Texas Higher Education Bill Prompts Governance Shake-Up

A major higher education bill, Senate Bill 37, is headed to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk after passing both chambers of the Texas Legislature. Authored by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, the bill expands university system regents’ authority, restructures faculty senates, and establishes a new oversight office to ensure compliance with its provisions. It aims to reinforce regents’ final control over curriculum and hiring decisions, and introduce regular reviews of degree programs, as reported by the Austin American-Statesman.

The legislation mandates a broad reconfiguration of faculty senates, including limits on membership and changes to leadership appointments. It also requires that meetings be streamed and introduces an ombudsman — appointed by the governor — to lead a new office housed within the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. This office will monitor compliance with SB 37 and the 2023 ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.

Critics, including the University of Texas chapter and the Texas Conference of the American Association of University Professors, as well as the affiliate Texas American Federation of Teachers, argue that the bill undermines shared governance, limits faculty input, and may accelerate a “brain drain” as professors seek more autonomous academic environments. While lawmakers claim the bill will ensure degrees are “valuable” and free from ideological influence, opponents warn it gives unprecedented control over academic content to political appointees.

“Even with this change to SB 37, political appointees will have an unprecedented role in determining core curriculum and other course content, as well as approving or discontinuing majors, minors, and certificates,” Brian Evans, president of the Texas Conference of the American Association of University Professors, told the Austin American-Statesman.

The bill has already begun influencing university decisions. At the University of Texas at Austin, interim President Jim Davis named a sole finalist for provost in consultation with the UT System’s board, a move aligned with SB 37’s emphasis on regent-led oversight. 

“This is a pivotal moment for The University of Texas at Austin — an opportunity to build on our remarkable strengths and cultivate new ones,” Davis said in Wednesday’s statement. “I am optimistic that we will have the leaders we need in place this fall to begin shaping what comes next.”