Higher Education Advocacy in Texas: Importance of Academic Freedom, Tenure, and Research
Advocacy for academic freedom, tenure, and other higher education values in Texas is crucial for advancing educational standards. Highlighting the significance of shared governance and expressing the benefits of teaching and research in different disciplines can help in advocating for these values. Understanding the power dynamics in the Texas Legislature, including key figures like Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, is essential for influencing policy decisions related to higher education in the state.
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Advocacy for Academic Freedom, Tenure and Other Higher Education Values in Texas Brian L. Evans Interim President Texas AAUP Conference aaup.texas@gmail.com Speaking for myself as an individual Not speaking on behalf of any group, institution, or organization October 13, 2023
Advocacy for Higher Ed Values Higher ed is a mystery to Legislators and the general public 48% of Texans aged 25-64 have enrolled in an institution of higher ed 30% of Texans aged 25-64 have completed higher ed certificate or degree Advocacy is telling your story about how higher ed helps our state Why are academic freedom, tenure, shared governance, and other higher ed values are important to you in teaching, research and expression? How has the teaching and research in your discipline benefitted Georgians? As a private citizen, you have freedom to express your views per First Amendment Rights be clear who you are speaking for And you can team up with a group to advocate .
Who Has the Power in the Texas Legislature? Governor Greg Abbott (R) Approves/veto bills and calls special sessions Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (R) Presides over Senate elected by voters Sets Legislative agenda and can fast track bills Names 31 Senators to committees and chairs Speaker Dade Phelan (R) Presides over House elected by 150 House Reps Sets House Legislative priorities Names House Reps to committees and chairs House Committee Chairs form leadership team The University of Texas at Austin is one mile away (walking distance) Texas Capitol
Gov. Greg Abbott A priority is to create more Tier 1 & 2 universities Tier 2: $5M/year in research expenditures and 20 doctoral degrees/year in one discipline Tier 1: $100M/year in research expenditures and active doctoral programs across many different disciplines Feb. 16, 2022, Gov. Abbott issues a press release congratulating two new Tier 1 universities and four new Tier 2 universities 18 of the 37 four-year public universities in Texas are Tier 1 or Tier 2 9 in each tier, the most public research universities of any state in each tier Advocacy insight: Need to increase number of tenured and tenure-track faculty to achieve Tier 1 or Tier 2 status. Handout.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Feb. 18, 2022, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Statement on Plans for Higher Education for the 88thLegislative Session (Nov. 2022-May 2023) eliminating tenure at all public universities in Texas To address already-tenured professors, we will change tenure reviews from every 6 years to annually. Additionally, we will define teaching Critical Race Theory in statute as a cause for a tenured professor to be dismissed Apr. 4, 2022, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, 2022 Interim Legislative Charges. Senate Higher Education Committee was to study Removal of tenure and dismissal of tenured faculty members Role of faculty senates in representing faculty interests to the administration US History Requirements to ensure Critical Race Theory is not included
88th Texas Legislature Senate 19R 12D and House 86R 64D Nov. 9, 2022, Legislators start filing bills. House censorship & DEI bills filed in Dec. Jan. 10, 2023, Regular Session Starts ( Open House Day for Legislative Offices) Feb. 13, 2023, Lt. Gov. announces titles of fast-tracked Senate bills including trio of censorship, anti-DEI and anti-tenure bills. $700M in new funding if latter two pass. Mar. 10, 2023, Deadline to file bills. Trio of bills filed. 180 higher ed bills in total. Mar. 13, 2023, Committees start hearings on bills. Senate and House budgets ban funding for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs May 29, 2023, Regular Session Ends. 1,122 of 8,040 bills passed (15%). Advocacy takes different forms as session progresses 6
Texas AAUP Conference Members at 75 universities, comm. colleges, health-related inst. AAUP affiliated with Amer. Federation of Teachers Aug. 1, 2022 Advocacy for higher ed values Ramped up by Texas AFT (10/22) and NAACP LDF (2/23) Wrote op-eds and blogs, and tweeted @TexasAaup Interviewed with reporters ** Created higher ed bill tracker Coordinated with 10 higher ed advocacy orgs Legislative training, updates and visits ** Testifying at Texas Senate and House committee hearings ** Campaigns for Legislative outreach ** ** As private citizens / AAUP members
Building Legislative Coalitions NAACP LDF and Texas AFT connected our 10 orgs with Legislative Black Caucus Mexican American Legislative Caucus Other Legislators Picture by the Texas Tribune End Goals Amending a bill needs approval from the bill s sponsor Bill s opponents can use procedural tactics on floor to stop a bill Rep. Chris Turner stopped SB 1987 on loosening accreditation standards
