Texas A&M System considers removing diverse core curriculum courses

Regents for the Texas A&M University System are scheduled to vote on a proposal that could remove more than 200 courses from general-education requirements across 11 universities. The review follows the passage of Senate Bill 37, a state law requiring university governing boards to conduct a review every five years to ensure core courses are “foundational and fundamental” for civic life and the workforce.

The proposed removals include subjects such as LGBTQ literature, climate change, women’s and gender studies, Latinx literature, race and ethnicity, and the history of Black Americans in the United States. Texas A&M University in College Station faces the highest number of potential removals with 103 entries, followed by Texas A&M-San Antonio with 76.

Critics and faculty members have characterized the move as a political decision and an overreach of state law. Leonard Bright, president of the American Association of University Professors chapter at Texas A&M-College Station, stated that the decision suggests the university’s previous commitment to global perspectives is no longer a priority. A system spokesperson noted that while each campus conducted an independent review, all were evaluated against the same state law and system policy requirements.