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Approximately one month after implementing a policy that mandates approval for courses addressing race, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity, the Texas A&M University System regents approved revisions that have raised concerns among faculty. They fear these changes might effectively prohibit discussions of these topics in introductory courses.
During a special meeting held on Thursday, regents approved the amendments without publicly reading the updated language or discussing its content. System officials did not immediately release the revised text or respond to inquiries about it. Faculty members have shared emails from two department heads regarding the revised policy before and after the vote.
The revised policy states that “no system academic course will advocate race or gender ideology, or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity,” unless the course is exclusively for graduate students or upper-level undergraduate students, has prior written approval from a campus president, and demonstrates a “necessary educational purpose.”
Chris Bryan, the system’s vice chancellor for marketing and communications, stated, “These updates simply clarify which academic courses the policy applies to and outline the process for reviewing and approving those courses.”
He emphasized that this is not a shift toward a more restrictive policy but rather a straightforward clarification aimed at ensuring consistency, transparency, and alignment across the System.
However, several faculty members expressed uncertainty about how this new language would be interpreted and enforced by administrators, particularly in introductory or required courses, with the spring semester set to commence on January 12.
Martin Peterson, a philosophy professor and chair of Texas A&M’s Academic Freedom Council, commented on the changes as a private citizen, labeling them “outright censorship.” He fears that the revised policy will prevent him from teaching critical components of his PHIL 111: Contemporary Moral Issues course, which has traditionally included discussions on moral dilemmas surrounding race, gender, and sexual orientation.
Peterson remarked, “My students are adults and need to learn to structure their arguments for or against.”
Another faculty member, who chose to remain anonymous due to concerns about potential job repercussions, highlighted that the revised policy raises important questions regarding its implications for degree requirements for all undergraduates. Students are required to select a class from a list to fulfill a cultural discourse requirement, which includes courses such as Introduction to Race and Ethnicity, Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies, Social and Cultural Anthropology, and Contemporary Moral Issues.
The professor noted that these courses inherently involve discussions about race and gender, and the new restrictions could have a significant impact on many classes on the list.
The Texas A&M University System first adopted this policy in November following backlash and scrutiny over a professor’s comments regarding gender identity in a children’s literature class, which had been secretly recorded by a student.
The previous policy required campus presidents to approve any courses that could be perceived as advocating “race or gender ideology, or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity.” This was established alongside new rules prohibiting faculty from teaching content that deviates from approved syllabi.
System leaders characterized the changes as a means to promote transparency and consistency in instruction, while faculty expressed concerns that administrators might interpret advocacy too broadly, potentially restricting discussions on these topics across various disciplines, including history, medicine, public health, and law.
A frequently asked questions document circulated after the initial policy was approved indicated that faculty at Texas A&M University-San Antonio and Tarleton State University were informed that “advocating” could mean requiring students to adopt specific beliefs or ridiculing certain viewpoints. Examples included compelling students to feel personal shame over historical injustices or mandating beliefs about issues like same-sex relationships or political ideologies.
The FAQ document clarified that faculty are expected to teach “historically significant, empirically established and discipline-grounded topics,” even if these subjects may be “emotionally difficult or sensitive for some students.” It stated that faculty are not prohibited from teaching about slavery, racism, or the Holocaust in U.S. history courses, nor from discussing same-sex relationships in human sexuality courses.
In recent months, other university systems have also initiated course audits, citing the need to comply with new state laws or presidential directives, despite no state or federal legislation explicitly prohibiting the teaching of race, gender, or sexual orientation topics.
This month, the Texas Tech University System implemented restrictions on faculty promoting or advocating certain race- or sex-based beliefs. Instructors who include related content in their courses must submit that material for review, allowing it to remain only if deemed necessary for professional licensure, certification, or patient care, or if approved by administrators and, in some cases, the board of regents.
At Texas State, administrators have recommended that professors avoid terms like “challenging,” “dismantling,” and “decolonizing” in course descriptions and suggested renaming courses with titles such as “Combating Racism in Healthcare” to more neutral titles like “Race and Public Health in America.”
Contributions to this story were made by Nicholas Gutteridge.
Disclosure: Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University System, Texas Tech University, and Texas Tech University System have provided financial support to The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization funded in part by donations from members, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters do not influence the Tribune’s journalism. A complete list of them can be found here.
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Jessica Priest is a Higher Education Reporter, who can be reached at jessica.priest@texastribune.org. She has been with the Tribune since 2022, initially as an engagement reporter in the ProPublica/Texas Tribune joint investigative unit.
