THE EDUCATION FRONT

Texas has serious California envy when it comes to higher ed. I could open a college trust fund for my kid if I had a dollar for every time a Texas lawmaker or college president lamented we have only three top-notch research universities compared to California's nine. Or that UC-Berkeley boasts more world-class faculty than all of Texas.

Well, Texas, here's something to definitely not envy: Students rioting at UCLA after the University of California regents approved a 32 percent tuition hike for next fall.

Ironic footnote #1: This video was shot by the National Inflation Association, which just happened to be in LA producing a documentary. I know what you're thinking, and I'm amazed, too — there's something called the National Inflation Association?

Ironic footnote #2: The president of the UC System is none other than former UT System chancellor Mark Yudof.

Ironic footnote #3: This week Texas higher ed commissioner Raymund Paredes spoke in Dallas and cited a recent Time cover story, "Why California is Still America's Future." Paredes — who spent 30 years at UCLA — said: "One of the things that works well in California, even during this extraordinary budget crisis, is higher education."

House Speaker Joe Straus spoke today to a packed house at the University of North Texas Dallas campus, mainly about how 2009 was a great legislative session for higher ed, which received an extra $1.2 billion in funding.

"Not every student can travel to Austin or Lubbock or College Station for an education .... It's more important than ever that we bring greater educational opportunities to our urban areas," said Straus, who's from San Antonio.

UNT Chancellor and former state rep Lee Jackson said Straus embodied the words of Jimi Hendrix, the legendary philosopher-guitarist: "Knowledge speaks. WIsdom listens."

Jackson said it's no accident the greatest session for higher ed in a generation came under an urban speaker (take that, Tom Craddick!). One example: Jackson said more education money goes to campuses based on enrollment. I believe he was knocking the longtime popular practice of steering earmarks to colleges based on politics. In the past many state investments (a new pharmacy school, new graduate programs, new dorms) went by default to rural areas, Jackson said, "in communities where there was little or no population growth."

Of course, it wouldn't be a higher ed gathering in 2009 without mentioning Tier One (as in, building up more national-class research campuses), and the Speaker and speakers did not disappoint. Straus gave a shout-out to Prop 4, the November ballot initiative that would provide extra money to UNT and the six other Tier One Wannabes.

Jackson also gave an update on the UNT Dallas campus, which will become a free-standing school next year (right now it's part of the Denton mothership). A second UNT-D building is supposed top open in August 2010 and give the growing campus a cafeteria, laboratories and more classroom and faculty office space.

For seven special public universities out there — and you know who you are — it's all about the quest for national research (aka "Tier One") status. Like an academic Rorschach ink blot, most any big exciting news these days can be seen through the Tier One lens. Consider these new fall enrollment reports, in which every university says it has the Most Students Ever. (Sound familiar?)

Your job is to match the quote or statement with the correct university.

1. This enrollment includes an 11 percent increase in graduate students, which is important to the university's continued development as a national research university.

2. "Of course, this is good news any time, but it's particularly significant now as we're pushing toward national research university status."

3. The record, the greatest year-to-year jump since 2006, reflects awareness on the part of students that they are receiving a quality education at the emerging research university, one of seven in the state striving to attain Tier One status.

4. "This growth at the graduate level contributes to (the university's) strategic goal of becoming a premier public research university and demonstrates that (the university) continues to be an institution of first choice."

A. UT-El Paso press release, (preliminary fall enrollment of 21,011, up 2.7% from 2008)
B. UT-San Antonio President Ricardo Romo (29,133, up 2.5%)
C. U of North Texas press release (36,206, up 4.3%)
D. UT-Arlington President Jim Spaniolo (28,084, up 11.9%)

Keep reading for the answers and winner of TO bonus points.