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University of Austin

Coordinates: 30°17′06″N 97°44′43″W / 30.2850°N 97.7453°W / 30.2850; -97.7453
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For the public university, see University of Texas at Austin.

University of Austin
MottoDare to Think
TypePrivate liberal arts college
EstablishedNovember 8, 2021; 3 years ago (2021-11-08)
FoundersJoe Lonsdale
Pano Kanelos
Sir Niall Ferguson
Religious affiliation
Nonsectarian
Endowment$200 million (2023)[1]
PresidentPano Kanelos
ProvostJacob Howland
Academic staff
23
Students0
Location
Austin
,
Texas
,
78701
,
U.S.

30°17′06″N 97°44′43″W / 30.2850°N 97.7453°W / 30.2850; -97.7453
Websiteuaustin.org
The Scarborough Building in Austin, the current home of UATX

The University of Austin (UATX) is a private nonsectarian liberal arts university located in Austin, Texas.[2][3] The university has established a campus in downtown Austin's Scarbrough Building, and will enroll its first undergraduate cohort in the fall of 2024.[1]

The University of Austin plans to be accredited between 2028 and 2031.[4] Students are not eligible for federal financial aid, but the founding class has been offered free tuition.[5][6] The initial faculty and students are expected to be mostly those holding conservative and libertarian views.[7]

History

According to the school's website, the University of Austin was conceived in May 2021 when venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale, St. John's College president Pano Kanelos, scholar Niall Ferguson, and journalist Bari Weiss met in Austin, Texas.[8] The proposal was publicized six months later in an article by Kanelos in Weiss's Substack newsletter Common Sense (now The Free Press).[9][10]

Founding faculty fellows included Peter Boghossian, Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Hoover Institution), and Kathleen Stock.[11] Other advisors included former Harvard President Lawrence Summers, former ACLU President Nadine Strossen, and former president of the American Enterprise Institute Arthur Brooks.[10] UATX reported that they were seeking accreditation[3][9][11][12][13] through the Higher Learning Commission.[14]

In November 2021, the university's website listed Robert Zimmer, Larry Summers, John Nunes, Gordon Gee, Steven Pinker, Deirdre McCloskey, Leon Kass, Jonathan Haidt, Glenn Loury, Joshua Katz, Vickie Sullivan, Geoffrey Stone, Bill McClay, and Tyler Cowen as advisors to the university.[15] Writing in The Week, Samuel Goldman noted that no prominent members of the board of advisors had resigned their academic appointments to join the UATX faculty, suggesting that their "lack of personal commitment casts doubt on the value of their support."[16] Kathleen Stock clarified that her role was not full-time, and that she would not move to Austin.[11] Pinker said that although he was part of the advisory board, he had no plans to teach there, and resigned from the board.[17] Gee said "Serving in an advisory capacity does not mean I believe or agree with everything that other advisers may share. I do not agree other universities are no longer seeking the truth nor do I feel that higher education is irreparably broken."[18]

On November 11, 2021, Robert Zimmer announced his resignation from the university board, saying that UATX had made statements about higher education that "diverged very significantly from my own views".[19] UATX apologized for creating "unnecessary complications" for Pinker and Zimmer for not clarifying what their advisory roles entailed.[20]

According to the Austin Chronicle, the University of Austin planned to have 3,000 to 4,000 students by 2024.[21]

On June 9, 2022, the University of Austin was taking applications for its "Forbidden Courses" program with two-week-long sessions in the old (pre-1954) Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas.[22] Despite the name of the university, UATX first offered classes in Dallas, Texas and not Austin. Conservative philanthropist Harlan Crow provided office space in Dallas for UATX. Crow is a major donor to the university.[23] On July 6, 2022, the school announced that Richard Dawkins had joined its advisory board.[24] In December 2022, board member Heather Heying resigned stating that the school was not adequately invested in scientific inquiry and "does not represent my scientific and pedagogical values."[25]

In October 2023, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board gave the university certification to award degrees. The school lacked accreditation at that time. The two-year certification to grant degrees can be extended for up to eight years, by which time it must achieve accreditation to continue.[1][26] A month later, UATX began accepting applications for its first four-year undergraduate cohort enrolling in Fall 2024, and established a campus in Austin's Scarbrough Building. The entire class of 100 students would receive full four-year scholarships, paid from private donations the university had raised. By November 2023, UATX had reportedly raised $200 million from 2,600 donors and received over 6,000 inquiries from potential faculty.[1] In Bloomberg, UATX reported a surge in interest from donors "horrified by the response at top-tier universities to Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks on Israel."[27]

In June 2024, the University of Austin announced a $5 million bitcoin endowment with cryptocurrency platform Unchained.[28] In March, UATX reported that they had formed a student debate society, the Austin Union, modeled after the Oxford Union.[29]

