Some useful context here.  A few years ago, Rick Perry–whom the whole nation now knows is as dumb as a doornail–fell in with the reactionary neanderthals at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and has been waging war on the two research universities in the system, Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin.  (Among his brilliant ideas:  a cost-benefit analysis of each professor measuring cost against number of students taught and money brought in.  Scholarly accomplishment and reputation doesn't count.)   Bill Powers, who has been a very effective President at UT Austin, just as he was a very effective Dean of the Law School previously, has had his hands full trying to ward off the barbarians.  (You'll note the NY Times story repeats the 'gender equity' canard.  No less ridiculously, but more amusingly, it says that UT Austin is "arguably" the leading university in the state.  I guess they are imagining an argument with Aggies, not anyone who knows anything about research universities.)