Texas's focus on DEI and curriculum reform extends to institutions like Texas Women's University, Putting such educational establishments under pressure.
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Texas Woman's University, once known for championing women's education, finds itself in the hot seat, feeling the squeeze to dilute its female-focused programs. Modern-day political pawns and the specter of federal funding cuts on special programs celebrating women, Black history, Hispanic heritage, and LGBT+ studies have sent shockwaves through academia, leaving educators scared stiff.
The Lone Star State's lawmakers have taken aim at institutions promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Public schools and universities, including TWU, have dodged the spotlight as new laws have gone into effect since 2023. Although the university was initially established to empower women and holds the title as the largest women-centric university system in the United States, it opened its doors to male students back in 1972. The Denton campus boasts an impressive student population of over 12,000 and has extensions in Dallas and Houston.
Many educators in North Texas, leading gender, multicultural, and LGBT+ programs, were reluctant to share their thoughts for this feature—afraid of drawing unwanted attention to their studies. One TWU professor, in an off-the-cuff moment, admitted that they've hesitated to respond due to the ever-changing political landscape. With wise words, they explained that visibility in the current climate could bring unwelcome attention to their program.
The silence across higher education is deafening, as administrators and academics choose to stay mum for fear of political retaliation. Lauren Gutterman, an American studies professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and an executive committee member of the school's American Association of University Professors chapter, had this to say: "This silence is just a reflection of the incredible fear and vulnerability that many faculty members face."
Although Texas schools have yet to face federal punishments for gender and multicultural studies, state legislators have bandied about bills that rewrite the way institutions teach. In recent years, the Trump administration has threatened Ivy League institutions like Harvard University with funding freezes for refusing to limit activism on campus. Other universities, such as Columbia and Princeton, face similar financial cuts.
Many believe the Trump administration has bypassed Texas schools due to a tacit understanding that the state's conservative leaders are already enforcing their agenda. State leaders are expected to tighten their grip on universities, silencing the teaching of subjects they deem unworthy, especially topics revolving around race and ethnicity, gender, and sexuality.
During the last legislative session, the state banned diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at publicly-funded colleges and universities. This decision led to the loss of over 100 jobs across the state. Texas Woman's University closed its Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Outreach and opened the Center for First-Generation Students instead. The school also underwent a comprehensive legal and compliance review.
Chancellor and President Carine Feyton of TWU spoke up in a statement in August 2023, declaring: "Embracing people with diverse perspectives and lived experiences will endure. That is core to our identity."
This year, legislative efforts aim to prevent DEI in curriculum and research. The Association of University Professors and the Texas American Federation of Teachers highlighted 16 bills as problematic, as they could curb the freedom to learn, teach, and research. At the top of the list is Senate Bill 37, backed by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, and Sen. Brent Hagenbuch, R-Denton. If passed, the bill would create a "governing board" to ensure that universities don't promote specific ideologies and would provide a review of administrative hiring, tamp down the independence of faculty senates, and potentially "investigate matters of academic discourse at institutions of higher education and refer findings to the Attorney General."
"For too long, unelected faculty senates have operated behind closed doors, steering curriculum decisions, influencing institutional policy, issuing political statements to divest from Israel, and even organizing votes of 'no confidence' that undermine public trust," Creighton stated in a news release about the bill.
Danielle Phillips-Cunningham, former program director and founder of the multicultural women's and gender studies undergraduate major program at TWU, weighed in on the situation. For her, the field of women and gender studies kindled a love for knowledge. Despite stereotypes and assumptions, she hoped to challenge the status quo through her proposal for the program. Originally, the program had various concentrations to support students focusing on issues from leadership in nonprofit organizations to gender inequality in healthcare. Sadly, the program at TWU and similar programs face threats during this legislative session. Universities across the state have already begun eliminating programs or degree requirements relating to underrepresented groups, such as the LGBTQ+ minor at Texas A&M University and the cultural diversity and global cultures flag courses at the University of Texas.
Matt Flores, assistant vice president of communications at TWU, said the university "does not comment on any proposed or pending legislation." Sandra Jordan, chief of staff and vice president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, addressed the misconception surrounding DEI: "It's not a term used to suggest divisions among the population, but meeting students where they are in order to help them be successful."
Jordan explained that many offices supporting nontraditional students—such as veterans, those over 25, and students with children—were formed under DEI initiatives and boosted student retention and graduation rates. The legislative backlash against DEI is seen as a misguided attempt to reverse decades-old liberal ideals. The tensions between government and higher education have sparked a nationwide debate about the regulation of public university curriculum.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools advocates for the establishment of standards by academics, with peer review. The association stands as a powerful voice, representing over 800 institutions across the Southeast and ensuring compliance among its member schools. Jordan pointed out that state officials seem eager to seize control not only from experts in the field but also from boards of regents and boards of governors responsible for steering the institutions.
As the debate on curriculum regulation continues, major education institutions must grapple with the challenges posed by local and national officials. Gutterman reassured her peers that university leaders have pledged support for humanities and social sciences studies. However, she expressed concern that explicit support for LGBTQ+ studies and Black studies, for example, has been noticeably absent. Over 150 administrators of major universities signed a statement condemning government overreach and political interference in higher education. But, no signatories represented Texas.
- The intense political climate surrounding education and self-development programs, such as those focusing on women, Black history, Hispanic heritage, and LGBT+ studies, has led to a cautious approach among educators, as they fear unsettling general news and politics by speaking out.
- The Texas government's push to limit diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in education institutions, coupled with potential federal funding cuts for special programs, has prompted scrutiny of how science and politics intersect within higher education.
- The Association of University Professors and the Texas American Federation of Teachers have identified several bills, including Senate Bill 37, as problematic due to their potential to restrict education and research, particularly in topics related to race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality, raising questions about the government's role in regulating general-news and politics in academia.
