Dive Brief:
- According to the Austin American-Statesman, U.S. Special Operations Command leader Adm. William H. McRaven is among the top candidates to replace Francisco G. Cigarroa as chancellor of the University of Texas system.
- McRaven, an alum of UT-Austin, is best known for planning the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden, and video of his May commencement speech at the Austin campus has since gone viral.
- Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Richard Fisher is also in consideration for the job, and a single finalist is expected to be selected before the regents' August meeting.
Dive Insight:
One has to wonder how Cigarroa's replacement might impact the drama with current UT-Austin President William Powers, who was essentially forced to step down, effective next June. Of course, higher ed power struggles unfortunately aren't that rare, but it's also not the only issue the UT system has faced during Cigarroa's tenure. The next chancellor also inherits an ongoing legal battle over race-based admissions and allegations of lawmakers exercising admissions influence for the well-connected.