Major changes at one of the state’s flagship universities, with UT Austin consolidating seven departments focused on ethnic and gender studies into two new ones.
Five years since Winter Storm Uri and a massive blackout that led to investigations and a rethink of how the state manages the power grid. What’s changed? A look back.
The Standard’s Michael Marks on a new pest hitting rice growers at a very bad time.
Hi, how are you? A new exhibit focuses on the life and legacy of the artist Daniel Johnston, who became a Texas cultural icon.
Plus, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.
liberal arts
KUT Morning Newscast for October 31, 2025: AISD is expected to release updates on its school consolidation plan today
Central Texas top stories for October 31, 2025. Today is the last day of early voting. The Austin Independent School District is expected to release updates on its school consolidation plan later today. Some faculty and students at UT’s College of Liberal Arts are fearful about a possible restructuring of departments. Austin’s air traffic controllers are under extra strain during the federal government shutdown. Open enrollment for Affordable Care Act marketplace insurance plans begins tomorrow.
Higher Ed: Academia And Industry In Harmony?
Business and industry sometimes say they find students are not prepared for work – or the working world in general – when they graduate from college. Liberal arts institutions say they are preparing flexible and well-rounded students who are ready to tackle anything. How can this disconnect be bridged? Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger and I explore the relationship between academia and industry in this episode of KUT’s podcast “Higher Ed.”
One might assume that academia and the business world have different goals and missions and would have trouble reaching consensus on what constitutes adequate preparation. But Ed actually calls that tension “superfluous” and believes academia and industry can achieve synergy if they set aside biases about each other and keep an open dialogue.
Listen on for our discussion about fostering healthy relationships between academia and industry. It is also time for the solution to last week’s puzzler. Are you still counting how many golf balls it would take to fill a school bus? There is actually a relatively quick and easy way to figure that out.
This episode was recorded on April 20, 2018.
Best of “Higher Ed:” Liberal Arts, Democracy, and the Media
What happens when you mix liberal arts and democracy and throw in a little media coverage? You get a fascinating discussion about the intersection of those three institutions. In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger discuss how learning habits developed while studying the liberal arts can help us navigate our democracy – especially when political discussions are sometimes more contentious than civil. Ed and Jennifer talk politics in this episode – or more specifically, they talk about talking about politics. They also hash out the solution to the latest math puzzler about truth-tellers and liars. How can you tell them apart? Listen on for the key questions to ask.
This episode was recorded on August 5, 2015 and was originally released on September 20, 2015.
Higher Ed: The Intersection of Arts and Sciences
Some students and life-long learners think they’re only good at one kind of subject. Maybe they consider themselves “science” people, or perhaps they keep their distance from labs but cannot get enough of history books. In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger talk about the origins of what we know as “liberal arts” (hint: it all leads back to math) and why we can benefit from moving outside our comfort zones in what we study and explore. Ed and Jennifer talk about the evolution of the disciplines that make up the liberal arts and look at what those topics have to offer each other and us. For instance, Ed makes the case why pre-med students should study art history. You’ll also hear the new puzzler; it’s all about probability and biology.
This episode was recorded on February 24, 2016.
Higher Ed: Liberal Arts, Democracy, and the Media
What happens when you mix together liberal arts and democracy and then throw in a little media coverage? You get a fascinating discussion about the intersection of those three storied institutions. In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger discuss how liberal arts learning habits can help us navigate our democracy – especially when political discussions in the media sometimes seem more contentious than civil. In this episode, Ed and Jennifer talk politics – or more specifically, they talk about talking about politics. They also hash out the solution to the latest math puzzler about truth-tellers and liars. How can you tell them apart? Listen on for the creative solution.
Higher Ed: The Ins and Outs of Liberal Arts
The phrase “liberal arts” often goes hand in hand with discussions about higher education. But really, what are the liberal arts? Are they liberal? Are they arts? How about none of the above? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger explore what comprises liberal arts. They not only answer that nagging question, “Liberal arts: singular or plural?”, they also discuss how a liberal arts education is more about the approach to the subjects than the subjects themselves.