ScribbleStorm
Well-known member
Faculty at the University of Texas at Austin are bracing for a potential bloodbath in the liberal arts department, with entire programs on the chopping block. The university has quietly appointed a committee to study restructuring, but faculty members suspect it may be aimed squarely at ethnic and regional disciplines like African and African diaspora studies, Mexican American and Latina/o studies, and women's and gender studies.
The move has sent shockwaves through campus, with some professors expressing fears that the departments in question will be dismantled. "We're hearing bits and pieces," said Julie Minich, a professor of English and Mexican American and Latina/o studies. "We're hearing that the dean appointed a restructuring committee... We're trying to read the tea leaves."
The uncertainty has been exacerbated by a new state law that disbands faculty senates and gives university administrators near-absolute control over governance matters. The University of Texas system's president recently announced a taskforce to review the core curriculum, but the 18-member panel consists entirely of white professors.
Critics argue that the taskforce is stacked against the very departments it's supposed to reform. "Too many American history courses present the American past as a litany of oppressions and hypocrisies," wrote UT Austin provost William Inboden in a manifesto for National Affairs, a right-wing magazine. The statement echoes positions often invoked by conservatives, including Donald Trump.
"This really outlines his sense that the humanities and liberal arts are full of pathology and rot," said Craig Campbell, an anthropology professor at UT Austin. "That's what they're going after." Minich echoed similar sentiments, saying that Inboden's essay has put faculty members on edge.
The situation is reminiscent of earlier efforts by conservative groups like America First Policy Institute to target liberal arts departments. Their report, titled "Are the 'Studies' Worth Studying?", claimed that these disciplines are rife with "grade inflation" and advocates for their elimination.
UT Austin has a long history of pushing back against such initiatives. The university scrapped its diversity initiatives and laid off staff working on related programs before Trump returned to office. It also closed its Multicultural Engagement Center and cancelled its traditional bilingual graduation ceremony for Spanish-speaking students.
The provost's offer to receive preferential federal funding in exchange for policy reforms has sparked opposition from student groups, with over 200 students chanting "do not sign" outside the administration building this week.
As faculty members struggle to make sense of the situation, one thing is clear: the future of liberal arts programs at UT Austin hangs precariously in the balance.
The move has sent shockwaves through campus, with some professors expressing fears that the departments in question will be dismantled. "We're hearing bits and pieces," said Julie Minich, a professor of English and Mexican American and Latina/o studies. "We're hearing that the dean appointed a restructuring committee... We're trying to read the tea leaves."
The uncertainty has been exacerbated by a new state law that disbands faculty senates and gives university administrators near-absolute control over governance matters. The University of Texas system's president recently announced a taskforce to review the core curriculum, but the 18-member panel consists entirely of white professors.
Critics argue that the taskforce is stacked against the very departments it's supposed to reform. "Too many American history courses present the American past as a litany of oppressions and hypocrisies," wrote UT Austin provost William Inboden in a manifesto for National Affairs, a right-wing magazine. The statement echoes positions often invoked by conservatives, including Donald Trump.
"This really outlines his sense that the humanities and liberal arts are full of pathology and rot," said Craig Campbell, an anthropology professor at UT Austin. "That's what they're going after." Minich echoed similar sentiments, saying that Inboden's essay has put faculty members on edge.
The situation is reminiscent of earlier efforts by conservative groups like America First Policy Institute to target liberal arts departments. Their report, titled "Are the 'Studies' Worth Studying?", claimed that these disciplines are rife with "grade inflation" and advocates for their elimination.
UT Austin has a long history of pushing back against such initiatives. The university scrapped its diversity initiatives and laid off staff working on related programs before Trump returned to office. It also closed its Multicultural Engagement Center and cancelled its traditional bilingual graduation ceremony for Spanish-speaking students.
The provost's offer to receive preferential federal funding in exchange for policy reforms has sparked opposition from student groups, with over 200 students chanting "do not sign" outside the administration building this week.
As faculty members struggle to make sense of the situation, one thing is clear: the future of liberal arts programs at UT Austin hangs precariously in the balance.
This is crazy! They're literally trying to axe entire departments 
like they think we don't know what's going on already 
. I mean, can you believe a taskforce made up of all white professors? Like, come on! 
It's so obvious that they want to get rid of programs that focus on diversity and inclusivity 
. The fact that UT Austin had to lay off staff working on related programs before is just a sign that this isn't the first time they've tried to silence marginalized voices 
. I'm low-key freaking out about this 
, but at the same time, I'm super proud of all the students who are standing up against this and refusing to be silenced 
.
This is so not cool 
... I mean, can you even imagine if they just got rid of entire departments like that? It's like, what are they even going to do with all those students who need those classes? 
And it's all because of some conservative groups trying to "reform" the curriculum, which is basically just a fancy way of saying they're trying to suppress certain ideas and perspectives. 
Like, what about diversity and inclusion? Doesn't that matter anymore? 
. And to make matters worse, the new state law giving the administrators near-absolute control over governance matters is just worrying 
. It feels like they're trying to dismantle these programs that already have a history of being marginalized or underfunded... it's like they're playing with fire 
.
- what does that even say about the university's commitment to diversity and inclusion? 
It feels like we're seeing another iteration of the same old narrative from conservatives that these departments are rife with 'grade inflation' or some other nonsense... it's just not true 
.
.
It's like they're trying to erase the very existence of certain departments altogether. I'm not surprised that the taskforce is stacked with white professors - it's a classic move to silence marginalized voices. And what's up with the provost's offer for preferential funding? Is he trying to buy his way into making liberal arts programs obsolete? 
The fact that UT Austin has a history of pushing back against similar initiatives makes this situation even more alarming. It feels like they're caught in a perpetual cycle of ideological battles, and students are paying the price. 
i mean what's next? cutting out all the african american history classes? that would be a huge loss for america 
those faculty members sound super stressed out too, bracing for a potential bloodbath is not an exaggeration 