Faculty members at Texas Tech University have reported altering the content of 277 courses in response to new restrictions on teaching topics related to race, sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation. This information comes from a recent survey conducted by the Faculty Senate, highlighting the impact of directives from university leadership.
Course Content Changes
According to the survey, approximately half of the respondents indicated they had independently modified their course content due to concerns about compliance with memos issued by the Texas Tech System leaders. Additionally, about a quarter of the faculty reported being asked by administrators or other university personnel to make changes.
These changes come in the wake of directives from former Chancellor Tedd Mitchell and current Chancellor Brandon Creighton, aimed at aligning the university’s curriculum with state and federal laws. These directives include compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive order and a state law recognizing only two sexes, as well as restrictions on promoting certain concepts related to race and sex.
Faculty Response and Concerns
The survey, which received responses from 367 faculty members, also revealed that more than half of the respondents are considering seeking employment elsewhere due to these restrictions. The Faculty Senate’s survey was conducted in May and was not scientific, but it was made accessible only to those with Texas Tech credentials.
Alan Barenberg, chair of the Faculty Senate committee that drafted the survey, emphasized the importance of documenting these changes for posterity, despite the limited ability to affect outcomes. He noted that the memos have had a more significant impact on certain colleges, such as education, media and communication, and visual and performing arts, compared to others like engineering.
Administrative Actions and Faculty Pushback
Chancellor Creighton has further instructed faculty to submit course content related to gender identity and sexual orientation for review, and has barred the promotion of concepts suggesting inherent superiority of one race or sex over another. In April, Creighton issued a memo to phase out academic programs centered on sexual orientation and gender identity, restricting such content in undergraduate courses and limiting it in graduate theses.
The Faculty Senate has formally condemned Creighton’s memo, warning that it could harm the university’s reputation, limit student learning, and infringe on free inquiry. The Senate’s resolution also highlights concerns about political interference in academic matters.
Similar actions have been observed at other Texas universities, such as Texas A&M and the University of Texas System, where programs and courses related to race, gender, and sexuality are being restricted or reorganized.
Original reporting: Texas Tribune (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
