In a sweeping shift that curtails the traditional role of faculty in university governance, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 37 into law on June 22, dramatically limiting the authority and independence of faculty senates at public colleges and universities. The legislation, which takes effect September 1, centralizes control in the hands of governing boards and top administrators, raising alarm among academic freedom advocates.
Authored by Sen. Brandon Creighton, (R-Conroe), SB 37 grants governing boards the sole authority to establish or dissolve faculty senates and tightly restricts their structure and powers. Under the law, university presidents will appoint half of the members of any authorized senate and all of its officers, including the presiding officer. Elected members face stricter term limits than appointed ones and can be removed at any time on the recommendation of campus leadership, or at any time for failing to meet duties.
Perhaps most significantly, the law redefines faculty senates as strictly advisory bodies, with no final authority over curriculum, hiring, or policy decisions. Governing boards may also override any curricular changes, including general education requirements, and senates are barred from publishing statements using institutional branding on issues not directly related to their advisory role.
In addition to restructuring internal governance, SB 37 creates a new Office of the Ombudsman within the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Appointed by the governor, this office will investigate whether institutions comply with legislative mandates—and can recommend withholding funding from those that fall short.
Creighton defended the law as a check on what he described as ideological overreach. “For too long, unelected faculty senates have operated behind closed doors, steering curriculum decisions, influencing institutional policy, issuing political statements to divest from Israel, and even organizing votes of ‘no confidence’ that undermine public trust,” he said in a statement. “SB 37 reaffirms that the authority belongs to the board of regents so that our universities can stay focused on what matters: educating students, conducting research and preparing the next generation of Texas leaders.”
But faculty groups argue the law undermines the very foundation of academic institutions. Brian Evans, president of the Texas Conference of the American Association of University Professors, warned, “SB 37 will put what we teach in the hands of political appointees rather than in the hands of faculty who have studied these subjects and understand their nuances.”As other conservative-led states consider similar legislation, Texas’s new law may serve as a model—or a cautionary tale—for the future of shared governance in higher education.
