Thousands sign petition calling on lawmakers to "halt" UT Houston plans

The Board of Regents for the University of Texas System in November released maps and artist's renderings of the system's proposed Houston campus. The Board of Regents for the University of Texas System in November released maps and artist's renderings of the system's proposed Houston campus. Photo: U.T. System Board Of Regents Photo: U.T. System Board Of Regents Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Thousands sign petition calling on lawmakers to "halt" UT Houston plans 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Thousands of Cougars have pounced on an online petition calling on the state Legislature to "halt" the University of Texas' plans to expand in Houston.

As of Wednesday afternoon, almost 3,300 people had signed the petition, which blasts UT leaders for buying land before asking for state permission. The petition calls UT's plans a waste of money, saying they will duplicate efforts already underway at the University of Houston and other city colleges.

UT Chancellor William McRaven has insisted that the university system has yet to sketch out the plans. He says he wants to see something bold and unique and has pointed to collaborative research hubs across the country as examples of what he thinks can be accomplished in Houston.

Higher education experts have said that such collaborations have become more common, even between public universities that in some cases have long mistrusted one another.

"It is an encroachment, but it's happening all over the place – so why not Houston?" William G. Tierney, the co-director of the Pullias Center for Higher Education at the University of Southern California, wrote in an email last week.

The petition, created by UH alumni, echoes concerns voiced by UH leaders and some state lawmakers who worry that a UT campus in Houston would siphon research funding, faculty and students from UH.

The comments make it clear that UT's move has stoked a longstanding, deeply held belief by University of Houston boosters that the flagship is unfairly funded by the state -- via the rich Permanent University Fund that only UT and A&M have access to -- and wants to keep UH in its place.

"I don't trust UT to not attempt a take over of UH...they don't 'play fair'!" a comment by Shirley Lloyd, which has been "liked" 27 times, said. "AND, thanks to the PUF, they have the money to do what they want without regard to UH. Please stop this!"

McRaven last week told the state Higher Education Coordinating Board that he was "guilty as charged" of failing to consult state officials before his decision to buy 100 of the 300 planned acres in Houston. The full tract comes with a roughly $200 million price tag and UT expects to pay $450 million, including debt service, for the land over a 30-year span.

McRaven has also insisted he has no plans to compete with UH, telling a state legislative panel last week that he's a "big supporter" of the progress the school has made.

His comments have done little to calm the Coogs online, who have gone so far as to use the phrase "Nazi tactics" when discussing the issue on Twitter.