UT leadership is undoing what made our university a top public higher education institution: academic freedom, shared governance, and independent expertise. Without these, Texas suffers. Students cannot learn, and faculty cannot research and teach.
We want our administration to let Longhorns learn without political interference. Since September 21, 2026, UT faculty have been meeting at the tower every Monday – Thursday at noon to take a 15-minute silent walk through campus. We wear black and hold signs mourning the cutting of departments and majors, the increase in censorship, and threats to academic freedom. We lament the fact that UT’s administration is actively limiting what Longhorns can learn.
But we also walk to celebrate the scholarly fields and freedom of thought that UT wants to erase. Departments can be closed, majors cut, and censorship embraced. But ideas will not die.
We invite faculty, staff, students, and community members to join us each week. Follow us on instagram: @aaupatutaustin.
