Classroom at the UTRGV Brownsville campus. Emilio Suarez/Vaquero Radio
A UTRGV faculty member says she is concerned about the abolishment of faculty senates at Texas universities, which could lead to what she calls the loss of academic freedom.
Former Faculty Senate Parliamentarian Silvia Solis said academic freedom is protected by the American Association of University Professors.
According to its website, the American Association of University Professors is a union and membership association of faculty and other academic professionals that defends rights to “teach, research and speak freely.”
Solis added the AAUP has written policies that guide professors as an ethical entity to protect academic freedom.
Texas Senate Bill 37 took effect Sept. 1.
She added there may be a lot of impact that comes with that law but one of the main concerns is the abolishing of faculty senates in public institutions.
Solis said as of now, UTRGV does not have a faculty senate. A Sept. 9 email from the Office of the President stated the university will form temporary faculty advisory groups until the UT System authorizes a new faculty senate.
She said she and other faculty members have not received any updates on the planning.
“We do have an influence on these policy changes, right? There are committees, there is a process that needs to be in place,” Solis said. “Right now, that’s not happening, right? Because there is no faculty senate.”
Solis added the change could threaten the principle of academic freedom.
“Academic freedom is the pursuit of knowledge,” Solis said. “Academic freedom protects me from any type of infringement, like, ‘Oh, you can’t do this type of research because you’re being censored in some way.’ It’s about preserving the pursuit of knowledge.”
Apart from threatening the principle of academic freedom, Solis said the changes could eventually reach students as well.
“It puts us at risk in affecting the curriculum, right? So, let’s say a student is wanting to learn about Mexican- American history. Are they going to be allowed? There is a risk of what students are going to have access to in terms of their choice of study,” Solis said.
The former parliamentarian said she hopes students will take moments like these to learn more about what is at stake.
Vice President for University Marketing and Communications Patrick Gonzales said UTRGV is working with the UT System in the process of re-establishing faculty senates under the new parameters of the law.
Gonzales said despite the changes, faculty involvement will continue to play an important role in decision making at UTRGV.
“As a state public university, we must comply with state laws, and Senate Bill 37 is a new one. But I do want to make it clear that this does not get rid of faculty input. We still value and we will continue to value faculty input into the university,” he said.
Gonzales added the new law adjusts how faculty participation will be organized moving forward.
Vaquero Radio asked Gonzales if he believes the new law would affect students to which he responded the university does not think so.
The UT System Board of Regents is scheduled to meet Nov. 19 and 20.