Visiting Legislative Offices Texas AAUP and Texas AFT trained 30 faculty to visit Legislative offices in teams of 2-4 We built bipartisan relationships with more than 50 of 181 Legislative Offices Legislative staff appreciate visits because it helps them sort through the 8000+ bills Typical office has student interns and many full-time staff are recent grads and some are part-time graduate students good icebreaker to ask where they went to college Picture from left to right is Brian Evans (Texas AAUP) David Albert (Texas AFT & Texas AAUP) Rep. Vicki Goodwin on firstday of Texas Legislative Session
Testifying at Committee Hearings Texas AAUP and Texas AFT trained hundreds of faculty to present oral and written testimony at committee hearings on censorship, anti-DEI & anti- tenure bills In-person testimony at House Higher Ed Committee hearings in May 70 against anti-tenure bill 130 against anti-DEI bill Hundreds submitted written testimony April 6, 2023, after testifying against the anti-DEI SB 17 at the Senate Higher Education Subcommittee hearing at the Texas Capitol. Allen Liu (farthest left) and Hamida Labi (front row; third from left) NAACP Legal Defense Fund; Polly Strong (back row; farthest left) Texas AAUP; Irene Mulvey (back row; second from left) National AAUP President; Brian Evans (back row; third from right) Texas AAUP VP; Miriam Leaky (back row; second from right) Legislative Black Caucus; Emilio Zamora (front row; second from left) and Angela Valenzuela (front row; second from right) Director of Black Brown Dialogues on Policy and Member of AAUP
Advocacy Outcomes In House, our coordinated effort among 10 higher ed advocacy orgs Able to change the legal definition of tenure in tenure bill from one-year guaranteed contracts to continuous employment. Influenced changes in anti-DEI bill including several exceptions for external grants. Helped defeat the censorship bill Karma R. Ch vez, Lessons from AAUP Advocacy in Texas, Academe, 2023. How a revived AAUP chapter and a coalition of allies mobilized against a legislative assault.
American Association of University Professors AAUP has been organizing faculty on campus and statewide for advocacy of higher ed issues including Academic Freedom Tenure Shared Governance AAUP affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (1.7M members including 148,000 professors) on Aug. 1, 2022 AFT has significant legal and organizing resources Join AAUP: https://www.aaup.org/membership/join
Academic Freedom Academic freedom lies at the heart of free, independent, critical inquiry that is fundamental to the university s mission. 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom & Tenure Academic freedom for teachers in teaching, research and expression Jointly issued by American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and what is now American Association of Colleges & University (AAC&U) UT San Antonio and 900+ others are AAC&U members Adopted in UT System policies Academic freedom safeguards include tenure, due process, shared governance 1940 Statement: https://www.aaup.org/report/1940-statement-principles-academic-freedom-and-tenure
1940 AAUP/AAC&U Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom & Tenure Academic Freedom for faculty consists of interrelated elements: freedom to discuss all relevant matters in the classroom freedom to explore all avenues of scholarship, research, and creative expression and to publish the results of such work freedom from institutional censorship or discipline when speaking or writing as participants in the governance of an educational institution freedom from institutional censorship when speaking or writing as a citizen Widely adopted including in UT Austin and UT System policies Safeguards include tenure, due process, shared governance 1940 Statement: https://www.aaup.org/report/1940-statement-principles-academic-freedom-and-tenure
Tenure 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom & Tenure Tenure is a means to certain ends; specifically: (1) freedom of teaching and research and of extramural activities, and (2) a sufficient degree of economic security to make the profession attractive to all people of ability. Freedom and economic security, hence, tenure, are indispensable to the success of an institution in fulfilling its obligations to its students and to society. 1940 Statement: https://www.aaup.org/report/1940-statement-principles-academic-freedom-and-tenure
Shared Governance Principles 1966 Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities Jointly formulated by AAUP, ACE and AGB UT San Antonio is a member of American Council on Education (ACE) along with 1400 other colleges and universities UT System is a member of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities & Colleges (AGB) Describes roles for Faculty, President, and Governing Board This statement is a call to mutual understanding regarding the government of colleges and universities. (emphasis added) 1966 Joint Statement, https://www.aaup.org/report/statement-government-colleges-and-universities
Academic Freedom Protections in State Law Texas Education Code, Sec. 51.354 each institution of higher education has the general responsibility to serve the public and, within the institution s role and mission, to (5) protect intellectual exploration and academic freedom... Texas Administrative Code, Sec. 7.4(2)(B) "The chief academic officer...shall demonstrate sound aptitude for and experience with ...leadership and development of faculty, including the promotion of scholarship, research, service, academic freedom and responsibility, and tenure (where applicable); and the promotion of student success."
