AAUP@UT

We champion academic freedom, advance shared governance, and organize faculty and staff to promote economic security and quality education.

Contact: Chapter President Karma Chavez aaup.utaustin@gmail.com

AAUP at UT Austin Expresses Concerns about UT’s “Statement on Academic Integrity”, Nov. 11, 2025

AAUP at UT Austin Stands in Solidarity with Faculty in the Texas A&M System, Nov. 11, 2025

AAUP Chapter at UT Austin Responses to the Trump Compact

• AAUP Chapter at UT Austin Statement on the Trump Administration “Compact”, Oct. 14, 2025
• AAUP Chapter at UT Austin Resolution on the Trump Administration “Compact”, Oct. 14, 2025
• Trump Administration, Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, Oct. 1, 2025

National Petitions Against the Trump Compacts

• University Administrations: Reject Trump’s “Loyalty Oath” Compacts, by Student, Staff, and Faculty organizations including Higher Ed Labor United.  Anyone can sign.
• To: University Presidents and Trustees: STAND WITH YOUR SCHOOL: Federal government attacks 9 universities. Sign the alumni petition now.  Anyone can sign.

Texas AAUP-AFT Response to Degree Audits and New State Laws

• Faculty Rights: Standing Against Censorship, Sept. 25, 2025. Here’s more info about your faculty rights in the UT System
• Upholding Faculty Rights to Academic Freedom and Due Process, an open letter to college and university administrators, Sept. 22, 2025
• Higher Ed Laws from the 2025 Texas Legislature, Aug. 4, 2025

AAUP Chapter at UT Austin 2025

• Advocacy: AAUP at UT Austin Expresses Concerns about UT’s “Statement on Academic Integrity”, Nov. 3, 2025
• Teach-In: Learn about Trump’s Proposed Compact with UT and What We Can All Do About It, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, 4-6pm, University Methodist Church, 2409 Guadalupe, Austin, TX. Flier.
• Advocacy: “Authoritarian Shift at UT Austin: AAUP Chapter Condemns Faculty Governance Overhaul“, Sept. 27, 2025
• Advocacy: “AAUP Executive Committee Letter to UT Austin Interim President Jim Davis,” concerning lack of a consultative committee for a national search for the new Provost hire, June 2, 2025.
• Advocacy: “Letter from AAUP Chapter at UT Austin: Revocation of International Student Visas“, March 9, 2025.
• Advocacy: “Statement on President Jay Hartzell’s Resignation“, Jan. 7, 2025.
• AAUP Principles in UT Policies: Curriculum – Academic freedom
• Meetings: Fall 24 – Fall 23 – Spr 23 – Fall 22 – Spr 22 – Fall 21
• Officers: 2025-27 and By-Laws

AAUP Chapter at UT Austin 2024 Highlights

• Chapter Meeting: Agenda, slides & highlights, Dec. 11, 2024.
• Testified at Texas Senate hearing on faculty senates and curriculum, Nov. 11, 2024.
• Join the AAUP Chapter at UT Austin Handout, Oct. 13, 2024
• Message to President Jay Hartzell About Not Following Due Process in Non-Renewal of Dean Stevens, Oct. 11, 2024
• Testified at Texas Senate hearing on implementation of anti-DEI SB 17 and Governor’s Order on antisemitism & free speech, May 14, 2024.
• UT Faculty have No Confidence in President Hartzell due to mass firings and militarized response to campus protests, Apr. 25, 2024.
• Response to mass firings of staff, faculty, administrators, Apr. 2, 2024.
• Academic freedom presentation to Dean’s Council, Mar. 2, 2024.

Slides & Fliers

All AAUP members affiliated with UT Austin are automatically members of AAUP@UT. If you are affiliated with UT Austin and would like to join the AAUP@UT mailing list, please email Brian Evans.

