Abbott signs two education reform bills

Last Wednesday, Governor Greg Abbott signed several education reform bills including Senate Bill 17 and Senate Bill 18, that will alter some policies at colleges and universities.

Under SB 17, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) offices at state colleges and universities will be closing in January 2024 and activities that seek to promote certain groups of individuals over others based on race, ethnicity and gender will also come to an end.

The bill also prohibits diversity statements for job applicants at Texas universities and mandatory diversity equity and inclusion training for any purpose.

State Senator Brandon Creighton of Conroe, author of the bill, called it the most significant ban on DEI in higher education in the nation.

“With this bold, forwardthinking legislation to eliminate DEI programs, Texas is leading the nation, and ensuring our campuses return to focusing on the strength of diversity and promoting a merit-based approach where individuals are judged on their qualifications, skills, and contributions,” said Creighton.

Earlier this year, Abbott warned leaders at state agencies and public universities that DEI policies in hiring are illegal. Abbott’s Chief of Staff, Gardner Pate, addressed the issue in a February memo that stated, “The innocuous sounding notion of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has been manipulated to push policies that expressly favor some demographic groups to the detriment of others.”

Now that Senate Bill 17 is law, the state’s public universities have six months to dismantle departments, programs and training associated with DEI and aim for “colorblind and sex neutral” hiring practices.

Texas isn’t the only state that has banned universities from state or federal funds for DEI programs and initiatives; Florida was the first.

At least two dozen bills on the question have been introduced in 15 states this year, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, all seeking to somehow undo DEI efforts at colleges. In some states, institutions are already rolling back their DEI programs in anticipation of a crackdown.

In addition to the DEI bill, Abbott also signed a separate bill codifying tenure restriction. Senate Bill 18, also authored by Creighton, ends guaranteed lifetime employment at Texas public colleges and universities, and makes it easier for universities to dismiss underperforming professors and increase the frequency and rigor of tenure review.