Student Government and UT Administration:
LB: The UT System Board of Regents appointed Jim Davis as University President. UT Student Government rewrote its Constitution in September, eliminating ranked-choice voting and the executive agencies that housed over 300 members.
LF: SG is preparing for its Campus-Wide Elections in March with new election rules and a voting system, following last spring’s election, which was marked by controversy.
Campus Life and Policy:
LB: UT System adopted a new faculty council structure made with appointments from University leadership after complying with Texas Senate Bill 37, which mandates institutions to restructure their governing boards.
LF: UT has yet to publicly respond to President Donald Trump’s compact, which offers prioritized federal funding to institutions that sign on, in exchange for implementing certain policies and a restructuring of rules to not “spark violence against conservative ideas.”
Campus Life:
LB: Students hosted an off-campus showing of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” following a UT System ban on drag performances. Additionally, Turning Point USA hosted a vigil in honor of conservative figure Charlie Kirk, and countless students participated in October’s anti-Trump “No Kings” protest at the Texas Capitol.
LF: The UT system announced it will audit all courses in gender studies to ensure compliance with state law, affecting several courses in the College of Liberal Arts. The college is also going through significant restructuring, with smaller departments, like ethnic and area studies, being considered for consolidation.
Public Safety and Immigration
LB: University police created the West Campus Patrol District in coordination with the Austin Police Department to expand patrols in West Campus. Kendrex White, who was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the 2017 stabbing and killing of a UT student, was ordered to be released from a state psychiatric hospital.
LF: A different federal judge will decide whether to resume the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program with a plan proposed by the U.S. government, under which Texas residents would not receive work permits.
City and State Politics
LB: The City of Austin requested an exemption to Gov. Greg Abbott’s order to remove public street art. Following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the Texas Legislature established House and Senate committees to evaluate free speech in higher education.
LF: Two challengers have entered the race against incumbent Zohaib “Zo” Qadri in the election for Austin City Council District 9, which will take place in November 2026. The city’s plans to revitalize Sixth Street are set to begin construction as early as 2027.
City and Metro
LB: The City of Austin passed a smaller new budget after voters rejected a property tax rate increase, known as Prop Q, in November.
LF:. A former UT adjunct faculty member, UT alumna and UT student have entered the race to represent District 49, which includes UT in the Texas State House of Representatives.