Our advocacy is amplified by teaming with Texas AAUP, AAUP, Texas AFT, AFT, Texas Council of Faculty Senates, Texas Faculty Association, Texas State Employees Union, Black Brown Dialogues on Policy, Texas Students for DEI, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Pen America, Texas NAACP, Every Texan, ACLU Texas, and other orgs. AAUP is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, and Texas AAUP is affiliated with Texas AFT.

Updated July 7, 2024.

I’d like to invite you to join us in AAUP to advocate for academic freedom and against legislative interference. Here’s a link to join and here are several reasons to consider joining.  Dues are on a sliding scale and membership is confidential.

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) champions academic freedom, advances shared governance, and organizes all faculty to promote economic security and quality education.  AAUP members also include researchers, graduate students, academic advisors, and other professional staff who need academic freedom to do their work. In Texas, AAUP members are on 75 campus and have started 28 campus chapters.

We’ve caught glimpses of the many attacks on academic freedom and shared governance to come in the next Legislative session at the Texas Senate hearing on May 14 and from legislative priorities already released.  Like we did last Legislative session, Texas AAUP will mobilize its members to work with the Texas American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and other advocacy orgs to have a daily ground game.  We’re using this summer to organize.  Follow us on X @TexasAaup and @aaup_utAustin for daily updates.

A particularly exciting development is that Texas AAUP voted on March 30, 2024, in favor of affiliating with Texas AFT to amplify advocacy and benefits for Texas AAUP members:

• Amplified advocacy with the 66,000 members and 50 dedicated full-time staff of Texas AFT will help us be more ready for the next legislative session.  Texas AFT hosted a legislative testimony training on May 13, 2024. Many more to come.
• Amplified benefits include $8M occupational liability coverage, legal aid for civil lawsuits, legal defense for employment matters, and advocates to help faculty in administrative meetings, investigations, and grievances.  More info.

Our Texas AAUP affiliation with Texas AFT is a natural follow-up to the National AAUP affiliation with National AFT on August 1, 2022.  National AFT has 1.7M members including 300,00 faculty, staff and students, and is part of the AFL-CIO with 12M members.

For more information, please see our reasons to join AAUP. Feel free to email me with any questions or concerns.

Brian L. Evans, PhD | He/His/Him | aaup.texas@gmail.com
President, Texas AAUP-AFT Conference

Please see the Google form for the text and the signatures of the open letter:

Open Letter: UT Faculty Have No Confidence in President Hartzell

For those wanting to strengthen academic freedom at US institutions, I would like to invite you to join the American Association of University Professors.  Here’s the link to join AAUP and here are several reasons to consider joining.  AAUP welcomes adjunct, lecturer, instructional, professional, tenure-track, tenured, and retired faculty members as well as graduate students, librarians, researchers, and academic advisors and other professional staff as members.  People in these roles need academic freedom in teaching, research and/or expression to be able to do their jobs.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Texas NAACP and Texas Conference of American Association of University Professors (AAUP)

Contacts: Gary Bledsoe, President, Texas NAACP, gbledsoe@thebledsoelawfirm.com, and Brian Evans, Interim President, Texas AAUP Conference, aaup.texas@gmail.com

The Texas Conference of AAUP and the Texas State Conference of NAACP Branches would like to express alarm at what we have witnessed today at the University of Texas. After a day where students, faculty and staff were denied the right to engage in their desired protests of teach-ins, study sessions and pizza but still engaged in what were apparently peaceful protests from many eye witness accounts, the University has incredibly turned the UT Austin campus into a militarized zone. 

Though we fully respect the need for the campus to maintain security and keep individuals on the campus safe, what we saw today was far beyond that and caused fear and intimidation to many people on the University campus— most of whom were not protestors.  Many students were denied the right to walk across the campus by patrols of State police with automatic weapons and many on horseback, while faculty and staff were forced to remain in buildings that were surrounded by State police and other forces. 

The State Police troops were so intimidating in their appearance and demeanor that many persons were simply afraid to approach them or the lines they formed.  At one point they formed circles around liberal arts buildings on the campus. Instead of trying to assist individuals who were afraid, the guard members said they could not talk while they were on duty or declined to talk altogether.  

