![\"Texas](\"https:\/\/dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com\/resizer\/v2\/QGDNQWNQG5AWFD7X62S6BE6QVU.jpg?auth=bf6400ca9247f7934a30686ad9f09906dff9d74e935ad7c2e522d180c4e847bf&quality=80&height=127&width=190&focal=860,809\")
<\/p>\nProfessors at the Texas A&M University System cannot teach courses that \u201cadvocate race or gender ideology\u201d without a campus president\u2019s prior approval under a new policy approved Thursday. The system\u2019s Board of Regents voted unanimously to limit how those topics, including those \u201crelated to sexual orientation or gender identity,\u201d can be taught in classrooms. The board also approved a rule that says faculty will not be allowed to teach material that is \u201cinconsistent with the approved syllabus\u201d for the course.<\/p>\n
The changes go into effect across the system\u2019s 12 campuses next semester, which begins in January. Some professors say the move is an attack on their First Amendment rights and threatens their ability to teach historical concepts or topics involving race and gender.<\/p>\n
However, university officials say the policy will ensure students are learning things that align with their degree and that faculty are \u201ceducating, rather than advocating.\u201d \u201cCurriculum is created and approved based on the accepted body of knowledge needed for our students to be successful in their chosen profession,\u201d Regent Sam Torn said during the meeting. \u201cIt is unacceptable for other material to be taught instead.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new policy comes as Republican state leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott, exercise increased influence on Texas\u2019 public universities to eradicate what they see as liberal bias on campuses. Multiple Texas universities, including the Texas Tech System and the UT System, are reviewing gender identity content in their courses.<\/p>\n
Related<\/p>\n
Texas A&M has come under increased scrutiny in recent months after a state lawmaker posted a video on social media of a professor discussing gender identity in her course. The incident, which Texas A&M Chancellor Glenn Hegar referred to as \u201cindoctrination,\u201d led to the professor\u2019s firing and President Mark A. Welsh III\u2019s resignation.<\/p>\n
Related<\/p>\n
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The new policy defines race ideology as a concept that \u201cattempts to shame a particular race or ethnicity\u201d and \u201caccuse them of being oppressors.\u201d It would also include course content that \u201cpromotes activism on issues related to race or ethnicity, rather than academic instruction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gender ideology is defined as \u201ca concept of self-assessed gender identity replacing, and disconnected from, the biological category of sex.\u201d An earlier version of the proposed policy said faculty cannot \u201cteach\u201d those topics and gave a campus president or a delegate the power to review classes. The approved policy replaces \u201cteach\u201d with \u201cadvocate\u201d and only a university president can sign off on a course.<\/p>\n
Carolina Ramirez, a senior at Texas A&M International University who wants to be a teacher, described her sociology classes that discussed race and gender as critical preparation for her career. She worries future students will miss out on that experience under the new policy.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow am I expected to go into a classroom and respect my students if I have no idea of the things that they can be facing, the opportunities they have, and the opportunities that they don\u2019t have,\u201d she said. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t be able to fully be an educator if I\u2019m talking to students and I\u2019m disregarding their existence and their identities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some professors opposed the limitations during public testimony Thursday, saying it would threaten the quality of education students receive and inadequately prepare them for the workforce.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not university level education. It is cruelty and political indoctrination in wolf\u2019s clothing,\u201d said Leonard Bright, president of the Texas A&M Chapter of the American Association of University Professors.<\/p>\n
Opponents described the policy, and its definitions of race and gender ideology, as vague. They raised questions about its implementation, including whether teaching about an ideology in history or a student-driven discussion could be conflated with advocacy.<\/p>\n
Miranda Sachs, a history professor, said she believed she would need permission to teach about the Holocaust under the policy because it is \u201can example of a particular ethnic group and citing them for something in fault in history.\u201d<\/p>\n
Board of Regents Chair Robert Albritton pushed back on the reading of the policy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think any of this policy says that none of that history happened. That does not affect this whatsoever on any subject,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not the matter of discussing any of these things. It\u2019s a matter of expressing an opinion of one way or the other, versus both sides of the equation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some professors see the policy as necessary for restoring credibility and trust in Texas A&M\u2019s universities.<\/p>\n
Adam Kolasinski, a professor in the business school, said although he believes faculty should typically have control over what is taught in the classroom, he welcomed administrative intervention in this instance.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany disciplines have been so corrupted by intellectually vacuous and morally bankrupt ideologies, like what you define to be race ideology and gender ideology \u2014 ideologies masquerading as scholars that correction from the outside is necessary,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The new policy at Texas A&M University System has sparked debate among professors, students, and administrators. While some see it as a necessary measure to ensure academic integrity, others believe it threatens the quality of education and freedom of speech.<\/p>\n
A: The new policy requires professors to obtain prior approval from the campus president before teaching courses that \u201cadvocate race or gender ideology\u201d.<\/p>\n
A: The policy affects topics related to race, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity.<\/p>\n
A: The university president is responsible for implementing the policy and approving courses that may be affected by it.<\/p>\n
A: Some professors and students are concerned that the policy threatens academic freedom, limits the discussion of important topics, and may not prepare students for the workforce.<\/p>\n
A: The policy aims to ensure that students are learning material that aligns with their degree and that faculty are \u201ceducating, rather than advocating.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
New Policy at Texas A&M University System Professors at the Texas A&M University System cannot teach courses that \u201cadvocate race or gender ideology\u201d without a campus president\u2019s prior approval under a new policy approved Thursday. The system\u2019s Board of Regents voted unanimously to limit how those topics, including those \u201crelated to sexual orientation or gender […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":16751,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-16749","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-education"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com\/resizer\/v2\/X5WI7OFAQRE7XBNIZBYXBBALVU.jpg?auth=e137f7fb96d75794963abb7216182f34486730983fe85633627f3746b2373594&quality=80&width=1200&height=630&smart=true","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16749"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16749"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16749\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16752,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16749\/revisions\/16752"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16751"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}