Tag: University of North Texas

UNT president warns of possible budget cuts after international enrollment drops

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An Eagle Ambassador guides a group of prospective students and parents on a campus tour, August 4, 2014. (Ahna Hubnik / UNT)

Ahna Hubnik

University of North Texas

University of North Texas President Harrison Keller will discuss the possibility of substantial budget cuts at the school’s upcoming quarterly Board of Regents meeting, he wrote in a letter to all faculty and staff Tuesday.

UNT is projecting a $45 million budget deficit after it lost significant state appropriations last legislative session— a total that reached a reduction of about $32 million for fiscal year 2026 and 2027. Keller also pointed to a sharp decline in international master’s students because of federal policy changes as a major reason for the deficit. The decline in international enrollment was larger than projected and amplified the school’s financial challenge, Keller wrote.

“UNT is committed to serve every qualified student who commits to learn with us,” Keller wrote in the letter. “International master’s students do not displace qualified Texas residents at UNT. Out-of-state and international students contribute their perspectives and talent to our community, and the additional tuition and fee revenue they bring is important to our university budget.”

In January, the U.S. State Department said it had revoked an estimated 8,000 student visas. Policies during Donald Trump’s presidency during the 2025-26 academic year also resulted in a 17% drop in new international enrollment at colleges in the United States, according to the Center for American Progress.

Keller wrote that the University Budget Council is working to find solutions to address the school’s current budget issue. He warned of “hard choices” that could be made to improve alignment across values, mission, strategy and priorities of the university.

“These challenges present an opportunity for us to examine our current practices and make changes that will ultimately enhance our educational mission while strengthening our financial foundation,” Keller wrote.

Keller did not go into detail about what “hard changes” could be made, but he is expected to share more about potential budget cuts at UNT’s quarterly Board of Regents meeting on Thursday.

To alleviate the school’s budget concerns, Keller said that recruiting more students and restabilizing international enrollment will be the “primary drivers” to help the budget and advance the university.

UNT had financially relied heavily on international enrollment in recent years, which had surged over the last decade. During the fall 2014 semester, the university had 2,587 enrolled international students. That numbers reached as high as 8,580 during the fall 2023 semester. UNT reported a loss of over 1,300 international students in master’s programs in 2025, according to university data.

“I commit to you that we will navigate our budget challenges responsibly, deliberately, and most importantly, with great care of consideration for the implications of our decisions for our university community,” Keller wrote. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to long term success of all our students.”

Samuel O’Neal

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Samuel O’Neal is a local news reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram covering higher education and local news in Fort Worth. He joined the team in December 2025 after previously working as a staff writer at the Philadelphia Inquirer. He graduated from Temple University, where he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the school’s student paper, The Temple News.

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Samuel O’Neal

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February 18, 2026
College football’s potential awesome story of ‘25 is ‘north’ of Texas

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For one night, all of college football will care about what is happening at Texas Normal College and Teacher Training Institute.

Today, the big, state four-year school in Denton is known as the University of North Texas.

With the weather forecast for Friday evening in the “perfect” range, the night in Denton promises to be one of those events that makes college football what it is, and all of that money worth it.

UNT will host No. 24 South Florida on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at DATCU Stadium in Denton. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2; UNT is a 1.5-point favorite. At 5-0, UNT is off to its best start since 1959, when a team led by coach Odus Mitchell and running back Abner Haynes finished 9-2, with a Sun Bowl appearance.

South Florida at UNT has playoff implications. Said in your best Jim Mora voice, “PLAYOFFS?!”

A win over USF, and the Mean Green should be ranked in the Top 25 for the first time since 1959, when the team was in the Missouri Valley Conference. In the latest AP Poll, UNT received 16 votes, or two more than TCU, six more than Washington, and 15 more than Auburn.

Between the backgrounds of both quarterback Drew Mestemaker and head coach Eric Morris, the Mean Green is developing into college football’s annual awesome story. Every year there is one team that grabs everybody and makes you a fan, even if you don’t care.

Previous occupiers of this role have been Utah, Boise State, Houston, Baylor and TCU. Sometimes the story transcends traditional fandom. Even Longhorns and Aggies can agree that what UNT is doing is awesome.

To encourage its students to attend Friday night’s game, all classes scheduled after noon have been cancelled. On Thursday afternoon, the school announced that this is the first sellout since the 30,000-seat stadium opened in 2011.

Tickets on the secondary market were going for $40, together, in a stadium that is just the right size; there is no bad seat in the house. If you want the really good ones, those were available for $118.

You can bet all of your money that “Mean” Joe Greene, Dallas Mavericks play-by-play announcer Mark Followill, The Ticket personality George Dunham and probably Stone Cold Steve Austin will be watching, either in person or on TV. All of those men are UNT alums.

As college sports evolved, and the money went from expensive to government-level irresponsible, UNT is like the majority of those that play in the Division-I level of NCAA athletics where it’s doable, but tight.

