November’s meeting of the Texas A&M system board of regents included unanimous action to amend policies affecting faculty members and students. One policy change says no academic course within the System may TEACH race or gender ideology or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity.
A month later, on the week before Christmas, the regents changed the language in policy 08.01, dropping the word TEACH and substituting that faculty can not ADVOCATE race or gender ideology.
The regents also changed the system policy 08.01 when a university president gives an exception to allow teaching of race or gender ideology. The new policy applies exceptions to specific but undefined non-core curriculum, or graduate courses in some undefined disciplines. And a president approving an exception applies to limited circumstances upon demonstrating a necessary educational purpose.
The regents action on December 18th followed a December 8th Zoom call where A&M faculty members were invited to ask questions of the teaching policies with representatives of the provost’s office, which is in charge of the university’s academic operation.
Click below to hear comments from the December 18th special meeting of the Texas A&M system board of regents meeting and some of the comments from the December 8th Zoom call involving A&M faculty members and representatives of the provost office.
