Answer: Not You.

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Since opening its doors in 1883, the University of Texas has primarily been run by a tiny group of the governor's friends. Although it is a public institution with around 50,000 students, plus thousands of faculty and staff members, the University of Texas remains in the controlling hands of a very small number of unelected Regents and administrators. On top of leaving out public discussion, the Regents - and many administrators - have little to no background in higher education.

The UT Board of Regents is a 9 member board that governs the 9 academic and 6 health institutions that make up the UT-System. The Regents have complete control over much of the University's vital resources; they have ultimate say over tuition rates, free speech policies, the Daily Texan and other student newspapers, campus planning and infrastructure, and the hiring, firing, pay, and promotion of faculty and staff members. In addition, the Regents hold the immense power to directly appoint the System Chancellor as well as vice chancellors and presidents of each UT-campus.

The Regents also oversee the University of Texas Investment Management Company (UTIMCO), a multi-billion dollar taxpayer- funded private investment firm. UTIMCO was established to keep tuition and fee rates low for UT-Austin. But unfortunately for students, UTIMCO's underperformance was partially responsible for large tuition increases. Yet the Regents shielded this effect from the public eye and continued to blame tuition increases on forces outside of their control.

Today, the Regents still remain insulated from outside input and shut off from the media's spotlight. The Governor of Texas appoints them in a mostly secretive process, usually in exchange for large contributions to political campaigns and close personal connections. For example, Regent Chair James Huffines raised millions of dollars for Gov. Rick Perry as Perry's Inauguration Co-Chairman in 2003 before his appointment to the Board and eventual ascension to Chairman.

The résumés of each of these nine regents are nearly indistinguishable from each other. Three are females and two are people of color, but they are all businesspeople with a background in Texas politics. Although the Regents are unelected, some use their positions as regents to push for their own political agendas and even to run for office. Regent Tony Sanchez ran for governor in 2002. Others, like former chairman Charles Miller, pushed for charter schools and vouchers for the state of Texas.

With their collective power, and without student consent, the UT Regents lobby legislators to pass University policies. In spring 2003, students from across the UT System - including members of UT Watch - lobbied the Texas Legislature against the decision to deregulate tuition. Tuition deregulation shifts tuition-setting authority away from elected lawmakers and gives it to un-elected university governing boards such as the UT Board of Regents. Despite student opposition, the UT Regents used paid lobbyists to push through tuition deregulation. As a result, this undemocratic system for setting tuition rates has caused tuition to skyrocket, confirming students' predictions and chipping away at Texans' power to directly control their public institutions.

These nine businesspeople, and their appointees, run the UT System like a giant corporation. When only businesspeople run the University, students transform into consumers beholden to market demands - the quality of education no longer matters, students no longer matter, and public higher education becomes merely a tool for money-makers and political climbers. The Regents are thoroughly redefining public higher education in corporate terms and there is no sign that this will change.

Students, staff, and faculty have never had representation on the board, and hardly anyone but administrators are allowed to formally address the Regents. A bill passed in Spring 2005 will put a non-voting student on the Board of Regents, but they will have minimal influence. Some students, refusing to be intimidated, have begun the fight to regain control of our University. Join them, stay informed, and demand that the University work for you!