On Monday, Nov. 11, the Texas Senate Higher Education Subcommittee will hold a public hearing focusing on the future of faculty senates and so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and certificates in higher education. This hearing comes at a pivotal moment as lawmakers prepare for the 89th legislative session...
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After the Texas Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education covered Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies, combating antisemitism on Texas college campuses, and campus free speech in its May 2024 interim hearing, advocates were expecting the committee to take up the rest of its interim charges – including the second wave recently issued...
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Texas AAUP-AFT, the Texas chapter of the American Association of University Professors, and the Texas Faculty Association (TFA) released a new poll of Texas university and college faculty, and the findings are clear and bleak.
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A new AAUP report pinpoints Texas as a central battleground in the growing conflict over academic freedom in higher education.
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Last week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick released his interim charges, outlining the items that Patrick intends for senators to study in preparation for the next legislative session. In our last edition of the Hotline, Texas AFT unpacked each of interim charges that affect K-12 public education. This week, we’re diving...
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Last Saturday, members of the Texas Conference of the American Association of University Professors voted to affiliate with the Texas American Federation of Teachers.
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At Stephen F. Austin State University, a maintenance worker removes references to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from display to comply with SB 17’s censure of DEI programs at Texas public universities. On Jan. 1, Senate Bill 17 by Sen. Brandon Creighton, which prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs...
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AFT President Randi Weingarten, Network for Public Education President Diane Ravitch, and National Education Association President Becky Pringle spoke together at a conference keynote session. This past weekend, representatives from Texas AFT and the Houston Federation of Teachers (HFT) attended...
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While public institutions of higher education in Texas have weathered attacks from the state Legislature before, never have those attacks been so directly targeted by lawmakers as in this session.
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Texas AFT regularly participates in coalition work with allies related to our legislative priorities; in the past week, we have had the chance to join our coalition partners at the Capitol for successful advocacy days.
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Tenure & Academic Freedom As our union affiliate the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) notes, tenure is important to safeguard academic freedom, which is necessary for all who teach and conduct research in higher education. When faculty members know they could possibly lose their positions because of their speech,...
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HIGHER EDUCATION Texas AFT is proud to represent faculty and higher education professionals in community colleges and universities. https://youtu.be/ZYP41rNteGs Historic Affiliation : AAUP and AFT Join Forces Delegates to the biennial meeting of the American Association of University Professors voted in 2022 to affiliate with the American Federation of Teachers,...
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