Gov. Greg Abbott signs anti-DEI, tenure bills
Research at the University of Houston will explore loneliness and problem drinking in the Hispanic community.Gov. Greg Abbott signed two bills into law on Wednesday that will alter major practices at Texas’ public colleges and universities, banning the use of diversity, equity and inclusion programs for employee hiring and codifying restrictions on tenure.
The cementing of tenure procedures into law could result in less obvious changes – it follows what some universities are already doing – although many faculty worry that the law's stated grounds for termination are too broad and could have a chilling affect. Those opponents said the law is still an improvement over original attempts to ban the practice altogether and strip faculty of the protection that allows them to teach and conduct research on the topics they choose.
Texas is following Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' lead with the ban, signing onto a broader nationwide effort by conservative activists to rein in universities that they believe had gone too far left and are crowding out Republican viewpoints. Abbott, a University of Texas graduate, said this year that universities are trying to “purge conservative thought.”
Federal enrollment data shows that UT and A&M have more diverse student bodies. In 2012, Hispanic students made up just 19 percent of the students at UT. Now they're over 24 percent. Similarly, Black students went from 4 percent in 2012 to 5 percent. Earlier this year, just about every public university in Texas had a DEI program. UT was among the most aggressive, with each college, school and unit having a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion officer. But after Abbott started blasting the programs, most schools began to halt the programs or announce that they were pausing them for review. Many schools also pulled requirements that applicants submit statements expressing their commitment to diversity efforts.
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