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Iv\u00e1n Chaar L\u00f3pez, a University of Texas scholar on border surveillance, is shown in his office this month. The denial of his tenure without an explanation will deter quality professors from building their careers at UT, the Editorial Board writes.<\/p>\n
Mikala Compton\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
Years of work. A book published. Peer-reviewed articles printed in respected scholarly journals. Awards won. Research funding secured. Other promising opportunities let go along the way.<\/p>\n
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Normally that would add up to tenure for a highly respected professor like\u00a0Iv\u00e1n Chaar L\u00f3pez \u2014 but it didn\u2019t, and the University of Texas won\u2019t explain why.<\/p>\n
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Chaar L\u00f3pez, a professor in the American Studies department, saw six years of work scrapped in February when a committee appointed by UT President Jim Davis\u00a0denied him tenure<\/a> despite the nearly unanimous recommendations he had received from his peers in the university and nationwide. As the Statesman\u2019s Lily\u00a0Kepner reported<\/a>, Chaar L\u00f3pez had been a finalist for tenure track positions in two UT departments and other universities when he was hired, and he published award-winning articles and secured multiple grants and fellowships.<\/p>\n Worse, UT did not even give\u00a0Chaar\u00a0L\u00f3pez the courtesy of an explanation \u2014 a departure from previous occasions, when UT instructors who were denied tenure received detailed letters explaining why. That silence has stoked speculation that Chaar L\u00f3pez was denied tenure because of his research into the intersections of immigration enforcement, surveillance technology, race and history at the U.S.-Mexico border \u2014 a field that rankles Texas conservatives.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve helped build things here, so the university is losing a catalyzer,\u201d\u00a0Chaar L\u00f3pez told us, pointing to the relationships he created with researchers both in the UT system and at institutions worldwide. \u201cIt\u2019s hard not to think that there is a political reason behind their decision.\u201d<\/p>\n ALSO READ: If UT wants to restore public trust, leaders must earn it<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The fallout extends beyond the blow to Chaar L\u00f3pez\u2019s career.\u00a0Texas\u2019 flagship university is losing\u00a0an accomplished, sought-after scholar. Its reputation has taken a hit, and more alumni are raising concerns that politics are driving key decisions. And an institution designed to advance knowledge and inquiry is left less equipped to do so.<\/p>\n UT declined to comment on the specifics of Chaar L\u00f3pez\u2019s case, but said the decision-making process was guided by fairness and professionalism.<\/p>\n \u201cTenure is a privilege, not a right, and UT does not rubber stamp decisions of such importance,\u201d UT spokesperson Mike Rosen told us. The\u00a0tenure review process in general, he said, \u201cis handled thoughtfully, fairly, and professionally with a thorough system of checks and balances to ensure the highest standards of teaching and research.\u201d<\/p>\n Yet UT has offered no explanation for why an overwhelming consensus in favor of Chaar L\u00f3pez’s tenure was rejected. If the university expects faculty and the public to trust its process, it must be willing to explain why such an extraordinary outcome occurred. A denial that leaves an accomplished professor in the dark after six years of hard work and high marks is not a fair process at all.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Such treatment of a faculty member would be concerning enough\u00a0on its own. But the case amplifies the growing perception that political pressures are reshaping UT \u2014 undercutting the flagship\u2019s mission of providing a challenging education that\u00a0best equips the next generation of leaders.<\/p>\n Davis, who became president last year, has overseen significant\u00a0changes to campus policies, department organization and faculty representation. The university has restricted\u00a0classroom discussions of \u201ccontroversial topics\u201d<\/a>\u00a0and consolidated gender and ethnic studies<\/a> \u2014 including the American Studies department where Chaar L\u00f3pez taught \u2014 narrowing the scope of academic debate and inquiry at an institution that should be expanding it.<\/p>\n The chilling effect spilled over to the alumni organization Texas Exes, which\u00a0last year rejected a $100,000 endowment<\/a> to fund a pharmacy studies scholarship because even the\u00a0hint of supporting a student from a diverse background was politically untenable<\/a>.<\/p>\n RELATED: UT didn\u2019t sign Trump\u2019s higher ed compact. But it\u2019s acting like it did<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Last October, UT considered signing<\/a> President Donald Trump\u2019s \u201cCompact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,\u201d which included provisions to ensure \u201ca broad spectrum of viewpoints\u201d by protecting conservative voices on campus. We recognize the concerns many have about ideological diversity on college campuses: More than three-quarters of Americans say college campuses have a liberal bias, and an even larger share worry about free speech, according to a 2025 University of Rochester survey<\/a>. Universities must strive to create classrooms where competing ideas can be debated openly.<\/p>\n But that goal is undermined when universities appear to punish scholars whose work falls outside the prevailing political winds. Fairness in the marketplace of ideas is achieved by welcoming diverse perspectives and robust debate, not by denying tenure to an accomplished professor without explanation.<\/p>\n Even if Chaar L\u00f3pez is given a reason for not receiving tenure, the damage to UT\u2019s reputation is done. Professors assessing their opportunities at the top universities will surely view the Texas flagship with justifiable skepticism. They could do everything asked of them, accomplish all of the standards required for tenure, and still be denied for no stated reason.<\/p>\n Academic tenure is a two-way street. It not only shields professors from termination without cause, it also ensures the university attracts and retains qualified educators who set high bars for the quality of instruction and the prestige of the institution.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Other professors at UT are feeling demoralized following the decision, according to Dr. Karma Ch\u00e1vez, a professor of Mexican American and Latina\/o studies at UT and president of the campus\u2019 chapter of the American Association of University Professors.<\/p>\n