Texas A&M University is drastically revising its core curriculum to remove gender‑ and race‑related content from required courses, a decision that has ignited fierce pushback from professors who say the new policy suppresses academic freedom and censors important perspectives. Under the changes, instructors in core‑curriculum classes are being told not to feature material with major plotlines involving gay, transgender, or race‑focused themes unless specifically approved at the highest level.
University leaders have flagged or eliminated at least 200 courses in the College of Arts and Sciences as part of a systematic review of syllabi, faculty members report. Professors were instructed to submit their core‑curriculum syllabi so administrators could determine whether they included material advocating what the Board of Regents terms “race or gender ideology, sexual orientation, or gender identity.” Courses deemed non‑compliant are being reshaped or reassigned outside the core curriculum.
The move follows a recent Board of Regents decision that any course promoting those topics must receive explicit presidential approval before it can satisfy core requirements. In one widely discussed case, a “History of Film” instructor was asked to remove modules on feminism and queer cinema. When that professor refused, the course was pulled from the core‑curriculum list and resubmitted as a special topics class instead.
Another professor, who teaches “Contemporary Moral Problems,” was warned that he would be reassigned unless he removed “modules on race and gender ideology” from his philosophy class. That request included cutting readings by Plato, which reportedly address themes such as patriarchy, masculinity, and the human condition. The professor ultimately revised his syllabus, opting to pivot toward lectures on free speech and academic freedom.
Even courses like “Introduction to Race and Ethnicity” have been scrapped entirely after administrators concluded they could not comply with the new policy. Critics say the changes effectively purge essential discussions about identity, culture, and social dynamics from the required educational experience.
Administrators later sought to clarify the policy in an email to English faculty, stating that works featuring LGBTQ characters could remain in a course only if the plot does not center on sexual orientation or gender identity. Faculty were also told they may assign coursework containing transgender‑related chapters, provided instructors do not discuss that content in class or include it on exams or assignments.
Professors and academic freedom advocates argue the guidelines amount to ideological censorship and inhibit the breadth of learning expected at a major university. They say restricting these topics from core courses undermines students’ exposure to diverse ideas and critical thinking across disciplines.
