LUBBOCK—Regents of the Texas Tech University System voted to maintain faculty senates while curtailing their authority consistent with a new state law.
The rule change came at the board’s quarterly meeting, held August 14 and 15 in Lubbock.
The move was necessary due to a new law passed during the recently concluded regular legislative session.
That law, Senate Bill 37 by State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe), abolished the practice of “shared governance” at publicly subsidized universities. At state universities, “shared governance” describes a system in which universities’ boards of regents delegate authority to university presidents, who subsequently share power with the faculty, which is represented by a faculty senate.
Under the new law, regents have the option to re-constitute faculty senates in an advisory capacity. The regents of the Texas Tech University System chose to exercise that option.
“The Board of Regents has approved a motion to adopt Texas Tech University System Regulation 07.20 concerning the establishment of faculty senates at all system institutions,” according to a Texas Tech statement. “The motion authorizes the presidents of the component institutions, or their designees, to approve updates to faculty senate policies at their respective universities, ensuring alignment with the new system regulation and Senate Bill 37.”
“Faculty Senates will continue at all universities within the Texas Tech University System and will comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law,” the statement continued.
Regents passed a separate resolution bringing their component campuses into compliance with Senate Bill 2972, which seeks to protect freedom of expression for students while establishing guardrails to prevent the type of disruptive chaos that occurred at UT-Austin in 2024.
The Texas Tech University System is the parent organization of five institutions.
Its board of regents is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Texas Senate.
