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Sorry, I just don't understand how they can legally opt out of the Campus Carry Law....
Can anyone explain this to a dummy like me?

http://www.click2houston.com/news/Rice- ... book_KPRC2

Rice University notified students and staff that the university will opt out of Texas' new campus carry law.

"In sum, not a single constituency consulted has endorsed having guns on our campus; in fact, each overwhelmingly opposed it. Maintaining the safety of our students and employees is our highest priority. There is no evidence that allowing the carrying of guns on our campus will make the campus safer, and the most knowledgeable professional groups believe that guns will make campuses less safe. I agree with that conclusion, and we will therefore retain our current policy prohibiting weapons on our campus," President David W. Leebron writes.

Private universities can post 30.06 wherever they want. and still a Class A. Public universities do not have that option.

oohrah wrote:Private universities can post 30.06 wherever they want. and still a Class A. Public universities do not have that option.

Thank you, I wasn't aware Rice was private, and really have no intention to go to the Campus, more of an educational question on my part, to learn.

So I have to assume if they are private, they take zero funds from the government....

I see where you're going with this, but it is a dead horse. All universities receive funds from governments, via students who get govt loans, and via grants to do research. That doesn't affect their status as private, meaning they do not get state funding for their operations.

I agree it is a dead horse, but it is one that fries my backside to no end. when we pay our tax money to fund ANY private institute and then we are told its PRIVATE.... Makes me very frustrated!

When schools take any federal money, which I would imagine 99.99% of private universities do in some manner, they take all the federal strings that go with it, and there are many. I don't know whether Rice or TCU or any of the other private Texas schools take state money, but if they do, they should similarly be compelled to follow state law.

Baby steps, I know, but something to consider in future sessions.

Private universities are no diiferent than private companies that get government contracts. They both deliver a product that they get paid for. They both also comply with laws regarding employment, contracting and everything else. They are both still private, not under the thumb of the lege.

oohrah wrote:Private universities are no diiferent than private companies that get government contracts

I have to take issue with this.
I understand companies who get contracts, but the contracts are to provide a good or service
A university, what are they being "paid" for?
If it is just "my tax money going to subsidize the college/university", well, then, that, in my viewpoint, makes it a public university.

On the other hand, if the school is given a grant, to perform functions, which give a good/service to the government, then, I can accept your premise its the same as a private company contract.

The only other thing subsidizing a private university is tuition (and donations). And while the tuition money may be coming from govt grants and loans, that money is actually going to the students. The student decides where to spend their tuition.

I worked for 18 years in a private college in Texas in their IT department. One of my duties was helping the Financial Aid department prepare their yearly reports to THECB (Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board). I can assure you that private colleges receive state funds in the form of grants to needy students. Currently these students can receive up to $3,364 in TEG grants and in special cases up to $5,046 per year.

The college I worked at was small (about 700 students) but when I retired eight years ago the amount received from the state was considerable.

Does anyone know how much was budgeted for state education grants to private colleges this year? I would think it would be a fairly large amount.

oohrah wrote:The only other thing subsidizing a private university is tuition (and donations). And while the tuition money may be coming from govt grants and loans, that money is actually going to the students. The student decides where to spend their tuition.

While technically true that the money is going to the student, that student never actually had that money in his pocket. It was applied directly to the student's account and covered his tuition and other expenses at the college. This was true of both federal and state grants.

Yes, but endowments come from private sources and donations, not from state appropriated funds, for private universites..

Research grants are producing a product. Private and public universities both compete for the same research money. The results of the research is given back to the buyer (i.e the funding govt agency). You may take exception to types of research being funded, but don't fault the universities for just doing business.

oohrah wrote:Yes, but endowments come from private sources and donations, not from state appropriated funds, for private universites..

Research grants are producing a product. Private and public universities both compete for the same research money. The results of the research is given back to the buyer (i.e the funding govt agency). You may take exception to types of research being funded, but don't fault the universities for just doing business.

That's not accurate about endowments. The University of Texas was started with an allocation of 5 million acres of State Land in west Texas. Back then it was the "5 million and 40 acres!"

It just so happened that land turned out to be some of the richest oil production in the country, as a partial result of which The University of Texas has, last I saw, the second largest endowment, behind only Harvard, which had a ~200 year head start. I remember driving out west years ago and all along the way were signs in front of wells, "Property of The University of Texas." It may have taken a hit the last few years after buying a few boatloads of gold at near record prices, and of course, oil prices are receding. My investment analysis professor was an old man (probably in his 60's ) who was credited with saving the UT endowment portfolio in 1929.

UT also mines wealthy alumni, of course, and has the most valuable sports "brand" in the world, for now, which is worked for all it is worth. I saw that Red McCombs claimed a couple years ago that all the money in the world the Catholic Church doesn't have is in Austin at UT. It might be so.