Introduction 2
- Who Rules the University? 3
Answer: Not You
- UT's Interpretation of the First Amendment 5
Doesn't Bode Well For Students
- Taking Power Seriously: 7
Student Syndicalism at UT
- Tuition: Sky's the Limit 9
- A Brief and Very Partial History of 11
Student Activism at UT
- Student Organizations 14
Get Active
- What every freshman (and senior) 17
should know.
- "Class War" 18
Table of Contents
Hello, welcome to the University of Texas! We're glad to have you
here. UT has traditions and a culture all its own. But you may well be
wondering about the other side of UT - its history, its dark secrets,
and how things really work around here. This guide will help you fill
in the gaps.
UT-Austin is a special place. Go find the George Washington statue on
South Mall. Look south. Just five blocks away you can see the dome of
the state capitol where our elected officials make decisions affecting
all Texans and the University of Texas. Turnaround. You'll be standing
in the shadow of the Tower where UT administrators run the school
largely absent of meaningful democratic input from students, faculty,
and staff. If you want to make a difference in politics and society
while in college, you've come to the right place. Most of the time, UT while in college, you've come to the right place. Most of the time, UT
is bursting with activism, whether it's students running for a place in
Student Government, lobbying at the Capitol, or leading a grassroots
campaign for an issue they care passionately about. We want you to get
involved as quickly as possible if you think that's your cup of tea.
For that reason, we've included a listing of active student groups in
this guide that you can get involved with.
Your four - or five or six - years at UT will go by faster than a
knife fight in a telephone booth, so don't squander all your time with
your head in the books or at the bottom of a beer bottle. Get involved!
And now that you've been oriented, it's time to turn the page and get
(dis)oriented. Hook 'em!
UT Watch is a student-based watchdog group for the University of
Texas at Austin. We promote campus democracy, affordable education, and
genuine access to higher education for all Texans. We resist corporate
control of education, authoritarian decision-making, and misuse of
public money. For more information visit us at: occupyut.org
2012 DISORIENTATION FIELD MANUALUniversity of Texas at Austin
The Regents also oversee the
University of Texas Investment
Management Company (UTIMCO), a
multi-billion dollar taxpayer
funded private investment firm.
UTIMCO was established to keep
tuition and fee rates low for tuition and fee rates low for
UT-Austin. But unfortunately for
students, UTIMCO’s under-
performance was partially
responsible for large tuition increases. Yet the Regents shielded this responsible for large tuition increases. Yet the Regents shielded this
effect from the public eye and continued to blame tuition increases on
forces outside of their control. Today, the Regents still remain insu-
lated from outside input and shut off from the media’s spotlight. The
Governor of Texas appoints them in a mostly secretive process, usually
in exchange for large contributions to political campaigns and close
personal connections. For example, current Chairman Wm. Eugene "Gene"
Powell has donated $113,930 to Rick Perry and Vice Chairman Paul L. Powell has donated $113,930 to Rick Perry and Vice Chairman Paul L.
Foster has donated $388,758.
Since opening its doors in 1883, the
University of Texas has primarily been
run by a tiny group of the governor’s
friends. Although it is a public institution
with around 50,000 students, plus thousands
of faculty and staff members, the University
of Texas remains in the controlling hands of Texas remains in the controlling hands
of a very small number of unelected
Regents and administrators. On top of
leaving out public discussion, the
Regents – and many administrators – have
little to no background in higher
education. The UT Board of Regents is a 9 member board that governs the 9 academic and education. The UT Board of Regents is a 9 member board that governs the 9 academic and
6 health institutions that make up the UT-System. The Regents have complete control
over much of the University’s vital resources; they have ultimate say over tuition
rates, free speech policies, the Daily Texan and other student newspapers, campus
planning and infrastructure, and the hiring, firing, pay, and promotion of faculty and
staff members. In addition, the Regents hold the immense power to directly appoint the
System Chancellor as well as vice chancellors and presidents of each UT-campus.
Who Rules the University?Answer: Not You.