There was no University official available to inform people on the campus what they should or should not do, so this created a chaotic situation.  The environment on the campus already feels hostile to many faculty, staff and students and this contributed to that feeling.  Students, as long as they do so within proper constraints, have a Constitutional right to demonstrate. 

The protestors today were mainly students and faculty.  It seems as though a message was sent today with the intent of silencing any kind of protest in the future, letting future organizers know what is in store for you even if it is a peaceful protest that you are undertaking.

April 24, 2024, at 1:25pm, on Speedway on the UT Austin Campus, which is the main north-south thoroughfare through campus:

April 24, 2024, at 2:01pm, Looking South from UT Austin Tower plaza:

April 24, 2024, at 4:49pm, Looking North from Littlefield Fountain, police had cleared all the students, staff, and faculty from the South Mall and occupied all of the green space with more than 100 officers:

From: utsafetyalert@austin.utexas.edu <utsafetyalert@austin.utexas.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2024 5:18 PM
Subject: UTPD Notice of Dispersal Order

THIS IS A DISPERSAL ORDER FOR OCCUPANTS OF THE SOUTH MALL:

I am Assistant Chief Ashley Griffin and I represent the University of Texas at Austin Police Department. Your conduct is in violation of Penal Code Sections 42.01 Disorderly Conduct, 42.02 Riot, 42.03 Obstructing a Highway or other passageway.

I command you in the name of the People of the State of Texas to disperse, and if you do not, you shall be arrested for Violation of Penal Code Section 42.01 Disorderly Conduct, 42.02 Riot, 42.03 Obstructing a Highway or other passageway.

From: utsafetyalert@austin.utexas.edu <utsafetyalert@austin.utexas.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2024 9:08 PM
Subject: UPDATE – Dispersal Order has ended

FINAL UPDATE – ALL CLEAR. The dispersal order at the South Mall has ended. All University rules are still in effect.

Note: The following termination letter was without warning and came as a complete shock. The letter gives no reason for the termination nor acknowledges the work the staff member had done to comply with SB 17. The letter does not acknowledge that they had been promised that they would not lose their jobs. The staff member received no due process prior to the received the letter and the notice does not describe the options for due process for the staff member such as an appeal or grievance. There is no severance package. For more information, please see “Mass Firings of UT Austin Staff, Faculty, and Administrators“.

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS
P.O. Box 7699 FAC 302 G5000 Austin, TX 78713
512-471-1133 FAX 512-471-5558 studentaffairs.utexas.edu

April 2, 2024

[address deleted]

[salutation deleted]

This letter serves as a notification of your dismissal from employment effective June 2, 2024 in accordance with Section 2 of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures, 1-1020, Section VII.C.2, “Officers of Administration.”

As an administrative officer, you serve without fixed term and are being dismissed as the business needs of the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs have recently changed and your position is being eliminated.

During the remainder of your appointment, you will be assigned work to you can complete from home including transitioning documents from your laptop files to the UT Box.

The University offers assistance to employees impacted by a layoff:

• Healthpoint Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counselors are available to discuss change and transition strategies with impacted employees. Appointments may be made via eap@austin.utexas.edu or call 512-471-3366.
• Affected employees are welcome to schedule individual appointments with HR Benefits HRS-LM@austin.utexas.edu to discuss benefits and leave issues.

Sincerely,

Tom Dison

Interim Vice President for Student Affairs

Revised April 18th, 2024

On April 2, 2024, UT Austin issued termination notices to 62 professional staff who once did Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work but pivoted before Jan. 1, 2024, to comply with SB 17. [Ref]  UT Austin refuses to provide the number of employees fired. [Ref]

The 62 professional staff who received termination notices on April 2, 2024, have reported their job titles and departments/units below.  Of the 62 professional staff, 12 also report holding non-tenure-track faculty titles, with 8 holding the title of Lecturer and 4 holding the title of Assistant Professor of Practice.

