Texas A&M University System Approves Strict Policy on "Race and Gender Ideology" in Classes
The Texas A&M University System has approved a new policy that will require each campus president to sign off on any course that could be seen as advocating for "race and gender ideology" or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity. The policy, which was unanimously voted upon by the system's regents, defines race ideology as attempts to shame a particular race or ethnicity, while defining gender ideology as a concept of self-assessed gender identity replacing the biological category of sex.
Under the new policy, faculty will be prohibited from teaching material that is not consistent with the approved syllabus for each course. The policy also includes provisions for regular audits of all course content in the system's 12 schools every semester, which will use artificial intelligence to examine course materials and identify any discrepancies with the approved syllabus.
The changes were largely in response to a student's secret recordings of a professor discussing gender identity in a children's literature course, a controversy that sparked conservative outrage and sent shockwaves through Texas' higher education institutions. Faculty and students entered the room during the regents meeting when the full board considered the policy, with some expressing concerns about the vagueness of the language used in the policy.
Several professors testified before the regents, with eight speaking against the policy and two in favor. Some argued that the policy would stifle academic freedom and prevent faculty from teaching material on topics related to race or gender identity. Others expressed concerns about the potential for censorship and the impact it could have on students who are marginalized or underrepresented.
The system's regents have also announced a 24/7 option for students to report what they consider inaccurate or misleading course content, which will be reviewed by system staff. The system has stated that the policy changes complement an existing academic review and transparency initiative, and will help ensure clear course purposes, student accessible reporting mechanisms, regular review, and continuous quality improvement.
Critics of the policy have argued that it goes too far in restricting academic freedom and could lead to "lawful censorship" and a chilling effect on campus speech. Free speech experts and university faculty have expressed concerns about the potential impact of the policy on marginalized students and the stifling of critical discussion and debate.
The Texas A&M University System is not alone in implementing policies similar to this one, with other university systems beginning to impose restrictions on classroom content in response to state legislation and executive orders.
The Texas A&M University System has approved a new policy that will require each campus president to sign off on any course that could be seen as advocating for "race and gender ideology" or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity. The policy, which was unanimously voted upon by the system's regents, defines race ideology as attempts to shame a particular race or ethnicity, while defining gender ideology as a concept of self-assessed gender identity replacing the biological category of sex.
Under the new policy, faculty will be prohibited from teaching material that is not consistent with the approved syllabus for each course. The policy also includes provisions for regular audits of all course content in the system's 12 schools every semester, which will use artificial intelligence to examine course materials and identify any discrepancies with the approved syllabus.
The changes were largely in response to a student's secret recordings of a professor discussing gender identity in a children's literature course, a controversy that sparked conservative outrage and sent shockwaves through Texas' higher education institutions. Faculty and students entered the room during the regents meeting when the full board considered the policy, with some expressing concerns about the vagueness of the language used in the policy.
Several professors testified before the regents, with eight speaking against the policy and two in favor. Some argued that the policy would stifle academic freedom and prevent faculty from teaching material on topics related to race or gender identity. Others expressed concerns about the potential for censorship and the impact it could have on students who are marginalized or underrepresented.
The system's regents have also announced a 24/7 option for students to report what they consider inaccurate or misleading course content, which will be reviewed by system staff. The system has stated that the policy changes complement an existing academic review and transparency initiative, and will help ensure clear course purposes, student accessible reporting mechanisms, regular review, and continuous quality improvement.
Critics of the policy have argued that it goes too far in restricting academic freedom and could lead to "lawful censorship" and a chilling effect on campus speech. Free speech experts and university faculty have expressed concerns about the potential impact of the policy on marginalized students and the stifling of critical discussion and debate.
The Texas A&M University System is not alone in implementing policies similar to this one, with other university systems beginning to impose restrictions on classroom content in response to state legislation and executive orders.
We'll have to sign off on every meme we post online too! 
The Texas A&M policy is like a big ol' bowl of spaghetti - it's hard to follow and looks messy from the outside, but hey, at least they're consistent in their approach. 24/7 reporting line? That's just an excuse for students to call it out on you if their favorite prof is teaching something they don't agree with 
I guess it's good that some profs are speaking up about this, but can't we just have an open discussion about it instead of threatening each other with AI-powered audits? 
The more I think about it, the more I realize this is like a big game of "Risk" - universities are trying to protect themselves from being sued, while students and profs are trying to keep their freedom to discuss. Who's gonna win? 
It feels like they're trying to control what students can learn in class and stifle those who want to have open discussions about important topics. 
It's super vague, like they're just trying to sweep anything under the rug if it makes someone uncomfortable 
. What about when a professor tries to teach a course on intersectionality or systemic racism? Shouldn't that be okay? 
I'm not sure what kind of "artificial intelligence" they think is going to magically detect if a course is "not consistent with the approved syllabus"... it sounds like just an excuse for censorship. 
. Like, what's next? Are they gonna make us sign off on every single tweet we post about politics or social issues? 
Like, where did we go from there? 
. It's not about censorship, it's about keeping the conversation going and encouraging critical thinking 
. The language used in the policy is pretty vague, which makes me think that it's open to interpretation - and that can lead to censorship 
. I also feel for the students who might be marginalized or underrepresented, because this policy could prevent them from having honest discussions about issues that matter to them 
. What if they're already struggling to find their place on campus? Don't we want them to have a safe space to explore and learn? 
.
. And what about the faculty members? Are they just supposed to stick to the syllabus no matter what? That's so restrictive! 
what's next? will they be checking our social media posts too? 
the idea of faculty being prohibited from teaching material not consistent with the syllabus is just straight up censorship 
. I get that there might be some pushback from certain groups, but this policy just feels like an overreach to me. It's like they're trying to create a safe space for everyone, except the ones who are already marginalized 
...
. If they're really worried about students getting "confused" or misinformed, maybe they should be focusing on promoting media literacy and critical thinking skills instead 
. I just hope that everyone involved in this policy is taking the time to think about how it might affect real people's lives 
.
This is crazy and I don't think it's okay for professors to be told what to teach or not teach. That's basically censorship and it's gonna stifle all kinds of important discussions that need to happen on campus 
. This policy is just going to drive people away from universities and limit our options for education 
can you even imagine trying to track down all those subversive doodles? 
& now i'm hearing rumors that faculty are gonna get a 24/7 hotline to rat out anyone who teaches anything 'unapproved' 
1 in 5 college professors feel pressured to avoid discussing sensitive topics like race and gender identity due to concerns about campus backlash 