June 4 after serving as interim provost this past semester.

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PubSoft, a Houston-based publishing software company, went to the BookExpo America 2013 conference from May 29 to June 1, bringing more exposure to Texas’ rapidly expanding technology and publishing industry.

Martin

“(Getting to go to the BEA was) amazing! Especially for a company that is as new as PubSoft is. I think it’s a testament to how hard the founders are working,” said UH alumna Latoya Martin, a marketing intern with PubSoft.

“PubSoft being at the BEA conference increases the company’s visibility and provides an opportunity for some very effective networking.”

PubSoft serves as a portal for publishers to manage their authors, upload ebooks and distribute book royalties. The system is designed with the idea of streamlining and simplifying the process of being a small-time publisher in today’s rapidly changing publishing industry.

“PubSoft has all the makings of becoming the premier publishing technology,” Martin said.

“I believe that the sky is the limit. Pubsoft’s role is definitely … one of few that has a solid balance between technology, marketing and publishing knowledge. Those behind it are also extremely consistent and dedicated to the product, and I’m glad to have had the opportunity to be a part of such a dynamic bunch.”

The BookExpo America is held annually at the Javits Center in New York City and serves to exhibit new authors, publishers and technologies.

“The biggest thing was the International Digital Publisher’s Forum because our main focus was being there and seeing the speakers, all the guests and people in the vanguard of digital publishing, and hearing them speak about trends in digital publishing and the direction the market’s moving in,” said marketing and sales director of PubSoft Heather Wied.

“(It was) really helpful for us because it validated the directions that we’re taking — the development and future of the company.”

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The woman accused of killing a UH professor with her stiletto has been charged with murder and appeared in court Monday.

Andersson

Alf Stefan Andersson, 59, a research professor in the Biology and Biochemistry Department, was found dead Sunday morning in a high-rise on Hermann Drive near Jackson Street in the museum district.

Investigators say Ana Trujillo, 44, who was arrested in the upscale apartment early Sunday morning, is claiming self-defense in the slaying of Andersson, according to ABC 13.

The Houston Police Department homicide investigators said officers responded to a call of an assault in progress just before 4 a.m. at The Parklane, a luxury condominium.

When officers arrived at Andersson’s home, Trujillo answered the door and showed police the victim’s body, according to KHOU 11.

Police said that Andersson had suffered multiple stab wounds to the head and prosecutors in court on Monday described the scene as gruesome.

“The complainant appeared to have about 10 puncture wounds to the head, some being 1 to 1.5 inches deep. He also had 15 to 20 other puncture wounds along his face and arms and neck,” said the prosecutor.

Trujillo admitted to stabbing the UH research professor, whom she identified as her boyfriend, because he had grabbed her, she told investigators, and a struggle followed.

Trujillo

Gill, a resident of The Parklane, told KHOU that she believes the killing may not have been intentional.

“My thought was, ‘I bet she defended herself with the only thing she had,’” Gill said.

Jim Carroll, who manages the Londale Motel where Trujillo lives, was not as surprised by the attack.

Carroll told ABC 13 that Trujillo said more than once that anyone who wronged her would face the wrath of her stiletto.

Trujillo worked as a legal assistant, but also claimed she was a masseuse, although she is not registered, Carroll said.

Trujillo remains jailed with her bail set at $100,000.

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A 2012 American Chemistry Council study reports that Texas is the largest chemical producing state in the U.S. with $145 billion in revenue and is responsible for more than 70,000 jobs in Texas alone. However, the shortage of available and skilled workers poses a threat to chemical companies looking to expand.

In order to prevent this from happening, ExxonMobil Corp. has given a $1 million endowment to the University’s teachHOUSTON program to train science and math teachers so that students may further their education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics within the next five years.

“The teachHOUSTON program had to raise $1 million in its endowment to qualify for the matching funds,” said co-director of teachHOUSTON Jeff Morgan. “This gift will have a tremendous impact in future years as these and other funds grow in our endowment.”

TeachHOUSTON started in 2007 with 14 students and is a replication of a program called UTeach that was created at the University of Texas. Through a partnership between the College of Natural Science and Mathematics and the College of Education, the program allows students to have teaching opportunities throughout their four years at UH and is changing the way science and math teachers are trained.

Nearly 340 students are enrolled in the teachHOUSTON program at UH, and the goal is to graduate 100 teachers per year. Through its efforts, the program has continually helped students find their calling in the field of teaching, like biology senior Katherine Palmer.

“At first I was not sure what I wanted to do,” Palmer said, “but after my first class, or Step 1 in the program, I fell in love with the program, and that is when I realized that I wanted to become a teacher, and now I want to teach high school biology.”

There are 33 universities across the nation that replicate the UTeach program with training opportunities similar to teachHOUSTON, and through its endowment, Exxon is likewise helping prepare a more stable pipeline of skilled workers in STEM fields specifically for Houston.

“Almost all our graduates stay in Houston and work in our local school districts. It’s a win-win situation,” Morgan said. “Local industries will benefit from improved math and science teaching in area schools, and UH will benefit from it as well.”

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The McDonald’s that stood on the intersection of Elgin Street and Cullen Boulevard has been demolished. Only a pile of debris and the golden arches remain until it reopens in September. 

“I was driving to class in the morning and decided to stop there, as usual, to grab my sausage, egg and cheese McGriddle,” said economics and political science junior Yatindra Chahar. “I noticed it was completely torn down. Now, I was still hungry and wondering what happened because that McDonald’s was a classic.”

The McDonald’s on Elgin Street was an iconic backdrop for Cougar Field. Having first opened in 1991, it predates the field by four years. More than 20 years later, the McDonald’s has been torn down only to be renovated and is scheduled to open this fall  |  Kayla Stewart/The Daily Cougar

According to Hattiesburg American, the 22-year-old building was one of the only old-school McDonald’s’ left standing, and its golden arches had served as a backdrop of the Cougar Baseball Field for many years.

“Although I didn’t eat there, the restaurant was symbolic to the University of Houston baseball field,” said petroleum engineering junior Adebiyi Sijuwade.

Aside from being a landmark on campus, it was a popular destination for many students looking for a quick snack yet, some students are glad to see it go.

“I would say, though, the less McDonald’s in the world, the better off we are,” Chahar said. “I will be healthier without it being there.”

While the McDonald’s will be gone for the summer, it will open its golden arches again this fall.