Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a stark warning to Texas A&M University, threatening to fire President Mark Welsh if the institution continues to sponsor student travel to a conference that enforces racial exclusions.
The PhD Project Conference in Chicago, which promotes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), explicitly bars white and Asian students from attending—a direct violation of a Texas law banning such policies in public institutions.
The controversy erupted on Monday after investigative journalist Chris Rufo revealed that Texas A&M was organizing travel for students to attend the conference.
When asked about the university’s involvement, Abbott responded emphatically on X: “Hell no. It’s against Texas law and violates the U.S. Constitution. It will be fixed immediately, or the president will soon be gone.”
Mark Welsh, who has served as Texas A&M’s president since 2023, has a long history of supporting DEI initiatives. In 2016, as dean of the Bush School of Governance and Public Service, Welsh told students that diversity should play a decisive role in hiring decisions. “Interview everybody with an open mind, and in my view, ties go to diversity,” Welsh said. “There’s a risk in that, a personal risk you’ll have to accept, but I encourage you to accept that. I’ve never regretted it for a second.”
His advocacy for diversity extended to his tenure as a four-star general in the U.S. Air Force. As Chief of Staff, Welsh pushed to increase the percentage of women entering the Air Force Academy by eight percent—from 22 percent to 30 percent. Welsh was appointed to the Joint Chiefs of Staff by former President Barack Obama.
The law banning DEI policies in Texas public institutions took effect last year and requires universities to dismantle DEI offices and eliminate related hiring and training programs.
Welsh responded to the report with the following statement: “Texas A&M does not support any organization, conference, process or activity that excludes people based on race, creed, gender, age or any other discriminating factor. The intent of SB-17 is very clear in that regard. We will continue to honor both the letter and the intent of the law.”
The Texas A&M University System is overseen by a board of regents, who are appointed by Gov. Abbott and confirmed by the Texas Senate.
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