After the listing of the terminated staff positions is a listing of the 15 Associate Dean positions that were terminated across 15 colleges. Those positions will be eliminated May 31, 2024. [Ref] One of the Associate Deans held a non-tenure-track faculty position and received a termination notice for the faculty position.  The other 14 Associate Deans are tenured faculty members and retained their tenured faculty position after the demotion.

For more information, please see “Mass Firings of UT Austin Staff, Faculty, and Administrators“.

Administrative Support Manager	Division of Campus and Community Engagement
Senior Videographer and Photographer	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement
Assistant Vice President for School Partnerships	Division of Campus and Community Engagement
Desktop Support Specialist	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement
Broadening Participation Research Program Manager and Lecturer	Cockrell School of Engineering Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations
Director of BBA Student Experience, and Lecturer	Red McCombs School of Business Department of Marketing
Director Assistant Professor of Practice	Dell Med Department of Medical Education School of Social Work
Executive Director, Office of Inclusive Innovation and Entrepreneurship	Division of Campus and Community Engagement
Administrative Associate	Cockrell School of Engineering
Outreach and Social Media Specialist	Vice President for Student Affairs
Director of Assessment and Lecturer	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement
Executive Director	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement
Executive Director IT	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement
Art Director	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement
Student Program Coordinator	Division of Campus and Community Engagement
Senior Outreach Program Coordinator and Lecturer	Division of Campus and Community Engagement Center for Women’s and Gender Studies
Restorative Engagement Facilitator	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement
Systems Administrator IUniversity Professional (Part-Time)	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community EngagementUniversity Risk and Compliance Services
Student Engagement Coordinator	Office of the Dean of Students
Director and Lecturer	Division of Campus and Community Engagement
Senior Administrative Associate	Vice President for Student Affairs
Director of Academic Projects and Lecturer	Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Executive Assistant	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement
Executive Director	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement
Director of Leadership and Dialogue	Division of Campus and Community Engagement
Administrative Associate	Division of Campus and Community Engagement
Assistant to the Deputy	Vice President for Student Affairs
Assistant Professor of Instruction	Kinesiology and Health Education
Director of Talent Development and Learning Strategy	Financial and Administrative Services Business Services
Director	Division of Campus and Community Engagement
Student Program Coordinator	Division of Campus and Community Engagement
Associate Vice President	Division of Campus and Community Engagement
Senior Student Program Coordinator	Cockrell School of Engineering
Senior Outreach Program Coordinator	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement
Executive Director of Finance and Chief Business Officer	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement
Director Fearless Leadership InstituteLecturer	Division of Campus and Community EngagementHumanities Program
Assistant Vice-President, Center for Leadership and Learning and Lecturer	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement Department of Management
Vice President for Division of Campus and Community Engagement, and Assistant Professor of Practice	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement
Academic Program Manager	Dell Med Department of Medical Education
College to Career Program Coordinator	Division of Campus and Community Engagement
Events Program Coordinator	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement
Office Liaison/Operations Manager	Division of Campus and Community Engagement
Senior Outreach Program Coordinator	Cockrell School of Engineering
Living the Longhorn Life Coordinator	Office of the Dean of Students
Director of Educational Partnerships	Red McCombs School of Business
Student Development Specialist Global Initiatives and Programs	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement
Human Resource Coordinator	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement
Webmaster	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement
Senior Administrative Associate	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement
Program Manager, Advanced Degree Career Identity and Global Impact	Texas Career Engagement Career Services
Director Restorative Justice	Division of Campus and Community Engagement
Assistant Vice-President, and Assistant Professor of Practice	Division of Campus and Community Engagement
Assistant Director, Communications	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement
Assistant to the Vice-President	Vice President for Student Affairs
Student Engagement Coordinator	???
Senior Administrative Program Coordinator	Division of Campus and Community Engagement
Living the Longhorn Life Coordinator	Office of the Dean of Students
Senior Administrative Program Coordinator	Office of the Dean of Students
University Professional (Part-Time) and Editor UTES	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement University Charter School
Director of Strategic and Executive Communications	Office of the Dean of Students
Living the Longhorn Life Coordinator	Office of the Dean of Students
Senior Administrative Associate	Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement

At a university, a Dean runs a College or School, e.g. the College of Communication or the School of Nursing.  An Associate Dean runs specific aspects of the college or school. 

