A Texas university has renamed and restructured hundreds of courses, removing terms like "race," "class," and "gender" from titles and descriptions in response to a new law banning diversity programs at public colleges and universities.
Senate Bill 17, which took effect in January, prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in Texas' public universities, Texas Tribune reported.
Despite the law explicitly exempting course instruction and research, administrators at the University of North Texas (UNT) began revising course materials to align with perceived legislative expectations.
"Regardless of their intent, the UNT administration conducted a campaign of censorship of content in more than 200 courses," said Brian Evans, president of the Texas conference of the American Association of University Professors. "It's censoring what topics students can discuss and think critically about. In order for students to have the freedom to learn, faculty need to have the freedom to teach."
Several faculty members describe the changes as preemptive overcompliance rather than necessary adjustments.
"The curriculum does not reflect the expectations of Texas taxpayers and students who fund our public universities," Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, said. "It also falls short of equipping graduates with practical knowledge and skills that employers seek."
Critics, including national free speech organizations like PEN America, have denounced the school's actions as extreme.
"Everyone seems to be in a state of confusion," Tracy Everbach, UNT journalism professor, told Dallas News. "We haven't been given any guidelines."
Everbach, who's taught a class on "race, gender and the media" since 2009 at the school, is only one of many faculty members left in confusion.
"It has been taught at UNT for more than 20 years," Everbach said. "It's a really important class. When I talk to journalists, they wish they had a class like that."
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