With their collective power, and without student
consent, the UT Regents lobby legislators to pass
University policies. In spring 2003, students from
across the UT System – including members of UT Watch
-- lobbied the Texas Legislature against the decision
to deregulate tuition. Tuition deregulation shifts
tuition-setting authority away from elected lawmakers tuition-setting authority away from elected lawmakers
and gives it to un-elected university governing boards
such as the UT Board of Regents. Despite student
opposition, the UT Regents used paid lobbyists to
push through tuition deregulation. As a result,
this undemocratic system for setting tuition rates has caused tuition to this undemocratic system for setting tuition rates has caused tuition to
skyrocket, confirming students’ predictions and chipping away at Texans’
power to directly control their public institutions.
These nine businesspeople, and their
appointees, run the UT System like a
giant corporation. When only
businesspeople run the University,
students transform into consumers
beholden to market demands – the
quality of education no longer quality of education no longer
matters, students no longer matter,
and public higher education
becomes merely a tool for
money-makers and political climbers. The Regents are thoroughly redemoney-makers and political climbers. The Regents are thoroughly rede-
fining public higher education in corporate terms and there is no
sign that this will change. Students, staff, and faculty have never
had representation on the board, and hardly anyone but administrators
are allowed to formally address the Regents. A bill passed in Spring
2005 put a non voting student on the Board of Regents, who has no in-
fluence. Some students, refusing to be intimidated, have begun the
fight to regain control of our University. Join them, stay informed,
and demand that the University work for you!
Student movements have always faced difficult but important choices when con-
fronting those people and institutions that claim to represent and embody their in-
terests. Are faculty appropriate individuals to connect with when opposing the Uni-
versity? What about staff, especially those who epitomize the bureaucratic face of
the University of Texas? Does student government provide an effective outlet for
student voice? These issues have a long history at UT and have played themselves
out in the specific battles fought over affirmative action, free speech, corporate
involvement, staff wages and the Sodexho campaign, just to name a few.
But at the core of these choices lies the broad-based problem of decision-making
and control. Perhaps just as important as specific issues leveled against the Uni-
versity is the larger issue of who provides the answer to questions that affect the
daily lives of students. Carl Davidson, one of the more influential members of the
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) organization in the 60s, published an essay
that attempted to review the problem of student power and decisions. "The New Radi-
cals in the Multiversity" argued for a "student syndicalism" that modeled itself on
labor syndicalism. The basic idea is that instead of fighting for small reforms
through the usual channels of representative bodies, students should demand more
direct control over decision-making. Universities have always declared themselves
to be pillars of democratic societies, where students play a vital role in the for-
mation of social will and the exchange of knowledge. Syndicalism pushes that idea
to its necessary conclusion, which would drastically alter the structure of the
university and begin to place power in the hands of those who have desired it for a
long lime.
Don't be mistaken. This would require quite a fight. The university body and its
proxies such as the Board of Regents, Student Government, and some of the faculty
and staff will most likely be up in arms (literally!) to defend "right" to repre-
sent you. No longer should students settle for bargaining, compromise and temporary
reform. The fact that student syndicalism models itself from labor struggles is no
coincidence. Davidson and others were right to argue that the university system is
not only like a factory, but is a factory that efficiently creates productive work-
ers with little control over their conditions and environment. The absurd and dis-
abling influx of corporate influence on UT is all too apparent. We have departments
up for sale to the highest bidder, "applied research" carried out for powerful in-
terests, and-worst of all, perhaps - a Board of Regents that is almost entirely oc-
cupied by the wealthy elite in Texas with the same political leanings.
TAKING POWER SERIOUSLY:Student Syndicalism at UT
Every student should be concerned with this situation. Demanding more
and compromising less does not mean that reforms and concessions
should be rejected, but that those steps must be considered in a
larger vision of decentralizing authority. At stake is nothing less
that the future of democratic participation both at UT and society at
large. Once the daily lives of students are decided by the students
themselves, there is almost unlimited potential for the creative and
powerful force that the student body can seize.powerful force that the student body can seize.
