Jeff Sandefer

Jeff Sandefer

Education

Bachelor's

University of Texas

Graduate

Harvard Business School

Jeff Sandefer is an entrepreneur and professor who co-founded the Acton School of Business.

Biography

Sandefer was born in Abilene, Texas. After beginning his business career while still in high school, Sandefer earned a degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Texas. He then received his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1986.

Sandefer began teaching at the University of Texas in 1990. About his time at Harvard, Sandefer said: "I loved the Socratic Method at Harvard—the idea that questions are more important than answers and being in the shoes of the protagonist, having to make decisions." Sandefer started the Acton School of Business. He was previously named as one of the top entrepreneurship professors by BusinessWeek. He has worked as a director of National Review magazine and served as chairman of the Acton Institute of Religion and Liberty. He was a member of Texas Governor Rick Perry's 21st Century Commission on Higher Education.

Acton MBA

In 2002, Sandefer left his position teaching at the University of Texas to found the Acton School of Business. One year later, Princeton Review ranked Acton in the top three among business schools based on student quality, teacher quality and overall experience. Sandefer reduced the length of an MBA to 11 months, which would allow some students to receive their degree for half the cost.

Higher education reform

Sandefer is considered the architect behind the "7 Solutions" system for higher education reform, which focuses on results-based measurements of students and educators in higher education, as well as accrediting alternatives. In 2011, opponents such as Randy Diehl, Dean of the University of Texas, Austin College of Liberal Arts, rejected the 7 Solutions and called them the wrong approach. Diehl and other University of Texas professors launched a now defunct website in response to the 7 Solutions. Kevin Carey, writing in the New Republic, however, argued that "[t]aken together, the seven solutions are remarkably student-friendly. Four of them focus on improving the quality of university teaching by developing new methods of evaluating teaching performance, tying tenure to success in the classroom, separating the teaching and research functions within university budgets, and using teaching budgets to reward professors who excel at helping students learn." The Texas A&M University System ultimately adopted the bonus-pay model from the 7 Solutions, the full points of which can be seen below.

7 Solutions

1. Measure teaching efficiency and effectiveness

Goal: "Improve the quality of teaching by making use of a public measurement tool to evaluate faculty teaching performance that makes it possible to recognize excellent teachers."

2. Publicly recognize and reward extraordinary teachers

Goal: "Create a financial incentive to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of teaching at Texas’ colleges and universities that will help attract the best teachers from across the nation."

3. Split research and teaching budgets to encourage excellence in both

Goal: "Increase transparency and accountability by emphasizing teaching and research as separate efforts in higher education, and making it easier to recognize excellence in each area."

4. Require evidence of teaching skill for tenure

Goal: "Highlight the importance of great teachers by evaluating teaching skill in nominating and awarding faculty tenure."

5. Use "results-based" contracts with students to measure quality

Goal: "Increase transparency and accountability to students with learning contracts between Deans, department heads, and teachers that clearly state the promises of each degree program to each student."

6. Put state funding directly in the hands of students

Goal: "Increase college access and make students the actual customers for higher education with student-directed scholarships for undergraduate and graduate education with funding from the state’s current appropriation that goes directly to colleges and universities." View full solution (PDF).

7. Create results-based accrediting alternatives

Goal: "Encourage greater competition in higher education and more choices for students by creating an alternative accrediting body that would focus on results and the college’s or university’s ability to uphold any obligation or promise made to the student."

Wallace Hall impeachment

University of Texas Investigations

Background Wallace Hall impeachment trial • Political favoritism in admissions to the University of Texas • Forgivable loans program at the University of Texas Law School House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations (TSAO) • Joint Committee on Oversight of Higher Ed Governance, Excellence & Transparency

UT Regents

Wallace Hall • Paul Foster • Eugene Powell • Steven Hicks • Ernest Aliseda • Jeffery Hildebrand • Brenda Pejovich • Alex Cranberg • Robert Stillwell

Elected Officials

Rick Perry • Joe Straus • Charles Perry • Trey Fischer • Dan Flynn • Naomi Gonzalez • Eric Johnson • Lyle Larson • Carol Alvarado • Four Price • Jim Pitts • Dan Branch

