In early December of 2011, it came to light that then Dean of The University of Texas at Austin School of Law, Lawrence Sager, had received a $500,000 forgivable personal loan from The University of Texas Law School Foundation. Shortly thereafter, The University of Texas at Austin President William Powers, Jr. asked Dean Sager to step down as Dean effective immediately. This revelation also prompted questions about the relationship between The University of Texas at Austin and the Foundation, and how such forgivable personal loans are structured with employees of U. T. Austin.
To better understand the situation, The University of Texas System Board of Regents asked the Vice Chancellor and General Counsel of The University of Texas System to review the relevant facts, develop a report outlining the relationship between U. T. Austin and the Foundation, and to make recommendations, if appropriate, regarding restructuring the relationship between U. T. Austin and the Foundation, and any other matters necessary to improve the transparency and accountability of compensation for Law School faculty involving the Foundation. The result is this report.