Associate Dean positions that were terminated effective May 31, 2024, include the following.  Please note that the terminated Associate Dean position in the School of Undergraduate Studies had been unfilled when the position was terminated. The prsonn who is in the terminated Associate Dean position for Dell Medical School is also an Assistant Professor of Practice in Educational Psychology, which is a non-tenure track faculty position, and that position was terminated.  For the other terminated Associate Dean positions, the holder was a tenured faculty member. They received a demotion from the Associate Dean position and an accompanying loss in pay and benefits, but retained their tenured faculty positions.

Cockrell School of Engineering

College of Education

College of Fine Arts

Dell Medical School

Jackson School of Geosciences

Law School

LBJ School of Public Affairs

McCombs School of Business

Moody College of Communication

Pharmacy

School of Architecture

School of Information

School of Nursing

School of Undergraduate Studies

Steve Hicks School of Social Work

by the Texas AAUP Office of Faculty Representation

On Wednesday, April 3, 2024, the Lamar University Faculty Senate decided on a no-confidence vote against the Chair of the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering at Lamar University. In response to the same motion, the Senate also voted to censure the Dean of Engineering. 

Some issues contributing to this decision included allegations that the administrators have not allowed faculty to have a voice in key departmental matters such as curriculum changes and have shown disrespect to faculty. Since the first collective grievance by all departmental faculty and staff was filed on November 28, 2022, multiple additional grievances have been filed by Mechanical Engineering faculty against their Chair. The university has not responded to nor addressed the formal grievances in a timely manner. Instead, prohibited retaliation against departmental faculty for filing grievances and exercising their Academic Freedom has allegedly been committed by the Chair on more than one occasion. To date, no hearing has been set for any of the filed formal grievances. The University has not prioritized resolving any of them. 

The Texas State University System and therefore Lamar University do not require a grievance hearing date in a definitive timeline, nor does it require a committee of faculty to hear the grievances. This is in direct opposition to shared governance principles adopted by the AAUP in its 1966 Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities. This statement, which was jointly formulated with the American Council on Education and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, calls for shared responsibility among the different components of institutional government and specifies areas of primary responsibility for governing boards, administrations, and faculties. It remains the Association’s central policy document relating to academic governance. This 1966 Statement strongly suggests that the faculty has primary responsibility for such fundamental areas as curriculum, subject matter and methods of instruction, research, faculty status, and those aspects of student life which relate to the educational process. On these matters, the power of review or final decision lodged in the governing board or delegated by it to the president should be exercised adversely only in exceptional circumstances, and for reasons communicated to the faculty. It is desirable that the faculty should, following such communication, have opportunity for further consideration and further transmittal of its views to the president or board. 

Lamar University is a member of the American Council on Education (ACE). Both the Lamar University Foundation and the Texas State University System are members of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB). This 1966 Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities was entered into by AAUP representing faculty, the ACE representing university and college presidents, and the AGB representing Boards of Regents.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | April 13, 2024 | Contact: Brian Evans, Texas AAUP President, aaup.texas@gmail.com | PDF Version

Endorsed by the Texas Faculty Association, an affiliate of the Texas State Teachers Association and the National Education Association

