We have no academic freedom left in TX

[Mreader]

It's hard to be an academic in TX these days (already laws have attacked tenure, dismantled faculty senates, and more). The latest is that one disgruntled student ended up getting a senior lecturer (not tenured, so sadly vulnerable) fired and the Dean and the Dept Head removed from their positions. The Governor got involved and was instrumental in getting the prof fired.

Do you know how hard it is to get a full time job in a university now? Especially in the Humanities??? I feel so sorry for this professor who has become a political pawn. The book she was teaching (it was a Children's Lit class) is a popular book titled "It's OK to be a Unicorn".

See one of the exchanges here: Student : https://x.com/brianeharrison

Article here: https://thetexan.news/issues/educat...cle_5da16445-757e-4315-9976-32e53839160c.html

Now they are doing a full audit of ALL the classes in the A&M system. I guess I better be careful when I cover Lord Byron and Oscar Wilde in my classes next week.

We are not safe, and we are not okay.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Horrific. I’m so sorry. I teach and research all the forbidden topics. I’m in Canada and so far we are still allowed our freedoms. But for how long? Fascism always comes for universities. And queer people.

I feel a deep grief for the queer and gender diverse communities that are being targetted by these policies. The govt is attempting to erase queerness from our recorded history and culture. I live and work in a community that is about 20% LGBTQ+. I’ve noticed a huge upswell in applications from queer students from the US seeking safety, personally and academically. I wish I could accept them all.

 

[Mreader]

Horrific. I’m so sorry. I teach and research all the forbidden topics. I’m in Canada and so far we are still allowed our freedoms. But for how long? Fascism always comes for universities. And queer people.

I feel a deep grief for the queer and gender diverse communities that are being targetted by these policies. The govt is attempting to erase queerness from our recorded history and culture. I live and work in a community that is about 20% LGBTQ+. I’ve noticed a huge upswell in applications from queer students from the US seeking safety, personally and academically. I wish I could accept them all.

Thank you Dreamer for your words. All of this just makes me sick. You should see the comments in the articles - so much venom and animosity. It makes me feel so ill. Nobody in their right mind would want to come here to teach or do research, which means that we will suffer from a brain drain, thus exacerbating the problem.

It's laughable how people argue that we are indoctrinating the students. I can hardly get them to read the syllabus lol. They are far from being brainwashed.

 

[Rockdiamond]

They are far from being brainwashed

Speaking from personal experience....they are damn well being brainwashed.....but not by school. No critical thinking skills on Tictok and or youtube....
It's so darn easy for bad actors to completely engulf our kids' brains......so sad.....

 

[Rockdiamond]

@Mreader ...I wanted to add my sincere gratitude. Teachers are among the most valuable and least appreciated members of our society. Thank you for what you do.

 

[empliau]

Thank you Dreamer for your words. All of this just makes me sick. You should see the comments in the articles - so much venom and animosity. It makes me feel so ill. Nobody in their right mind would want to come here to teach or do research, which means that we will suffer from a brain drain, thus exacerbating the problem.

It's laughable how people argue that we are indoctrinating the students. I can hardly get them to read the syllabus lol. They are far from being brainwashed.

I always find the brainwashing accusation funny. Conservatism and progressivism has a pendulum swing historically - and as a fellow teacher, I agree. My students don't take their political ideas from me! If I were that influential, they'd do all the reading!

 

[telephone89]

You might be interested in the most recent John Oliver Last Week Tonight (Sept 7). He discusses the "plan" to take over the universities and mash them into submission.

The lengths they are taking to stifle free speech - and thought - is chilling.

 

[telephone89]

Horrific. I’m so sorry. I teach and research all the forbidden topics. I’m in Canada and so far we are still allowed our freedoms. But for how long? Fascism always comes for universities. And queer people.

I feel a deep grief for the queer and gender diverse communities that are being targetted by these policies. The govt is attempting to erase queerness from our recorded history and culture. I live and work in a community that is about 20% LGBTQ+. I’ve noticed a huge upswell in applications from queer students from the US seeking safety, personally and academically. I wish I could accept them all.

Have you seen what Alberta is up to? Canada is unfortunately not safe from these, and certain of our politicians are 100% maple MAGA.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Have you seen what Alberta is up to? Canada is unfortunately not safe from these, and certain of our politicians are 100% maple MAGA.

Yes I’m aware. We narrowly escaped election of a party that would absolutely follow suite with current US policy. Time will tell how things go but I am going to continue teaching about sexual and gender diversity as long as I am a prof.

 

[RunningwithScissors]

Academic family here, at an R1 (research one) university in Texas.

I completely agree that I hate how science and expertise are being disregarded in our country today. It's been happening for awhile, but has sped up exponentially during this current administration.

The recent attacks on Harvard, Columbia, NorthWestern and many others are sickening for reasons that range from personal (the war with academia will probably, eventually, affect my family) to nation-wide (where will this executive overreach end? Is our democracy crumbling?)

