UTA
I'm pretty sure that only like 3 of you on my friends list go to UTA, but this is important in general.
SO. This representative, Toby Goodman (I think) got pissed because UT keeps giving money to UTD instead of UTA. Technically, UTA offers more than UTD, but UTD is more technical and computer-oriented I guess you could say. Yeah it sucks, but this guy's so pissed that he wants UTA to be removed from the UT system in order to either stand alone or become part of another university's system. Namely, Texas A&M.
I didn't take this seriously for a while, thinking that it was just this one nut job who'd just be ignored, right? Guess not. Apparently, the business heads in Arlington are all lobbying for this now, and it's becoming a serious, big deal. Dr. Gough told me yesterday that they had a faculty meeting about it, which rings off warning bells for me AND her I'm sure.
Why is this scary?
Um. UT is reputable, A&M well, I don't feel that it is. Maybe in a few fields it's alright, but overall UT is a better school. There's a monstrous rivalry between the two schools. A&M basically represents rednecks and conservative, Republican types while UT is by far the most liberal thing to exist in Texas, and it's still pretty liberal in comparison with other liberal schools across the country. Many UT programs are ranked up with ivy league schools. So anyway, I didn't come to UTA just because it's here. The affiliation with UT is VERY attractive, and I don't think I'd be here otherwise. ESPECIALLY not if it were an A&M school.
In other words, NO ONE here wants this, especially not students. And according to Dr. Gough, the faculty doesn't want it either. So these business heads go do this without asking anyone their opinion. I guess we (ahem, who pay an assload to this school) make no difference. No wayyyy.
Nevertheless, it isn't like it's a sure thing. I feel it's still very much up in the air in Austin. I don't think it'll happen, but I'm pretty worried. If anything's going to be done about it, it needs to be now, even if this happens after I have my degree. Fucking Texan pricks. If this were any other state...
SO. This representative, Toby Goodman (I think) got pissed because UT keeps giving money to UTD instead of UTA. Technically, UTA offers more than UTD, but UTD is more technical and computer-oriented I guess you could say. Yeah it sucks, but this guy's so pissed that he wants UTA to be removed from the UT system in order to either stand alone or become part of another university's system. Namely, Texas A&M.
I didn't take this seriously for a while, thinking that it was just this one nut job who'd just be ignored, right? Guess not. Apparently, the business heads in Arlington are all lobbying for this now, and it's becoming a serious, big deal. Dr. Gough told me yesterday that they had a faculty meeting about it, which rings off warning bells for me AND her I'm sure.
Why is this scary?
Um. UT is reputable, A&M well, I don't feel that it is. Maybe in a few fields it's alright, but overall UT is a better school. There's a monstrous rivalry between the two schools. A&M basically represents rednecks and conservative, Republican types while UT is by far the most liberal thing to exist in Texas, and it's still pretty liberal in comparison with other liberal schools across the country. Many UT programs are ranked up with ivy league schools. So anyway, I didn't come to UTA just because it's here. The affiliation with UT is VERY attractive, and I don't think I'd be here otherwise. ESPECIALLY not if it were an A&M school.
In other words, NO ONE here wants this, especially not students. And according to Dr. Gough, the faculty doesn't want it either. So these business heads go do this without asking anyone their opinion. I guess we (ahem, who pay an assload to this school) make no difference. No wayyyy.
Nevertheless, it isn't like it's a sure thing. I feel it's still very much up in the air in Austin. I don't think it'll happen, but I'm pretty worried. If anything's going to be done about it, it needs to be now, even if this happens after I have my degree. Fucking Texan pricks. If this were any other state...