The University of North Texas (UNT) is making significant changes to the titles and descriptions of courses within its College of Education. These changes involve the removal of terms such as “race,” “equity,” “gender,” and “class.” The adjustments are said to be part of a curriculum alignment review mandated by the state to ensure teacher training standards are met, according to Devynn Case, UNT spokeswoman. She stated that the review is not in relation to Senate Bill 17, which prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices and programs in public colleges and universities.
Faculty members express concern over these modifications. Katherine Cumings Mansfield, a professor of educational leadership, shared that the faculty was instructed to align their syllabi with new state laws, causing confusion as the laws do not directly apply to course content. She mentioned that since the spring of 2024, there had been discussions about how the DEI ban might affect course offerings.
Bill Camp, another faculty member, alerted colleagues to these changes via email in late October 2024. He explained that the alterations were made in response to issues associated with Senate Bill 17 and recent legislative directives. Specific courses, like “race, gender and class in education,” were retitled to more general terms like “critical inquiry in education.” This modification sparked concern among faculty members, as these courses typically address important research topics relevant to equity in education.
Tracy Everbach, a journalism professor at UNT, remarked on the state of uncertainty surrounding these changes. She noted that faculty members have not received clear guidelines, leading to speculation about potential future changes to their courses. Everbach teaches a course titled “race, gender and the media,” which examines how these topics are portrayed in various forms of media.
The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has voiced its concerns over the potential impact of these adjustments on academic freedom. They argue that censoring course syllabi content contradicts UNT’s policies and standards on academic freedom. The AAUP emphasized that academic freedom encompasses freedom from censorship in faculty teaching, research, and expression.
The Texas Senate has also been discussing the integration of DEI concepts into course content. During a higher education subcommittee hearing in Austin, Senator Brandon Creighton, the author of the DEI ban, indicated that while DEI-related curriculum does not explicitly violate the law, it contradicts its intent. The subcommittee aims to scrutinize programs and certifications that may foster discriminatory practices within DEI frameworks.
