Last month, the University of Texas System announced it is reviewing all gender studies courses in response to recent state legislation urging public institutions of higher education to take accountability for general education requirements.
Senate Bill 37, which was signed into law after the most recent legislative session, allows university governing boards to appoint committees for annual review of core curriculum requirements. Defined by the state as “curriculum… that all undergraduates of an institution of higher education are required to complete before receiving an academic undergraduate degree,” UT Austin’s core curriculum includes mandatory entry-level courses, among which “Contemporary Feminist and Queer East Asian Literature,” “Race, Gender, and Science,” and “Southern Queer Histories” are offered.
Some conservative lawmakers have expressed concern about leftwing gender ideology and LGBT-related materials at UT. State Representative Brian Harrison (R-Midlothian), for example, recently tweeted that UT is “teaching students HOW TO TRANSITION.” He cited a pamphlet he saw at a library on campus in March titled “NON-MEDICAL TRANSITION RESOURCE GUIDE.”
Additionally, House Bill 229, also adopted this Fall, distinguishes biological sexes in the context of government documentation. While the UT System’s conduct of this audit is not formally attributed to specific legislation, the Daily Texan reported that a UT System spokesperson stated to the outlet that the audit’s purpose is to align course curriculum with the values of the Board of Regents.
Currently, the UT System has not disclosed an ultimatum for the discovery of any state or federal law violations on UT campuses.
Across Texas, other universities have announced similar program audits. On September 29, University of North Texas System Chancellor Michael Williams instructed each institution to conduct a review of all academic programs, including course syllabi. In a system-wide memo distributed September 25, Texas Tech University System Chancellor Tedd L. Mitchell decreed each institution’s acknowledgment of HB 229 and compliance with curriculum audits, noting adherence is “fundamental to [Tech’s] responsibilities as stewards of public trust.”