UT Individuals

Bill Powers • Larry Sager • Barry Burgdorf • Kevin Hegarty • Francisco Cigarroa • Carol Longoria

See also: Wallace Hall impeachment trial

Texas state legislators are exploring an unprecedented legal step -- impeaching an appointed official. University of Texas Regent Wallace Hall, who was named to the post by Governor Rick Perry, is the subject of an investigation by a Texas state house committee. Legislators who are in favor of the impeachment process initially set out to investigate whether Hall failed to disclose information on his regent application, revealed protected information about students and exceeded his role as a regent in requesting massive amounts of information. Although the committee left open the possibility of revisiting impeachment, an August 11, 2014 vote passed 6-1 to censure Hall, possibly bringing a close to the more than year-long process.

After he was appointed in 2011, University of Texas Regent Wallace Hall began looking into what he believed to be clout scandals within the University of Texas system. Hall investigated the university's forgivable-loans program and admissions policies and preferential treatment to politically-connected individuals. Hall, as an individual citizen, filed FOIA requests with the University system after his inquiries via his role as a Regent were rebuffed. According to his accusers, Hall filed requests of more than 800,000 pages, which some Texas administrators called an unnecessary burden. However, a letter from University chancellor Francisco Cigarroa in February 2014 said that Hall likely requested fewer than 100,000 pages.

In addition, Cigarroa wrote: "During testimony before the Select Committee, some early witnesses implied that the U.T. System has not protected the privacy rights of students, staff, and patients. This is simply not true."

An effort was begun in June 2013 to try and impeach Hall from his position as regent. Some legislators justified the impeachment on the grounds that Hall did not disclose several lawsuits that he was involved in when he originally completed his Regent background check. Hall updated Governor Rick Perry's office in April 2013 with the full list. The lack of lawsuit disclosure by Hall is not unique -- more than 9,000 lawsuits were not disclosed by other appointed Texas officials. No unelected official in Texas has ever been successfully impeached or removed from office. Governor of Texas Rick Perry's spokesperson said the investigations send a "chilling message" to gubernatorial appointees. He added that the investigation was "extraordinary political theater." Texas state legislators have never previously tried to remove an appointed official. Only two elected officials in the history of Texas have ever been successfully impeached.

Sandefer called Hall "bravery under fire" in an email seeking support for the regent. In an October 2013 op-ed, Sandefer wrote about the University of Texas, Austin's U.S. News ranking drop in relation to the impeachment investigation against Hall. Sandefer called Hall a whistle-blower who has suffered "vicious personal attacks.

In December 2013, the organization Empower Texans sent a mailer criticizing committee chair Carol Alvarado. The mailer stated that lawmakers improperly focused on Hall's behavior, rather than investigating the allegations of clout at the University of Texas, Austin. Alvarado called the mailer the action of "an outside group that’s trying to influence an investigation." Empower Texans president Michael Quinn Sullivan said the legislature was engaging in a "whitewashing" of potential university wrongdoings. "We're impeaching someone for asking questions," he said. Sandefer is on the board of Empower Texans.

In February 2015, an independent report by Kroll Associates, commissioned by the Regents Board, confirmed a "pattern of special treatment for well-connected applicants to UT." While the report did not show evidence of any quid pro quo, it did show that "extra acceptances were extended every year to accommodate special cases" and that the "President’s Office ordered applicants admitted over the objection of the Admissions Office." It added that "efforts were made to minimize paper trails and written lists" during the process." The Wall Street Journal wrote that the report should "should put an end" to the concerns over Hall's clout investigations.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Sandefer has a wife, Laura. Together they started the Acton Academy. He and his ex-wife have one daughter.

See also

• University of Texas System Board of Regents
• Wallace Hall impeachment trial

External links

• Profile at Philanthropy Roundtable
• Acton School of Business
• Business Week, "Jeff Sandefer Profile"

Additional reading

• New York Times, "Our Motto: Give the Customers What They Want," September 18, 2012
• Austin Business Journal, "Five minutes with: JEFF SANDEFER," February 1, 2009