That being said, our family is currently doing very well professionally and we are happy where we are. My husband (professor) has not been asked to change his syllabus (perhaps that is coming, who knows) and his department has not recently been audited. He feels that he has academic freedom because his syllabus is not reviewed by a committee like it is in many other universities in order to comply with an agenda -- right or left. He teaches what he wants to teach, how he wants to teach it, and is well compensated for it.

He is very cautious about not saying anything that can be taken as a direct criticism of the current administration (state or federal) because of the political climate. This can be tricky, but my husband is smart (that's why I married him) and sticks to his historical case studies to illustrate the theory he teaches. (And let me be clear we do NOT support the current regime, we lean left politically, and my husband is a person of color).

Basically we are both doing what we always have done, which is do our work, and carry on.

But yes, there is a much higher level of unease in general then there ever used to be, because no one knows where this is all going. I do truly fear for science, education, public health and our democracy -- but I'd have those fears no matter what state I lived in because it's coming from the T administration and it affects all of us in the US.

 

[Lookinagain]

I’m not an academic but I totally support universities not being controlled by governments and I worry about what this will do to the learning of current and future students. Scary times for many reasons.

 

[Gypsy]

It's hard to be an academic in TX these days (already laws have attacked tenure, dismantled faculty senates, and more). The latest is that one disgruntled student ended up getting a senior lecturer (not tenured, so sadly vulnerable) fired and the Dean and the Dept Head removed from their positions. The Governor got involved and was instrumental in getting the prof fired.

Do you know how hard it is to get a full time job in a university now? Especially in the Humanities??? I feel so sorry for this professor who has become a political pawn. The book she was teaching (it was a Children's Lit class) is a popular book titled "It's OK to be a Unicorn".

See one of the exchanges here: Student : https://x.com/brianeharrison

Article here: https://thetexan.news/issues/educat...cle_5da16445-757e-4315-9976-32e53839160c.html

Now they are doing a full audit of ALL the classes in the A&M system. I guess I better be careful when I cover Lord Byron and Oscar Wilde in my classes next week.

We are not safe, and we are not okay.

Yeah. My partner works in education and they are horrified and appalled. We have to stay in TX for one more year but it’s a struggle to be here and watch our rights and freedoms erroded daily.

 

[Mreader]

You might be interested in the most recent John Oliver Last Week Tonight (Sept 7). He discusses the "plan" to take over the universities and mash them into submission.

The lengths they are taking to stifle free speech - and thought - is chilling.

I will check it out.

 

[Mreader]

Academic family here, at an R1 (research one) university in Texas.

I completely agree that I hate how science and expertise are being disregarded in our country today. It's been happening for awhile, but has sped up exponentially during this current administration.

The recent attacks on Harvard, Columbia, NorthWestern and many others are sickening for reasons that range from personal (the war with academia will probably, eventually, affect my family) to nation-wide (where will this executive overreach end? Is our democracy crumbling?)

That being said, our family is currently doing very well professionally and we are happy where we are. My husband (professor) has not been asked to change his syllabus (perhaps that is coming, who knows) and his department has not recently been audited. He feels that he has academic freedom because his syllabus is not reviewed by a committee like it is in many other universities in order to comply with an agenda -- right or left. He teaches what he wants to teach, how he wants to teach it, and is well compensated for it.

He is very cautious about not saying anything that can be taken as a direct criticism of the current administration (state or federal) because of the political climate. This can be tricky, but my husband is smart (that's why I married him) and sticks to his historical case studies to illustrate the theory he teaches. (And let me be clear we do NOT support the current regime, we lean left politically, and my husband is a person of color).

Basically we are both doing what we always have done, which is do our work, and carry on.

But yes, there is a much higher level of unease in general then there ever used to be, because no one knows where this is all going. I do truly fear for science, education, public health and our democracy -- but I'd have those fears no matter what state I lived in because it's coming from the T administration and it affects all of us in the US.

That is lucky. We have not been so lucky. We have been told to scrub syllabi of anything considered DEI for example. The most recent thing is that we have been tasked to find out how many students who are under 18 are in our classes bc there is a new law regarding obscene materials for minors and we have to make sure that nothing we are teaching them could fall under that category. Our faculty senate is being dismantled bc of SB 37 - I am surprised that SB 37 has not impacted your family some way - and is being restructured to some “advisory committee “ - whatever that means. Many colleagues have had their grants stop, thus pausing their research. The NEH (national endowment for the humanities) grants were cut. The Board of Regents are all political appointees. It’s just really, really bad.

Edit @RunningwithScissors - has DH been required to undergo PTR (post tenure review)? That’s another thing that’s been done here as a result of a different Senate bill when they tried to get rid of tenure altogether.

