Hard times ahead at UT? President Powers says expected cuts may weaken school's national standing - JEANNIE KEVER, HOUSTON CHRONICLE

The president of the University of Texas at Austin warned Thursday that expected state budget cuts would put the school further behind its peers and could endanger the national standing of some programs. "We are already behind our competitors by very large amounts," said William Powers, describing the impact of projected funding cuts to members of UT's governing board. Gov. Rick Perry and other state leaders have asked state agencies, including public colleges and universities, to prepare for a 10 percent cut in state funding for the 2012 and 2013 fiscal years.