A member of the American Athletic Conference, UNT is like the rest of its league members where the budgets are modest. Playing in this new NIL world means you’ve also inherited the role of developmental program for those that play, and can pay, in the Power Four.

With the population growth both in Denton and all over DFW, UNT was always thought to be one of those “This could be so much bigger” schools, and specifically athletic departments.

One year ago, UNT had a record 46,309 enrollment.

Athletically, UNT has had its moments, particularly its basketball program. In 2021, UNT basketball won its first NCAA Tournament game when as a 13-seed the Mean Green upset No. 4 seed Purdue.

When you type in “North Texas upsets Texas Tech in football,” Google’s AI answers, “North Texas did not upset Texas Tech in football. Texas Tech defeated North Texas 66-21 in 2024.”

AI here gets a big, red-Sharpie “Come See Me” F. North Texas did defeat Tech in Lubbock in 1999, one of the high points for that program for … a decade?

The football team’s 44-17 win at Arkansas in 2018 drew national attention during a season where coach Seth Littrell won nine games for the second consecutive season. The program has also reached some conference title games, and bowl games.

None of these accomplishments would come close to doing what an undefeated run into November would do for North Texas. A flirt with a playoff berth is a jet-fuel injector of interest, donations and applications that is the dream of all schools that play Division-I football.

In this playoff format, a Group of Five team is guaranteed one spot. Last year, it was Boise State.

The highest ranked G5 team currently is fellow AAC member, No. 23 Memphis. The Tigers are 6-0, and their win over Arkansas is what led to coach Sam Pittman’s firing.

UNT’s regular season AAC schedule does not include Memphis, but does have 5-0 Navy. After Friday night, two of UNT’s six remaining opponents have winning records.

Much needs to be done, and to go right, for the Mean Green to make it into the playoff chat room, but for the first time it’s possible for the University of North Texas.

Mac Engel

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Mac Engel is an award-winning columnist who has covered sports since the dawn of man; Cowboys, TCU, Stars, Rangers, Mavericks, etc. Olympics. Movies. Concerts. Books. He combines dry wit with 1st-person reporting to complement an annoying personality.
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October 9, 2025
‘Loss for our community’: Indian student killed in Fort Worth is mourned

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Chandrashekar Pole, 28, was killed Friday night while working at a gas station on Eastchase Parkway in Fort Worth, police said.

American Telugu Association

A student from India who came to the United States for higher education and a better life had his dream cut short after he was shot and killed while working at a Fort Worth gas station.

Chandrashekar Pole, 28, was killed Friday night while working at a gas station on Eastchase Parkway in Fort Worth, police said.

A 23-year-old suspect in the shooting, Richard Florez of North Richland Hills, has been arrested and faces a murder charge, according to jail records.

Dreams of higher education

After completing his bachelor’s in dental surgery in Hyderabad, India, Pole came to the United States in 2023 “to pursue his dream of higher education and a better life,” Satish Reddy, president-elect of the American Telugu Association, said in conversation with the Star-Telegram.

A recent University of North Texas graduate, Pole was looking for a job, Reddy said.

Reddy said people in the Telugu community were informed about “this horrific, senseless violence act,” on Saturday morning. “We spoke with local authorities, the Consulate General of India, as well as a funeral home to expedite the process of sending Chandrashekar’s remains to India.”

Pole’s elder brother and mother live in Hyderabad, where they want to do their traditional final rituals, Reddy said.

“I don’t know him personally, but talking to his friends, they said (Pole) was a very friendly, jovial, smart and kind person,” Reddy said.

Reddy said community members are coordinating donations and support to ease the financial and emotional burden of the family.

“A loss for one family is a loss for our entire community,” Reddy said.

The association plans to do orientations, especially for students and youth, to help them avoid risks, particularly when working late nights in stores or isolated areas, and to remind them to be alert and careful, Reddy said.

Reddy said there is a process to send someone’s remains to India. It involves “coordinating with the Consulate General, hospitals, to get the death certificate, county clearance, and also get clearance from the Indian consulate, as well as working with the funeral home and talking to airlines.”

A viewing was held at the Hughes Family Tribute Center in Dallas on Wednesday morning. Close friends gathered to say their final goodbyes. Pole’s remains are scheduled to arrive in India on Friday morning, Reddy said.

Friends started a GoFundMe to help return Pole’s body to India. “He had recently graduated and was full of dreams, hope, and determination to make his family proud,” a friend wrote on the fundraising site.

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Shambhavi Rimal

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Shambhavi covers crime, law enforcement and other breaking news in Fort Worth and Tarrant County. She graduated from the University of North Texas and previously covered a variety of general assignment topics in West Texas. She grew up in Nepal.

