The forces that have led to UT-Austin President Bill Powers' possible ouster this week are grounded in an ideological debate playing out at universities across the country, but many observers say the UT fight has become distinctly personal.

The world-class university's reputation could be at stake, according to academic experts, alumni, state legislators and others.

Many U.S. universities are grappling with affordabilty, transparency and questions about the fundamental mission of higher education. Boards of regents have pushed for cheaper, more business-minded models while university presidents have defended traditional academic culture and research.

This dispute is at the core of the ongoing fight at the University of Texas at Austin, where Powers has for years pushed back against Gov. Rick Perry's attempts to institute reforms, including a $10,000 degree and the business-driven "seven breakthrough solutions" written by his friend and donor Jeff Sandefer.

The key players have been Powers and Perry's appointees on the UT System board of regents, illustrated most strongly in Regent Wallace Hall's repeated attempts to uncover wrongdoing under Hall's tenure. The fight for control over the flagship campus will culminate Thursday as the nine-member board is scheduled to decide Powers' fate.

Caught in the crosshairs of the ongoing power struggle is the reputation of the state's premier research university. National experts said they were baffled that Powers - who has kept costs at the flagship campus low compared to peer institutions and has maintained broad support from faculty, students and alumni - still faces the possible loss of his job.

"At the end of the day there still seems to be a drumbeat that is negative about the university and personally negative about the president," said Michael McLendon, an associate dean of education at Southern Methodist University and a national higher education expert. "A lot of people nationally just scratch their head. I don't see a stronger, healthier public research university than UT-Austin today. It's in a very fine condition."

While disputes between regents and presidents are common, the fight at UT is unusually pitched, said Michelle Cooper, president of the national Institute for Higher Education Policy. This reflects the personalities involved, Cooper said, including Perry and Powers, who chairs the prestigious Association of American Universities.

"This is a longstanding political feud that has gone from bad to worse and now even borders on becoming a little personal," Cooper said.

At the center of the feud is a clash of egos, said JJ Baskin, a founding member of the Texas Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education. Baskin generally sides with Powers.

"You have several of the strongest egos in the state," Baskin said, pointing to Perry and several regents as well as Powers. "But this is no longer about policy, it is about control, and that appropriately sits with President Powers."

This view is shared by many in the Legislature. The ongoing feud will likely result in an effort to rebuke the regents for their actions or even pass new laws next year to curtail their powers, said Austin-based lobbyist and political consultant Bill Miller.

The extent of the Legislature's ability to block Powers' ouster is limited, however. The situation is largely unprecedented, but censure seems to be lawmakers' only recourse and would amount to little more than a slap on the wrist.

House Speaker Joe Straus Monday admonished UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa for demanding Powers' resignation, but Straus didn't specify what lawmakers might do.

"While Speaker Straus respects the right of the chancellor and the board of regents to make appropriate personnel decisions, he is very disappointed that they have not been forthcoming or respectful of the Legislature on a number of issues recently," said Straus Press Secretary Erin Daly. "He believes their mishandling of this latest controversy threatens serious harm to higher education in Texas."

Regents are scheduled to discuss Powers' position on Thursday, after he refused last week to resign on the schedule Cigarroa demanded.

John Whitmire, D-Houston, the only state senator last year to vote against the appointment of the last three UT regents, said he expected regents to force Powers out, but he can't explain why the move was being made now.

"I think we'll probably see it this week, and it's very, very regrettable," said Whitmire. "It's all the worst example of hardball politics that you'll ever see."

The campus community is expressing strong support for Powers. The Faculty Council is scheduled to vote on a resolution Wednesday opposing his ouster, while students plan to rally outside the regents meeting the next day.

Brian Bremen, a English professor who has taught at UT-Austin for nearly a quarter-century, said faculty, staff and students are outraged at Cigarroa's demand. Bremen said Sandefer's influence looms over UT-Austin.

"People really are shocked," said Bremen, one of thousands to sign an online petition in support of Powers. "Nothing like this has ever taken place. From my mind, this borders on just being irresponsible."

Powers' critics say evidence has emerged of shady dealings at the flagship under his leadership. And Tom Lindsay, director of the Center for Higher Education at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, says regents must represent the interests of taxpayers and the public. The foundation is a conservative think tank; Sandefer, the Perry donor, serves on its board.

"The boards find themselves against a united academic community, but the academic community finds itself on the other side of a fairly united American people," said Lindsay. "If this were just a personal battle, we wouldn't see the same battles fought across the country at state universities."

Regents should be digging, as Cranberg and Hall have, said Anne Neal, president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni.

"Bill Powers would have you believe that the showdown at UT is all about politics and out-of-control trustees," Neal said. "But what's really at issue is accountability to the people of Texas - amidst mounting evidence of cronyism and special deals that start at the president's office and go to the very integrity of this superb university.

"When the administration is unwilling to provide answers, and when the president and board are no longer working together, then it's right for the board to seek another leader. The fact is: the president answers to the board, not the board to the president."