Who Are We?

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. For more information, visit us online at www.utwatch.org.

Why Vote?

Students and their families are directly impacted by government legislation regarding higher education. For example, tuition was deregulated by the Texas legislature in spring 2003, and, as a result, students across the state are paying as much as $720 more per semester. In addition, there are bills in the U.S. Congress such as House Resolution 4283 that would result in the typical student spending an estimated $5,500 more for their loans. Students and their families must begin to get involved in the decisions that affect their lives, and voting is an important first step. This non-partisan guide aims to inform voters of their candidates' stance on several issues important to higher education to help them make informed decisions this November. Unfortunately, some candidates did not reply after numerous attempts to reach them.

"Grading" Methodology

Candidates that we support will have a star next to their names. Agrees: +1 Disagrees: 0 No answer / undecided: 0.5

State Level

Candidates must answer at least 5 out of the 7 "yes" or "no" questions favorably to receive our support. However, some questions are weighted more heavily than others; specifically, those in favor of tuition deregulation will automatically receive a score of "0". Those who do not support the re-regulation of tuition, increased state appropriation to universities, the bills regarding free speech will receive -1 point. Those who voted for tuition deregulation and support tuition re-regulation receive a total score of "0" for those two questions but are graded on the other questions.

Federal Level

Candidates must answer 6 out of 9 questions favorably to receive our support. However, one question, regarding HR 4283, is weighted more heavily. Candidates supporting this bill will be given -2.

Questions and Positions

(UT Watch's stance is indicated after each question)

Federal Level

1. Do you support efforts, such as House Resolution 2956, to simplify the student financial aid application process? YES

   Simplifying the financial aid application process would cut down on a time-wasting and complicated process without impacting the amount of aid for which any student is currently awarded or eligible.

2. Do you support efforts, such as House Resolution 2711, to allow students to refinance their federal student consolidation loans, and to allow students the freedom to select a student loan consolidator? YES

   H.R. 2711 and other similar measures would help ease the burden of large student debt by striking down the "single lender rule" and allowing students to refinance their consolidation loans when better rates come along.

3. Do you support loan forgiveness efforts such as House Resolutions 1306 and 647 for teachers, nurses, and other public service professionals? YES

   Loan forgiveness eases the burden of debt by providing valuable but understaffed positions in the public sphere to motivated college graduates.

4. Do you support efforts such as either House Resolutions 3519 or 3311 to contain skyrocketing tuition costs? YES

   The two bills mentioned are extremely different, but both represent some attempt by the federal government to address the huge increases in tuition witnessed during the last few decades. Ultimately, neither loan forgiveness nor more lucrative loans will fix the root of the problem - tuition is already too high but continues to increase at many times the rate of inflation.

5. Did you support House Resolution 3077, or would you support any other attempts to establish International Higher Education Advisory Boards that would monitor and redirect area studies and language programs to better serve "national needs" such as homeland security? NO

   H.R. 3077 intrudes on academic freedom by creating "advisory boards," which will include two members of national security agencies. While UT Watch believes in the importance of homeland security, we also believe that the government has no role in directing academic discourse toward its own ends; the government should not infringe on autonomous scholarship and research by imposing its own agenda.

6. Do you support House Resolution 685 or other efforts to repeal the provisions in the Higher Education Act of 1965 that prohibit those convicted of drug offences from receiving Student Financial Assistance? YES

   Depriving those convicted of non-violent crimes who seek to better their lives through education is inappropriate; there are already punitive measures available to judges to enforce drug laws.

7. Do you support or oppose House Resolution 3180, otherwise known as the "College Opportunity for All Act"? SUPPORT

   This large and complicated bill would help make college more affordable by, for example, repealing recent student aid changes that would deny 84,000 students their Pell Grants, and by doubling the maximum Pell Grant Award by 2011. It also provides provisions similar to those found in House Resolutions 2956, 2711, 1306, 647, and 685, all of which are described in the earlier questions.

8. Do you support or oppose House Resolution 4283, otherwise known as the "College Access and Opportunity Act of 2004"? OPPOSE

   This act eliminates low fixed rate consolidation loans, which will mean the typical student could pay as much as $5,500 more for their loans. It also raises the cap on student loan interest rates, and it does not raise the maximum Pell Grant awards. Candidates who support this act receive an extra 2 points off their "grade" in this guide.

9. Do you support House Congressional Resolution 318 or other, similar efforts to establish an "Academic Bill of Rights"? NO

   This bill actually infringes on academic freedom by transferring the standards by which professors are hired, and the way that they grade and teach, from the academic arena to the political. It would allow courts and college administrators to have greater control over academic activities.

State Level

1. Did you support tuition deregulation? NO

   The deregulation of tuition has resulted in massive tuition increases across the state of Texas. UT Watch does not support any candidate who supported this measure.

2. Would you support the re-regulation of tuition? YES

   Those who do not support a re-regulation of tuition receive -1 point.

3. Do you support including an elected and voting student member on the UT System Board of Regents? YES

   The UT regents lack accountability, and this is a move in the right direction. However, UT Watch supports democratizing the entire Board of Regents.

4. Do you support House Bill 1212, which limits foreign graduate student enrollment? NO

   No student should be denied access to education due to their nationality. Foreign students make important contributions to their respective fields and provide diverse perspectives and experiences to their departments and peers.

5. Did you support SB 1370, which reduced benefits to teaching assistants and other state employees? NO

   Reducing benefits for Teaching Assistants in Texas is the wrong idea since it undermines the ability of Texas universities to attract top students, and it is already difficult for overworked graduate students to afford school.

6. Do you support significantly increasing state appropriations to Texas universities? YES

   This is the best move to combat rising tuition costs and to improve the University.

7. Do you support efforts such as those presented by House Bill 2447 or Senate Bill 1332 to relax restrictions on the time, place, and manner of speech in a state institution of higher education? YES

   Free speech is vital to public discourse, which is paramount in academe.

8. Out of the issues previously mentioned, which is the most important to you?