Reply #14: House speaker says Texas received 'an assault on higher education' [View All]

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By Aman Batheja

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FORT WORTH -- Texas House Speaker Joe Straus said Tuesday that Texas was subjected to "an assault on higher education" this year from critics of how Texas universities finance academic research, an issue that was championed by Gov. Rick Perry.

An intense debate on the future of public higher education erupted this year when Perry appointed a new chairman to the UT System board of regents with a record of dismissing much academic research.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Star-Telegram Editorial Board, Straus said he agreed with many of the goals touted by critics in the debate, such as promoting greater efficiency at the schools, but was concerned about how its tenor affected the state's image.


Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/11/01/3492342/house-speaker-says-texas-received.html#ixzz1caAyn5NC