New policy in core courses requires prior approval for content on “racial or gender ideology”; faculty spoke of about 200 courses that could be affected
Texas A&M University found itself in the midst of an academic-political storm this week: Martin Peterson, a philosophy professor at the College Station campus, was ordered to change the syllabus of a core course and remove modules on race and gender, including readings from Plato that the administration deemed “potentially” to cross into forbidden territory. The move came just days before the start of the spring semester, reigniting the debate over academic freedom, the limits of teaching, and the role of a public university in a conservative country. (The texas tribune)
What do the new rules require?
The basis for the change is a policy document of the Texas A&M system, which states that no academic course in the system “shall promote racial or gender ideology, or issues related to sexual orientation or gender identity.” Exceptions are possible only in certain non-core courses, mainly in advanced or graduate courses, and only after prior written approval of the institution’s administration and subject to “critical educational need.” (assets.system.tamus.edu)
The AP report noted that the rules also include definitions for the terms “racial ideology” and “gender ideology,” as well as a supplementary policy that restricts the introduction of “controversial topics” that are not directly related to the course topic, or instruction that is not consistent with an approved syllabus.
About 200 courses “may be affected”
According to the Texas Tribune, faculty members at the College of Arts and Sciences on the main campus were told that about 200 courses had been identified as potentially affected by the restrictions. Internal discussions have suggested several courses of action: changing content, removing reading sections, and sometimes even renumbering courses to remove them from the “core” category—even when students are already enrolled in them. The faculty is also reportedly considering requesting exemptions for about 30 courses, but it is unclear to faculty members who will make the decisions and based on what criteria.
In Peterson’s case, he reportedly submitted a syllabus for review and was given the choice between “reducing” the content or reassigning it to another course. Peterson told the Tribune that this was an attack on the core of academic discussion, and was quoted as saying, “Plato founded the Academy… If we can’t freely discuss Plato, we don’t have a university anymore.”
FIRE, an organization that works on civil rights and free speech on campuses, argued that the case illustrates how granting bureaucratic “veto” authority over course content leads to de facto censorship, even when it comes to classic texts. (thefire.org)
Background: The “Gender Unicorn” Affair and Political Pressure
The current conflict is not happening in a vacuum. The AP reported that the policy tightening comes after a controversy over a class on gender identity, during which a lecturer (Melissa McCall) was fired due to political pressure and a media outcry. The Texas Tribune later reported that the university system refused to reinstate her despite the findings of internal faculty committees.
The bottom line is that Texas A&M is now trying to implement relatively vague rules in a short time, with the immediate cost being uncertainty for lecturers and students, last-minute changes to content, and the risk of harming the continuity of studies. At the same time, the case is expected to continue to occupy lawyers and free speech organizations, because it is a public university that is also subject to the restrictions of the First Amendment to the US Constitution.
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Key phrase: Academic freedom at Texas A&M
Synonyms: Curricular restrictions, campus censorship, “race and gender ideology” policy, core courses, freedom of expression in universities, Texas A&M System
SLUG: texas-am-plato-syllabus-race-gender-policy-academic-freedom
