November 19, 2025

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is concerned with defending academic freedom, freedom of expression, shared governance, due process, and fairness. As such, the AAUP Chapter at UT Austin has serious concerns about two urgent matters related to UT students’ freedom of expression: 1) the restrictions the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies has placed on the functioning of the Graduate Student Assembly and 2) the Office of the Dean of Students’ (ODoS) decision to begin disciplinary proceedings against one undergraduate student affiliated with Students for a Democratic Society and one graduate student affiliated with the University of Texas Graduate Workers’ Union. 

On October 15, the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies told David Spicer, president of the Graduate Student Assembly (GSA), that the GSA could not consider two proposed resolutions against Texas statutes SB 17 and SB 37. The Associate Dean for Graduate Studies claimed that both resolutions violated the University’s institutional neutrality policy. Then on November 2, the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies blocked three more resolutions proposed by the GSA on a range of campus matters, arguing that they were beyond the Assembly’s purview because they did not affect graduate students uniquely and directly. Both FIRE and the ACLU of Texas have criticized these attempts to restrict students’ free speech. 

On November 7, undergraduate Daniel Ramírez and graduate student Áine McGehee Marley went to Provost William Inboden’s office with a group of students to demand a meeting about UT Austin’s plans regarding the federal government’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” The students were refused a meeting with the Provost and when asked to leave the office, they did so. Subsequently, on November 17, ODoS informed Ramírez and McGehee Marley that they are being investigated for possible violations of University policy, namely unauthorized entry and conduct that interferes with or disrupts university activities. Based on these charges, we are concerned that the University is defining terms like ”disruption” in overly broad ways that impinge on students’ first amendment rights. 

Just last week, President Jim Davis testified at the State Capitol before the Senate Select Committee on Civil Discourse and Freedom of Speech in Higher Education. Committee Co-Chair Representative Terry Wilson said, “The people of Texas expect their public universities to uphold the rule of law, to safeguard free expression, and to protect every student’s right to learn in an environment free from fear.” Wilson continued, “When those obligations are ignored, when intimidation takes the place of discourse, the integrity of higher education itself is at risk.” President Davis promised to uphold students’ right to free speech on campus and stated, “UT Austin’s commitment to civil discourse and freedom of speech is strong and will not waver on my watch.” However, the interference with GSA’s right to put forward resolutions and the disciplinary proceedings against an undergraduate and graduate student are part of a series of actions this semester on the part of UT Austin’s administrative leaders repressing student speech.

The AAUP Chapter at UT Austin calls on the Dean of Students Office to drop the disciplinary investigations against the two UT students. We also call on the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies to allow the GSA’s prohibited resolutions to proceed. If UT Austin’s leaders truly support the right to free speech, undergraduate and graduate students must be able to use existing venues to express their ideas about policies on our campus.

#academic-freedom

#freedom-of-expression

#free-speech