Business plan

According to President Kanelos, the University of Austin is modeled after Johns Hopkins University, the University of Chicago, and Stanford University. In its original plan, the school would seek accreditation but not public funding.[30]

The UATX current business model includes (1) transparent pricing, (2) efficient use of public services (such as police) and partnerships with private industry (medical care, housing, and rec center), and (3) reduced administrative costs, employing virtual contractors outside the US.[31]

The founding 2024 class is expected to enroll 100 students, growing to 200 students in 2025 and 1,000 students in 2028. After the founding class, which will receive free tuition for four years, tuition is expected to be about $32,500 per year, with a large number of students to receive scholarships.[32]

Most administrative and support jobs will be outsourced to Guatemala to keep costs down. Students will share apartments where they will do their own cooking. The student body is expected to start their own clubs and activities.[33]

Constitution

The University of Austin Constitution does not allow for a faculty senate or faculty tenure. Debate is encouraged but protests cannot interfere with education for all students.[34]

Mission

The stated mission of the University of Austin is to prepare "thoughtful and ethical innovators, builders, leaders, public servants and citizens through open inquiry and civil discourse."[35]

Academics

UATX plans to be a selective institution using standardized testing. It will not to use race, gender, or class in their admissions decisions, stating this is because the school "stands firmly against that sort of discrimination".[10] The school does not plan on establishing traditional majors. According to President Kanelos, the undergraduate program at will start with two years of general education requirements that include classes in philosophy, history and literature and students will take courses in the same sequence. Students will become fellows in particular areas of study during their third and fourth year.[1] Jacob Howling is the Provost.[36]

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees includes Joe Lonsdale, Pano Kanelos, Scott Malkin, Niall Ferguson, Teri Andresen, and Bari Weiss, among others.[37]

Reception

The initial announcement of the project received some positive reception,[38] including praise from Law & Liberty for ushering in "a new era in educational reform,"[39] and applause from The New Criterion for its efforts to "keep that old flame of free inquiry alive."[40] New York Times opinion columnist Ross Douthat saw the launch of a new university as a positive development, pointing out how few major universities have been established since the nineteenth century, but acknowledged how expensive doing so would be. He also saw conflicting forces in the project, including the "tension between the desire to promote great academic seriousness and the culture-war flag-waving that might be necessary to rally donor support".[41]

The project also garnered criticism. Initial responses to the project included criticism of the lack of a plan to achieve the project's goals.[3] The New York Times journalist Anemona Hartocollis questioned whether the founders would be able to "translate a provocative idea into a viable institution" while The New Republic's Alex Shephard described the plan as "largely half baked".[17][42] Jennifer Wunder, a professor at Georgia Gwinnett College who participated in the process of obtaining her institution's initial accreditation, considered the proposed timeline to establish accredited graduate and undergraduate programs to be nearly impossible to meet.[43] The proposal for a University of Austin was described by Gabriella Swerling in The Daily Telegraph[12] as "anti-cancel culture" and by Alex Shephard in The New Republic as "anti-woke".[42]

On Twitter, Weiss's former colleague Nikole Hannah-Jones, along with others, drew comparisons with Trump University.[3][18][16][44][45][46] Writing in The Washington Post, political scientist and journalist Daniel W. Drezner called comparisons between UATX and Trump University "unkind and untrue".[18] John Warner at Inside Higher Ed said "I think it is unfair to call it a scam or grift, because I have high confidence that the intentions behind the project are sincere."[43]

