Font Resize
_VIEWER.jpg)
AUSTIN - El Paso businessman Paul Foster was the man in the middle Wednesday as he works to quell a controversy that many believe is damaging the University of Texas' Austin campus and the UT System as a whole.
Foster, chairman of the university system's governing body, was called to testify before the Texas House Select Committee for Transparency in State Agency Operations. At issue was the demand earlier this month by the system that UT Austin President Bill Powers resign immediately or be fired on July 10.
Powers, Foster and UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa eventually reached a deal under which Powers will leave on June 2015, after the current UT Austin capital campaign is complete and he finishes his term as chairman of the Association of American Universities — a group comprising the 61 top research universities in the United States and Canada.
| REPORTER | |
|
Marty Schladen
|
Powers' departure comes after years of controversy between him and UT Regent Wallace Hall, who has been harshly critical of Powers and his management of UT Austin.
Hall has raised questions about the fairness of the admissions process on the campus, pointing out that Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, wrote a letter recommending that his own son be admitted to the law school. After graduating, Pitts' son had difficulty passing the state bar exam and Hall has accused Powers of allowing cronyism to guide admissions to the prestigious university.
On Wednesday, Cigarroa said there will be an independent review of allegations that an "unhealthy relationship" exists between the UT Austin president and the admissions office.
But Hall's attempts to force out the popular Powers president prompted a backlash from faculty, students and lawmakers who said the regent was overstepping his bounds and trying to micromanage the university. For example, the Associated Press learned last year that Hall approached University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban about replacing embattled Texas coach Mack Brown, who has since retired and been replaced by former University of Louisville coach Charlie Strong.
Lawmakers also accused Hall of bombarding UT Austin administrators with unreasonable records requests and harassing them in an attempt to build a case to fire Powers. In addition, Hall has been accused of sharing private student information, possibly in violation of federal law.
Last August, amid the turmoil, Foster was made chairman of the regents — in part to cool the controversy. Many observers have said it's sullied the reputation of the entire UT System, which includes the University of Texas at El Paso, making it more difficult to attract top-notch administrators.
Hall has created public concerns "that he's trying to tear down the university because of a vendetta," Rep. Lyle Larson, R-San Antonio, said Wednesday.
Despite Foster's work, the upheaval has continued.
In February, Cigarroa said he would resign as chancellor later this year. He insists he wants to go back to being a pediatric-transplant surgeon, but several lawmakers have said they think the chancellor is trying to get away from the brouhaha between Hall and Powers.
In May, the House transparency committee voted 7-1 that grounds to impeach Hall exist, although it has not yet voted on specific charges of wrongdoing.
Days later, Foster called on Hall to resign, which he refused to do.
"It seemed that all the focus, all the controversy, all had to do with one person," Foster said Wednesday in reference to Hall. "He had become too much of a lightning rod. When you relate it to President Powers it's very similar."
Unlike Hall, a gubernatorial appointee, the regents have the power to remove presidents of the 15 campuses in the 200,000-student UT System. Cigarroa, who had defended Powers in December said he lost trust in the UT Austin president because he kept leaking the content of confidential communications.
On Wednesday, Foster continued in his role as honest broker by adding the House committee to his list of those who have overstepped themselves in the ongoing controversy. The committee had sent him three letters warning the regents not to fire anybody so long as the impeachment investigation goes on.
Foster told the lawmakers that it wasn't their role to make individual hiring-or-firing decisions.
"That was offensive to me," he said.
As Foster and the regents search for Cigarroa's replacement to handle the day-to-day operations of the UT System, they also will have to find a replacement for Powers when he departs next year.
If the Legislature doesn't impeach and remove Hall, however, Foster might have to deal with him until his term ends in 2017.
Foster's current term doesn't end until 2019.
