The UT System Board of Regents unanimously approved a policy regulating \u201ccontroversial topics\u201d in the classroom during its meetings on Wednesday and Thursday. Additionally, the board approved a new computing school which merges three existing academic programs.<\/p>\n
The controversial topics policy prohibits faculty from discussing \u201cunrelated controversial or contested matters\u201d in the classroom. The policy also states instructors cannot \u201ccoerce, indoctrinate, harass, or belittle students, especially in addressing controversial subjects.\u201d It is currently unclear how the policy will be enforced.<\/p>\n
Chairman Kevin Eltife said the UT System \u201cExpectations of Academic Integrity and Standards for Teaching Controversial Topics\u201d policy ensures the \u201chighest level of integrity and quality from those faculty entrusted to teach.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Peter Onyisi, a physics professor at UT, speaking as a private citizen, said although the words \u201ccontroversial\u201d and \u201ccontested\u201d are constantly repeated in the policy, they are not defined, which \u201cfails to recognize the shared responsibilities of students and administrators \u2026 placing the (responsibility) entirely on instructors.\u201d<\/p>\n
David Gray Widder, assistant professor in the School of Information, speaking as a private citizen, said restricting what students can and can\u2019t learn will \u201cdiminish\u201d the value of a UT degree because \u201csome professors may opt to self-censor.\u201d<\/p>\n
The board\u2019s policy is similar to UT\u2019s Texas Statement on Academic Integrity<\/a> released last November, which included guidelines about academic responsibility \u201cto foster classroom cultures of trust in which all students feel free to voice their questions and beliefs.\u201d According to a University spokesperson, the November statement was only guidance, not direct policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ten faculty, alumni, students and community members testified against the policy at the meeting. Eltife supported University administrators, stating he and the speakers should just \u201cagree to disagree.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe have the utmost faith and confidence in President Davis and Provost Inboden,\u201d Eltife said. \u201cWe\u2019re proud of them \u2026 they\u2019re carrying out the priorities of this board.\u201d<\/p>\n The board also approved a new School of Computing, which will merge the Department of Computer Science, Department of Statistics and Data Sciences and the School of Information, now housed within the College of Natural Sciences. The new school will focus on fields including artificial intelligence and computing research, according to a University press release<\/a>. This move follows the University\u2019s consolidation<\/a> of seven ethnic and gender studies majors in the College of Liberal Arts last week.<\/p>\n