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The University of Texas System Board of Regents voted Thursday during its quarterly meeting to enact a policy that will limit when and how “controversial topics” can be discussed by professors in the classroom.
The University of Texas System, which includes DFW campuses UT Arlington and UT Dallas, passed the guidance just months after the Texas A&M University Board of Regents passed a similar one in December. Professors at UT System schools will now be required to have their syllabuses reviewed by university leadership for what is deemed a “controversial topic” before being cleared to teach it.
Unlike Texas A&M, the UT System did not clearly define what classifies as a “controversial topic.” A&M leaders have specifically targeted courses with content related to race, gender and LGBTQ topics. The UT System is holding an audit over classes that include topics related to gender identity for compliance with law and “board priorities” but the guidance does not include race or gender topics specifically.
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According to the UT Board of Regents meeting agenda, university leaders believe the guidance will “foster classroom cultures of trust in which all students feel free to voice their questions and beliefs, especially when those perspectives might conflict with those of the instructor or other students.”
The guidance also prohibits professors from including course material that is not considered “relevant” to the course or learning environment.
“In the classroom, instructors must be careful stewards of their pedagogical responsibilities and classroom authorities and must endeavor to create a classroom culture of trust,” the guidance reads. “Instructors must not attempt to coerce, indoctrinate, harass, or belittle students, especially in addressing controversial subjects and areas here people of good faith can hold differing convictions.”
UT system professors are now prohibited from teaching any undisclosed material that is not clearly related and grounded in the topic of that course. If a course does include an approved “controversial” topic like race, gender or LGBTQ areas of focus, professors must maintain a balanced approach and discussion. University leadership and department heads will be responsible for determining what is considered relevant.
Professors who oppose the policy say the lack of explanation of what is considered a “controversial topic” is a cause for major concern.
“As written, this policy will backfire,” said Peter Onyisi, a professor of physics at UT Austin, during public testimony. “Are we going to be expected to teach the controversy regarding fundamental principles of science? Which office will decide the range of opinions that can be held in good faith?”
A policy passed by Texas A&M’s Board of Regents similar to the one passed by UT has caused friction between professors and university leadership over how course content is reviewed and what is considered “controversial.” Several A&M syllabuses have been rejected for including content related to race and gender theory. One professor’s course plan was rejected for including readings from Plato. An A&M spokesperson later told the Star-Telegram that dozens of other classes still use Plato’s work as assigned readings.
A&M professor Leonard Bright also had his class canceled just days before the spring semester for failing to submit his syllabus for review in the proper fashion. Bright pushed back, saying he did everything right and did not withhold information about his course content. Bright also wrote in an X post that his colleagues and students found out about the university’s decision to cancel his class before he did.
“The message was clear: Be afraid no one can save you from being censored at Texas A&M” Bright wrote on X.
Bright is also the president of A&M’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors, a group that protects faculty’s academic freedom. Bright has loudly shared his concerns about A&M’s course review process since it was passed, including a statement after another A&M professor was told to remove his class readings last month.
The American Association of University Professors wrote in a news release Thursday after the University of Texas Board passed the guidance that they strongly disagree with the decisions. Members of AAUP shared testimony beforehand explaining it would restrict professors ability to answer student questions and freely hold innovative classroom discussion.
“Under the newly adopted policy, the unelected Board of Regents will decide what topics students should be taught, how topics should be taught, and what topics to exclude, instead of relying on instructors who know the field and trusting students to explore topics,” an AAUP spokesperson wrote in a statement.
Last week, the University of Texas at Austin announced it was consolidating its race, ethnic and gender study programs into one department. The African American Studies, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and Mexican American and Latino Studies programs are now part of one larger, more broad department. That decision was meant with harsh feedback from current students and professors.
Texas A&M last month also announced it was shutting down its women’s and gender studies department after current students finish their degrees.
Universities across the country have cracked down on programs, majors and courses that include content related to race, gender, and LGTBQ related topics since President Donald Trump has taken office and threatened to withhold federal funds to institutions that teach DEI topics. The Trump administration has already withheld funding to Harvard, Columbia, Northwester, Duke, Cornell, Princeton, Penn and UCLA.
“The policy restricts the freedom of instructors to respond to student questions on past and current events, bring new breakthroughs and innovations into the course, and challenge the students to think about what could happen in the future,” AAUP wrote in a statement. “In order for students to have the freedom to learn, instructors need the freedom to teach.”
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Samuel O’Neal is a local news reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram covering higher education and local news in Fort Worth. He joined the team in December 2025 after previously working as a staff writer at the Philadelphia Inquirer. He graduated from Temple University, where he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the school’s student paper, The Temple News.