An Islamic institution in Texas has deleted its website after being threatened by Governor Greg Abbott (R). The Texas American Muslim University, or TexAM University, is not recognized as a university by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and holds no accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Earlier this month, the THECB sent a letter to the university at Abbott’s direction, demanding that the institution cease its operations. “TexAM has never been granted a Certificate of Authority to operate in Texas; therefore, TexAM is prohibited by law from granting or offering to grant degrees. A person or entity’s non-compliance with Chapter 61, Subchapter G, subjects them to criminal punishment, administrative penalties, and liability for civil penalties and injunctive relief (Tex. Educ. Code § 61.316-319). Furthermore, non-compliance is a violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and subjects the person or entity to the criminal and civil liability imposed under that act (Tex. Educ. Code § 61.320),” the letter read.
“TexAM, and all related entities, must immediately cease advertising, offering, and enrolling students in degrees or programs of study until it has applied for and been granted a Certificate of Authority. You must also cease and desist from using any protected terms immediately,” the letter added.
The Texas A&M University System also released a statement on the matter, stating it objects to the “unauthorized use of the Texas A&M University name and trademarks by a Muslim education entity in North Texas that is branding itself as ‘TexAM University.’” It emphasized that the entity is “affiliated with or endorsed by Texas A&M University or The Texas A&M University System.”
According to the school’s now-deleted website, the academic institution was the “first university in the United States to offer STEM degree programs embedded with mandatory courses in Islamic Studies.”