Eventually, the Texas Attorney General ruled that the so-called "infrastructure
fee" was illegal. Nonetheless, UT pursued a different route to get what it
wanted. Over the objections of student activists and the student governments of
multiple UT campuses, UT pushed for "tuition deregulation" in 2003 - and won, but
barely. Tuition deregulation removed the control of setting tuition from elected
officials in the Texas Legislature and handed it over to the UT Regents, the un-
elected and unaccountable ruling body of the UT System [see pages 3-4 for more on
the Regents]. Students objected to this move because they warned that it would the Regents]. Students objected to this move because they warned that it would
immediately lead to drastic tuition hikes and was fundamentally undemocratic.
Consequently, as previously mentioned, tuition at UT-Austin went up 37 percent
and 17 percent statewide. UT administrators got what they wanted but only because
the powerful leadership in the Legislature finagled a deal at the 11th hour. In
short, UT students almost won the day, demonstrating their collective political
power, but were thwarted by the short-sightedness of UT administrators, paid lob-
byists, and certain elected leaders.
After tuition deregulation, the administration set up a dog and pony show
method for collecting “student input” regarding tuition. The Tuition Policy Advi-
sory Committee was created at UT and made up of a few admins and handpicked stu-
dent government puppets. By putting student reps on the committee like the stu-
dent body president, the administration can get away with saying students were
involved. The committee holds forums during the fall semester and regardless of
student input recommends what ever orders come down from the Regents who make the
final decision in the Spring semester.
In 2011 Gov. Perry called for public higher ed institutions to provide an
entire 4 year degree, books included, for $10,000. During the 2011 session the UT
System presidents were asked if it was possible to provide a quality 4 year
degree for $10,000 and each president said no. This hasn't stopped the Regents
from implementing the Governors agenda, UT Permian Basin will be providing a
$10,000 program. The reality is that cost were not cut, only the quality of your
degree. A degree at that cost means online education. As the state continues to
shrink UT's funding, it provides the justification to privatize more parts of the shrink UT's funding, it provides the justification to privatize more parts of the
university. Soon entire schools will be outsourced under the guise of budget cuts
and efficiency. Right-wing think tanks such as the Texas Public Policy Foundation
advocate for privatization and neo-liberal policies, but did you also know, TPPF
members like Jeff Sandefer run private universities like the Acton School of
Business which provides, you guessed it, a $10,000 degree. Jeff use to teach at
the McCombs School of Business in 2006 but left when the school went the route of
using tenure track professors. That meant him and his colleagues wouldn't be able using tenure track professors. That meant him and his colleagues wouldn't be able
to advance, so they left UT and started their own school and are trying to priva-
tize Texas higher ed so they can cash in on our education.
Each semester, students get their tuition bill and probably ask themselves,
"Isn't this a lot more than last year?" It's easy to sigh, pay the amount, and
concentrate on getting out before a year of school costs more than a luxury car.
However, if students and their parents say, "Enough is enough," we can make col-
lege affordable and accessible for everyone once again. We must demand state and
federal funding for public universities and community colleges; we must demand
financial aid for any and all students who are qualified; and we must demand a
more democratic system of governance at universities so that our voices are heard more democratic system of governance at universities so that our voices are heard
on these issues.
The table is set and
The candles are lit and
The wine has been chilled...
All preparations for the feast are finalized.
But who's been invited?
And who's done the inviting?
The invitations are fewThe invitations are few
And the people are many.
RSVP
If you want to attend
But you'd better
Know someone who'll let you in.
When there's a knock on the door
The Host startles from his seat The Host startles from his seat
Cocks his head and his gun
And calls out to the door "There's room for no more!"
Outside the gates
The people throw rocks.
Their aim is the feast
Where pigeons flock
To eat the crumbsTo eat the crumbs
That bloated bellies
Couldn't hold.
and inside it's cigars and politics
and how the people must be contained
(AT ANY COST!)
The feast lies rotting in the butler's hands
As he stands stock-stillAs he stands stock-still
And listens to the whiz of midnight
Rocks clatter against the gate,
Angry dispatches from the uninvited,
He toasts the sound with
Some stale champagne
Takes off his white gloves
And says amen...And says amen...
"Class War"By Forrest Wilder