AUSTIN, Texas — Leaders at the University of Texas at Austin have been working with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and private donors to launch a new think tank on campus, according to a report from The Texas Tribune. The project would be "dedicated to the study and teaching of individual liberty, limited government, private enterprise and free markets."
The Tribune reports that legislators already approved $6 million in initial funding for the Liberty Institute as part of the 2022-23 state budget, and UT officials have also committed $6 million. But all involved have been vague or silent about their plans so far and have repeatedly denied the Tribune's requests for information about the project's intent, budget and who is involved.
However, emails and documents obtained by the Tribune via an open records request start to paint a picture, showing that UT President Jay Hartzell and other university officials have been working "in earnest" with Patrick, donors and UT System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife to launch the Liberty Institute as a way to bring "intellectual diversity" to UT.
The Tribune notes that the records don't reflect the full breadth of discussion about the project and officials say many decisions haven't yet been made, but the documents do provide the most insight so far into the vision and intent of some of the people involved with the Liberty Institute's creation.
The Tribune obtained two proposals from various stages of the planning process from Patrick's office, including one that describes the institute as one that will educate thousands of students "on the moral, ethical, philosophical and historical foundations of a free society."
The second proposal states that the institute would be run by a board of overseers made up of "alumni and friends ... committed to the mission" who would report to the university's president and Board of Regents, rather than deans and academic colleges, and would manage donor funds and help hire faculty. The Tribune reports that questions remain as to whether "that or other suggestions made in the brainstorming process would be adopted or even allowed under UT-Austin's current policies."
The Tribune reports that it's unclear when the obtained proposals were written, who wrote them or how many of the ideas will be included when the institute is launched. Patrick's office did not respond to the Tribune's requests for information, and UT redacted the names of individuals involved who aren't employed by the university and redacted nearly all planning documents.
According to the Tribune, Eltife said in a statement that the board is "extremely enthusiastic to be part of the creation of the Liberty Institute" and that the hope is to launch the institute by next spring.
The proposals the Tribune obtained from Patrick's office indicate that the institute would create new degree programs and courses taught by around 10 faculty members recruited to work at the university. The faculty would teach classes in areas like economics, politics and policy.
The Tribune reports that one proposal set a goal for the institute to be fully operational by fall 2026, serving 2,500 students. That proposal also envisioned an initial budget of $100 million with $25 million coming from private donors and around $75 million from the UT System Board of Regents and the State of Texas. It is unclear at this time if that is the budget UT is pursuing, as the university did not respond to the Tribune's multiple requests for an interview.
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