advocating urbanism in the opportunity city
Rumors
Earlier today I was told that the UT System has decided to move UTMB from Galveston to Austin. This came second hand, but from a source I would consider credible.
That said, this is merely the latest mention of a rumor that has been swirling around for a long time. I found a great page of debate on the issue on “UT: The Eyes of TFA are Upon You.”
So what’s the deal, is UTMB moving or not?
The Statesman says no. Seems all the credible sources I can find say no. The voices saying it is going to happen keep coming, though, and seem to keep coming from inside the institution.
What say you, fair reader? Is UTMB staying in Galveston or not?
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I think it’s pretty clear that the UT regents want a med school in Austin.
I also think they have long wanted to put the squeeze on UTMB (without necessarily shutting it down altogether), and they now have the perfect opportunity to do so.
I will be shocked if we don’t hear plans for a UT Austin med school announced over the next couple of years.
This either-or parochialism is unfortunate. Texas is growing. Our area in particular needs UTMB back at full speed. And there is a case to be made also for a UT Austin med school. The UT endowment combined with a commitment from the state could put this either-or nonsense to rest.
Ah well. We have posted a little about this here:
http://www.bloghouston.net/item/7450
Mimi Swartz’s Texas Monthly piece apparently got the attention of a number of people. I think she’s pretty well got it right. Maybe the UT Regents can be shamed into doing the right thing for Texas. Or maybe Texas pols can be. We’ll see.