A new university heads to Austin

It’s no surprise that after the announcement of the University of Austin, the usual cast of critics have their opinions.

The comparisons to “Trump U” rolled in quickly, and the Houston Chronicle didn’t take much time to call the project a creation of “conservative thinkers and ideologues.” This of course ignores that many of the trustees and advisors aren’t conservatives. The ones that are also have credentials and accomplishments to back up their academic abilities, and most exist on the periphery of what’s recognized as “conservative" in the mainstream. (Since that word is now mostly a pejorative aimed at connecting anyone in the center or center-right with Donald Trump.)?

Aside from the difficult branding that this project is taking on—with a name that sounds too close to my alma mater of The University of Texas at Austin—I think the project is something that we should all celebrate.?

Anyone who has gone to a university recently or follows what’s happening in education and on college campuses knows that these institutions could use some shaking up. Whether it’s students getting burdened with debt for useless degrees, or the fact that they're mostly learning how to be ideologues instead of critical thinkers, we need education reform in this country. This should be a cause that both the left and right can unite on.?

Ideas on what reform should look like probably vary by political persuasion or philosophy on education. Some people might think we need less of an emphasis on universities and more on trade schools, others may think we need to allow for quick certification (in things like teaching, design, or computer science), and some might think we should tear down the monopoly universities have on higher education altogether.?

Whatever your idea may be, I think introducing competition into the ecosystem is exactly what we need. Yeah, maybe The University of Austin will fail. Maybe they’re in over their heads because of how difficult it is to get accredited and launch an undergraduate program.?

All of these things could be true. But what’s the harm in trying? The same critics that often admonish people that are upset about cancel culture and then tell them to “go start your own” are now attacking a group of people that are trying to do just that—start their own.?

Only time will tell how successful a project like the University of Austin could be, and hopefully it isn’t the only of its kind. (I’d even welcome institutions that are trying to be solely to the right, or solely to the left. The way I see it, the more educational competition, the merrier).?

Regardless, I know that I, for one, will be cheering on this project. And I think anyone who cares about higher education and the marketplace for ideas should as well. I’ll also make a guess that based on the involvement of Joe Lonsdale, the CEO of 8VC—and given that this university is based in Austin with some advisors and trustees familiar with the tech scene—that this project could end up being run like a startup.?

“Iterate fast and release often,” remember? Or, “If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.” These are some of the mottos of the tech world influenced by Silicon Valley startups. This approach may not have exactly created the Academy or Lyceum, but who knows, maybe the combination of emboldened academics and startup launching savvy is exactly the disruption that higher education needs.