HUNTSVILLE–Regents of the Texas State University System approved a sweeping overhaul of the core curricula at its component institutions under a state law passed in 2025.
The new law, Senate Bill 37, reformed several aspects of university governance, focused on expanding the explicit authority of campus presidents and system boards of regents.
As part of those changes, the new laws require governing boards of taxpayer-subsidized university systems to conduct a review of all general education curricula every five years.
General education requirements are a set of courses all students must complete, regardless of major. Higher education authors Jason Brennan and Phil Magness have criticized these mandates as a subsidy for economically unsustainable programs that frequently protect woke curricula from accountability.
The Texas State System’s changes, covering 46 pages in the meeting agenda, led to the removal of a handful of courses and the modification of more than 100.
For the system’s main campus in San Marcos, 135 courses were modified while eight were removed.
Texas State based its review on standards of “foundational and fundamental postsecondary learning,” “preparation for civic and professional life,” “workforce readiness and societal contribution,” and “breadth of knowledge consistent with accreditation standards.”
Other system institutions saw nominal changes, with Lamar University and Lamar State Port Arthur each removing three courses and Sul Ross State modifying two.
Sul Ross State made 75 new courses eligible for “core” status.
Lamar State College Orange, Lamar Institute of Technology, and Sam Houston State were unchanged.
Regents did not discuss the changes publicly and moved through the 433-page agenda in 38 minutes.
“The board unanimously approved updated general education curricula for TSUS member institutions, as required by SB 37,” a Texas State System representative told Texas Scorecard.
“The updated curricula are consistent with applicable state requirements and accreditation standards and are intended to enhance graduates’ participation in civic and professional life, workforce readiness, and breadth of knowledge.”
The Texas State University System consists of seven academic institutions. It is overseen by a Board of Regents appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Texas Senate. Stephen Lee of Bastrop is the current board chairman.