Endorsed by the Texas Association of College Teachers

The Texas Conference of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is deeply concerned that Governor Abbott’s recent executive order (GA44 “relating to addressing acts of antisemitism in institutions of higher education”) will unlawfully restrict  political expression at institutions of higher education.  Gov. Abbott’s executive order requires all institutions of higher education in the state to “update” their free speech policies to conform to a controversial definition of antisemitism that condemns criticism of the State of Israel as antisemitic. We unequivocally condemn antisemitism and violence against Jews; we also condemn Islamophobia and violence against Palestinians, Muslims, Arabs, and other marginalized groups. This executive order, however, curtails the First Amendment freedoms of students and faculty at Texas universities to speak without prior restraint on issues of public concern. Messages that might be disfavored by state officials are just as deserving of constitutional protection as any other expression. Efforts by the state to censor disfavored expression undermines the free exchange of ideas that is at the heart of colleges’ and universities’ educational mission.

Governor Abbott’s order includes two particularly troubling elements.  The first is that it purports to bar certain viewpoints by imposing a particular definition of antisemitism that many organizations consider overly broad (ABA, ACLU, MESA). This definition of antisemitism is certainly too expansive a definition to apply to students and faculty at institutions of higher learning that have a duty to lead probing, unfettered conversations and debates on the important issues of the day.    

Second, the order singles out particular student groups for investigation and sanction for their views. This is a clear departure from First Amendment norms, which prohibit state actors from singling out the speech of specific groups for restraint or punishment. The executive order, in requiring Texas institutions of higher education to proscribe specific political messages, provides a pretext for the suppression of faculty and student rights of expression and association that enjoy the explicit protections of the U.S. Constitution. It also violates norms of academic freedom.

The Texas Conference of the AAUP is guided by the words of the national AAUP’s October 2023 statement, Academic Freedom in Times of War, which notes:

“College and university officials are obligated to defend academic freedom; they must resist demands from politicians, trustees, donors, students and their parents, alumni, or other parties to punish faculty members for exercising that freedom. At this moment of heightened tension on college and university campuses, the AAUP calls on college and university administrations to fully protect the academic freedom of their faculties to teach, conduct research, and speak out about important issues both on and off campus.”

We call on Gov. Abbott to rescind this executive order immediately so as to protect the rights of faculty and students to speak on all topics of public or political interest without fear of intimidation, retaliation, or punishment.

###

The mission of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP)  is to advance academic freedom and shared governance; to define  fundamental professional values and standards for higher education; to  promote the economic security of faculty, academic professionals,  graduate students, post‐doctoral fellows, and all those engaged in  teaching and research in higher education; to help the higher education  community organize to make our goals a reality; and to ensure higher education’s contribution to the common good. 

On Tuesday, April 2, 2024, the UT Austin Administration issued 90-day termination notices to 62 professional staff who once did DEI work but pivoted before January 1, 2024, to comply with SB 17.  [Ref]  Of the staff, 13 also hold faculty positions.  Faculty members, academic advisors and other professional staff in a teaching or training role have academic freedom to be able to do their job effectively.  Additionally, 15 Assistant and Associate Dean positions will be eliminated on May 31, 2024; the 14 faculty members in these roles will be demoted and take a significant cut in pay but retain their faculty positions. [Ref]  Although the UT Austin Administration refuses to provide the number of employees who were fired, we provide a list of all the job titles and departments/units compiled directly from the 62 professional staff who received termination notices (see below). Most of the 62 professional staff are women and/or members of underrepresented minority groups.

The spokesperson for the 62 staff who received termination notices is Karma Chavez (karmachavez@gmail.com).

