(NEW YORK)–The University of Texas System Board of Regents today approved a policy limiting discussion of “controversial topics” in classrooms.
“This policy will harpoon any chance students have of a valuable college education at the University of Texas,” said PEN America’s Campus Free Speech Program Director Kristen Shahverdian. ”The Board of Regents has mandated that faculty must restrict classroom conversations based on a set of vaguely defined notions of what might constitute controversial topics. Not only will this create a stifled classroom environment where certain topics are off-limits for students, but a campus environment where people are afraid to speak and to learn.”
The approved policy states that faculty are required to exclude “unrelated controversial or contested matters” from syllabi, and if they are included, instructors “shall ensure a broad and balanced approach” to them. Faculty also must “not attempt to coerce, indoctrinate, harass, or belittle students, especially in addressing controversial subjects and areas where people of good faith can hold differing convictions.” These vague terms are not defined, leaving them subject to broad interpretation. The policy further calls for institutions to“take steps to build appropriate breadth and balance in the faculty body and the curriculum,” which could lead faculty to mute their expertise to cater to viewpoints they believe administrators will favor, or, be used to justify further politicization of the University’s faculty.
“Many of these policy provisions are destined to chill academic teaching. If professors are worried that they will be perceived as ‘harassing’ or ‘coercing’ students into addressing a controversial subject, they likely will abstain from bringing up the subject at all,” said Shahverdian. “This deprives students of the opportunity to learn, discuss, and expand their worldview in the classroom.”
The Regents’ vote at the University of Texas follows similar policies around the country. In Indiana, a professor was sanctioned after an anonymous complaint was elevated to a violation of SB 202, which was enacted into law in 2024. The law penalizes faculty who are “unlikely to” foster intellectual diversity or “expose students to scholarly works from a variety of political or ideological frameworks.” PEN America has warned that such policies “muzzle” classroom discussions. Concerningly, the trend is spreading.
PEN America recently led a delegation of writers to Texas A&M after the Board of Regents passed a similar policy late last year which resulted in the censorship of Plato in a Philosophy class, a move PEN America called “absurd.”
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Malka Margolies, [email protected], 718-530-3582