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Shambhavi Rimal

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October 8, 2025
UNT Dissolves Faculty Resource Groups, Citing Bill That Targets Campus DEI Initiatives

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Faculty support groups at the University of North Texas are the latest slice of university programming razed by Senate Bill 17, a Texas law that has become infamous for targeting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in education. A notice sent to university employees last week announced that groups designed to unite employees who share similarities — such as women, racial groups, Christians and those diagnosed with neurodivergent disorders — must cease operations immediately in order to comply with SB 17, the North Texas Daily reports…

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Emma Ruby

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September 17, 2024
Tenure and DEI Changes Loom Large in Texas. Here Are 3 Takeaways From a Marathon Hearing.

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When Texas lawmakers scheduled a hearing this week about two bills that could alter tenure and eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion offices, the higher-ed community had a lot to say.

Hundreds of witnesses — mostly faculty members, as well as some administrators and students — showed up to testify on SB 17 and SB 18 before the Higher Education Committee in the Texas House of Representatives. The event lasted over 10 hours and didn’t adjourn until 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Both bills are a part of a landslide of legislation introduced this year to reform higher education in Texas, including efforts to prohibit diversity training and ban the instruction of certain topics related to race and gender, among other priorities.

Tenure elimination in particular has been a key legislative priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, who has previously said that some professors “hide behind” tenure in an effort to “continue blatantly advancing their agenda of societal division.” The Texas Senate voted last month to get rid of tenure for new faculty hires.

A different version of SB 18 emerged at the hearing on Monday, and the tenure ban was gone. State Rep. John Kuempel, a Republican and chair of the Higher Education Committee in the House, said the substitute reflects that faculty tenure is a necessity for the state’s colleges to remain competitive.

Instead, the new legislation would require in-depth performance reviews for all tenured faculty members at least once every six years. The proposal echoes an effort in Florida to revamp post-tenure review, which has drawn criticism.

Meanwhile, to the proposed ban on diversity offices, in SB 17, lawmakers have added some exceptions — allowing colleges’ governing boards to approve diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts that are required for federal grants or accreditation.

No witnesses spoke in favor of the tenure bill. Two voiced support for the diversity-office ban.

Here’s what else people had to say at the hearing.

As The Chronicle reported last week, even the prospect of eliminating or weakening tenure has already affected faculty recruitment and retention.

Julie McCormick Weng , an assistant professor of English at Texas State University, said colleagues are going on the job market because they fear pursuing a long-term career in a state that does not support tenure. The revised bill, Weng added, still sends a message that the Texas Legislature believes there is an issue at the state’s colleges that requires state intervention.

“The mere optics of this bill are already having a detrimental effect on our universities and their reputations,” Weng said. “If any version of this bill is passed, I worry that it would result in a profound faculty exodus.”

“We all want greater political diversity in higher education. Please do not eliminate” the protection of tenure.

Other faculty members said they had seen competitive candidates drop out of the hiring processes at Texas universities because of SB 18.

“People turn down jobs for lots of reasons, but from what these candidates told me, the uncertainty around tenure was a big factor in our failure to hire this year,” said Daniel Brinks, chair of the government department at the University of Texas at Austin.

Brinks said he’d made job offers to six candidates for two faculty openings this year, and all six declined. Another professor in the department informed Brinks last week that he’d be leaving.

While lawmakers have moved away from banning tenure for now, the list of reasons to fire tenured faculty are vague and confusing in the new House version of the bill.

That bill proposes that tenured faculty may be dismissed for exhibiting “professional incompetence,” engaging in “unprofessional conduct that adversely affects the institution,” and violating university policies, among other things.

Brian L. Evans, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, and president of the campus chapter of the Association of American University Professors, said he welcomed the changes in the bill but stressed that the language around dismissal of tenured professors needs to be clarified.

“‘Violating university policies’ could be a reason for dismissal, so we’re concerned that could be used in all kinds of ways — many unforeseen,” Evans said.

Stephen McKeown, an assistant professor of mathematics at the University of Texas at Dallas, said he worried the vague language in the revised SB 18 could be used to fire conservative faculty members who speak up about their beliefs. Tenure, McKeown said, is “vital” for conservative faculty members, because most of the people who make hiring and firing decisions on college campuses lean to the left politically.

“We all want greater political diversity in higher education,” McKeown said. “Please do not eliminate this protection.”

The state’s colleges will continue promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion even without designated offices.

College administrators who were invited to testify by the committee said that SB 17 may require universities to take a different approach, but the administrators stressed that they are committed to diversifying their campuses and supporting students.

Michael R. Williams chancellor of the University of North Texas system, said that while the majority of the system’s campuses do not have their own DEI offices, that has not stopped them from pursuing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“This is the path that we’re on regardless,” Williams said.

LaToya Smith, vice president for diversity and community engagement at the University of Texas at Austin, said it is hard to say what the impact of the bill would be if passed.

“There could be a chilling effect,” Smith said. “There could be potential issues with recruiting students.”

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Eva Surovell

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May 9, 2023