Bills Filed in the 88thTexas Legislature (1/2) HB 859 prevents undocumented students in public institutions of higher education from being considered residents of Texas. HB 1006 requires that each institution of higher education maintain political, social, and cultural neutrality and prohibits institutional support for DEI programs HB 1046 prohibits requiring affirmation of DEI in admissions, employment, and promotion HB 1607 places limits on teaching about racial and/or gender identity SB 518 requires standardized tests for admissions for first-time-in- college, graduate, and professional studies SB 1987
Bills Filed in the 88thTexas Legislature (1/2) Among the top 30 priority senate bills announced by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in a press release on Feb. 13, 2023: SB15 Protecting Women s College Sports SB16 Banning Critical Race Theory (CRT) in Higher Education SB17 Banning Discriminatory Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Policies in Higher Education SB18 Eliminating Tenure at General Academic Institutions SB19 Creating A New Higher Education Endowment Fund Senate and House budgets ban funding DEI programs Senate budget has about $700M in additional funding for public higher education if SB 17 and 18 were to become law (budgets are for two years)
Orange and Maroon Legislative Day 2023 Former/current students, faculty and staff from UT Austin and Texas A&M advocating for public higher ed at the State Capitol: Strong Investment in the Core Academic Mission Increased Investment in University Research Initiatives Support Innovations and Production of Semiconductors Increase Access to Mental Health Resources on Campus Fully Fund Military Veteran Education Benefits for the Texas Hazlewood Act Themes: Affordability, Improving Quality of Life, Creating Jobs 31 teams talked with all 181 Texas Legislators offices UT Austin and Texas A&M Orgs Advocate Together for Higher Ed , Feb. 15, 2023
Texas Population 25+ with BS Degrees of Higher Lloyd Potter, Texas Demographic Characteristics and Trends and Higher Education , Jan. 2021 22
President - Jeff Blodgett jeffblodgett@aaup-texas.org Vice President - Brian Evans halftoning@juno.com Secretary - Brie Day grizzynorte@protonmail.com Treasurer - Lynn Tatum LynnWTatum@gmail.com Past President - Jim Klein jeklein20@gmail.com VP for South Texas - Teresa Klein terklein@gmail.com VP for North Texas - Ludovic Sourdot lasourdot@gmail.com VP for West Texas - Kim Walker kimwalkerarts@gmail.com VP for East Texas - Patrick Burkart patrick@burkart.org VP for Central Texas - Rennison Lalgee rlalgee@gmail.com At-Large - Ann McGlashan annmcGlashan56@gmail.com At-Large Tony Villanueva tvmc98@yahoo.com Texas AAUP Conference Officers Brie Day Brian Evans Lynn Tatum Jeff Blodgett Kim Walker Ludovic Sourdot Jim Klein Teresa Klein Patrick Burkart Rennison Lalgee Ann McGlashan Tony Villanueva
UT Austin AAUP Chapter Members (100) Tenure-track, tenured, and professional faculty Graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and research scholars Bi-annual campus meetings Training in principles of academic freedom, tenure, and shared governance Brainstorming and discussions Coordinate advocacy through Texas AAUP Conference Blog site https://aaup-utaustin.org/ Campus outreach Jen Ebbeler Karma Ch vez Officers Bill Fagelson Brian Evans Andrea Gore Polly Strong Join AAUP: https://www.aaup.org/membership/join
