DEI bans, professor tenure and anti-Semitism on campus in Texas universities are among the issues Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants to review ahead of next year's legislative session.
Patrick released a 15-page document Thursday detailing preliminary charges that the Texas Senate will investigate in the coming months. These included critical scrutiny of faculty and freedom of speech on college campuses.
Are Texas universities following the state's DEI ban?
One of its duties is to oversee state prohibitions on diversity, equity, and inclusion at public universities. He urged lawmakers to “align the University's policies and procedures with the provisions of Senate Bill 17 to ensure that the University of Texas campus promotes equal opportunity and rewards individual merit and achievement. “The progress made by each university in the
The announcement comes weeks after Sen. Brandon Clayton, the author of the DEI ban, sent a letter to university leaders reinforcing expectations and oversight processes for the new law aimed at keeping DEI programs out of the state's schools. It was conducted. Schools could lose millions of dollars in state funding if they do not comply with the ban.
Since Mr. Clayton's letter, former DEI employees at the University of Texas System in Austin and Dallas have been fired. University officials said the layoffs are an ongoing effort to comply with prohibitions and streamline duplicative work.
In response to the layoffs, Creighton said in a statement that the University of Texas has “demonstrated that it is taking steps to ensure compliance with SB 17.” Lawmakers and advocacy groups opposed the move, calling it an “overreaction” to the new law.
Texas tenure and university faculty
Two of the seven priorities for higher education focus on professors and instructors.
Patrick is asking senators to consider the role of the Faculty Senate. A faculty senate is a governance structure in higher education in which faculty members debate academic issues and express their opinions through internal votes and public statements with recommendations to the administration.
Another is that concerns about tenure, which the government tried to abolish last year, have resurfaced.
Patrick has long expressed a desire to end his tenure at Texas. He wants to monitor the implementation of last year's bill that makes it easier for institutions to fire tenured professors.
Tenure is a title that faculty members earn based on merit. This protects professors from dismissal for reasons other than extenuating circumstances and is often associated with academic freedom. Historically, tenured professors have been able to pursue controversial research topics without interference from government or political parties.
Freedom of speech on campus
In the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, more state leaders are focusing on anti-Semitism on campuses.
Gov. Greg Abbott recently issued an executive order to address this issue on college campuses. But some have expressed concern that the order will impede free speech.
Patrick is asking senators to review campus policies to prevent discrimination against Jewish students.
Lawmakers should “study the oversight Texas institutions of higher education have regarding the formation and operation of student organizations, including access to campus facilities and use of campus property,” Patrick wrote. . This is consistent with President Abbott's executive order naming two pro-Palestinian student organizations as potentially violating discrimination laws.
At the same time, Patrick said in the preliminary indictment announcement that he wants to overhaul his free speech policies to strengthen his First Amendment rights.
Innovation and Community College Funding
The lieutenant governor wants to focus on innovation and technology by exploring “the opportunities and challenges of emerging technologies in teaching and learning, with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI), online education, and digital resources.” .
He also wants to oversee the implementation of a new community college funding model to ensure Texas educates the next generation of its workforce. Such campuses may receive more state funding based on student success, including the number of degrees and industry certificates the university awards and the number of students who transfer to four-year colleges. can.
The DMN Education Lab deepens our coverage and conversations about pressing education issues that matter to the future of North Texas.
DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative supported by Bobby and Lottie Lyle, Community Foundation of Texas, Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Dee Dee Rhodes, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, Meadows Foundation, Murrell Foundation, Solutions I am receiving Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Sidney Smith Hicks, University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control over Education Lab's journalism.
