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THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS August 29, 1089 JIM MATTOX ATTORNEY GENERAL Dr. William H. Cunningham Opinion No. JM-1091 President University of Texas System Re: Use of campus mail ser- 201 W. 7th Street vices at state universities Austin, Texas 78701 (RQ-1644) Dear Dr. Cunningham: You have requested the advice of this office on the following matter: We request your opinion as to whether a faculty or staff organization that has been certified by an official of the University to be an organization whose activities and purposes 'are academically relevant to the educational mission of the University' may be permitted to use the campus mail service without violating Section 51 of Article III of the Texas Constitution or the federal statutes relating to the private carriage of letters without the payment of postage. You do not describe any particular faculty or staff organization. We assume from your letter, however, that you are asking about organizations that are neither supported nor sponsored by the university but whose activities and purposes the university has recognized as "academically relevant to the educational mission" of the university. See generally Attorney General Opinion H-511 (1975) (use of university facilities by student organizations with religious affiliation). We turn first to 'your question about article III, section 51, of the Texas Constitution, which provides: The Legislature shall have no power to make any grant or authorize the making of any grant of public moneys to any individual, association of individuals, municipal or other corporations whatsoever; provided, however, the Legislature may grant aid to
