A proposal to increase oversight of Texas性视界传媒 public universities 性视界传媒 including over who is hired and what is taught 性视界传媒 veers into state overreach, House Democrats said at a committee hearing Tuesday.
The Senate性视界传媒檚 priority bill would overhaul state colleges by giving governor-appointed regents more power to determine which courses are offered and regulate what性视界传媒檚 included in lessons, such as monitoring how students learn about race and sex.
College professors say academic freedom is at stake with this proposal, known as Senate Bill 37. They note that having a new state ombudsman性视界传媒檚 office 性视界传媒 which would investigate concerns at the schools, such as allegations that they are getting around the state性视界传媒檚 DEI ban 性视界传媒 would have a chilling effect.
性视界传媒淭his appears to be a solution in search of a problem, of biting the hand that feeds us so to speak ... I can性视界传媒檛 even see the data that suggests that this is necessary,性视界传媒 Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, said.
However, Rep. Matt Shaheen, R-Plano, who introduced the House version of the bill, told the committee that the bill aims to strengthen the state性视界传媒檚 talent pipeline by eliminating courses that 性视界传媒渕ay be outdated or misaligned with workforce needs and some degrees and certificate programs that lack workforce relevance and have low enrollment.性视界传媒
Adopting the measure will bolster Texas性视界传媒 future workforce by ensuring students get 性视界传媒渉igher-value degrees less expensively,性视界传媒 he added.
Howard pushed back, calling the bill 性视界传媒渆xtreme micromanagement.性视界传媒 She noted that university officials already consider industry needs when determining what courses to offer.
She pointed to state initiatives aimed at increasing post-secondary credentials 性视界传媒 such as Gov. Greg Abbott性视界传媒檚 60x30 plan launched a decade ago and its replacement, the Building a Talent Strong Texas plan, that came in 2022.
Boards of regents oversee college systems, such as the University of Texas and Texas A&M systems. They typically don性视界传媒檛 get involved in day-to-day operations.
Professors worry placing curriculum decisions in the hands of the politically connected governing boards would threaten their ability to teach controversial topics, as well as students性视界传媒 freedom to study certain subjects. The role of faculty senates would also be significantly decreased under the bill.
Introduced by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, SB 37 is one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick性视界传媒檚 top priorities. Patrick has long said he wants to roll back the 性视界传媒渨oke left性视界传媒 on college campuses.
性视界传媒淪trong oversight is essential to keeping Texas universities at the forefront of education and innovation,性视界传媒 Creighton said in a statement last month. 性视界传媒淲ith taxpayer dollars and students性视界传媒 futures on the line, our institutions must be accountable.性视界传媒
The legislation passed the Texas Senate in a 20-11 vote in April.
Under the bill, regents could overturn any decision made by campus leaders and would have final say over provost hirings.
Rep. Vincent Perez, D-El Paso, said the bill lacks safeguards against regents 性视界传媒減oliticizing hiring decisions性视界传媒 and turning 性视界传媒渋mportant academic roles into partisanship appointments.性视界传媒
Ray Bonilla, general counsel for the Texas A&M System, told lawmakers that while the bill gives regents the power to overturn hiring decisions below the provost, 性视界传媒淲e would hope that would be an extraordinary situation.性视界传媒
The proposal also aims to give regents final say over what courses are included in a university性视界传媒檚 core curriculum. Professors, deans and provosts currently have wide latitude on course offerings and lessons.
SB 37 aims to ensure core courses do not 性视界传媒渁dvocate or promote the idea that any race, sex, or ethnicity or any religious belief is inherently superior to any other,性视界传媒 according to the bill.
Core curriculum classes would have to prepare students for the workforce and 性视界传媒渃ivic and professional life,性视界传媒 among other things.
Perez worries that regents could eliminate courses, such as those about ethnic studies and gender studies, based on 性视界传媒渟ubjective criteria性视界传媒 because the 性视界传媒渂ill doesn性视界传媒檛 clearly define what exactly is outdated or irrelevant.性视界传媒
A 性视界传媒渨ide range of opinions性视界传媒 性视界传媒 including faculty, administrators, community members and industry leaders 性视界传媒 could be involved in decisions about core courses as an advisory committee at each institution, Bonilla responded.
性视界传媒淭here will be some subjective considerations,性视界传媒 he conceded. 性视界传媒淚性视界传媒檓 not sure how you can take that out of the process.性视界传媒
Professors echoed the concern about the bill性视界传媒檚 broad language, arguing it would 性视界传媒減revent open and honest discussion of the American past.性视界传媒
SB 37 would cause professors to avoid difficult topics about ideologies or race under the increased oversight, Lauren Gutterman, an associate professor of American studies at UT Austin, told lawmakers.
Governing boards would have final say over whether to cut minor degrees and certificate programs with low enrollment under the bill. Departments would have to show the president, who must review such programs every five years, 性视界传媒渋ndustry data to substantiate workforce demand性视界传媒 to avoid consideration for elimination.
Students in the arts, humanities and social sciences worry about the scrutiny over their fields of study.
Arwyn Heilrayne, a sophomore at UT studying theater education, told the committee she recently applied to colleges outside of Texas. She wants to teach theater after graduation but worries that relevant courses could be cut and her professors 性视界传媒渟ilenced性视界传媒 under the bill, she said.
性视界传媒淚 owe it to my future students to get the best possible education now that I possibly can ... If passed, this bill would force me to leave,性视界传媒 she said.
