On May 25, Senate Bill 37 (SB 37) passed the Texas House of Representatives, following earlier approval by the Texas Senate on April 16. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on June 22.
The bill threatens institutional integrity and academic freedom, historically core values of Texas higher education. Autonomy has allowed Texan institutions like Texas State to be nationally and internationally recognized as drivers of academic excellence and research contributions. Now, these pillars of education face significant risks.
SB 37 introduces significant changes to the governing structure of higher learning institutions in Texas, restructuring faculty senates, enhancing the authority of university system regents over curricula and degree programs and establishing new oversight mechanisms through the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
The bill expands the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s authority to approve, deny or eliminate degree programs based on workforce demand, graduate employment rates and state-defined priorities. State-defined priorities are perhaps the most concerning, as they allow the politicization of education, with the current goals of an administration potentially leading to the elimination of degrees regardless of value. The bill’s broad text makes this risk even more uncertain.
Here at Texas State, degrees in philosophy, diversity studies and women’s and gender studies could be among the first targeted, as these fields tend to produce less positive employment metrics and may act counter to the state’s priorities.
“What I’m really worried about right now is the growing political reach into what’s actually taught at our universities. We need to be really careful,” Rep. Erin Zwiener (D-Driftwood) said. “Freedom of speech exists for a reason, and academic freedom is a vital part of that. We don’t want people in the classroom being forced to stick to one particular political ideology. Our students deserve to be exposed to a diversity of ideas.”
According to the bill’s text, “Each public university must annually report any changes to its general education curriculum to its governing board, which may overturn those decisions.” This inherently threatens the core principles of higher education as independent centers of learning and research, potentially degrading curriculum innovation and educational quality.
The bill’s author, Sen. Brandon Creighton (R‑Conroe), frames SB 37’s provisions as necessary to “restore academic integrity and accountability,” and other proponents such as Rep. Matt Shaheen (R‑Plano) claim that the bill will make degrees “more valuable.”
However, in effect, the bill is fundamentally opposed to these claims and will diminish academic integrity and undermine the value of a degree obtained in Texas. The bill erodes the academic integrity and institutional autonomy of Texas universities by allowing regents to overturn curriculum decisions, which opens the door to politically motivated course cuts.
Universities already have several measures in place to ensure accountability, such as faculty senates, that operate within the structure of the university system to provide oversight and maintain academic standards. Superseding these decisions at the state level undermines the shared-governance principles that allow universities to flourish.
These harms are not simply conjecture but are seen in other states that have implemented similar measures. In May 2023, Florida enacted SB 266, a law that banned state funding for DEI programs and gave politically appointed boards increased control over degrees and curricula, measures very similar to SB 37.
Since its enactment, Florida’s higher education system has seen noticeable declines in academic freedom, the dismantling of DEI offices and rising faculty departures. These challenges have led to a federal lawsuit challenging the law’s constitutionality.
SB 37 poses a direct threat to the very principles that have made its universities successful by hindering academic freedom and institutional autonomy. By handing political appointees unprecedented control over curricula and degree programs, the bill risks turning Texas higher education into a political entity rather than an independent center of learning and research.
This bill will directly affect the students and faculty at Texas State, and the example of states like Florida must not be ignored.
The Main Point is an opinion written by The University Star’s Editorial Board. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of our entire publication.
