Tag Archives: Wallace Hall

State news

Grand jury calls for UT regent's removal

Wallace Hall should hit the road and leave the University of Texas System Board of Regents.

That’s the recommendation from — get a load of this — a Travis County grand jury.

http://www.texastribune.org/2015/03/31/grand-jury-rules-wallace-hall/

Hall has been in the middle of a firestorm for more than a year over regents’ relationship with UT-Austin President Bill Powers. Criminal charges were filed against Hall, alleging that he went far beyond his mandate as a regent and meddled in administrative matters that are supposed to be within the campus president’s purview. The complaint alleged specifically that Hall shared private student information with his lawyers.

“Transparency and accountability are key elements in maintaining citizens’ trust in their government,” the report said. “Regent Hall demonstrated neither accountability nor transparency in his actions.”

The Texas Tribune reports that the grand jury action is unusual in its scope and in the strength in the wording it uses in recommending Hall’s ouster from the UT Board of Regents.

The grand jury didn’t indict Hall, but it went almost as far in calling for his ouster.

I’m thinking Regent Hall ought to go. I also am thinking the board of regents ought to stop meddling in UT-Austin administrative business.

Enough is enough.

 

Uncategorized

Time for UT regent Hall to go

It’s reached a boiling point at the University of Texas System Board of Regents meeting room.

UT Regent Wallace Hall is facing almost certain impeachment, thanks to a legislative panel’s assertion that there are grounds to impeach the regent. The chairman of the UT board, Paul Foster, has said Hall should quit.

The Texas Tribune reported: “We spend a huge percentage of time dealing with him rather than dealing with the issues of the system,” Foster said. He also directly addressed Hall, saying his resignation “would be the most beneficial action you can take at this time.”

I have to agree with Chairman Foster’s assertion.

http://www.texastribune.org/2014/05/15/ut-board-chairman-calls-regent-hall-resign/

I’ll stipulate something off the top: I didn’t attend college in Texas. I don’t even know the UT fight song. However, my family and I have lived in Texas for 30 years and we’ve watched one of the state’s signature university systems from afar for all of that time.

Wallace Hall has created a mess, apparently, at the Austin-based institution.

He is alleged to have interfered in the administrative functions of the University of Texas-Austin campus. UT-Austin President Bill Powers has been dragged through the PR sausage grinder as a result.

An impeachment would be devastating for the system’s brand. The Legislature, which has been investigating this situation for months, well might be inclined to toss out one of those who is charged with setting policy at the system level.

The damage would be terrible, to the university and even to Hall himself if he were convicted of the abuse of power accusation that’s been leveled at him.

Hall, therefore, should just cut his losses and quit.

He’ll recover from the damage done to his emotional well-being. More importantly, so will the University of Texas System.