Texas A&M tightens oversight of race and gender instruction after disputes over gender-theory coursework
The Texas A&M Board of Regents voted to require administrative approval before professors teach politically charged topics, including race, gender ideology, sexual orientation, or gender identity, citing recent campus controversies.
Recent events at Texas A&M form the backdrop for the regents’ latest mandate, as the university has repeatedly faced controversy over gender- and sexuality-related coursework.
The Board of Regents for Texas A&M University recently implemented a mandate that will require professors to get the school administration’s approval before covering topics related to race and gender ideology.
The Board of Regents cast the vote on Nov. 13. They made the change in an attempt to “restore public trust in higher education by adjusting policies related to coursework.”
The changes will take effect at each of the System’s dozen campuses.
The board made two changes. The first “clarifies that no academic course within the System may teach race or gender ideology or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity, unless the course and its materials are approved in advance by a university president.”
Similarly, the second “strengthens the language of the policy to ensure that members of the faculty adhere to the approved syllabus for each course.”
“While they retain freedom to discuss relevant subject matters, faculty members are prohibited from introducing unrelated topics or teaching material inconsistent with the approved syllabus,” the university clarified on Nov. 13 in a press release to A&M System News.
Recent events at Texas A&M form the backdrop for the regents’ latest mandate, as the university has repeatedly faced controversy over gender- and sexuality-related coursework.
Earlier this year, President Mark Welsh vetoed a proposal to add an LGBTQ Studies class to the core curriculum, noting concerns about advocacy-based assignments and ideological content.
Months later, the campus drew national attention when a professor was fired and two administrators removed after a student challenged gender-theory material that deviated from the approved syllabus—an incident that prompted a DOJ review and ultimately contributed to Welsh’s resignation.
These disputes, along with the prior elimination of the LGBTQ Studies minor and ongoing political scrutiny, set the stage for the Regents’ push to more closely regulate classroom content.
University administrators contended that the revisions were necessary to strengthen oversight and align course offerings with institutional priorities.
“The A&M System has a responsibility to be disciplined stewards of taxpayer resources and to ensure that courses serve students, communities and the state effectively,” Robert Albritton, chairman of the Board of Regents, said. “Additionally, we believe these updates also reflect our commitment to academic responsibility.”
“Transparency and accountability are essential to our mission. We’re delivering on that commitment and reinforcing confidence in the quality of a Texas A&M education,” Glenn Hegar, chancellor of the Texas A&M System, added. “This effort is really about ensuring we balance academic freedom with academic responsibility.”
Campus Reform has contacted Texas A&M University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