Documenting the termination notices and their impact

• Philip Jankowski and Marcela Rodrigues, “Women, people of color most impacted by UT universities’ DEI cuts, documents show”, Dallas Morning News, May 24, 2024.
• Lily Kepner, “UT Faculty Council resolutions condemn April 2 former DEI terminations, response to protests“, Austin American-Statesman, May 21, 2024.
• Job Titles and Departments/Units for UT Austin Termination Notices on April 2, 2024, posted April 15, 2024.
• UT Austin Spring 2024 Organizational Restructuring, describes transfers of programs formerly part of the Division of Campus and Community Engagement to other university colleges, schools, and units.
• UT Austin Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs Termination Letter, April 2, 2024. Termination notices sent to 10 staff in the VPSA.
• UT Austin Division of Campus and Community Engagement (DCCE) Termination Letter, April 2, 2024. Termination notices sent to 43 staff in the DCCE.
• President Jay Hartzell, Organizational Changes, April 2, 2024. First public statement by the UT Austin on the employment terminations.
• UT Austin SB 17 Compliance Certification for the Division of Campus and Community Engagement, Jan. 8, 2024. Example of the university-wide audit and termination of all DEI positions and functions banned under SB17 prior to January 1, 2024.  The document filename is dated December 13, 2023, and it is signed on January 8, 2024.
• Footage of Rep. John Kuempel, May 19, 2023. Rep. Kuempel, as House Higher Ed Committee Chair and SB 17 Sponsor, reassures lawmakers on the House floor that DEI workers in Texas would not lose their jobs. Rep. Kuempel mentions 62 employees in DEI roles at UT Austin.

Statements and other responses

• “Senate Higher Ed Subcommittee Convenes to Study DEI, Free Speech, & Antisemitism“, Texas AFT, May 16, 2024. Describes testimony against and a press conference against anti-DEI SB 17.
• Professor Peniel Joseph, Opinion: What’s happening in Texas is an assault on American democracy, CNN Opinion, May 2, 2024.
• Open Letter: UT Faculty Have No Confidence in President Hartzell, April 25, 2024.
• Joint Statement of UT Austin Faculty Council and Staff Council Leadership Regarding Recent Staff Terminations (April 12, 2024)
• Statement of Gary Bledsoe, NAACP State President, April 10, 2024
• Texas AAUP and UT Austin AAUP respond to the UT Austin President purging more than 75 staff, April 8, 2024
• UT Austin AAUP Letter to the UT Austin President, Apr. 4, 2024.
• Joint Press Release by Texas AAUP & Texas NAACP, Apr. 3, 2024.

April 10, 2024

STATEMENT OF GARY BLEDSOE, NAACP STATE PRESIDENT

We are proud to be here with our great friends and allies, the Texas Legislative Black Caucus under the leadership of Chairman Ron Reynolds and the Texas State Conference of AAUP led by its newly elected President Dr. Brian Evans, a professor at the University of Texas along with my good friend and a friend of the people, Representative Gina Hinojosa and another good friend  who sits on the House Higher Education Committee, Representative Cheryl Cole.  Here are some important things we know at this point.

First, in the bill and in the floor debate the bill sponsor promised that programs for students would not be eliminated.  Today we know of at least six such programs that have been eliminated:

Center for Equity and Inclusion/Center for Access and Restorative Engagement

Diversity Education/Leadership and Dialogue

Gender and Sexuality Center/Women’s Community Center

Inclusive Campus Support/Initiatives for Campus Support

Inclusive Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Longhorn Center for Academic Excellence/Center for Leadership and Training

Each of these programs had been reviewed prior to January 1^st and was continued by the University.  They did not involve any of the types of training prohibited by SB17.  The changes were made to their curriculum and approved before the programs were permitted to move forward.  The programs where you see 2 names are those where changes were required.  Nothing was found to be a problem involving the Inclusive Innovation and Entrepreneurship program.

Second we have 58 confirmed names of persons who have received their pink slips but have good reason to believe the number will probably double.  As you might imagine the ones we have talked with are shocked and devastated. 

Third, because we know that promises were made during the House Debate that no one would lose employment we are greatly concerned over what has happened.  This concern is heightened because during the debate the University had identified 62 persons in such positions, but the numbers that we believe have received pink slips is greatly in excess of that number.  In addition, each of the positions had either been originally pre-cleared prior to the Januaray 1^st implementation date, or were modified and thereafter approved prior to the January 1^st implementation date.  All of the positions were determined to be both in compliance with SB17 and essential to the University.