In February 2024, in New Republic article titled, "Austin’s Anti-Woke University Is Living in Dreamland," Morgan O'Hanlon, voiced skepticism about the UATX, which would be competing with more established schools promoting an anti-woke agenda, including the University of Texas and its Civitas Institute.[47]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e McGee, Kate (November 8, 2023). "With $200 million and state approval, University of Austin is ready to start accepting applicants". The Texas Tribune.
  2. ^ McGee, Kate (November 9, 2021). "The new University of Austin hopes to counter what its founders say is a culture of censorship at most colleges". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on November 9, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d Reimann, Nicholas (November 8, 2021). "Here's What We Know About The University of Austin - The Self-Proclaimed Anti-Censorship Institution". Forbes. Archived from the original on November 9, 2021.
  4. ^ "UATX | FAQs". www.uaustin.org. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  5. ^ "College Navigator". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  6. ^ "Scholarhips and Tuition: Need-Based Financial Aid". University of Austin. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  7. ^ "Austin's Anti-Woke University Is Living in Dreamland". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  8. ^ "UATX | Vision & Timeline". uatx.webflow.io. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  9. ^ a b McHale, Patrick (November 8, 2021). "Higher-Education Critics Launch University of Austin". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021.
  10. ^ a b c Menchaca, Megan (November 8, 2021). "Coming soon: The University of Austin, focused on 'the intrepid pursuit of truth'". Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on November 9, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c Kelleher, Patrick (November 8, 2021). "Kathleen Stock helps launch new so-called university with 'forbidden courses' but no actual degrees". Pink News.
  12. ^ a b Swerling, Gabriella (November 8, 2021). "Kathleen Stock takes job at anti-cancel culture university that welcomes 'thought criminals'". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021.
  13. ^ Jones, Sarah (November 8, 2021). "Who's Afraid of Higher Education?". Intelligencer. New York Magazine. Archived from the original on November 9, 2021.
  14. ^ Olivares, Valeria (November 9, 2021). "University of Austin launched by college critics in response to a culture of 'censorship'". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  15. ^ Wong, Julia Carrie (November 17, 2021). "The new anti-woke academics say the universities are 'broken'. But they aren't giving up their tenured day jobs". The Guardian.
  16. ^ a b Goldman, Samuel (November 9, 2021). "The University of Austin has a good hook. Now for the hard part". The Week. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  17. ^ a b Hartocollis, Anemona (November 9, 2021). "They Say Colleges Are Censorious. So They Are Starting a New One". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  18. ^ a b c Drezner, Daniel W. (November 10, 2021). "Perspective | What is the University of Austin's purpose?". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  19. ^ "Statement from Chancellor Robert J. Zimmer on his role for the University of Austin". University of Chicago News. November 15, 2021.
  20. ^ "UATX Statement about Robert Zimmer and Steven Pinker". November 15, 2021. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  21. ^ O'Hanlon, Morgan. "Newly Announced University of Austin Struggles to Make the Grade". www.austinchronicle.com. Austin Chronicle. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  22. ^ "Fledgling University of Austin to start 'Forbidden Courses' this month". June 9, 2022.
  23. ^ Rawlings, Noah (February 19, 2024). "An American Education: Notes from UATX". The New Inquiry. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  24. ^ "Renowned evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins joins UATX — UATX". July 6, 2022. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  25. ^ Heying, Heather (December 6, 2022). "On resigning from the Board of the University of Austin". Natural Selections. Heather Heying. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  26. ^ "Quarterly Board Agenda". Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. October 2023. p. 120. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  27. ^ Maglione, Francesca (November 17, 2023). "Ivy League Backlash Draws Money, Students to Upstart University in Texas". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  28. ^ Hagan, Shelly (June 3, 2024). "Bari Weiss' University Is Creating a Bitcoin Fund for Endowment". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  29. ^ "University of Austin (UATX), Launches Debate Society, the Austin Union" (Press release). University of Austin. March 4, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  30. ^ Rick, Seltzer. "University of Austin shared a worldview, but does it have a business plan?". www.highereddive.com. Higher Ed Dive. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  31. ^ "Higher Education Is Broken. Can The University of Austin Offer a Better Model?". texasceomagazine.com. Texas CEO Magazine. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  32. ^ "Scholarships and Financial Aid". www.uaustin.org. University of Austin. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  33. ^ Jacobs, Joanne (May 7, 2024). "Can the New University of Austin Revive the Culture of Inquiry in Higher Education?". www.educationnext.org. Education Next. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  34. ^ Ferguson, Niall (Winter 2024). "The Constitution of Academic Liberty". National Affairs. American Enterprise Institute. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  35. ^ "UATX | Our Principles". www.uaustin.org. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  36. ^ "Jacob Howland". www.uaustin.org. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  37. ^ "UATX | Our People". www.uaustin.org. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  38. ^ Vedder, Richard K. (May 19, 2023). "A Collegiate Renaissance?". James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  39. ^ Mendenhall, Allen (November 12, 2021). "Time for a New University?". Law&Liberty. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  40. ^ n.a. (December 2021). "The new order: On the University of Austin". The New Criterion. 42 (3).
  41. ^ Douthat, Ross (November 10, 2021). "Opinion | Why We Need New Colleges". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  42. ^ a b Shephard, Alex (November 8, 2021). "Do We Really Need an Anti-Woke University?". The New Republic. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  43. ^ a b Warner, John (November 9, 2021). "What the University of Austin Gets Right | Inside Higher Ed". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  44. ^ Ellefson, Lindsey (November 8, 2021). "Bari Weiss and Andrew Sullivan's New University of Austin Is Already Getting Trump University Comparisons". TheWrap. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  45. ^ Griffing, Alex (November 8, 2021). "Bari Weiss Announces University Dedicated Pursuing 'Truth'". Mediaite. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  46. ^ Friel, Katie (November 8, 2021). "Brand-new 'University of Austin' launches, immediately mocked on Twitter". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  47. ^ O'Hanlon, Morgan (February 16, 2024). "Austin's Anti-Woke University Is Living in Dreamland". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved June 9, 2024.

Further reading

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