The Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education has released its interim report to the 89th Legislature. The report covers campus free speech policies, DEI policies, junior college funding, AI, and reskilling and upskilling. Sens. Drew Springer (R-Weatherford) and Royce West (D-Dallas) did not sign the report
Combating Antisemitism on Texas College Campuses and Campus Free Speech
- Ensure governing boards at Texas public institutions of higher education are equipped with the tools they need to create policies banning intimidation tactics and to amend their reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions according to each unique campus’s needs and infrastructures.
Monitor the Ban on Discriminatory DEI Policies
- Continue to monitor the implementation of SB 17 (88R) and the ongoing compliance efforts undertaken by Texas public institutions of higher education and their governing boards.
Public Junior College State Finance Program
- Consider expanding the transfer outcome under the performance tier to include transfers to Texas private four-year colleges and universities.
- Continue to monitor the implementation of HB 8 (89R) and fully fund outcomes in the existing framework.
Innovation and Technology in Higher Education
- Require all Texas public institutions of higher education to adopt policies related to academic integrity and ethical use of artificial intelligence.
- Continue to fund partnerships between institutions and regional employers–such as through the Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education program–to ensure degree and training programs keep up with ever-evolving fields in technology and innovation.
Core Curriculum Course Accessibility
- Encourage Texas public institutions of higher education to adopt measured growth strategies that balance increasing demand with continued in-person course accessibility and student success metrics. For times when in-person core course availability is not an option, develop state guidelines for the delivery of large-scale online courses, ensuring consistency in learning outcomes, student engagement and accessibility of such courses.
- Encourage Texas public institutions of higher education to adopt flat tuition rates that allow students to take on a broad range of semester credit hours without additional costs, thereby incentivizing full-time enrollment and timely graduation.
- Require Texas public institutions of higher education to report annually on student metrics, including graduation rates, retention rates and time to degree, as it relates to enrollment growth that year. Require periodic reviews by the Legislature of automatic admission thresholds to ensure they align with state workforce goals and institutional resource availability.
Higher Education “Faculty Senates” and Stopping DEI to Strengthen the Texas Workforce
- Add language in statute to address authority of governing boards at Texas public institutions of higher education and that clarifies the role of faculty senates. Address matters of academic discourse at institutions of higher education by equipping governing boards at Texas public institutions of higher education with tools to charge their member schools with following Texas law in letter and spirit.
- Encourage governing boards at Texas public institutions of higher education to adopt the Chicago Principles on Freedom of Expression and the Kalven Report on institutional neutrality in order to foster a campus culture dedicated to viewpoint diversity.
- Review general education requirements at Texas public institutions of higher education and determine feasible ways to align such requirements with employer and workforce demand for traditional knowledge and skills.