Fourth, when the University reduced its top 10% obligation to 6 percent it made assurances that it would continue and recruit in underserved areas and also in rural areas.  There was not a racial component to this but it was a promise made to the Black Caucus and others.  Many employees in this program have been let go or reassigned, and when reassigned some have been reassigned to different departments. 

Finally, The systematic elimination of important positions because of SB17 and the Creighton letter is itself an act of First Amendment retaliation and likely discrimination, and it will only serve to dumb down the University because it will possibly cause the loss of substantial research funds, negatively impact its accreditation and standing in the national academic community, and discourage talented students, faculty and staff from coming to UT-Austin.  Students don’t learn in a vacuum.  The resources that were being provided and that are now being cut are the result of extensive and peer reviewed academic research and study, and all of the programs developed as a result of it are being destroyed willy nilly.  

“Consider that virtually overnight UT-Austin has gone from a champion player in the higher education eco-system to a minor-leaguer. Sadly, the damage is self-inflicted. All of the programs that have systematically and inappropriately been eliminated aimed to promote student and faculty excellence, success, and support in a university that has a history of discrimination. UT-Austin has rolled up the welcome mat for underrepresented students and faculty across racial and gender identification lines. It will be the big loser of that much talent going elsewhere. And the exodus already has begun.”

We will continue to work with the many persons who have been victimized by this illegal and inhumane action.  It is our hope that each affected person will reach out to the Texas AAUP.  I will be providing a letter of guidance for individuals who may be  They can also reach out to us.

Note: The following termination letter was without warning and came as a complete shock. The letter gives no reason for the termination nor acknowledges the work the staff member had done to comply with SB 17. The letter does not acknowledge that they had been promised that they would not lose their jobs. The staff member received no due process prior to the received the letter and the notice does not describe the options for due process for the staff member such as an appeal or grievance. There is no severance package. There is no description of how to continue employment benefits after the determination date, for example extending the health insurance coverage using COBRA where the staff person pays the cost of the health insurance. For more information, please see “Mass Firings of UT Austin Staff, Faculty, and Administrators“.

After careful consideration, the University has decided to close the Department of Community and Campus Engagement and eliminate your position. As a result, I regret to inform you that your last day of employment with the University will be July 5, 2024. It is important that over the next 94 days, we continue to prioritize our students and their experiences. Effective immediately, your day-to-day responsibilities are implementing the orderly wind-down of your unit and previously assigned responsibilities. You will coordinate and provide information and advice to ensure an orderly reorganization process. Additionally, delivering services and information to students will remain the focus to ensure they receive all necessary support and services. We appreciate your work and dedication to our students, faculty, and staff. 

The University offers assistance to employees impacted by a layoff:

• You will be automatically enrolled in the Special Consideration Program. The Program allows a hiring department to hire with diminished administrative procedures and provides preference in hiring if the employee is deemed equally qualified as a non-Special Consideration applicant. Special Consideration ends 12 months after the separation date. You may opt out of the program by emailing hrs.sws@austin.utexas.edu or calling 512-475-7200.
• HR contracts with an outplacement service vendor called NextJob. Services include career coaching, resume writing support, assistance with interview strategies, and job search assistance. Please expect a call from NextJob’s team within a week of receiving this document to hear more about what is available to you. The services are offered to you at no cost, and you are free to accept or decline them.
• Healthpoint Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counselors are available to discuss change and transition strategies with impacted employees. Appointments may be made via eap@austin.utexas.edu or call 512-471-3366.
• Affected employees can schedule individual appointments with HR Benefits HRS-LM@austin.utexas.edu to discuss benefits and leave issues. 

Please contact me if you have questions if I can be of assistance during this time.

Sincerely,

Roger Cude

Vice President of People and Talent

CC: Strategic Workforce Solutions hrs.sws@austin.utexas.edu

       Employee Personnel File