Faculty and students at the University of North Texas have raised concerns about their academic freedom after significant edits were made to the institution’s curriculums. According to The Texas Tribune, UNT made at least 78 changes to course titles and descriptions in the College of Education’s graduate program and 130 edits to undergraduate courses in the same college.
For instance, a class previously titled “Race, Class and Gender Issues in Education” and offered as part of a master’s in educational leadership was renamed “Critical Inquiry in Education.” As The Tribune reported, “Before the course said students would learn how to be ‘culturally responsive’ to their own students and how to ‘debunk stereotypes and negative views’ about students going to school in places where “race, class and gender inequalities exist.”
The changes were made following a directive by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who asked public higher education institutions to reexamine their programs that maintain DEI policies. This comes after a January 2024 Texas law banned DEI offices on campus, as well as their funding. As a result, UNT closed down three faculty senate subcommittees for faculty of color, LGBTQ faculty and women. The institution also shut down the Multicultural Center and told library staff not to host Pride Week events.
The state law does not include provisions concerning DEI within the curriculum. Students and faculty are saying UNT is taking liberties that resemble censorship.
“Regardless of their intent, the UNT administration conducted a campaign of censorship of content in more than 200 courses,” Brian Evans, who serves as the president of the Texas conference of the American Association of University Professors, said in an interview with The Texas Tribune. “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.”
Others are concerned about their academic freedoms.
“I’m losing faith a little bit that UNT would ever stop this slide,” UNT professor Adam Briggle, who’s also the director of graduate studies of philosophy, said. “When do we actually push back? Where’s the line here? Because you can see how little by little, this could just become a total violation of academic freedoms.”
“The curriculum does not reflect the expectations of Texas taxpayers and students who fund our public universities,” Republican Sen. Brandon Creighton said. “It also falls short of equipping graduates with practical knowledge and skills that employers seek.”
He added that a DEI-focused curriculum isn’t a violation of the law but “contradicts its spirit.”
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