 

[Lookinagain]

Just wondering @Mreader and @RunningwithScissors if you are both at state universities, private universities or one at state and one private? Just a guess on my part, but would a state university have more of the type of thing Mreader is dealing with, than a private one?

 

[Mreader]

Just wondering @Mreader and @RunningwithScissors if you are both at state universities, private universities or one at state and one private? Just a guess on my part, but would a state university have more of the type of thing Mreader is dealing with, than a private one?

I believe both of us are at state ones.

 

[HockeyMama]

Just wondering @Mreader and @RunningwithScissors if you are both at state universities, private universities or one at state and one private? Just a guess on my part, but would a state university have more of the type of thing Mreader is dealing with, than a private one?

I work for a private uni in the US and it's the same thing. Even the private ones have grants funded. And most large uni's (public or private) are tied to hospital systems that have medicaid/medicare reimbursement with strings attached too as well as their own grants. No one is untouched. We are on the wrong side of history.

 

[Mreader]

Twice in one week - this guy had tenure (which is meaningless at this point):

Texas State fires professor accused of trying to incite political violence in video

Thomas Alter is the second professor in the state to be terminated for allegedly violating university policy after a video was posted on social media.

www.texastribune.org

 

[Gypsy]

Twice in one week - this guy had tenure (which is meaningless at this point):

Texas State fires professor accused of trying to incite political violence in video

Thomas Alter is the second professor in the state to be terminated for allegedly violating university policy after a video was posted on social media.

www.texastribune.org

SMH. I can't do anything else. Yet.

 

[Lookinagain]

I work for a private uni in the US and it's the same thing. Even the private ones have grants funded. And most large uni's (public or private) are tied to hospital systems that have medicaid/medicare reimbursement with strings attached too as well as their own grants. No one is untouched. We are on the wrong side of history.

I understand. I think, although I wasn't clear in my question, that I was wondering if there is a difference in Texas between the public and private, since both members are in the same state. I would think that the state would have more control over their own universities than it would over the private ones located in the same state, but I wasn't sure if that was a poor assumption.

 

[Gypsy]

I understand. I think, although I wasn't clear in my question, that I was wondering if there is a difference in Texas between the public and private, since both members are in the same state. I would think that the state would have more control over their own universities than it would over the private ones located in the same state, but I wasn't sure if that was a poor assumption.

Most schools, including private ones, receive federal and state funds. That can be withheld or used to incentivize certain behaviors and policies. And Texas is, ultimately, in the South. The majority here hold with these beliefs, including those who make policy at private institutions. So when DEI and equality and diversity were burned on the altar of hatred and the country cheered, they were more than happy to create policies like this. And now, as the endorse them, we are seeing the fall out.

 

[Lookinagain]

I get it, I just thought that perhaps the private ones were not quite as dependent on the state's good graces. I went to private universities for both college and graduate school. One in the south and one in the mid-west, so both in conservative states. The news publications that I get still as an alumni have topics that seem to be considered liberal now. I haven't seen a shift. Hence my question.

 

[Gypsy]

Harvard is the only one so far who has stood against because of the amount of money they get from private resources, and that will soon end. You should watch John Oliver's most recent episode. It addresses this directly.

 

[Lookinagain]

Harvard is the only one so far who has stood against because of the amount of money they get from private resources, and that will soon end. You should watch John Oliver's most recent episode. It addresses this directly.

I've been watching the situation with Harvard very closely for many reasons, one of which is that it's local to me and there are other private universities here who have not yet really been targeted but are on his list to be investigated, so may well be. Brown in a neighboring state, has already been targeted . It will definitely impact our medical and scientific research communities, among others.

 

[LightBright]

Twice in one week - this guy had tenure (which is meaningless at this point):

Texas State fires professor accused of trying to incite political violence in video

Thomas Alter is the second professor in the state to be terminated for allegedly violating university policy after a video was posted on social media.

www.texastribune.org

I wouldn’t want this tenured professor being paid to think this way and teach students. He wants to overthrow the government among other things. Why should we pay him to develop his plan to do so? From my understanding, Insurrectional Anarchists are violent.

Please look at his presentation on YouTube.

“Video recordings made public this week in which a Texas State University professor advocated for the overthrow of our government are inconsistent with our shared values and demonstrate egregious personal and professional misconduct,” McCall said in the statement.

“ The video circulated on X cuts one portion of Alter’s speech in half, during which he criticized “insurrectional anarchists” for their method of protesting, urging organization into a party to better reach people. In the full speech posted on YouTube, he notes that some anarchists have faced jail time for their methods of protest, praising their efforts but questioning whether they can achieve their goals.

“While their actions are laudable, it should be asked, to what purpose do they serve?” Alter said during his speech, which is not included in the video posted on X. The second portion of his statement is included. “Without organization, how can anyone expect to overthrow the most bloodthirsty, profit-driven, mad organization in the history of the world — that of the United States?”