Texas State officials convened in Austin Friday to announce a large donation and unveil a new name for a water research center.

The Meadows Foundation of Dallas pledged an initial gift of one million dollars to kick start the new center and has agreed to make subsequent donations over the next few years to total $5 million, officials said.

In honor of the gift, Texas State's Board of Regents renamed the River Systems Institute as "The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment."

The research center will focus on sustainability, drought management and the public policy.

President Denise Trauth said the donation is a "transformational gift."

She said it is another stepping stone to Texas State's growing notoriety.

 Texas State will seek other philanthropic donations and also apply for matched-funding from the state.

The popular fast food chain Chick-fil- A has been submerged in controversy following public statements made by its president, Dan Cathy, last month. Cathy said he supports the “Biblical definition of marriage,” and that this generation has a “prideful, arrogant attitude” to think it has the “audacity to define” marriage.

“We’re inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage,” Cathy said.

Chick-fil-A and Cathy met support and backlash for his comments, and many Americans, including political leaders, encouraged others to boycott or support the chain.

Texas State has begun competing against the seven other emerging research institutions for state dollars through the Texas Research Incentive Program, a fund established by the legislature in 2009 to boost the prestige of universities in Texas.

Texas State submitted four different research projects to be assessed by the state since becoming eligible in mid-January. The first-come-first-serve program matches private donations aimed at research for tier-two schools. If approved, the projects will bring in more than $500,000 in state dollars to the school, according to documents provided by the Office for University Advancement.

However, some officials are voicing concerns Texas State will not see any funds from the program. Questions linger about whether or not a budgetary shortfall will prohibit the state from reimbursing the program during the next legislative session.

University President’s Cabinet officials held a public hearing Monday to present a proposed tuition increase to a small group of students in attendance.

The proposal includes a 3.95 percent tuition increase for spring 2013 and academic year 2014-2015 and a bus fee increase of $17. The Board of Regents will vote on the measure at its next meeting May 23-25.

Bill Nance, vice president of finance and support services, said the tuition increase is necessary to patch a $4.5 million hole left from a budgetary shortfall in the past legislative session. Designated tuition will increase from $167 per scheduled credit hour to $177.63 next spring and up to $188.68 by the academic year 2014-2015.

“Designated tuition is the most adaptable type of funding,” Nance said. “It can go almost anywhere in the university.”

Current students’ tuition is funding four accounts President Denise Trauth uses for a variety of expenses, such as food in her suite at home football games, a $1,000 monthly car allowance and a cable subscription at her home and office.

These four accounts include the President’s Office and President’s contingency accounts, which are used for travel and office expenses. Also included is the Special Projects Discretionary account for events involving the president, and the Residencies/Apartments fund, which is used for maintenance and utilities at Trauth’s on-campus home. This last account is the only one used by other departments.

In addition to Trauth’s annual salary of $366,616.92, the accounts have a combined operating budget of $328,682.69, according to records obtained by The Star.

Trauth said every expense is made cost-efficiently and must be signed off by Dorothy Evans, director of Special Projects.

Medical professionals hope for proper use of a popular pill they say could make or break a college career for a student with Attention Deficit Disorder.

Adderall — a stimulant prescribed for ADD, which affects about 13 percent of teenagers — is the second most common prescription written for students by on-campus medical providers, according to records obtained from the Student Health Center. Adderall, a mixture of amphetamines, was prescribed 4,330 different times for students between June 1, 2009 and Nov. 11, 2011, according to the records.

Dr. Emilio Carranco, director of the Student Health Center, said raw numbers can sometimes be misleading. This is because some medications such as Adderall must be prescribed each month, resulting in 12 different prescriptions each year for the same student.