Source reporting: Texas Scorecard
The University of Texas at Austin promoted professor Dan Brinks to interim dean of its College of Liberal Arts in late August, according to Texas Scorecard. The appointment gives Brinks oversight of a major academic unit as the public university continues debates over campus policing, tenure and the future of several academic programs.
Texas Scorecard reported that Brinks signed a 2024 open letter to then-President Jay Hartzell after demonstrations concerning the war in Gaza. The letter criticized what its authors described as an aggressive and disruptive police presence and characterized the event as a peaceful protest and educational gathering.
The publisher disputed that characterization, reporting that some participants spat on officers, threw water bottles and attempted to block a bus transporting law-enforcement personnel. Those descriptions are attributed to Texas Scorecard; UT-Austin did not provide a response before the article was published.
The report also said Brinks argued in 2023 that proposed changes to Texas tenure law could damage the state’s economy. State lawmakers subsequently enacted higher-education tenure reforms, making his prior position relevant to how stakeholders may view the leadership appointment at a taxpayer-supported institution.
Separate curriculum questions are unfolding at the college. Citing reporting by The Daily Texan, Texas Scorecard said UT-Austin was likely to discontinue several minors while retaining degree programs in American studies, African and African Diaspora studies, and Mexican American and Latina/o studies. The report contrasted UT-Austin’s apparent direction with program reductions underway at Texas A&M University and Texas Tech University.
Brinks’ appointment does not by itself establish a change in university policy, and the source article did not identify a final decision by him concerning policing, tenure or academic programs. His earlier participation in the faculty letter represents an expressed position during a contested campus event rather than an official action taken as dean.
The public-integrity significance lies in governance and transparency at a state institution. UT-Austin is part of the University of Texas System, whose regents are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Texas Senate. Leadership decisions at the university can affect the administration of state law, allocation of public resources, campus-speech policies and academic offerings. Clear disclosure of an administrator’s prior public positions gives students, lawmakers and taxpayers context for evaluating future decisions while leaving responsibility for those decisions to the official record.