The University of Texas System Board of Regents approved an initiative on Thursday that limits “controversial topics” in the classroom.
The new policy states that faculty must “not attempt to coerce, indoctrinate, harass, or belittle students, especially in addressing controversial subjects and areas where people of good faith can hold differing convictions.” Faculty must also exclude “unrelated controversial or contested matters” from syllabi and only follow the contents of the syllabus for each course.
The initiative states that it recognizes faculty’s freedom in the classroom, but says instructors must also adhere to principles of academic integrity. It says faculty members have the responsibility to foster a culture of trust where all students feel free to voice their beliefs; fairly present contrasted opinions with academic evidence; teach students to come to their own conclusions; and abstain from controversial topics that are not relevant to the course.
The new policy has raised concerns among academic freedom advocates who worry it restricts faculty’s ability to respond to student questions on past and current events and challenge students to think about the future. They worry avoiding “controversial topics” could lead to censorship that will leave students ill-prepared to become field experts.
Brian Evans, president of the Texas American Association of University Professors, said if students ask about current topics, instructors will have to decide whether to engage or not, since everything discussed in class will have to be pre-cleared. “A faculty member is not going to be able do talk about current events without risking being fired,” he said. “What kind of education is this?”
Retrieved from the American Student Union – Home – AMERICAN STUDENT UNION
