Mock funeral mourns death of academic freedom as UT System weighs rule on cutting programs
Critics staged a mock funeral for academic freedom outside the University of Texas System headquarters ahead of a vote on proposed rules that would give campus presidents more authority to cut programs and faculty jobs without faculty appeal rights. The UT System is consolidating ethnic, gender, and race studies programs at UT-Austin and UTSA, citing declining enrollment, financial pressures, and political scrutiny, despite no legal restrictions on teaching these subjects.
Critics of the University of Texas System gathered in Austin on Wednesday to protest proposed changes that would shift power over program cuts and faculty hiring from faculty committees to campus presidents. The demonstration, featuring a mock funeral procession with a horse-drawn hearse and mourners in black, took place one day before regents were set to vote on the new rules. Graduate student Cameron Samuels, co-founder of Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, declared the university’s academic freedom ‘dead’ due to ‘a death by a thousand cuts,’ arguing the changes would remove safeguards amid rising political pressure over curriculum. The proposed rule would allow administrators to finalize program cuts and faculty decisions without faculty appeal rights, streamlining the process while preserving due process, according to UT System agenda materials. Board Chair Kevin Eltife defended the direction, citing record enrollment and strong alumni support, though he acknowledged disagreements over the approach. ‘Whatever we’re doing, we’re not perfect, but we’re damn sure headed in the right direction,’ he said. The UT System is consolidating programs tied to race, ethnicity, and gender at multiple campuses. UT-Austin announced plans in February to merge several departments by September 2027, later accelerating the timeline to this fall. UTSA is combining its bicultural-bilingual studies and race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality studies departments by September 1, citing declining enrollment and financial pressures. Data reviewed by The Texas Tribune showed departments like women’s, gender, and sexuality studies had significantly fewer faculty and majors compared to larger programs, such as economics. While teaching about race, gender, or sexuality remains legal, political pressure from state and federal leaders has intensified. Last year, President Donald Trump and Governor Greg Abbott issued executive orders restricting gender recognition to two categories, and UT-Austin was offered a federal funding incentive to align with such policies—though the university declined. Critics argue the consolidations reflect broader political interference in academic freedom, despite the system’s claims of maintaining due process.
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