Texas’ DEI ban at colleges, professors’ tenure and antisemitism on campuses are among the issues Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants reviewed ahead of next year’s legislative session.

Patrick released a 15-page document Thursday detailing the interim charges for the Texas Senate to explore in the coming months, which included critical examinations of faculty on college campuses as well as free speech.

Are Texas colleges following the state’s DEI ban?

One charge is to monitor the state’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion at public colleges and universities. He wants lawmakers to examine “the progress each institution has made in aligning university policies and procedures with the provisions of Senate Bill 17, ensuring Texas college campuses foster equal opportunity and reward individual merit and achievement.”

This announcement comes weeks after Sen. Brandon Creighton, author of the DEI ban, sent a letter to university leaders reinforcing the expectations and oversight process of the new law aimed at keeping DEI programs out of state schools. Schools could lose millions in state funding if they do not adhere to the ban.

Since Creighton’s letter, former DEI employees from University of Texas System schools in Austin and Dallas have been laid off. University officials have said the cuts were continuous efforts to comply with the ban and to streamline redundant jobs.

In response to the layoffs, Creighton said in a statement that the University of Texas “demonstrate that they are taking steps to ensure compliance with SB 17.” Lawmakers and advocacy groups have opposed the move and said it was an “overreaction” to the new law.

Texas tenure and college faculty

Out of seven higher education priorities, two focus on professors and instructors.

Patrick wants senators to examine the role of faculty senates – a structure of governance in higher education where faculty members debate academic issues and voice opinions through internal votes and public statements with recommendations for the administration.

Another is resurfacing his concerns about tenure, which he tried to abolish last year.

Patrick has long expressed his desire to end tenure in Texas. He wants to monitor the implementation of last year’s bill that made it easier for institutions to terminate tenured professors.

Tenure is a designation earned by faculty members based on merit. It protects professors from being terminated for reasons other than extenuating circumstances and is often associated with academic freedom. Historically, tenured professors have been able to pursue controversial research topics without intervention of the administration or political parties.

Free speech on campus

In the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, more state leaders are focused on antisemitism on campuses.

Gov. Greg Abott recently issued an executive order to address it on college campuses.  However, some have expressed concerns that the order hinders free speech.

Patrick wants senators to review campus policies to prevent discrimination against Jewish students.

Lawmakers should “study the oversight Texas institutions of higher education have over the formation and operations of student organizations, including access to campus facilities and use of campus property,” Patrick wrote. This is consistent with the executive order issued by Abbott that names two Pro-Palestine student organizations as potentially violating discrimination laws.

At the same time, Patrick wants to review free speech policies to strengthen First Amendment rights, he said in announcing the interim charges.

Innovation and community college funding

The Lt. Gov. wants to focus on innovation and technology by investigating “opportunities and challenges of emerging technology on teaching and learning, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), online education, and digital resources.”

He also wants to monitor implementation of a new community college funding model to ensure that Texas is educating the next generations for the workforce. Such campuses can earn more in state funding based on student success, which includes the number of degrees and industry certificates a college awards and those who transfer on to a four-year university.

The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.

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