Texas A&M University System Board of Regents will consider a proposal later this week that would require all courses teaching gender ideology or race ideology to receive explicit approval from campus presidents before they may be offered to students.
The proposal, found on page 108 of this week’s regent meeting agenda, is intended to outline “civil rights protections provided by The Texas A&M University System” to employees, students, and the public.
“No system academic course will teach race or gender ideology, or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity, unless the course and the relevant course materials are approved in advance by the member CEO or designee,” the proposal states.
The phrase “member CEO or designee” is generally understood to refer to individual campus presidents.
The proposal defines gender ideology as “a concept of self-assessed gender identity replacing, and disconnected from, the biological category of sex.”
It defines race ideology as a “concept that attempts to shame a particular race or ethnicity, accuse them of being oppressors in a racial hierarchy or conspiracy, ascribe to them less value as contributors to society and public discourse because of their race or ethnicity, or assign them intrinsic guilt based on the actions of their presumed ancestors or relatives in other areas of the world.”
The proposal added that this “includes course content that promotes activism on issues related to race or ethnicity, rather than academic instruction.” Faculty would also be prohibited from teaching material that is “inconsistent with the approved syllabus” for that class.
This proposal follows remarks from TAMU system chancellor Glenn Hegar that the TAMU board would address indoctrination at its meeting this week.
Texas A&M’s proposal follows Texas State University’s recent adoption of a value-neutral instruction guide. While Texas State’s guide seeks to present controversial subjects in an unbiased manner, TAMUS’ proposal requires campus presidential approval.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) objected and told Texas Scorecard that the proposal could “invite unlawful censorship” and vowed to defend any faculty member disciplined under this proposal.
The American Association of University Professors, a trade association for left-wing faculty, stated on social media that TAMU’s proposal is “a blatant violation of academic freedom.”
The Texas A&M system did not respond to a request for comment. The regents will consider this matter at their meeting on Thursday.
The Texas A&M University System oversees 12 academic institutions, including the main College Station campus, and eight state agencies. It is overseen by a Board of Regents that is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Texas Senate. Robert Albritton is the current board chairman.
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