The University of Texas System Board of Regents approved an initiative on Thursday that limits "controversial topics" in the classroom.
The new policy states that faculty must "not attempt to coerce, indoctrinate, harass, or belittle students, especially in addressing controversial subjects and areas where people of good faith can hold differing convictions." Faculty must also exclude "unrelated controversial or contested matters" from syllabi and only follow the contents of the syllabus for each course.
The initiative states that it recognizes faculty's freedom in the classroom, but says instructors must also adhere to principles of academic integrity. It says faculty members have the responsibility to foster a culture of trust where all students feel free to voice their beliefs; fairly present contrasted opinions with academic evidence; teach students to come to their own conclusions; and abstain from controversial topics that are not relevant to the course.
The new policy has raised concerns among academic freedom advocates who worry it restricts faculty's ability to respond to student questions on past and current events and challenge students to think about the future. They worry avoiding "controversial topics" could lead to censorship that will leave students ill-prepared to become field experts.
Brian Evans, president of the Texas American Association of University Professors, said if students ask about current topics, instructors will have to decide whether to engage or not, since everything discussed in class will have to be pre-cleared. "A faculty member is not going to be able do talk about current events without risking being fired," he said. "What kind of education is this?"
The policy says if a course includes "controversial topics," faculty must approach it in a broad and balanced way that allows a discussion of ideas in the classroom. The guidelines do not define specific "controversial topics," however, the change comes at a time when other Texas university systems have limited curriculums related to sex and gender identity.
The policy passed the Board of Regents without any questions from the members of the board. Chairman Kevin Eltife asked the chancellor and vice chancellor of the system to continue working with institutions to ensure compliance with the policy, as well as all federal and state directives related to gender identity.
It is unclear how the new policy will be enforced, leaving the 14 institutions that are part of the UT System, which includes UT Austin, to interpret how to apply these guidelines.
To achieve the guidelines, universities are being told they must make the needed changes to have "breath and balance" in their academic staff and their curriculums, so students are exposed to multiple viewpoints. Institutions must also decide when a "controversial material" is required in a field of study. Advocates worry that will lead to universities only hiring faculty that align with certain viewpoints, narrowing the diversity of topics that students can learn about.
This is the latest move in the Texas higher education system for the state to have more control over what is taught at public universities. Last November, the Texas A&M System placed limitations on how professors can teach race and gender, leading to all course materials to be revised by high-level administrators. The changes led to cancellations of some courses and alterations in the contents of others, including removing Plato readings. And in January, Texas A&M eliminated its women and gender program.
In December, Texas Tech University System also restricted how faculty teach about race and gender, prohibiting advocacy and "prejudice." In a memo, faculty were asked to recognize only two sexes and to submit courses related to sexual orientation for review.
Changes within the UT system have also taken place. Last week, UT Austin, the largest university in the system, announced it would consolidate seven ethnic and gender studies into two departments, getting rid of the department of African and African Diaspora Studies; American Studies; Mexican American and Latina/o Studies; and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, among others.
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